Nutritive value of sun-dried Pueraria Phaseoloides for rabbits under tropical conditions

[EN] The nutritive value of Pueraria phaseoloides (whole plant, full fruit stage, sun-dried) for the growing rabbit was studied by comparing diets containing an increasing incorporation of Pueraria (0 to 40%) in substitution to a basal mixture. The crude protein (CP) concentration of Pueraria was 17.6 % dry matter (DM), while neutral detergent fibre (NDF) and acid detergent fibre were 51 and 39%, respectively. A basal diet was formulated (51.1% NDF and 19.9% CP, on DM basis) and pelleted. Another 2 diets were obtained through substitution of 20 and 40% of basal diet by Pueraria. Faecal digestibility was measured between 42 and 46 d of age on 12 young rabbits per diet, fed ad libitum since weaning (35 d, 754±108 g). The substitution of 40% of basal diet by Pueraria reduced the digestibility of organic matter, crude protein and NDF from 69 to 55%, 80 to 68%, and 56 to 43%, (P<0.01), respectively. The digestible energy obtained by regression for sun-dried Pueraria was 3.81±0.38 MJ/kg DM, and the digestible protein content of Pueraria was 41.7±6.7 g/kg DM.