Response of albino rats fed varying levels of enzyme supplemented tigernut meal based diets.

Abstract

A 21-day feeding trial to assess the effect of replacing 0,10,20,30 and 40% maize with enzyme supplemented tigernut meal on the performance, nutrient digestibility, haematological traits, serum chemistry and carcass yield of one hundred and eight albino rats of the wistar strain was conducted in a complete randomised design. Nine experimental diets (1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8 and 9) were formulated in all. Diet 1 contained 40% maize + 0% tigernut meal without enzyme supplementation. Diets 2,3,4.5 and 6,7,8,9 were constituted by replacing maize at 10.20,30 and 40% levels with tigernut meal supplemented with 0.05% roxzyineG® and enzyme extract respectively. The results revealed that of all the parameters considered, only the gut characteristics were not significantly (P>0.05) influenced by the dietary treatments. Diets 5 and 9 (40% enzyme supplemented tigernut ineal) proved to be the best by having the best performance and nutrient digestibility coefficients. It was then concluded that 40% inclusion level of enzyme supplemented tigernut meal as a replacement for maize proved to be better in rats than dicts that contained 0, 10, 20 and 30% levels of enzyme supplemented tigernul meal based diets.