Wasif NOUMAN, Shahzad Maqsood Ahmed BASRA, Muhammad Tahir SIDDIQUI

Potential of Moringa oleifera L. as livestock fodder crop: a review

Dairy and meat production in dry regions is very complex due to low quality and shortage of fodder, especially in dry periods. Livestock scientists are eager to explore and investigate good-quality fodders that can boost milk and meat production in an organic and economical way. Some organic meals like soybean, cotton seed cake, and range grasses are being utilized to overcome the fodder shortage. These have some limitations, however, like unavailability in December through May as currently green fodder is least available after wheat, alfalfa, brassica, and maize harvesting. This leads towards reduced livestock production and low-quality milk and meat products. At the same time, the rapid increase in human population is increasing the food requirements, which is in turn threatening environmental conservation and enlarging the gap between the availability of resources and the meeting of human necessities. People are fulfilling their requirements for food and shelter by depleting natural resources. Plant scientists are exploring the types of plants that can fulfill the life necessities of both human beings and livestock but can also be used as growth enhancers for main crops without natural resources degradation. Over the last few years, underutilized crops and trees have captured the attention of plant scientists, nutritionists, and growers. Moringa oleifera is one of those plants that has been neglected for several years but now is being investigated for its fast growth, higher nutritional attributes, and utilization as a livestock fodder crop. It can be grown as a crop on marginal lands with high temperatures and low water availability, where it is difficult to cultivate other agricultural crops. The present review article gives a detailed discussion on the nutritional quality of moringa parts and their palatability for livestock, fish, and poultry, as well as suitable growing conditions and cultural practices.

Anahtar Kelimeler:

Key words: Antinutritional factors, livestock fodder, moringa, nutritional quality

Potential of Moringa oleifera L. as livestock fodder crop: a review

Keywords:

Key words: Antinutritional factors, livestock fodder, moringa, nutritional quality,

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1st year 2nd year 1st year 2nd year 95,000 19,600 33,300 Foidl et al. 2001 350,000 29,700 50,500 900,000 52,600 89,400 1,000,000 78,000 132,600 4,000,000* 97,400 165,600 16,000,000* 25,900 440,300 250,000 80,200 41,100 17,600 7600 Sanchez et al. 2006 500,000 79,100 46,200 16,900 8100 750,000 88,000 36,100 18,900 6200
Cutting frequency (days) 1st year 2nd year 1st year 2nd year 45 71,400 26,700 13,500 4700 Sanchez et al. 2006 60 75,300 39,400 15,200 6800 75 100,700 54,700 24,700 10,400
*: Test plots with higher planting densities. Lysine 1125 150 Freiberger et al. 1998; Fuglie 2000 Leucine 1950 650 Fuglie 2000
Isoleucine 825 440 Fuglie 2000
Methionine 350 140 Fuglie 2000 Cystine nd nd
Phenylalanine 1388 430 Fuglie 2000 Tyrosine nd Nd Valine 1063 540 Fuglie 2000
Histidine 613 110 Freiberger et al. 1998; Fuglie 2000 Threonine 1188 390 Fuglie 2000 Serine nd nd Glutamate nd nd Aspartate nd nd Proline nd nd Glycine nd nd Alanine nd nd Arginine 1325 360 Fuglie 2000
Tryptophan 425 80 Freiberger et al. 1998; Fuglie 2000 nd = nondetectable.
Calcium 18,714 Aykroyd 1966; Freiberger et al. 1998; Fuglie 2000; Foidl et al. 2001; Yang et al. 2006; Nouman et al. 2012a
Phosphorous 1121 Freiberger et al. 1998; Fuglie 2000; Nouman et al. 2012a
Magnesium 2 Aykroyd 1966; Freiberger et al. 1998; Foidl et al. 2001; Fuglie 2001; Nouman et al. 2012a
Sodium 2217 Freiberger et al. 1998; Foidl et al. 2001; Nouman et al. 2012b
Potassium 20,75 Makkar and Becker 1996, 1997; Fuglie 1999, 2000; Foidl et al. 2001; Newton et al. 2010; Nouman et al. 2012a
Iron 383 Aykroyd 1966; Freiberger et al. 1998; Fuglie 2000; Rweyemamu 2006; Yang et al. 2006
Manganese 37 Freiberger et al. 1998; Foidl et al. 2001
Zinc 05 Freiberger et al. 1998; Foidl et al. 2001
Copper 483 Aykroyd 1966; Freiberger et al. 1998; Fuglie 2000; Foidl et al. 2001
Sulfur 130 Aykroyd 1966; Foidl et al. 2001; Fuglie 2000
Chromium Freiberger et al. 1998
Molybdenum 45 Freiberger et al. 1998
Nickel Freiberger et al. 1998
Selenium 12 Freiberger et al. 1998; Newton et al. 2010
Calcium 1248 Fuglie 2000; Newton et al. 2010
Phosphorous 1757 Fuglie 2000
Magnesium 145 Aykroyd 1966; Fuglie 2000; Newton et al. 2010
Sodium 1709 Foidl et al. 2001; Newton et al. 2010
Potassium 15,45 Makkar and Becker 1996, 1997; Newton et al. 2010
Iron 22 Makkar and Becker 1996, 1997
Manganese 73 Fuglie 1999, 2000; Foidl et al. 2001
Zinc 9 Foidl et al. 2001; Newton et al. 2010
Copper 67 Aykroyd 1966; Fuglie 2000
Sulfur 1147 Aykroyd 1966; Fuglie 2000 Table Soluble and insoluble oxalates quantity in different leafy vegetable in comparison with moringa leaves (Noonan and Savage 1999; Radek and Savage 2008). Vegetable/plants Total oxalates (mg kg –1 ) Soluble oxalates (mg kg –1 ) Insoluble oxalates (mg kg –1 ) Spinach 125,762 118,998 6763 Green amaranths 100,563 46,747 53,817 Purple amaranths 81,060 35,580 45,480 Curry 27,749 27,749 Moringa 27,540 27,540 Onion 5328 5328 Coriander 5132 5132 Radish 2090 2090 leaves can be eaten as a richer calcium source, especially by mothers and children, without the fear of kidney stone formation. Moringa seeds have the highest amount of phytates and glucosinolates compared to other vegetative parts (Oliveira et al. 1999; Foidl et al. 2001; Ferreira 2004). The presence of alkaloids and saponins (in safe ranges, as described earlier) and the negligible amount of tannins is responsible for the bitter taste of the seeds, but such unpleasant taste can be eliminated using certain treatments like boiling or extraction processes, gene manipulation, and supplementation with methionine or threonine (Enneking and Wick 2000). Antivitamin agents (which make a vitamin ineffective or lower its chemical action inside the body) for vitamins
A, D, E and K and pyridoxine have been found in many conventional fodders and feeds like soybean, sweet clover, Phaseolus vulgaris, and linseed cake (Nityanand 1997).
These antivitamin agents cannot be completely eliminated from these livestock feedstuffs (Akinmutimi 2004). The presence of these toxic elements in livestock feed may cause kidney and liver damage due to abnormalities caused by rapid metabolic rates to inhibit the effects of these antivitamin agents (Bone 1979). However, moringa leaves are a rich source of vitamins (Makkar and Becker 1997;
Nambiar and Seshadri 1998; Nambiar and Seshadri 2001).
There is no study available on the presence of antivitamin agents or activities in moringa leaves, but it has been found that moringa leaves and moringa leaf meal are good feed sources for livestock, fish, rabbits, laying hens, broiler chickens, growing sheep, and cross-bred cows (Afuang et al. 2003; Sarwatt et al. 2004; Dongmeza et al. 2006; Kakengi et al. 2007; Nuhu 2010; Olugbemi et al. 2010). Aside from the negligible antinutritional factors, moringa leaves are palatable for human beings and livestock.
These studies manifest the fact that moringa has better nutritional quality than other leafy vegetables or fodders.