Physicochemical characterization of mulberry (Morus alba), citrus (Citrus sinensis) pulp, and sugarcane (Saccharum officinarum) meals for the feeding of rabbits.

Mulberry (Morus alba cv Tigreada) meal, citrus (Citrus sinensis cv Valencia), dehydrated pulp, and sugarcane (Saccharum officinarum cv Jaronú-62) meal were used to determine their physicochemical characteristics. The samples were analyzed in threefold manner. Dry matter (DM), organic matter (OM), crude protein (CP), gross energy (GE), ash, neutral detergent fiber (NDF), acid detergent fiber (ADF), lignin, cellulose, and hemicelluloses were determined as chemical indicators. Water absorption capacity (WAC), packing volume, solubility, and acid and basic buffering capacity were the physical indicators. There were highly significant (P < 0.001) differences in chemical and physical composition, with the highest (P < 0.001) values for CP in mulberry (19.01 %) and high NDF (40.05 %), lower solubility, and higher acid buffering capacity. Sugarcane meal was the feed with the highest NDF content (59.60 %) and energy (16.16 MJ/kg DM), lower solubility, higher WAC and packing volume. The citrus meal had lower OM content, due to the use of zeolite during the drying process. This had influence (P < 0.001) on the high ash content (39.04 %). It was also the feed with higher solubility of fiber, lower volume, and lower WAC. The results show high digestive potentiality for the dehydrated citrus pulp and its fibrous fraction, composed of structural complexes of soluble type. It was followed by mulberry, with large supply of nitrogenous elements. Sugarcane meal was the feed with lower nutritional quality, due to its high fiber content, volume, and solubility. Further studies on the biological and digestibility performance are recommended to corroborate these results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]