Alfaro M A, Ramírez R, Martínez A, Bressani R
Instituto de Nutrición de Centro América y Panamá (INCAP), Guatemala, C. A.
Arch Latinoam Nutr. 1987 Mar;37(1):174-85.
The vegetative part of the amaranth plant could be a useful resource for animal feeding due to its chemical characteristics and to the high yield obtained when harvested between 45 and 60 days after planting. Six diets were evaluated in order to determine the feed efficiency of amaranth (Amaranthus hypochondriacus) for growing rabbits. The diets contained dehydrated amaranth leaves and stalks in levels of 0, 15, 30, 45 and 60%, to replace equal amounts of alfalfa leaf meal. An additional diet containing 60% of steam-treated leaves and stalks of amaranth, for five minutes, prior to dehydration and milling, was also tested. The amaranth leaf meal contained 17.8% protein and 12.4% crude fiber as compared with the alfalfa leaf meal which contained 22.0% protein and 23.3% crude fiber. In terms of weight gain, feed intake, feed efficiency, carcass weight and serum proteins, the results indicated that amaranth leaf meal can efficiently replace alfalfa leaf meal up to 15% of the total weight of the diet. Higher levels, however, caused growth retardation and a pathological picture characterized by interstitial nephrosis and edema, more easily observed at a 60% level in the diet. Results also revealed that a steam treatment improves the nutritive quality of the amaranth meal.
由于苋菜植株营养部分的化学特性以及种植后45至60天收获时可获得的高产，它可能是动物饲料的有用资源。为了确定苋菜（皱果苋）对生长兔的饲料效率，评估了六种日粮。这些日粮含有脱水苋菜叶和茎，含量分别为0%、15%、30%、45%和60%，以等量替代苜蓿叶粉。还测试了另一种日粮，其中含有60%经过蒸汽处理5分钟的苋菜叶和茎，然后进行脱水和研磨。苋菜叶粉含有17.8%的蛋白质和12.4%的粗纤维，而苜蓿叶粉含有22.0%的蛋白质和23.3%的粗纤维。在体重增加、采食量、饲料效率、胴体重和血清蛋白方面，结果表明，苋菜叶粉可以有效地替代苜蓿叶粉，替代量可达日粮总重量的15%。然而，更高的替代水平会导致生长迟缓，并出现以间质性肾炎和水肿为特征的病理表现，在日粮中60%的替代水平下更容易观察到。结果还表明，蒸汽处理可提高苋菜粉的营养质量。
