ABSTRACT

An experimental study was carried out to investigate the extraction of Leaf Protein Concentrate (LPC) from tannia and plantain leaves and as a component of milk rcplaccr for the orphaned lambs. Fifty kilograms each of tannia and plantain leaves were harvested before grinded and processed into LPC. Each were replicated in twos of 25kg weights and waier added at 35% weights equivalent ofthe products in plastic bowels (50 liters bowel ’* ). The extracted juices were precipitated at the temperature of about 80° C with cooking pots, after which the coagulums were filtered out and further pressed with a hydraulic squeezer to moisture content of about 60-70%, oven-dried and stored in polythene bag for chemical analysis. The LPCs were incorporated at 20% each as component of milk rcplaccr for the nutrition of orphaned lambs. For the toxicity and acceptability feeding trials, six land s of mixed sexes, age at about 2 weeks were fed the experimental diets at ad libitium. Faeces and mines were observed at 0, 15th and 30,h day of any unhealthy characteristic from normal. On this study, lambs were kept in 3 groups called treatments and fed at 10% oftheir body weight with about 15% allowance at about 8 am and 4 pm each day; on a group space of 2.0 m x 8.0 m animal'1. The treatments are: A — 2 lambs with the ewes and without milk replacer, B — 2 lambs fed with 20% tannia LPC as component of milk replacer, C — 2 lambs fed with 20% plantain LPC rcplaccr. The results of the chemical analysis of the LPC tannia and plantain leaves revealed great improvement generally at 5% significant. The results as observed on the LPC protein values from tannia (33.10%) was liigher than that of plantain (15.30%) showed improvement (p<0.05) while those of LPC fiber was less on tannia (0.30%) and higher in plantain (0.70%) at 5%significant. The LPC ash showed a similar pattern (p<0.05) with 16.50% and 21.60% values for tannia and plantain, respectively. The value on LPC fat soluble was high in tar.iia (12.50%) over that of plantain (9.20%) at 5% significant. Where those of the LPC soluble carbohydrate was found significant (p<0.05) with values of 37.0% on tannia and higher with 53.2% on plantain. On the LPC energy, the value was 427.2 k/cal for tannia which was better than the 374.9 k/cal value as obtained in plantain but revealed significant at 5%. The LPC mean differential was higher in tannia at 9.0% over that of 6.0% as noted in plantain but was significant at 5%. Similarly, improvements were noted with the residues LPC ol tannia and plantain, which showed significant (p <0.05) on protein, fiber, carbohydrates, gross energy and fats, but revealed non-significant (p >0.05) on ash. The residues of LPC protein of tannia (19.40%) was higher than that of plantain (6.80%) and significant at 5%. While those of ash showed non-significant (p>0.05) with tannia (10.50%) as noted in this study. The residue of LPC soluble carbohydrate was found significant (p<0.05) on values of 42.10% for tannia, which was less than that of 44.60% for plantain. Those residues ofLPC fiber were lower in tannia (20.40%) than as noted in plantain (33.90%) and was significant at 5%. On the residues of LPC fat soluble and gross energy, the values were 7.40% and 4.20%; and 413.06 k/cal and 385.0 k/cal for taiuiia and plantain, respectively which showed great improvement (p<0.05) as observed in this study. Furthermore, the I.PCs were generally acceptable by the lambs at 20% as component of milk replaces It further revealed no unhealthy characteristics. The lambs’ developments were really encouraging up to the 3011' day of the study. Therefore, this study is recommended to the Nigerian farmers in general, and further trials.