Chemical composition of the fruit of two species of tropical dry forest in the coastal region of Ecuador as food source for ruminants

Abstract

Fodder species of trees in the coastal region of Manabí are an alternative food to cattle, especia-lly between the months of september and december when the pasture gets scarce. To evaluate their nutritional potential was made a compositional analysis of nutritional parameters to the fruits of Prosopis juliflora (Sw.) DC. (Algarrobo) and Guazuma ulmifolia Lam. (Guasmo). Botanical characters of these trees and compositional analysis results are described. Furthermore, a comparison of these results with those obtained by other authors by con-sidering the values of protein, fat, fiber, ash and moisture is performed. For the environmental conditions of tropical dry forest, the guasmo presents higher contents of protein, fat, ash and fiber carob, although both species are important in the diet of herbivores, especially in dry seasons as providers of usable nutrients favoring animal nutrition

Keywords

• tropical dry forest
• fruit
• coastal region