The effect of Gracilaria sp. use in Complete Feed on In Vitro Digestibility of Dry Matter, Organic Matter, Digestible Energy, and Metabolizable Energy

Abstract

This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of different inclusion levels of Gracilaria sp. in complete feed on in vitro dry matter digestibility, organic matter digestibility, digestible energy, and metabolizable energy. The experiment employed a Completely Randomized Design (CRD) consisting of four dietary treatments with three replicates. The dietary treatments were as follows: G0 = 70% native grass + 30% concentrate; G5 = 65% native grass + 5% Gracilaria sp. + 30% concentrate; G10 = 60% native grass + 10% Gracilaria sp. + 30% concentrate; and G15 = 55% native grass + 15% Gracilaria sp. + 30% concentrate. The results showed that increasing the inclusion level of Gracilaria sp. in the complete feed significantly (P<0.05) improved in vitro dry matter digestibility (56.67–64.06%) and organic matter digestibility (53.99–61.02%). However, it had no significant effect (P>0.05) on digestible energy (10.15–10.84 MJ/kg) or metabolizable energy (8.32–8.89 MJ/kg). It can be concluded that the use of Gracilaria sp. at levels of 5% to 15% in complete feed is effective in improving in vitro digestibility without reducing its energy value. The 5% inclusion level serves as the initial threshold to improve organic matter digestibility, while the 15% level yields the most optimal dry matter digestibility.