In vitro digestibility and ruminal fermentation profile of pangola grass (Digitaria decumbens) supplemented with crude palm oil protected by sodium hydroxide

Oil or fat supplementation in ruminants ration does not have a positive effect due to the biohydrogenation of fat in the rumen. Fat in ruminants ration also may decrease fiber digestibility in the rumen. Protection of fat is expected to reduce those negative effects in the rumen. This in vitro study was conducted to determine the most effective concentration of NaOH in protecting fat in the ruminant ration, so that it did not interfere with the performance of rumen microbes, as evidenced by ruminal fermentation profile. In this study, crude palm oil (CPO) as the main fat supplementation was protected by saponification method by mixing CPO with NaOH and 0.25 CaCl<inf>2</inf> in 4:1:1 ratio (v/v). Four treatments of NaOH concentrations were applied to Pangola grass (Digitaria decumbens), thus the treatments were:CTL/control (Pangola grass + CPO without protection),3NAOH (Pangola grass + CPO protected with 3 NaOH),5NAOH (Pangola grass + CPO protected with 5 NaOH), and 10NAOH (Pangola grass + CPO protected with 10 NaOH). All the experimental diets were then incubated for 48 and 96 h according to the 2-stage in vitro technique. Protecting CPO with NaOH can increase the efficiency of ruminant feed containing high fat and reduce its negative effects on rumen microbes. CPO protection with 5 to 10 of NaOH by saponification method was the most optimum fat protection against rumen degradation. This was proven by the increased IVDMD and IVOMD of Pangola grass, as well as increasing of CMC-ase activity, total and individual VFA concentration, NH<inf>3</inf> concentration, and microbial protein concentration. © 2020 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.