Babtunde Richard Oluwasegun Omidiwura - University of Ibadan
Adebisi Favour Agboola
Shalom Iretiola Abiona
Simiat Modupe Ogunbode

This study evaluated the standardized ileal amino acid digestibility of processed bambara nut in broiler chicks. Two hundred and forty (۲۴۰) one-day old Abor Acre plus-strain birds were fed a commercial broiler starter diet for ۱۵ days. On day ۱۶, the birds were randomly distributed into ۴ treatments with ۶ replicates and ۱۰ birds each in a randomized complete block design. Diet ۱ was a Nitrogen Free Diet (NFD); Diet ۲ was a Highly Digestible Protein (HDP); while Diets ۳ and ۴ comprised roasted bambara nut (RBN) and soaked + roasted bambara nut (SRBN) as the sole sources of protein. On day ۲۱, birds were sacrificed and digesta collected from the terminal ileum. The Endogenous Amino Acid Losses (EAAL), Apparent Ileal Amino Acid Digestibility (AIAAD), Standardized Ileal Amino Acid Digestibility (SIAAD) were estimated. Data were analyzed using ANOVA and means separated using Duncan’s Multiple Range Test at α۰.۰۵.Amino acid with the highest flow was lysine and aspartic acid for nitrogen free diet, while ileal endogenous alanine was higher in HDP. Overall, the apparent digestibility of soaked + roasted bambara nut was significantly lower than birds fed roasted bambara nut, except for arginine, methionine, tryptophan, glutamic acid and glycine which did not differ statistically. Birds fed with roasted bambara nut diet had highest amino acid digestibility values after standardization except tryptophan. In conclusion, birds on roasted bambara nut diet maintained highest digestibility values after standardization irrespective of the method (NFD or HDP) used for estimating endogenous ileal amino acid losses.This study evaluated the standardized ileal amino acid digestibility of processed bambara nut in broiler chicks. Two hundred and forty (۲۴۰) one-day old Abor Acre plus-strain birds were fed a commercial broiler starter diet for ۱۵ days. On day ۱۶, the birds were randomly distributed into ۴ treatments with ۶ replicates and ۱۰ birds each in a randomized complete block design. Diet ۱ was a Nitrogen Free Diet (NFD); Diet ۲ was a Highly Digestible Protein (HDP); while Diets ۳ and ۴ comprised roasted bambara nut (RBN) and soaked + roasted bambara nut (SRBN) as the sole sources of protein. On day ۲۱, birds were sacrificed and digesta collected from the terminal ileum. The Endogenous Amino Acid Losses (EAAL), Apparent Ileal Amino Acid Digestibility (AIAAD), Standardized Ileal Amino Acid Digestibility (SIAAD) were estimated. Data were analyzed using ANOVA and means separated using Duncan’s Multiple Range Test at α۰.۰۵. Amino acid with the highest flow was lysine and aspartic acid for nitrogen free diet, while ileal endogenous alanine was higher in HDP. Overall, the apparent digestibility of soaked + roasted bambara nut was significantly lower than birds fed roasted bambara nut, except for arginine, methionine, tryptophan, glutamic acid and glycine which did not differ statistically. Birds fed with roasted bambara nut diet had highest amino acid digestibility values after standardization except tryptophan. In conclusion, birds on roasted bambara nut diet maintained highest digestibility values after standardization irrespective of the method (NFD or HDP) used for estimating endogenous ileal amino acid losses.

Amino acid digestibility, Broiler chicken, Bambara nut, Endogenous amino acid flow, Processing methods