Abstract

Food selection by herbivores depends on the dietary composition of plant parts. However, the nutritional properties of tropical bamboo leaves, which could be a viable supplement of traditional fodder are hardly examined. Proximate composition of Bambusa ventricosa McClure, Oxytenanthera abyssinica (A. Rich.) Munro and two varieties of Bambusa vulgaris (B. vulgaris Schrad. ex J. C. Wendl. var. vulgaris Hort. and B. vulgaris Schrad. ex J. C. Wendl. var. vittata Rivière) leaves were determined. B. ventricosa proximately comprised 10.34% moisture, 1.38% crude fat, 11.56% ash, 19.02% crude protein, 27.20% crude fibre and 30.40% carbohydrate. O. abyssinica leaves contained 10.34% moisture, 1.38% crude fat, 12.56% ash, 19.39% crude protein, 26.78% crude fibre and 29.55% carbohydrate. B. vulgaris vulgaris had 10.34% moisture, 1.49% crude fat, 12.53% ash, 18.39% crude protein, 25.88% crude fibre and 31.38% carbohydrate, while B. vulgaris vittata contained 10.71% moisture, 1.58% crude fat, 8.73% ash, 18.75% crude protein, 33.19% crude fibre and 27.04% carbohydrate. Moisture content of bamboos is important, as it determines their susceptibility to microbial infection. The low moisture of the bamboo leaves is an index of the great shelf-life of their meal. These leaves are also a good amino-acid source (especially for O.abyssinica), while their carbohydrate and great fibre contents (as in B. vulgarisvarieties) are a rich roughage supply. They are highly nutritious and could be used as alternative local feed resources suitably as fodder for livestock or wildlife and alongside other feed sources containing proteins and minerals to ensure food security in the tropics.

Key words: Bamboo leaves, crude protein, fodder, food energy, proximate analysis, shelf-life.

Abbreviation

Abbreviations: NTFP, Non-timber forest product; FORIG, forestry research institute of Ghana; TNC, time non-structural carbohydrate content; AOAC,association of official analytical chemist; LSD, least significant difference.