Multidimensional Nutritional Assessment of Goats Fed Pleurotus pulmonarius-treated Empty Fruit Bunch

Multidimensional Nutritional Assessment of Goats Fed Pleurotus pulmonarius-treated Empty Fruit Bunch | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Research Article Multidimensional Nutritional Assessment of Goats Fed Pleurotus pulmonarius-treated Empty Fruit Bunch Mohamad Zaihan Zailan, Suraya Mohamad Salleh, Sumaiyah Abdullah, and 1 more This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-7034082/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Published Journal Publication published 18 Nov, 2025 Read the published version in Tropical Animal Health and Production → Version 1 posted 4 You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract Integrating agro-industrial residue into small ruminant diets offers a realistic pathway to lower feed costs and improve resource efficiency. In this study, a multidimensional nutritional assessment was conducted to evaluate the effects of Pleurotus pulmonarius empty fruit bunch (FTEFB) as a roughage substitute in the diet of goats. Nine crossbred goats with an average initial bodyweight of 27.68±0.79 kg was used in a 3 x 3 Latin square cross-over design. The animals were fed three dietary treatments: 100% Napier grass (NG), 75% NG + 25% FTEFB, and 50% NG + 50% FTEFB. Parameters evaluated included nutrient intake, digestibility, rumen fermentation profiles, and serum biochemical indicators. Increasing the level of FTEFB in diet led to a quadratic reduction (P<0.01) in bodyweight and crude protein intake, while cellulose intake increased (P<0.01). Apparent digestibility of dry matter, fiber fractions (NDF, ADF, ADL) and crude protein was significantly (P<0.05) reduced with FTEFB inclusion, though digestible energy remained unaffected. Rumen fermentation showed a quadratic increase (P<0.05) in propionate, butyrate valerate and ammonia-nitrogen with a corresponding decrease in acetate. Total VFA, pH and other minor VFAs were not significantly altered. Serum biochemistry remained largely within normal ranges, though ALP, triglycerides, and LDL cholesterol were significantly affected (P<0.05). This comprehensive assessment indicates that P. pulmonarius -treated EFB can be included up to 25% of the diet without compromising health or performance, but higher levels may reduce digestibility and growth potential. Goat Oil palm by-products White rot fungi INTRODUCTION Livestock production in tropical regions faces ongoing challenges, particularly regarding the availability and cost of quality feed resources. Traditional forages like Napier grass ( Pennisetum purpureum) and other green roughages are often limited by seasonal fluctuations and land competition. Although total feed cost accounts more than 60% of livestock production expenses, roughage alone typically comprises 20–30% of that, depending on source, quality, and accessibility (Piszcz et al. 2022 ). This driving the need to explore alternative feed sources that are both sustainable and cost effective. Most abundant and underutilized by-product is the empty fruit bunch (EFB) from the palm oil industry. Globally, over 99 million metric tons of EFB generated annually (Geng 2013 ), yet much of this biomass is discarded or burned which contributing to environmental pollution and wasted potential (Obada et al. 2023 ). Despite its availability, raw EFB is rich in lignocellulosic lignin which limits its digestibility and feeding value for ruminant (Nur Nazratul et al. 2021). To unlock the nutritional potential of EFB, biological treatments with white-rot fungi such as Pleurotus pulmonarius have emerge as a promising strategy (Zailan et al. 2024 ). These fungi produce enzymes capable of degrading lignin and complex fiber, thus improving the feed’s availability and nutrient availability (Yunan et al. 2021 ). Using fungal-treated EFB aligns with the principle of circular bioeconomy by transforming agro-industrial waste into valuable feed resources and this supporting sustainability and reducing feed costs (Dhiman et al. 2024 ). Goat with their adaptable digestive systems and tolerance to fibrous diets are important livestock in many tropical and subtropical regions, where they contribute significantly to rural livelihoods and food security (Cooke et al. 2024 ). However, research on the feeding value and physiological impacts of fungal-treated EFB in goats remains limited. Previous studies have reported varying outcomes depending on fungal species, treatment duration, and inclusion levels, highlighting the need for comprehensive evaluation (BeAnn et al. 2023 ; Zailan et al. 2023 ; Chanjula et al. 2017 ). The study aims to address this knowledge gap by conducting a multidimensional assessment of goats fed Pleurotus pulmonarius -treated EFB. In addition to monitoring feed intake and weight changes, this research evaluates nutrient digestibility, rumen fermentation parameters and serum biochemical profiles to understand the broader nutritional and health implications. By integrating these parameters, the results obtained provide a holistic understanding of the potential and limitations of incorporating fungal-treated EFB into goat diets. MATERIALS AND METHODS The feeding trials were conducted on Research Farm Unit, Department of Animal Science, Universiti Putra Malaysia which is situated at 2 59’1.392” North latitude and 101 51’59.76” East longitude. All procedures involving animals were approved by the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC), Universiti Putra Malaysia (Ref: AUP-R063/2020). Preparation of P. pulmonarius -treated empty fruit bunch (FTEFB) Grounded EFB were purchased from a local oil palm-based pellet producer located in Perak, Malaysia. The empty fruit bunch (EFB) was soaked overnight in water to rehydrate and remove impurities, then strained for 3 hours. The moistened EFB was transferred into autoclavable bags (30 x 40 cm) and autoclaved at 120°C for 2 hours, then cool at room temperature under sterile conditions to prevent contamination. Mycelial disc (1 cm Ø) of Pleurotus pulmonarius was used to inoculate the autoclaved EFB at a ratio of 1: 25 (fresh weight basis). The inoculated bags were then thoroughly homogenized manually to ensure even distribution of the mycelium before transferring to a fermentation room with a temperature 27 to 28°C and incubated for 21–28 days, or until full colonization of the EFB by the mushroom mycelium achieved. Full colonization was defined as the visual observation of complete coverage of the EFB by the white mycelium. All full colonized EFB bags were oven-dried at 65°C until it reached constant weight, then ground into a powder form, packed in gunny bags, and stored at room temperature prior to feeding trial. Animals, diets and experimental design Nine female Katjang crossbred goats, aged 1.5 to 2 years with an initial body weight of 27.68 ± 0.79 kg were individually housed in raised metabolic crates with facilities for the quantitative feces collection. A 3 x 3 Latin square cross-over design were employed in which each goat received all three dietary treatments across three experimental periods and were adapted for 14 days before the beginning of data collection. The three experimental treatments were: 0-FT (100% Napier grass (NG) + 0% Pleurotus pulmonarius -treated empty fruit bunch (FTEFB)), 25-FT (75% NG + 25% FTEFB), and 50-FT (50% NG + 50% FTEFB). Treatments were rotated among animals in successive periods so that each goat received each treatment once, allowing animals to serve as their on control and improving statistical power. Diets were formulated to be isonitrogenous and isocaloric based on dry matter (DM) in accordance with NRC (2007) recommendations for maintenance. Goats were dewormed with levamisole 7 days before the study began. Clean drinking water and mineral blocks were available ad libitum . The ingredients and nutrient composition of experiment diets are presented in Table 1 . The concentrates mixed with FTEFB was offered at 09:00, and fresh Napier grass was offered at 15:00 daily. Table 1 Ingredients and nutritional composition of dietary treatments of the dietary treatments Items Dietary treatments* NG FTEFB Untreated EFB 0-FT 25-FT 50-FT Ingredients (%) FTEFB - 10.0 19.3 - - - Napier grass 40.0 30.0 19.3 - - - Concentrate pellet 29.0 32.9 37.6 - - - Soya hulls 23.3 19.0 12.2 - - - Molasses 8.00 7.80 8.30 - - - Premix - 0.7 3.30 Nutrient composition (% of DM) DM (as fed basis) 38.7 45.1 54.6 21.0 93.1 - OM 91.3 91.1 89.2 90.3 97.3 94.5 Ash 8.43 7.97 7.35 8.90 3.7 8.8 CP 12.1 11.9 11.8 8.73 4.1 3.8 NDF 62.9 63.9 61.5 71.7 87.1 78.1 ADF 38.6 40.4 39.2 39.7 65.4 58.5 ADL 7.21 8.34 8.81 9.50 17.7 18.8 Hemicellulose 23.1 22.0 20.7 32.0 21.7 19.6 Cellulose 28.0 28.5 27.1 28.5 47.7 39.7 EE 2.43 2.40 2.26 1.74 0.8 1.0 NFC 14.2 13.6 14.5 8.94 - - DE (Mcal/kg DM) 2.20 2.20 2.20 - - - Note: DM, dry matter; OM, organic matter; CP, crude protein; NDF, neutral detergent fiber; ADF, acid detergent fiber; ADL, acid detergent lignin; EE, ether extract; NFC, non-fiber carbohydrate; DE, digestible energy. FTEFB, P. pulmonarius -treated EFB, NG = Napier grass. * Dietary treatments 50-FT = combination of 50% FTEFB: 50% NG, 25-FT = 25% FTEFB: 75% NG, 0-FT = 0% FTEFB: 100% NG within 40% of roughages in total diets. Hemicellulose = NDF – ADF. Cellulose = ADF – ADL. NFC = 100 – (%CP + % NDF + %EE + %ash) Sample collection and analysis Feed sampling Throughout the trial, the goats were individually weighed at the beginning and end of each experimental period to monitor changes in body weight. Individual feed intake was recorded daily by weighing the offered and the refusals during morning feeding over the last 7 days of each period. Fecal samples were also collected during the last 7 days using the total collection method to evaluate nutrient digestibility. During this collection phase, daily feed intakes, feed refusals and fecal outputs were measured and recorded. Additionally, feed samples were collected on days 15, 19 and 21 of each period for composition analysis. For each collection day, 10% of feed was collected per goat, thoroughly mixed to form a composite sample, and stored for further analysis. Feed and fecal composition The dry matter (DM) content of feed and fecal samples was determined by drying at 65°C until they reached constant weight (method 934.01). The ground samples were analyzed for ether extract (EE) (method 920.39), ash content (method 942.05) and nitrogen (N) (method 2001.11) according to AOAC ( 2005 ). Crude protein (CP) was calculated using a factor of 6.25 for nitrogen. Fiber fractionation was performed to determine neutral detergent fiber (NDF), acid detergent fiber (ADF) and acid detergent lignin (ADL) following the methods outlined by Goering and Van Soest (1970). Gross energy (GE) of feed and fecal samples was evaluated using Bomb Calorimeter (C 200 - IKA®-Werke GMbh & Co. KG, Staufen, Germany). Digestible energy (DE) was calculated as the difference between GE of total feeds and GE of total fecal samples. Rumen fluid sampling Rumen fluid samples were collected at 0-, 4- and 6-hours post-feeding on the last day of each experimental period. Approximately 50 mL of rumen fluid was collected by stomach tubing inserted to a depth of 120–150 cm via the esophagus that attached to a disposable syringe. Aspirated rumen fluid samples were subjected to visual and tactile examination to prevent saliva contamination and strained through four layers of cheesecloth to remove particulate matter. Ruminal volatile fatty acids and ammonia-nitrogen determination The filtrates rumen fluid was immediately measured for pH using a Starter 300 pH meter portable (Ohaus Corporation, NJ, USA) and preserved with a few drops of toluene. The samples were analysed for volatile fatty acids (VFA) and ammonia-nitrogen (NH 3 -N). Five millilitres of filtrates were transferred into a tube containing 1 ml of mixed solutions (3:1 v/v; 25% metaphosphoric acid and 5% formic acid). Samples were centrifuged at 3, 220 x g for 20 minutes. After centrifugation, 4-methyl valeric acid was added as an internal standard, and the mixture was filtered through a 0.2 µm disc filter. The VFA were quantified by gas chromatography (6890N Network GC system chromatography, Agilent Technologies) equipped with a flame ionization detector, an auto-sampler, and fused silica capillary column (DB-FFAP, 30 m x 250 µm x 0.25 µm; Quadrex Corporation). Purified nitrogen gas was used as the carrier gas at a flow rate of 60 ml/min. The temperature of the injector and detector was set at 250°C. The onset of the temperature column at 90°C was gradually increased to 160°C at the rate of 7°C/min and held for 2 min. The sample volume of 1 µl was injected, and the split ratio was 20:1. Sample peaks were identified and quantified by their retention times and peak with TraceCERT ® Volatile Free Acid Mix, 10 mM external standard (Supelco, Bellefonte, USA). Rumen NH 3 -N was quantified using the Berthelot reaction (Chaney & Marbach 1962 ). The reaction mixture containing rumen filtrates and standards (ammonium chloride) were observed at 550 nm. Blood sampling Approximately 10 mL blood samples were collected from the jugular vein before morning feeding on the last day of each experimental period. Blood was collected into plain vacuum tubes (BD Vacutainer®). The whole blood in plain tubes were allowed to clot for at least 30 minutes at room temperature and then centrifuged at 5000 rpm (Centrifuge 5810R, Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany) for 10 minutes to separate serum. Serum samples were stored at -20 C prior to biochemical analysis. Statistical analysis The data analysis was performed in R software v4.2.0. The differences in the means of variable measured among the treatment diets were analysed using a linear mixed model (LMM) that allows for fixed and random effects. Multiple measurements from different days were taken within the experimental period. Samples were taken from each individual animal, and a LMM with treatment diets as the fixed factor was applied, whereas sampling days and individuals were fitted as a random factor. lme4 package v 1.1–29 was used for the LMM. Data were analysed using the model: $$\:{Y}_{ijk}=\mu\:+\:{G}_{jk}+{D}_{ijk}+{P}_{j}+{S}_{ijk}+{ϵ}_{ijk}$$ Where \(\:{Y}_{ijk}\) is the response of the i th subject in the k th sequence at the j th period, subject i = 1, 2, …, n k ( i th subject in k th sequence), period j = 1, 2, 3 (first, second or third), day of sampling k = 1, 2, 3. The subject ( \(\:{S}_{ik}\) ) and error ( \(\:{ϵ}_{ijk}\) ) are independent and identically distributed random variables and have a normal distribution with mean 0 and variance \(\:{\sigma\:}_{S}^{2}\) and mean 0 and \(\:{\sigma\:}_{e}^{2}\) , respectively. This model includes fixed effects such as period effects ( \(\:{P}_{j}\) ), the random (G) group effects \(\:\left({G}_{jk}\right)\) and day (D) of sampling effects \(\:{D}_{ijk}\) . Post hoc analysis and contrast between treatment groups were done using least-square means with emmeans package v 1.7.4-1 with a significant level at P < 0.05. In addition, orthogonal polynomial contrast (linear and quadratic) was applied to evaluate overall response pattern across increasing levels of FTEFB inclusion. Correlation analysis between the fiber intake and digestibility was conducted using Pearson Correlation Coefficient with metan package v 1.17.0. For consistency, results were reported using P < 0.05, P < 0.01, and P < 0.001 to reflect increasing levels of statistical significance. RESULTS Bodyweight, dry matter and nutrients intake The inclusion of FTEFB resulted in a significant quadratic reduction (P < 0.01) in the bodyweight of goats (Table 2 ). The replacement with FTEFB had no effects (P < 0.05) on the intake of dry matter, neutral detergent fiber, hemicellulose, acid detergent lignin, ether extract and gross energy. Conversely, there was quadratic decreased in the intake of crude protein (P < 0.01) and quadratic increased in cellulose (P < 0.01). Table 2 Live bodyweight, feed intake and nutrient intake of goats fed with different levels of P. pulmonarius-treated empty fruit bunch (FTEFB) Variables Dietary treatments 1 SEM P-value P-value 2 0-FT 25-FT 50-FT Linear Quadratic Live bodyweight (kg) Weight gain 1.88 a 0.45 a -2.02 b 0.60 < 0.001 0.78 0.004 Dry matter intake Total DMI (g/day) 815 773 797 1.15 0.06 0.026 0.303 DMI (% BW) 2.91 2.83 2.93 0.20 0.26 0.405 0.836 DMI (g/kg BW 0.75 ) 66.4 64.6 67.1 3.60 0.21 0.333 0.907 Nutrient intake (g/day) Crude protein 101.5 a 95.8 b 93.2 b 2.45 < 0.01 0.332 0.011 Neutral detergent fiber 481 474 475 10.8 0.65 0.552 0.518 Hemicellulose 200 193 181 10.9 0.70 0.587 0.252 Cellulose 227 b 235 a 244 a 4.20 < 0.01 0.869 0.002 Acid detergent lignin 69.8 68.7 70.1 1.65 0.63 0.525 0.650 Ether extract 20.5 19.2 19.5 1.15 0.04 0.514 0.504 Gross energy (Mcal/kg DM) 5.13 5.13 5.25 0.19 < 0.001 0.768 0.572 Nutrient intake (g/kg BW 0.75 ) Crude protein 8.38 8.01 7.71 0.36 0.01 0.479 0.244 Neutral detergent fiber 40.2 39.4 39.3 1.96 0.51 0.619 0.883 Hemicellulose 17.0 16.0 15.2 1.53 0.05 0.965 0.524 Cellulose 19.0 19.6 20.2 0.95 0.08 0.751 0.096 Acid detergent lignin 5.80 5.67 5.82 0.25 0.52 0.412 0.463 Ether extract 0.80 0.69 0.74 0.19 < 0.01 0.729 0.801 Gross energy (Mcal) 0.387 0.371 0.384 0.05 0.05 0.665 0.945 Note: a,b,c Means within rows with different superscripts differed significantly (P < 0.05). SEM: standard error of means. 1 Dietary treatments 50-FT = combination of 50% FTEFB: 50% NG, 25-FT = 25% FTEFB: 75% NG, 0-FT = 0% FTEFB: 100% NG within 40% of roughages in total diets. FTEFB: P. pulmonarius -treated EFB; NG: Napier grass. 2 Contrast p-value = orthogonal polynomial contrast of increasing FTEFB inclusion levels (0 to 50%). Correlation analysis revealed a significant negative relationship between DMI and NDF content (r = − 0.63, P < 0.001), indicating that higher fiber levels may have suppressed intake. Additionally, significant positive correlations were found between nutrient intakes and the dietary nutrient composition, including CP (r = 0.73, P < 0.001), cellulose (r = 0.68, P < 0.001), and EE (r = 0.89, P < 0.001). Dry matter and nutrient digestibility Table 3 indicated that nutrient digestibility of 25-FT and 50-FT were lower (P < 0.05) than 0-FT. The replacement of Napier grass with FTEFB resulted in significant linear and quadratic reductions (P < 0.05) in the digestibility of dry matter, neutral detergent fiber, acid detergent fiber and acid detergent lignin. The digestibility of crude protein and hemicellulose reduced quadratically (P 0.05) was observed in digestible energy for 25-FT and 50-FT compared to the 0-FT. Table 3 Apparent digestibility of goats fed with different levels of P. pulmonarius-treated empty fruit bunch (FTEFB) Variables Dietary treatments 1 SEM P-value P-value 2 0-FT 25-FT 50-FT Linear Quadratic Digestibility (%) Dry matter 71.1 a 63.6 b 64.1 b 1.15 < 0.001 < 0.01 < 0.001 Crude protein 72.2 a 66.1 b 64.7 b 1.99 < 0.001 0.121 < 0.001 Neutral detergent fiber 65.2 a 56.3 b 55.3 b 1.51 < 0.001 0.015 < 0.001 Acid detergent fiber 63.4 a 49.7 b 49.9 b 1.6 < 0.001 < 0.001 < 0.001 Hemicellulose 79.0 a 55.8 b 56.5 b 5.55 < 0.001 0.182 0.022 Cellulose 70.4 a 64.6 b 62.1 b 2.84 < 0.001 0.352 0.153 Acid detergent lignin 38.0 a 22.2 b 19.3 b 3.69 < 0.001 0.050 < 0.001 Ether extract 92.4 b 92.7 ab 95.9 a 2.84 0.03 0.446 0.156 Energy (Mcal/kg) Digestible energy 3.45 3.03 3.17 0.22 < 0.001 0.161 0.303 Digestible energy (kg BW 0.75 ) 0.163 a 0.139 b 0.151 ab 0.01 < 0.001 0.039 0.477 Note: a,b,c Means within rows with different superscripts differed significantly (P < 0.05). SEM: standard error of means. 1 Dietary treatments 50-FT = combination of 50% FTEFB: 50% NG, 25-FT = 25% FTEFB: 75% NG, 0-FT = 0% FTEFB: 100% NG within 40% of roughages in total diets. FTEFB: P. pulmonarius -treated EFB; NG: Napier grass. 2 Contrast p-value = orthogonal polynomial contrast of increasing FTEFB inclusion levels (0 to 50%). Correlation analysis showed that dry matter digestibility was negatively correlated with dietary cellulose (r = − 0.43, P < 0.05) and ADL (r = − 0.42, P < 0.05). Digestible energy was positively correlated with cellulose digestibility (r = 0.72), suggesting the importance of cellulose utilization for energy availability. Rumen fluid profiles The rumen fluid profiles of goat fed with different levels of FTEFB presented in Table 4 . The results showed that replacement with FTEFB had a significant effect (P < 0.05) on acetate, propionate, butyrate, valerate and NH 3 -N of rumen fluid. The replacement with FTEFB showed a significant quadratic increase (P < 0.05) in the propionate, butyrate, valerate and NH 3 -N. Conversely, acetate concentration showed a significant quadratic decrease (P 0.05) was observed in the total VFA concentration, lactate, iso-butyrate, iso-valerate and pH fed with different replacement of FTEFB. Table 4 Rumen fluid profiles of goat fed with different levels of P. pulmonarius-treated empty fruit bunch (FTEFB) Variables Dietary treatments 1 SEM P-value P-value 2 0-FT 25-FT 50-FT Linear Quadratic Total VFA concentration (mmol/L) 60.55 57.57 67.73 8.02 0.526 0.512 0.529 Individual VFAs (mol/100 mol) Acetate 75.82 a 74.23 a 69.03 b 1.53 < 0.001 0.251 < 0.001 Propionate 10.99 b 10.81 b 15.50 a 1.13 < 0.001 0.072 < 0.001 Butyrate 8.73 b 10.63 a 11.23 a 0.72 < 0.01 0.483 0.022 Valerate 0.79 b 0.86 ab 1.03 a 0.08 0.018 0.640 0.048 Lactate 2.05 1.98 1.76 0.37 0.710 0.850 0.498 Iso-butyrate 0.52 0.57 0.61 0.07 0.473 0.521 0.721 Iso-valerate 1.05 0.97 0.84 0.09 0.065 0.899 0.304 pH 6.78 a 6.67 ab 6.58 b 0.18 0.024 0.953 0.156 NH 3 -N (mg/dl) 11.62 b 13.77 ab 18.49 a 2.35 0.022 0.534 0.007 Note: a,b,c Means within rows with different superscripts differed significantly (P < 0.05). SEM: standard error of means. 1 Dietary treatments 50-FT = combination of 50% FTEFB: 50% NG, 25-FT = 25% FTEFB: 75% NG, 0-FT = 0% FTEFB: 100% NG within 40% of roughages in total diets. FTEFB: P. pulmonarius -treated EFB; NG: Napier grass. 2 Contrast p-value = orthogonal polynomial contrast of increasing FTEFB inclusion levels (0 to 50%). Blood serum biochemistry profiles The blood serum biochemistry parameters of goats fed different levels of P. pulmonarius -treated empty fruit bunch (FTEFB) are presented in Table 5 . Overall, most of the serum parameters remained unaffected (P > 0.05) by the dietary treatments. Notable differences (P < 0.05) were observed in specific enzyme levels (ALP), metabolites (triglycerides), and lipid profile (LDL). Moreover, the LDL showed a significant quadratic reduction (P < 0.05) by the replacement of Napier grass with FTEFB. Table 5 Blood serum biochemistry parameters of goats fed with different levels of P. pulmonarius-treated empty fruit bunch (FTEFB) Serum constituents Dietary treatments 1 SEM P-value P-value 2 0-FT 25-FT 50-FT Linear Quadratic Protein Total protein (g/L) 77.5 78.0 74.7 1.13 0.33 0.455 0.331 Albumin (g/L) 35.7 35.1 35.0 0.60 0.83 0.994 0.704 Globulin (g/L) 41.6 42.3 39.3 1.06 0.31 0.431 0.415 A:G 0.87 0.85 0.93 0.79 0.39 0.563 0.597 Enzymes ALP (U/L) 269 a 196 b 155 b 20.46 < 0.01 0.653 0.078 AST (U/L) 78.7 73.7 81.8 2.34 0.13 0.404 0.997 CK (U/L) 89.1 97.7 77.0 6.81 0.41 0.398 0.435 GGT (U/L) 40.1 36.2 37.5 1.72 0.41 0.650 0.220 Liver function Direct bilirubin (umol/L) 0.66 1.01 1.33 0.16 0.14 0.624 0.146 Total bilirubin (umol/L) 1.26 1.28 1.46 0.21 0.92 0.873 0.915 Lipid profiles HDL (mmol/L) 1.71 1.82 1.79 0.05 0.556 0.402 0.609 LDL (mmol/L) 0.63 a 0.61 a 0.47 b 0.03 0.04 0.227 0.027 Cholestrol (mmol/L) 2.59 2.72 2.52 0.06 0.17 0.088 0.490 Kidney function Creatinine (umol/L) 68.5 65.4 61.6 2.98 0.29 0.773 0.290 Urea (mmol/L) 4.99 5.23 5.35 0.19 0.69 0.718 0.586 Metabolites Glucose (mmol/L) 2.78 2.60 2.71 2.84 0.73 0.645 0.768 Triglyceride (mmol/L) 0.19 b 0.25 a 0.23 ab 0.01 < 0.05 0.055 0.058 Electrolytes Sodium (mmol/L) 139 139 139 1.48 0.99 0.966 0.992 Potassium (mmol/L) 4.59 4.48 4.33 0.06 0.15 0.896 0.058 Chloride (mmo/L) 116 116 115 0.92 0.96 0.878 0.814 Minerals Calcium (mmol/L) 2.42 2.42 2.39 0.04 0.94 0.738 0.893 Phosphorus (mmol/L) 1.91 1.95 1.82 1.96 0.87 0.611 0.893 Note: A: G: Albumin to globulin ratio; ALP: Alkaline phosphatase; AST: Aspartate aminotransferase; CK: Creatine kinase; GGT: Gamma-Glutamyl transferase; HDL: High density lipoprotein; LDL: Low density lipoprotein. a,b Means within a row without a common superscript differ (P < 0.05). * Dietary treatments 50-FT = combination of 50% FTEFB: 50% NG, 25-FT = 25% FTEFB: 75% NG, 0-FT = 0% FTEFB: 100% NG within 40% of roughages in total diets. FTEFB: P. pulmonarius -treated EFB; NG: Napier grass. 2 Contrast p-value = orthogonal polynomial contrast of increasing FTEFB inclusion levels (0 to 50%). DISCUSSION Dry matter and nutrients intake The inclusion of P. pulmonarius -treated empty fruit bunch (FTEFB) in goat diets influenced the bodyweight changes and nutrient intake. According to the National Research Council (NRC 2007), goats with an average body weight of 30 kg require at least 62 g of protein and 1.99 Mcal of DE daily for maintenance. In this study, all dietary treatments including those containing 25% and 50% FTEFB did not limit nutrient availability and that diets containing FTEFB were comparable in palatability to those containing only Napier grass (NG). Although the goats were not expected to gain weight under maintenance feeding, changes in body weight were observed. Notably, goat on 50-FT diet exhibited a bodyweight loss, while 0-FT ad 25-FT groups slightly increased their weight. This outcome indicated that higher inclusion of FTEFB may reduce the efficiency of nutrient utilization, particularly in terms of energy and protein availability, despite meeting basic intake thresholds. Although the dry matter intake (DMI) was statistically similar across treatments, there was a tendency toward reduced intake with the 25-FT group. The negative association between DMI and neutral detergent fiber (NDF) content support the idea that higher fiber levels can suppressed intake. When expressed on a metabolic weight basis (g/kg BW 0.75 ), DMI in this study ranged from 64.6 to 67.1 g/kg BW 0.75 . These values are approximately 10–21% lower than previously reported values of 74.74 to 82.23 g/kg BW 0.75 in male Thai Native Anglo Nubian goats fed with OPF-treated Lentinus sajor-caju (Hamchara et al. 2018 ). However, the values still fall within the broader range of 35.7 to 74.7 g/kg BW 0.75 for dry non-pregnant goats under varied feeding conditions (Avondo et al. 2005). The differences in respective nutrient intake such as crude protein, cellulose and ether extract between treatments diet can be explained by the differing nutrient profiles of the respective diets. The strong relationship between nutrient intake and diet composition support the conclusion that feed composition is a major determinant of intake patterns. These findings highlight that while FTEFB can be incorporated at moderate levels (up to 25%) without compromising nutrient adequacy, higher inclusion may affect nutrient balance and energy utilization even in goats at maintenance. Apparent dry matter and nutrient digestibility The reductions in nutrient digestibility observed with the inclusion of FTEFB suggest that FTEFB has lower digestibility for CP and fiber components compared to NG, thereby reducing its nutritional efficiency. The 25% FTEFB (25-FT) diet resulted in marked decreases in digestibility of DM, CP, hemicellulose and cellulose. However, no further significant reductions were observed when the inclusion increased to 50% (50-FT). This indicates a possible plateau in the negative impact of FTEFB in digestibility. This plateau effect may reflect a physiological threshold in rumen microbial adaptation or digestive limitation. A similar but opposite trend was reported in a study where digestibility improved significantly as the inclusion of Lentinus sajor-caju -treated oil palm frond (OPF) increased from 0% (untreated OPF) to 33% but remained unchanged up to 100% (Hamchara et al. 2018 ). This differing plateau likely influenced by the choice of control diet: untreated OPF versus higher quality Napier grass in the present study, underscoring the influence of baseline forage quality on fungal treatment outcomes. In contrast, higher digestibility (DMD = 74.6%) was observed in goats fed 25% Ganoderma lucidum -treated EFB and this highlighting that fungal species, treatment duration and substrate characteristics can substantially influence the effectiveness of biological treatment (BeAnn et al. 2023 ). Differences in enzymatic activity among fungi and variation capabilities are likely contributors to the divergent outcomes (Hultberg and Golovko 2024 ). The decline in digestibility with FTEFB inclusion in the current study is primarily attributed to increased structural carbohydrates, particularly cellulose and lignin. The negative association between DM digestibility and fiber components (cellulose and ADL), as observed in results are in line with earlier reports showing reduced digestibility in steer fed fibre-rich rations (Aguilu and Evans 1972 ). Despite reduced digestibility, the total nutrient intake especially CP, EE and cellulose corresponded positively with the nutrient composition and this suggest that intake pattern reflected feed composition rather than digestibility constraints. Although, digestible energy (DE) was the lowest in the 25-FT (3.03 Mcal/kg) and plateau at 50-FT (3.17 Mcal/kg). The positive relationship between DE and cellulose digestibility highlighting the key role of cellulose in maintaining dietary energy. Other nutrients did not show a strong association with DE, which is consistent with earlier observation (Weimer, 2022 ). Rumen fermentation profiles The inclusion of FTEFB influenced fermentation patterns in the rumen, particularly in terms of the VFA profile. While the total volatile fatty acids concentration was not significantly different among treatments, individual VFA profiles shifted notably. The reduction in acetate and corresponding increases in propionate and butyrate, particularly in the 50-FT indicate a fermentation shift toward a more glycogenic profile which can be advantageous for energy metabolism (Salisbury et al. 2021 ). Such VFA profile shifts have been documented in previous studies using fungal-treated fibrous feed (Hamchara et al. 2018 ). In those study, goats fed white rot fungi-treated oil palm frond showed similar increases in propionate and decreases in acetate, attributed to partial delignification and improved carbohydrate fermentability. Furthermore, a shift towards propionate can decrease methane production (Zinn et al. 2022). In the current study, the shift in VFA profiles could be linked to changes in fiber quality and carbohydrate fermentability introduced by fungal treatment. Increased propionate is generally considered favorable, yet the loss in overall digestibility may counteract this benefit. While more fermentable carbohydrate fractions may be present, the residual lignin and structural complexity of the substrate may still limit microbial access, leading to lower overall energy extraction (Tedeschi et al., 2023 ). This may explain lowest digestible energy (DE) in both 25-FT and 50-FT groups, despite shifts in fermentation profiles. The higher valerate concentration in the 50-FT group also suggests increased in protein fermentation, and consistent with the observed rise in ruminal ammonia-N (NH 3 -N) levels. NH 3 -N concentrations increased significantly with FTEFB inclusion, reaching 18.49 mg/dl in the 50-FT group compared to 11.62 mg/dl in the 0-FT group. This likely reflects both greater CP degradation and reduced microbial nitrogen assimilation due to lower fermentable energy availability as the digestible energy was lowest in both 25-FT and 50-FT diets (Arias et al. 2020 ). Ruminal pH decreased slightly with increasing FTEFB, dropping to 6.58 in the 50-FT group but remained within the normal physiological range for fiber digestion (Zebeli et al. 2008 ). Blood serum biochemistry profiles Blood serum biochemical parameters further support the general physiological tolerance of goats to FTEFB inclusion in the diet. All serum values measured were within the normal clinical range for healthy goat (Jackson and Cockroft 2002; Merck 2016). The stability of serum total protein, albumin, and globulins concentration across treatments suggests that nitrogen intake and utilization were adequate and this aligns with observed crude protein intake values. These parameters are reliable indicators of protein status and liver function, and their consistency across groups indicates that FTEFB did not adversely affect protein metabolism. Notably, serum total protein were above the minimum threshold of 42 g/L, below which rumen compaction may occur. Moreover, total protein concentration remained within the normal physiological range of 64–78 g/dl (Merck 2016). A significant reduction in alkaline phosphatase (ALP) was observed with increased FTEFB inclusion, particularly in 50-FT may be indicative of reduced metabolic demand or lower hepatic enzyme activity under maintenance feeding without growth stimulation. Other liver enzymes (Aspartate aminotransferase (AST), Creatine kinase (CK) and Gamma-Glutamyl transferase (GGT)) did not differ significantly supporting the absence of liver or muscle pathology (Lim 2020 ). The observed in LDL cholesterol at 50% FTEFB could be attributed to the bioactive components of Pleurotus pulmonarius , particularly β-glucans. These polysaccharides have been shown to lower serum cholesterol by binding the bile acids and reducing intestinal cholesterol absorption and thereby promoting greater cholesterol excretion (Sima et al. 2018 ). This aligns with previous findings that dietary supplementation with fungal-derived products can beneficially modulate lipid metabolism and improve serum cholesterol profiles in animals (Li et al. 2019 ; Lai et al. 2020 ). Such effects suggest that incorporating FTEFB not only serves as a fiber source but may also offer functional health benefits through its cholesterol-lowering properties. Creatinine and urea concentrations were stable across treatments confirming that nitrogen metabolism and excretory function were not impaired (Salazar 2014 ). Glucose was also unaffected, consistent with adequate energy metabolism despite observed reductions in digestible energy. Electrolyte and mineral concentrations (Na, K, Cl, Ca and P) showed no significant treatment effects, suggesting that FTEFB inclusion did not disrupt mineral homeostasis or electrolyte balance. CONCLUSION Based on the findings, the inclusion of FTEFB can be included up to 25% in goat diets without detrimental effects on nutrient intake, digestibility, rumen function or systemic health under maintenance conditions. However, higher inclusion levels (50%) may limit digestibility and energy utilization, despite stable serum biochemical profiles. Therefore, moderate incorporation of FTEFB offers a viable alternative roughage source while ensuring animal health and maintaining nutritional adequacy. Declarations Funding The authors gratefully acknowledge the financial support provided by Universiti Putra Malaysia (GP-IPS/2020/9687100) and the scholarship by the Ministry of Higher Education Malaysia and Universiti Malaysia Sabah. Competing Interest The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare relevant to this article's content. Author Contributions Mohamad Zaihan Zailan carried out the experiment, performed data collection and data analysis. The statistical analysis was verified by Suraya Mohamad Salleh. Mohamad Zaihan Zailan wrote the manuscript with the input from Halimatun Yaakub, Suraya Mohamad Salleh and Sumaiyah Abdullah. All authors read and approved the drafting of the manuscript. This work forms part of the doctoral research of Mohamad Zaihan Zailan. Ethics approval All procedures involving animals were approved by the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC), Universiti Putra Malaysia (Ref: AUP-R063/2020). Consent to participate Not applicable. Written Consent for publication Not applicable. Availability of data and material The associated author provides the datasets and resources upon reasonable request. Code availability Not applicable References Arias RA, Guajardo G, Kunick S, Gilis CA, Keim JP (2020) Effect of two nutritional strategies to balance energy and protein supply in fattening heifers performance, ruminal metabolism, and carcass characteristics. Animals (Basel) 10(5): 852. AOAC (2005) Official methods of analysis, 18 th edn. Association of Official of Analytical Chemists (AOAC), USA. Aguilu JAA, Evans JL (1972) Nutrient digestibility of lower-fiber rations in the ruminant animal. J. Dairy Sci. 55(9): 1266-1274. Avondo M, Biondi L, Pagano R, Bonanno A, Lutri L (2008). Feed intake. In: Cannas A, Pulina G (ed) Dairy goats feeding and nutrition, CAB International, pp 147-160. BeAnn GY, Rakib MRM, Zailan MZ, Candyrine SCL (2023) Ganoderma lucidum -treated oil palm empty fruit bunch (OPEFB): A potential feedstuff for goat. IOP Conf Ser Earth Environ Sci 1341: 012049. Chaney AL, Marbach EP (1962) Modified reagents for determination of urea and ammonia. Clin Chem 8(2): 130–132. Chanjula P, Petcharat V, Cherdthong A (2017) Effects of fungal ( Lentinussajor-caju ) treated oil palm on performance and carcass characteristics in finishing goats. Asian-Australas J of Anim Sci 30(6): 811-818. Cooke AS, Machekano H, Gwiriri LC, Tinsley JHI, Silva GM, Nyamukondiwa C, Safalaoh A, Morgan ER, Lee MRF (2024) The nutritional feed gap: Seasonal variations in ruminant nutrition and knowledge gaps in relation to food security in Southern Africa. Food Secur 17: 73 – 100. Dhiman S, Kaur P, Narang J, Mukherjee G, Thakur B, Kaur S, Tripathi M. (2024) Fungal bioprocessing for circular bioeconomy: Exploring lignocellulosic waste valorization. Mycology 15(4): 538 – 563. Geng A (2013) Conversion of oil palm empty fruit bunch to biofuels. In: Liquid, gaseous and solid biofuels. InTech Open Access Publisher, London, pp 479–490 Hamchara P, Chanjula P, Cherdthong A, Wanapat M (2018) Digestibility, ruminal fermentation, and nitrogen balance with various feeding levels of oil palm fronds treated with Lentinus sajor-caju in goats. Asian-Australas J of Anim Sci 31(10): 1619–1626. Hultberg M., Golovko, O. (2024) Use a sawdust for production of ligninolytic enzymes by write-rot fungi pharmaceutical removal. Bioprocess Biosyst Eng 45: 475-482. Jackson PGG, Cockcroft PD (2002) Laboratory reference values: Biochemistry. In: Clinical examination of farm animals. Blackwell Science Ltd, UK, pp 303-305. Lai P, Cao X, Xu Q, Liu Y, Li R, Zhang J, Zhang M. (2020) Ganoderma lucidum spore ethanol extract attenuates atherosclerosis by regulating lipid metabolism via upregulation of liver X receptor alpha. Pharm. Biol. 58(1): 760-770. Li L, Guo W, Zhang W, Xu J, Qian M, Bai W, Zhang Y Rao P, Lv X (2019) Grifola frondosa polysaccharides ameliorate lipid metabolic disorders and gut microbiota dysbiosis in high-fat diet fed rats. Food Funct. 10: 2560-252. Lim AKH (2020) Abnormal liver function tests associated with severe rhabdomyolysis. World J Gastroenterol. 26(10): 1020 – 1028. Merck (2022) Serum biochemical analysis reference ranges. Available at: https://www.merckvetmanual.com/special-subjects/referenceguides/serum-biochemical-analysis-reference-ranges. National Research Council – NRC (2007) Nutrient requirements of small ruminants: Sheep, Goats, Cervids and New World Camelids. Washington: The National Academy Press. Nur-Nazratul FMY, Rakib MRM, Zailan MZ, Yaakub H (2021) Enhancing in vitro ruminal digestibility of oil palm empty fruit bunch by biological pre-treatment with Ganoderma lucidum fungal culture. PLos One 16(9): e0258065. Obada DO, Kekung MO, Levonyan Tan, Norval GW (2023) Palm oil mill derived palm fruit bunches as a feed stock for renewable energy applications in Nigeria: A review. Bioresour Technol Rep 24: 101666. Piszcz H, Piotrowski S, Milczarek, A (2022) Cost analysis of feed production and feeding of beef cattle on the example of a selected individual farm. Acta Sci Pol Zootechnica 21(1): 17-28. Salazar JH (2014) Overview of urea and creatinine. Lab medicine 45(1): e19 – e20. Salisbury CM, Rathert AR, Foote AP (2021) Effect of increased ruminal propionate on the expression of gluconeogenic genes in the liver of cattle on a finishing diet. J. Anim. Sci. 99(Supplement_2): 46. Sima P, Vannucci L, Vetvicka V (2018) Β-glucans and cholesterol (Review). Int. J. Mol. Med. 41: 1799-1808. Tedeschi LO, Adams JM, Vieira RAM (2023) Forages and pasture symposium: revisiting mechanisms, methods, and models for altering forage cell wall utilization for ruminants. J. Anim. Sci. 101: 1-21. Weimer PJ (2022) Degradation of cellulose and hemicellulose by ruminal microorganisms. Microorganisms 10(12): 2345. Yunan NAM, Shin TY, Sabaratnam V (2021) Upcycling the spent mushroom substrate of the grey oyster mushroom Pleurotus pulmonarius as a source of lignocellulolytic enzymes for palm oil mill effluent hydrolysis. J Microbiol Biotechnol 31: 823 – 832. Zailan, MZ, Abdullah S, Salleh SM, Yaakub H (2024) Unlocking the potential of basidiomycete in valorisation of empty fruit bunch: A buzzing alternative for ruminant’s roughage in the post-pandemic era. Malays J Micros 1: 1-11. Zailan, MZ, Salleh SM, Abdullah S, Yaakub H (2023) Effect of feeding Pleurotus pulmonarius -treated empty fruit bunch on nutrient digestibility and milk fatty acid profiles in goats. Trop Anim Health Prod 55: 402. Zebeli Q, Dijkstra J, Tafaj M, Steingass H, Ametaj BN, Drochner W (2008) Modelling the adequacy of dietary fibre in dairy cows based on the responses of ruminal pH and milk fat production to composition of the diet. J. Dairy Sci. 91(5): 2046-2066. Zinn RA, Owens FN, Ware RA (2002) Flaking corn: processing mechanics, quality standards, and impacts on energy availability and performance of feedlot cattle. J. Anim. Sci. 80(5): 1145-1156. Cite Share Download PDF Status: Published Journal Publication published 18 Nov, 2025 Read the published version in Tropical Animal Health and Production → Version 1 posted Reviewers agreed at journal 11 Jul, 2025 Reviewers invited by journal 10 Jul, 2025 Editor assigned by journal 07 Jul, 2025 First submitted to journal 02 Jul, 2025 You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. As a division of Research Square Company, we’re committed to making research communication faster, fairer, and more useful. We do this by developing innovative software and high quality services for the global research community. Our growing team is made up of researchers and industry professionals working together to solve the most critical problems facing scientific publishing. Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-7034082","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Research Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":483636965,"identity":"18d65dcd-e8b5-4617-a966-f8619c81364a","order_by":0,"name":"Mohamad Zaihan Zailan","email":"data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAZAAAAAyAQMAAABI0h/eAAAABlBMVEX///8AAABVwtN+AAAACXBIWXMAAA7EAAAOxAGVKw4bAAAAuUlEQVRIiWNgGAWjYFACxjYgYQNmSpCiJY0kLQxsQHyYBC3y7YfbHvzccT5xbQPzwds8DNsSGwg6qyex3bD3zO3EbQfYkq15GG4T1sLMkNgmwdsG0sJjJk2UFjb+h22Sf9vOAbXwfyNOC49EYps0b9sBkC1sxGmRkHjYJi3blmy87TCbseUcg9vGBLXI96c/k3zbZie77XjzwxtvKm7LEtSCAMwgwoDBkQQtUGBPso5RMApGwSgY9gAALoQ9LkdbpsIAAAAASUVORK5CYII=","orcid":"https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4604-2834","institution":"Universiti Malaya","correspondingAuthor":true,"prefix":"","firstName":"Mohamad","middleName":"Zaihan","lastName":"Zailan","suffix":""},{"id":483636966,"identity":"d833ed71-0be6-49bd-a931-145d11876829","order_by":1,"name":"Suraya Mohamad Salleh","email":"data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAZAAAAAyAQMAAABI0h/eAAAABlBMVEX///8AAABVwtN+AAAACXBIWXMAAA7EAAAOxAGVKw4bAAAA2ElEQVRIiWNgGAWjYDADfgjFTIIWyQaStRgcIFaL/Izch595arbZG9/IPbqBocI6sUHsjAF+w2+kG0vzHLuduO1GXtoNhjPpiQ3SOQS0SKQxSPOw3U4wu5FjdoOx7TBhLfIz0ph/8/y7bW88A6TlHxFaGG6ksUnztt1m3CAB0tJAhBaDM8/YLOf23U6cceZd2o2EY+nGbdJpBfgd1p7GfOPNt9v2/O25x258qLGW7ZdO3oDfYUDAxAOmgGQCkGJj4CDgFyBg/AHTAgHsDwhqGQWjYBSMghEFAE7sR7w+dBlbAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC","orcid":"","institution":"Universiti Putra Malaysia","correspondingAuthor":true,"prefix":"","firstName":"Suraya","middleName":"Mohamad","lastName":"Salleh","suffix":""},{"id":483636967,"identity":"022f7c91-eb76-40c2-b89c-1643f722c071","order_by":2,"name":"Sumaiyah Abdullah","email":"data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAZAAAAAyAQMAAABI0h/eAAAABlBMVEX///8AAABVwtN+AAAACXBIWXMAAA7EAAAOxAGVKw4bAAAA20lEQVRIiWNgGAWjYLCCBCDihzCZSdAi2UCSFpAugwPEapGfkZ344WGbXZ7xjdyjGxgqrBMbxM4Y4NVicCN3s0RiW3Kx2Y28tBsMZ9ITG6RzCGiRyN0A1MKcuO1GjtkNxrbDhLXIz8jd/COxrT5x8wyQln9EaGG4kbsNaMvhxA0SIC0NRGgxOPN2m0XCueOJM868S7uRcCzduE06rQC/w9pzN9/8UVad2N+ee+zGhxpr2X7p5A34HQYCjGwgkgccpwxsDBwE/AIGf6BaIID9ARFaRsEoGAWjYAQBAFWCTd9tIhVjAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC","orcid":"","institution":"Universiti Putra Malaysia","correspondingAuthor":true,"prefix":"","firstName":"Sumaiyah","middleName":"","lastName":"Abdullah","suffix":""},{"id":483636968,"identity":"8af5fdbe-abcc-48a6-862e-93bd8abd4fee","order_by":3,"name":"Halimatun Yaakub","email":"data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAZAAAAAyAQMAAABI0h/eAAAABlBMVEX///8AAABVwtN+AAAACXBIWXMAAA7EAAAOxAGVKw4bAAAA5ElEQVRIiWNgGAWjYBACAwbmhgNgWoIZREvIEKGFEaaFLQGkhYcoLRBagscAxCCsxZz9YONhnho7Y4PbPZ9f3aix4GFgP3x0Az4tlj2JDYd5jiWbGdw5u8065xjQYTxpaTfwOuwASAsbs43BjdxtxjlsQC0SPGb4tZx/CNTyrx6oJeeZcc4/YrTcANrC23bYDKiF+XFuG1FaHjYcnNt33FjyzjEz5tw+CR42gn45n3z4w5tv1YZ9t5sff875VifHz374GF4tIMAEjQs2CTBJSDkIMP6A0MwfiFE9CkbBKBgFIw8AAHnwTo12M8WDAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC","orcid":"","institution":"University Putra Malaysia: Universiti Putra Malaysia","correspondingAuthor":true,"prefix":"","firstName":"Halimatun","middleName":"","lastName":"Yaakub","suffix":""}],"badges":[],"createdAt":"2025-07-03 04:34:34","currentVersionCode":1,"declarations":"","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-7034082/v1","doiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-7034082/v1","draftVersion":[],"editorialEvents":[{"content":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s11250-025-04738-4","type":"published","date":"2025-11-18T15:58:07+00:00"}],"editorialNote":"","failedWorkflow":false,"files":[{"id":96651071,"identity":"e6cc536f-99b2-4378-8323-3586a5d1234d","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-11-24 16:13:41","extension":"pdf","order_by":0,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"manuscript-pdf","size":1466464,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"manuscript.pdf","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-7034082/v1/f158e9fb-7c26-4ef3-8c17-4d55af78a4ee.pdf"}],"financialInterests":"","formattedTitle":"Multidimensional Nutritional Assessment of Goats Fed Pleurotus pulmonarius-treated Empty Fruit Bunch","fulltext":[{"header":"INTRODUCTION","content":"\u003cp\u003eLivestock production in tropical regions faces ongoing challenges, particularly regarding the availability and cost of quality feed resources. Traditional forages like Napier grass (\u003cem\u003ePennisetum purpureum)\u003c/em\u003e and other green roughages are often limited by seasonal fluctuations and land competition. Although total feed cost accounts more than 60% of livestock production expenses, roughage alone typically comprises 20\u0026ndash;30% of that, depending on source, quality, and accessibility (Piszcz et al. \u003cspan citationid=\"CR21\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2022\u003c/span\u003e). This driving the need to explore alternative feed sources that are both sustainable and cost effective. Most abundant and underutilized by-product is the empty fruit bunch (EFB) from the palm oil industry. Globally, over 99\u0026nbsp;million metric tons of EFB generated annually (Geng \u003cspan citationid=\"CR10\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2013\u003c/span\u003e), yet much of this biomass is discarded or burned which contributing to environmental pollution and wasted potential (Obada et al. \u003cspan citationid=\"CR20\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2023\u003c/span\u003e). Despite its availability, raw EFB is rich in lignocellulosic lignin which limits its digestibility and feeding value for ruminant (Nur Nazratul et al. 2021). To unlock the nutritional potential of EFB, biological treatments with white-rot fungi such as \u003cem\u003ePleurotus pulmonarius\u003c/em\u003e have emerge as a promising strategy (Zailan et al. \u003cspan citationid=\"CR28\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2024\u003c/span\u003e). These fungi produce enzymes capable of degrading lignin and complex fiber, thus improving the feed\u0026rsquo;s availability and nutrient availability (Yunan et al. \u003cspan citationid=\"CR27\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2021\u003c/span\u003e). Using fungal-treated EFB aligns with the principle of circular bioeconomy by transforming agro-industrial waste into valuable feed resources and this supporting sustainability and reducing feed costs (Dhiman et al. \u003cspan citationid=\"CR9\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2024\u003c/span\u003e). Goat with their adaptable digestive systems and tolerance to fibrous diets are important livestock in many tropical and subtropical regions, where they contribute significantly to rural livelihoods and food security (Cooke et al. \u003cspan citationid=\"CR8\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2024\u003c/span\u003e). However, research on the feeding value and physiological impacts of fungal-treated EFB in goats remains limited. Previous studies have reported varying outcomes depending on fungal species, treatment duration, and inclusion levels, highlighting the need for comprehensive evaluation (BeAnn et al. \u003cspan citationid=\"CR5\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2023\u003c/span\u003e; Zailan et al. \u003cspan citationid=\"CR29\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2023\u003c/span\u003e; Chanjula et al. \u003cspan citationid=\"CR7\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2017\u003c/span\u003e). The study aims to address this knowledge gap by conducting a multidimensional assessment of goats fed \u003cem\u003ePleurotus pulmonarius\u003c/em\u003e-treated EFB. In addition to monitoring feed intake and weight changes, this research evaluates nutrient digestibility, rumen fermentation parameters and serum biochemical profiles to understand the broader nutritional and health implications. By integrating these parameters, the results obtained provide a holistic understanding of the potential and limitations of incorporating fungal-treated EFB into goat diets.\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"MATERIALS AND METHODS","content":"\u003cp\u003eThe feeding trials were conducted on Research Farm Unit, Department of Animal Science, Universiti Putra Malaysia which is situated at 2 59\u0026rsquo;1.392\u0026rdquo; North latitude and 101 51\u0026rsquo;59.76\u0026rdquo; East longitude. All procedures involving animals were approved by the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC), Universiti Putra Malaysia (Ref: AUP-R063/2020).\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003ePreparation of\u003c/b\u003e \u003cb\u003eP. pulmonarius\u003c/b\u003e\u003cb\u003e-treated empty fruit bunch (FTEFB)\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eGrounded EFB were purchased from a local oil palm-based pellet producer located in Perak, Malaysia. The empty fruit bunch (EFB) was soaked overnight in water to rehydrate and remove impurities, then strained for 3 hours. The moistened EFB was transferred into autoclavable bags (30 x 40 cm) and autoclaved at 120\u0026deg;C for 2 hours, then cool at room temperature under sterile conditions to prevent contamination. Mycelial disc (1 cm \u0026Oslash;) of \u003cem\u003ePleurotus pulmonarius\u003c/em\u003e was used to inoculate the autoclaved EFB at a ratio of 1: 25 (fresh weight basis). The inoculated bags were then thoroughly homogenized manually to ensure even distribution of the mycelium before transferring to a fermentation room with a temperature 27 to 28\u0026deg;C and incubated for 21\u0026ndash;28 days, or until full colonization of the EFB by the mushroom mycelium achieved. Full colonization was defined as the visual observation of complete coverage of the EFB by the white mycelium. All full colonized EFB bags were oven-dried at 65\u0026deg;C until it reached constant weight, then ground into a powder form, packed in gunny bags, and stored at room temperature prior to feeding trial.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eAnimals, diets and experimental design\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eNine female Katjang crossbred goats, aged 1.5 to 2 years with an initial body weight of 27.68\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;0.79 kg were individually housed in raised metabolic crates with facilities for the quantitative feces collection. A 3 x 3 Latin square cross-over design were employed in which each goat received all three dietary treatments across three experimental periods and were adapted for 14 days before the beginning of data collection. The three experimental treatments were: 0-FT (100% Napier grass (NG)\u0026thinsp;+\u0026thinsp;0% \u003cem\u003ePleurotus pulmonarius\u003c/em\u003e-treated empty fruit bunch (FTEFB)), 25-FT (75% NG\u0026thinsp;+\u0026thinsp;25% FTEFB), and 50-FT (50% NG\u0026thinsp;+\u0026thinsp;50% FTEFB). Treatments were rotated among animals in successive periods so that each goat received each treatment once, allowing animals to serve as their on control and improving statistical power. Diets were formulated to be isonitrogenous and isocaloric based on dry matter (DM) in accordance with NRC (2007) recommendations for maintenance. Goats were dewormed with levamisole 7 days before the study began. Clean drinking water and mineral blocks were available \u003cem\u003ead libitum\u003c/em\u003e. The ingredients and nutrient composition of experiment diets are presented in Table\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Tab1\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e1\u003c/span\u003e. The concentrates mixed with FTEFB was offered at 09:00, and fresh Napier grass was offered at 15:00 daily.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"gridtable\"\u003e\u003ctable float=\"Yes\" id=\"Tab1\" border=\"1\"\u003e\u003ccaption language=\"En\"\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"CaptionNumber\"\u003eTable 1\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"CaptionContent\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eIngredients and nutritional composition of dietary treatments of the dietary treatments\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/caption\u003e\u003ccolgroup cols=\"7\"\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c1\" colnum=\"1\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c2\" colnum=\"2\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c3\" colnum=\"3\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c4\" colnum=\"4\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c5\" colnum=\"5\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c6\" colnum=\"6\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c7\" colnum=\"7\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cthead\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\" morerows=\"1\" rowspan=\"2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eItems\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colspan=\"3\" nameend=\"c4\" namest=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eDietary treatments*\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\" morerows=\"1\" rowspan=\"2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eNG\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\" morerows=\"1\" rowspan=\"2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eFTEFB\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\" morerows=\"1\" rowspan=\"2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eUntreated EFB\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0-FT\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e25-FT\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e50-FT\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003c/thead\u003e\u003ctbody\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eIngredients (%)\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eFTEFB\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e-\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e10.0\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e19.3\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e-\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e-\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e-\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eNapier grass\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e40.0\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e30.0\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e19.3\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e-\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e-\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e-\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eConcentrate pellet\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e29.0\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e32.9\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e37.6\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e-\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e-\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e-\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eSoya hulls\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e23.3\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e19.0\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e12.2\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e-\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e-\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e-\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eMolasses\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e8.00\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e7.80\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e8.30\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e-\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e-\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e-\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003ePremix\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e-\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.7\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e3.30\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eNutrient composition\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e(% of DM)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eDM (as fed basis)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e38.7\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e45.1\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e54.6\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e21.0\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e93.1\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e-\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eOM\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e91.3\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e91.1\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e89.2\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e90.3\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e97.3\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e94.5\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eAsh\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e8.43\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e7.97\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e7.35\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e8.90\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e3.7\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e8.8\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eCP\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e12.1\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e11.9\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e11.8\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e8.73\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e4.1\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e3.8\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eNDF\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e62.9\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e63.9\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e61.5\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e71.7\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e87.1\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e78.1\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eADF\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e38.6\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e40.4\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e39.2\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e39.7\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e65.4\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e58.5\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eADL\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e7.21\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e8.34\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e8.81\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e9.50\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e17.7\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e18.8\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eHemicellulose\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e23.1\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e22.0\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e20.7\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e32.0\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e21.7\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e19.6\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eCellulose\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e28.0\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e28.5\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e27.1\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e28.5\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e47.7\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e39.7\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eEE\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e2.43\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e2.40\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e2.26\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e1.74\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.8\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e1.0\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eNFC\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e14.2\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e13.6\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e14.5\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e8.94\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e-\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e-\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eDE (Mcal/kg DM)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e2.20\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e2.20\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e2.20\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e-\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e-\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e-\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"7\" nameend=\"c7\" namest=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eNote: DM, dry matter; OM, organic matter; CP, crude protein; NDF, neutral detergent fiber; ADF, acid detergent fiber; ADL, acid detergent lignin; EE, ether extract; NFC, non-fiber carbohydrate; DE, digestible energy. FTEFB, \u003cem\u003eP. pulmonarius\u003c/em\u003e-treated EFB, NG\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;Napier grass. * Dietary treatments 50-FT\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;combination of 50% FTEFB: 50% NG, 25-FT\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;25% FTEFB: 75% NG, 0-FT\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0% FTEFB: 100% NG within 40% of roughages in total diets. Hemicellulose\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;NDF \u0026ndash; ADF. Cellulose\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;ADF \u0026ndash; ADL. NFC\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;100 \u0026ndash; (%CP + % NDF + %EE + %ash)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003c/tbody\u003e\u003c/colgroup\u003e\u003c/table\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eSample collection and analysis\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eFeed sampling\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThroughout the trial, the goats were individually weighed at the beginning and end of each experimental period to monitor changes in body weight. Individual feed intake was recorded daily by weighing the offered and the refusals during morning feeding over the last 7 days of each period. Fecal samples were also collected during the last 7 days using the total collection method to evaluate nutrient digestibility. During this collection phase, daily feed intakes, feed refusals and fecal outputs were measured and recorded. Additionally, feed samples were collected on days 15, 19 and 21 of each period for composition analysis. For each collection day, 10% of feed was collected per goat, thoroughly mixed to form a composite sample, and stored for further analysis.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eFeed and fecal composition\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe dry matter (DM) content of feed and fecal samples was determined by drying at 65\u0026deg;C until they reached constant weight (method 934.01). The ground samples were analyzed for ether extract (EE) (method 920.39), ash content (method 942.05) and nitrogen (N) (method 2001.11) according to AOAC (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR2\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2005\u003c/span\u003e). Crude protein (CP) was calculated using a factor of 6.25 for nitrogen. Fiber fractionation was performed to determine neutral detergent fiber (NDF), acid detergent fiber (ADF) and acid detergent lignin (ADL) following the methods outlined by Goering and Van Soest (1970). Gross energy (GE) of feed and fecal samples was evaluated using Bomb Calorimeter (C 200 - IKA\u0026reg;-Werke GMbh \u0026amp; Co. KG, Staufen, Germany). Digestible energy (DE) was calculated as the difference between GE of total feeds and GE of total fecal samples.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eRumen fluid sampling\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eRumen fluid samples were collected at 0-, 4- and 6-hours post-feeding on the last day of each experimental period. Approximately 50 mL of rumen fluid was collected by stomach tubing inserted to a depth of 120\u0026ndash;150 cm via the esophagus that attached to a disposable syringe. Aspirated rumen fluid samples were subjected to visual and tactile examination to prevent saliva contamination and strained through four layers of cheesecloth to remove particulate matter.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eRuminal volatile fatty acids and ammonia-nitrogen determination\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe filtrates rumen fluid was immediately measured for pH using a Starter 300 pH meter portable (Ohaus Corporation, NJ, USA) and preserved with a few drops of toluene. The samples were analysed for volatile fatty acids (VFA) and ammonia-nitrogen (NH\u003csub\u003e3\u003c/sub\u003e-N). Five millilitres of filtrates were transferred into a tube containing 1 ml of mixed solutions (3:1 v/v; 25% metaphosphoric acid and 5% formic acid). Samples were centrifuged at 3, 220 x g for 20 minutes. After centrifugation, 4-methyl valeric acid was added as an internal standard, and the mixture was filtered through a 0.2 \u0026micro;m disc filter. The VFA were quantified by gas chromatography (6890N Network GC system chromatography, Agilent Technologies) equipped with a flame ionization detector, an auto-sampler, and fused silica capillary column (DB-FFAP, 30 m x 250 \u0026micro;m x 0.25 \u0026micro;m; Quadrex Corporation). Purified nitrogen gas was used as the carrier gas at a flow rate of 60 ml/min. The temperature of the injector and detector was set at 250\u0026deg;C. The onset of the temperature column at 90\u0026deg;C was gradually increased to 160\u0026deg;C at the rate of 7\u0026deg;C/min and held for 2 min. The sample volume of 1 \u0026micro;l was injected, and the split ratio was 20:1. Sample peaks were identified and quantified by their retention times and peak with TraceCERT \u0026reg; Volatile Free Acid Mix, 10 mM external standard (Supelco, Bellefonte, USA). Rumen NH\u003csub\u003e3\u003c/sub\u003e-N was quantified using the Berthelot reaction (Chaney \u0026amp; Marbach \u003cspan citationid=\"CR6\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e1962\u003c/span\u003e). The reaction mixture containing rumen filtrates and standards (ammonium chloride) were observed at 550 nm.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eBlood sampling\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eApproximately 10 mL blood samples were collected from the jugular vein before morning feeding on the last day of each experimental period. Blood was collected into plain vacuum tubes (BD Vacutainer\u0026reg;). The whole blood in plain tubes were allowed to clot for at least 30 minutes at room temperature and then centrifuged at 5000 rpm (Centrifuge 5810R, Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany) for 10 minutes to separate serum. Serum samples were stored at -20 C prior to biochemical analysis.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cdiv id=\"Sec3\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e\u003ch2\u003eStatistical analysis\u003c/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe data analysis was performed in R software v4.2.0. The differences in the means of variable measured among the treatment diets were analysed using a linear mixed model (LMM) that allows for fixed and random effects. Multiple measurements from different days were taken within the experimental period. Samples were taken from each individual animal, and a LMM with treatment diets as the fixed factor was applied, whereas sampling days and individuals were fitted as a random factor. lme4 package v 1.1\u0026ndash;29 was used for the LMM. Data were analysed using the model:\u003cdiv id=\"Equa\" class=\"Equation\"\u003e\u003cdiv format=\"TEX\" class=\"mathdisplay\" id=\"FileID_Equa\" name=\"EquationSource\"\u003e\n$$\\:{Y}_{ijk}=\\mu\\:+\\:{G}_{jk}+{D}_{ijk}+{P}_{j}+{S}_{ijk}+{ϵ}_{ijk}$$\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eWhere \u003cspan class=\"InlineEquation\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"mathinline\"\u003e\\(\\:{Y}_{ijk}\\)\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e is the response of the \u003cem\u003ei\u003c/em\u003eth subject in the \u003cem\u003ek\u003c/em\u003eth sequence at the \u003cem\u003ej\u003c/em\u003eth period,\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003esubject i\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;1, 2, \u0026hellip;, n\u003csub\u003ek\u003c/sub\u003e (\u003cem\u003ei\u003c/em\u003eth subject in \u003cem\u003ek\u003c/em\u003eth sequence),\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eperiod j\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;1, 2, 3 (first, second or third),\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eday of sampling k\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;1, 2, 3.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe subject (\u003cspan class=\"InlineEquation\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"mathinline\"\u003e\\(\\:{S}_{ik}\\)\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e) and error (\u003cspan class=\"InlineEquation\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"mathinline\"\u003e\\(\\:{ϵ}_{ijk}\\)\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e) are independent and identically distributed random variables and have a normal distribution with mean 0 and variance \u003cspan class=\"InlineEquation\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"mathinline\"\u003e\\(\\:{\\sigma\\:}_{S}^{2}\\)\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e and mean 0 and \u003cspan class=\"InlineEquation\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"mathinline\"\u003e\\(\\:{\\sigma\\:}_{e}^{2}\\)\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e, respectively. This model includes fixed effects such as period effects (\u003cspan class=\"InlineEquation\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"mathinline\"\u003e\\(\\:{P}_{j}\\)\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e), the random (G) group effects \u003cspan class=\"InlineEquation\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"mathinline\"\u003e\\(\\:\\left({G}_{jk}\\right)\\)\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e and day (D) of sampling effects \u003cspan class=\"InlineEquation\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"mathinline\"\u003e\\(\\:{D}_{ijk}\\)\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003ePost hoc analysis and contrast between treatment groups were done using least-square means with emmeans package v 1.7.4-1 with a significant level at P\u0026thinsp;\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;0.05. In addition, orthogonal polynomial contrast (linear and quadratic) was applied to evaluate overall response pattern across increasing levels of FTEFB inclusion. Correlation analysis between the fiber intake and digestibility was conducted using Pearson Correlation Coefficient with metan package v 1.17.0. For consistency, results were reported using P\u0026thinsp;\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;0.05, P\u0026thinsp;\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;0.01, and P\u0026thinsp;\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;0.001 to reflect increasing levels of statistical significance.\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e"},{"header":"RESULTS","content":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eBodyweight, dry matter and nutrients intake\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe inclusion of FTEFB resulted in a significant quadratic reduction (P\u0026thinsp;\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;0.01) in the bodyweight of goats (Table\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Tab2\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e2\u003c/span\u003e). The replacement with FTEFB had no effects (P\u0026thinsp;\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;0.05) on the intake of dry matter, neutral detergent fiber, hemicellulose, acid detergent lignin, ether extract and gross energy. Conversely, there was quadratic decreased in the intake of crude protein (P\u0026thinsp;\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;0.01) and quadratic increased in cellulose (P\u0026thinsp;\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;0.01).\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"gridtable\"\u003e\u003ctable float=\"Yes\" id=\"Tab2\" border=\"1\"\u003e\u003ccaption language=\"En\"\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"CaptionNumber\"\u003eTable 2\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"CaptionContent\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eLive bodyweight, feed intake and nutrient intake of goats fed with different levels of P. pulmonarius-treated empty fruit bunch (FTEFB)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/caption\u003e\u003ccolgroup cols=\"8\"\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c1\" colnum=\"1\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c2\" colnum=\"2\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c3\" colnum=\"3\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c4\" colnum=\"4\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c5\" colnum=\"5\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c6\" colnum=\"6\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c7\" colnum=\"7\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c8\" colnum=\"8\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cthead\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\" morerows=\"1\" rowspan=\"2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eVariables\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colspan=\"3\" nameend=\"c4\" namest=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eDietary treatments\u003csup\u003e1\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\" morerows=\"1\" rowspan=\"2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eSEM\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\" morerows=\"1\" rowspan=\"2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eP-value\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colspan=\"2\" nameend=\"c8\" namest=\"c7\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eP-value\u003csup\u003e2\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0-FT\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e25-FT\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e50-FT\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eLinear\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c8\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eQuadratic\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003c/thead\u003e\u003ctbody\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eLive bodyweight (kg)\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c8\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eWeight gain\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e1.88\u003csup\u003ea\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.45\u003csup\u003ea\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e-2.02\u003csup\u003eb\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.60\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;0.001\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.78\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c8\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.004\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eDry matter intake\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c8\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eTotal DMI (g/day)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e815\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e773\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e797\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e1.15\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.06\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.026\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c8\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.303\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eDMI (% BW)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e2.91\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e2.83\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e2.93\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.20\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.26\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.405\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c8\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.836\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eDMI (g/kg BW\u003csup\u003e0.75\u003c/sup\u003e)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e66.4\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e64.6\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e67.1\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e3.60\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.21\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.333\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c8\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.907\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eNutrient intake (g/day)\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c8\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eCrude protein\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e101.5\u003csup\u003ea\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e95.8\u003csup\u003eb\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e93.2\u003csup\u003eb\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e2.45\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;0.01\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.332\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c8\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.011\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eNeutral detergent fiber\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e481\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e474\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e475\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e10.8\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.65\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.552\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c8\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.518\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eHemicellulose\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e200\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e193\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e181\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e10.9\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.70\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.587\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c8\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.252\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eCellulose\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e227\u003csup\u003eb\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e235\u003csup\u003ea\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e244\u003csup\u003ea\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e4.20\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;0.01\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.869\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c8\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.002\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eAcid detergent lignin\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e69.8\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e68.7\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e70.1\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e1.65\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.63\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.525\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c8\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.650\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eEther extract\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e20.5\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e19.2\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e19.5\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e1.15\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.04\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.514\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c8\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.504\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eGross energy (Mcal/kg DM)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e5.13\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e5.13\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e5.25\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.19\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;0.001\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.768\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c8\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.572\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eNutrient intake (g/kg BW\u003c/b\u003e\u003csup\u003e\u003cb\u003e0.75\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/sup\u003e\u003cb\u003e)\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c8\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eCrude protein\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e8.38\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e8.01\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e7.71\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.36\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.01\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.479\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c8\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.244\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eNeutral detergent fiber\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e40.2\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e39.4\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e39.3\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e1.96\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.51\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.619\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c8\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.883\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eHemicellulose\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e17.0\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e16.0\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e15.2\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e1.53\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.05\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.965\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c8\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.524\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eCellulose\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e19.0\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e19.6\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e20.2\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.95\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.08\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.751\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c8\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.096\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eAcid detergent lignin\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e5.80\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e5.67\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e5.82\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.25\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.52\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.412\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c8\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.463\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eEther extract\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.80\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.69\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.74\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.19\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;0.01\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.729\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c8\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.801\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eGross energy (Mcal)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.387\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.371\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.384\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.05\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.05\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.665\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c8\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.945\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"8\" nameend=\"c8\" namest=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eNote: \u003csup\u003ea,b,c\u003c/sup\u003e Means within rows with different superscripts differed significantly (P\u0026thinsp;\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;0.05). SEM: standard error of means. \u003csup\u003e1\u003c/sup\u003e Dietary treatments 50-FT\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;combination of 50% FTEFB: 50% NG, 25-FT\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;25% FTEFB: 75% NG, 0-FT\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0% FTEFB: 100% NG within 40% of roughages in total diets. FTEFB: \u003cem\u003eP. pulmonarius\u003c/em\u003e-treated EFB; NG: Napier grass. \u003csup\u003e2\u003c/sup\u003eContrast p-value\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;orthogonal polynomial contrast of increasing FTEFB inclusion levels (0 to 50%).\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003c/tbody\u003e\u003c/colgroup\u003e\u003c/table\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eCorrelation analysis revealed a significant negative relationship between DMI and NDF content (r = \u0026minus;\u0026thinsp;0.63, P\u0026thinsp;\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;0.001), indicating that higher fiber levels may have suppressed intake. Additionally, significant positive correlations were found between nutrient intakes and the dietary nutrient composition, including CP (r\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.73, P\u0026thinsp;\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;0.001), cellulose (r\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.68, P\u0026thinsp;\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;0.001), and EE (r\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.89, P\u0026thinsp;\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;0.001).\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eDry matter and nutrient digestibility\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eTable\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Tab3\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e3\u003c/span\u003e indicated that nutrient digestibility of 25-FT and 50-FT were lower (P\u0026thinsp;\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;0.05) than 0-FT. The replacement of Napier grass with FTEFB resulted in significant linear and quadratic reductions (P\u0026thinsp;\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;0.05) in the digestibility of dry matter, neutral detergent fiber, acid detergent fiber and acid detergent lignin. The digestibility of crude protein and hemicellulose reduced quadratically (P\u0026thinsp;\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;0.05). Meanwhile, no difference (P\u0026thinsp;\u0026gt;\u0026thinsp;0.05) was observed in digestible energy for 25-FT and 50-FT compared to the 0-FT.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"gridtable\"\u003e\u003ctable float=\"Yes\" id=\"Tab3\" border=\"1\"\u003e\u003ccaption language=\"En\"\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"CaptionNumber\"\u003eTable 3\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"CaptionContent\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eApparent digestibility of goats fed with different levels of P. pulmonarius-treated empty fruit bunch (FTEFB)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/caption\u003e\u003ccolgroup cols=\"8\"\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c1\" colnum=\"1\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c2\" colnum=\"2\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c3\" colnum=\"3\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c4\" colnum=\"4\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c5\" colnum=\"5\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c6\" colnum=\"6\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c7\" colnum=\"7\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c8\" colnum=\"8\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cthead\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\" morerows=\"1\" rowspan=\"2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eVariables\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colspan=\"3\" nameend=\"c4\" namest=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eDietary treatments\u003csup\u003e1\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\" morerows=\"1\" rowspan=\"2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eSEM\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\" morerows=\"1\" rowspan=\"2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eP-value\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colspan=\"2\" nameend=\"c8\" namest=\"c7\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eP-value\u003csup\u003e2\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0-FT\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e25-FT\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e50-FT\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eLinear\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c8\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eQuadratic\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003c/thead\u003e\u003ctbody\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eDigestibility (%)\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c8\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eDry matter\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e71.1\u003csup\u003ea\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e63.6\u003csup\u003eb\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e64.1\u003csup\u003eb\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e1.15\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;0.001\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;0.01\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c8\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;0.001\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eCrude protein\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e72.2\u003csup\u003ea\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e66.1\u003csup\u003eb\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e64.7\u003csup\u003eb\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e1.99\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;0.001\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.121\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c8\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;0.001\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eNeutral detergent fiber\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e65.2\u003csup\u003ea\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e56.3\u003csup\u003eb\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e55.3\u003csup\u003eb\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e1.51\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;0.001\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.015\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c8\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;0.001\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eAcid detergent fiber\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e63.4\u003csup\u003ea\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e49.7\u003csup\u003eb\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e49.9\u003csup\u003eb\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e1.6\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;0.001\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;0.001\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c8\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;0.001\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eHemicellulose\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e79.0\u003csup\u003ea\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e55.8\u003csup\u003eb\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e56.5\u003csup\u003eb\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e5.55\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;0.001\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.182\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c8\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.022\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eCellulose\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e70.4\u003csup\u003ea\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e64.6\u003csup\u003eb\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e62.1\u003csup\u003eb\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e2.84\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;0.001\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.352\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c8\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.153\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eAcid detergent lignin\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e38.0\u003csup\u003ea\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e22.2\u003csup\u003eb\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e19.3\u003csup\u003eb\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e3.69\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;0.001\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.050\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c8\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;0.001\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eEther extract\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e92.4\u003csup\u003eb\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e92.7\u003csup\u003eab\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e95.9\u003csup\u003ea\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e2.84\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.03\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.446\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c8\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.156\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eEnergy (Mcal/kg)\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c8\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eDigestible energy\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e3.45\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e3.03\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e3.17\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.22\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;0.001\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.161\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c8\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.303\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eDigestible energy (kg BW\u003csup\u003e0.75\u003c/sup\u003e)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.163\u003csup\u003ea\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.139\u003csup\u003eb\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.151\u003csup\u003eab\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.01\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;0.001\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.039\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c8\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.477\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"8\" nameend=\"c8\" namest=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eNote: \u003csup\u003ea,b,c\u003c/sup\u003e Means within rows with different superscripts differed significantly (P\u0026thinsp;\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;0.05). SEM: standard error of means. \u003csup\u003e1\u003c/sup\u003eDietary treatments 50-FT\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;combination of 50% FTEFB: 50% NG, 25-FT\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;25% FTEFB: 75% NG, 0-FT\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0% FTEFB: 100% NG within 40% of roughages in total diets. FTEFB: \u003cem\u003eP. pulmonarius\u003c/em\u003e-treated EFB; NG: Napier grass. \u003csup\u003e2\u003c/sup\u003eContrast p-value\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;orthogonal polynomial contrast of increasing FTEFB inclusion levels (0 to 50%).\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003c/tbody\u003e\u003c/colgroup\u003e\u003c/table\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eCorrelation analysis showed that dry matter digestibility was negatively correlated with dietary cellulose (r = \u0026minus;\u0026thinsp;0.43, P\u0026thinsp;\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;0.05) and ADL (r = \u0026minus;\u0026thinsp;0.42, P\u0026thinsp;\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;0.05). Digestible energy was positively correlated with cellulose digestibility (r\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.72), suggesting the importance of cellulose utilization for energy availability.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eRumen fluid profiles\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe rumen fluid profiles of goat fed with different levels of FTEFB presented in Table\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Tab4\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e4\u003c/span\u003e. The results showed that replacement with FTEFB had a significant effect (P\u0026thinsp;\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;0.05) on acetate, propionate, butyrate, valerate and NH\u003csub\u003e3\u003c/sub\u003e-N of rumen fluid. The replacement with FTEFB showed a significant quadratic increase (P\u0026thinsp;\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;0.05) in the propionate, butyrate, valerate and NH\u003csub\u003e3\u003c/sub\u003e-N. Conversely, acetate concentration showed a significant quadratic decrease (P\u0026thinsp;\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;0.001) as the replacement rate increased. On the other hand, no difference (P\u0026thinsp;\u0026gt;\u0026thinsp;0.05) was observed in the total VFA concentration, lactate, iso-butyrate, iso-valerate and pH fed with different replacement of FTEFB.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"gridtable\"\u003e\u003ctable float=\"Yes\" id=\"Tab4\" border=\"1\"\u003e\u003ccaption language=\"En\"\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"CaptionNumber\"\u003eTable 4\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"CaptionContent\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eRumen fluid profiles of goat fed with different levels of P. pulmonarius-treated empty fruit bunch (FTEFB)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/caption\u003e\u003ccolgroup cols=\"8\"\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c1\" colnum=\"1\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c2\" colnum=\"2\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c3\" colnum=\"3\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c4\" colnum=\"4\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c5\" colnum=\"5\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c6\" colnum=\"6\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c7\" colnum=\"7\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c8\" colnum=\"8\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cthead\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\" morerows=\"1\" rowspan=\"2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eVariables\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colspan=\"3\" nameend=\"c4\" namest=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eDietary treatments\u003csup\u003e1\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\" morerows=\"1\" rowspan=\"2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eSEM\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\" morerows=\"1\" rowspan=\"2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eP-value\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colspan=\"2\" nameend=\"c8\" namest=\"c7\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eP-value\u003csup\u003e2\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0-FT\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e25-FT\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e50-FT\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eLinear\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c8\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eQuadratic\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003c/thead\u003e\u003ctbody\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eTotal VFA concentration (mmol/L)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e60.55\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e57.57\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e67.73\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e8.02\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.526\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.512\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c8\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.529\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eIndividual VFAs (mol/100 mol)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c8\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eAcetate\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e75.82\u003csup\u003ea\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e74.23\u003csup\u003ea\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e69.03\u003csup\u003eb\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e1.53\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;0.001\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.251\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c8\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;0.001\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003ePropionate\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e10.99\u003csup\u003eb\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e10.81\u003csup\u003eb\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e15.50\u003csup\u003ea\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e1.13\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;0.001\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.072\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c8\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;0.001\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eButyrate\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e8.73\u003csup\u003eb\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e10.63\u003csup\u003ea\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e11.23\u003csup\u003ea\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.72\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;0.01\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.483\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c8\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.022\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eValerate\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.79\u003csup\u003eb\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.86\u003csup\u003eab\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e1.03\u003csup\u003ea\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.08\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.018\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.640\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c8\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.048\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eLactate\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e2.05\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e1.98\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e1.76\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.37\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.710\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.850\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c8\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.498\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eIso-butyrate\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.52\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.57\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.61\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.07\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.473\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.521\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c8\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.721\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eIso-valerate\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e1.05\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.97\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.84\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.09\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.065\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.899\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c8\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.304\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003epH\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e6.78\u003csup\u003ea\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e6.67\u003csup\u003eab\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e6.58\u003csup\u003eb\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.18\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.024\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.953\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c8\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.156\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eNH\u003csub\u003e3\u003c/sub\u003e-N (mg/dl)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e11.62\u003csup\u003eb\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e13.77\u003csup\u003eab\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e18.49\u003csup\u003ea\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e2.35\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.022\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.534\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c8\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.007\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"8\" nameend=\"c8\" namest=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eNote: \u003csup\u003ea,b,c\u003c/sup\u003e Means within rows with different superscripts differed significantly (P\u0026thinsp;\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;0.05). SEM: standard error of means. \u003csup\u003e1\u003c/sup\u003eDietary treatments 50-FT\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;combination of 50% FTEFB: 50% NG, 25-FT\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;25% FTEFB: 75% NG, 0-FT\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0% FTEFB: 100% NG within 40% of roughages in total diets. FTEFB: \u003cem\u003eP. pulmonarius\u003c/em\u003e-treated EFB; NG: Napier grass. \u003csup\u003e2\u003c/sup\u003eContrast p-value\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;orthogonal polynomial contrast of increasing FTEFB inclusion levels (0 to 50%).\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003c/tbody\u003e\u003c/colgroup\u003e\u003c/table\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eBlood serum biochemistry profiles\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe blood serum biochemistry parameters of goats fed different levels of \u003cem\u003eP. pulmonarius\u003c/em\u003e-treated empty fruit bunch (FTEFB) are presented in Table\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Tab5\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e5\u003c/span\u003e. Overall, most of the serum parameters remained unaffected (P\u0026thinsp;\u0026gt;\u0026thinsp;0.05) by the dietary treatments. Notable differences (P\u0026thinsp;\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;0.05) were observed in specific enzyme levels (ALP), metabolites (triglycerides), and lipid profile (LDL). Moreover, the LDL showed a significant quadratic reduction (P\u0026thinsp;\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;0.05) by the replacement of Napier grass with FTEFB.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"gridtable\"\u003e\u003ctable float=\"Yes\" id=\"Tab5\" border=\"1\"\u003e\u003ccaption language=\"En\"\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"CaptionNumber\"\u003eTable 5\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"CaptionContent\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eBlood serum biochemistry parameters of goats fed with different levels of P. pulmonarius-treated empty fruit bunch (FTEFB)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/caption\u003e\u003ccolgroup cols=\"8\"\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c1\" colnum=\"1\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c2\" colnum=\"2\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c3\" colnum=\"3\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c4\" colnum=\"4\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c5\" colnum=\"5\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c6\" colnum=\"6\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c7\" colnum=\"7\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c8\" colnum=\"8\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cthead\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\" morerows=\"1\" rowspan=\"2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eSerum constituents\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colspan=\"3\" nameend=\"c4\" namest=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eDietary treatments\u003csup\u003e1\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\" morerows=\"1\" rowspan=\"2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eSEM\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\" morerows=\"1\" rowspan=\"2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eP-value\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colspan=\"2\" nameend=\"c8\" namest=\"c7\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eP-value\u003csup\u003e2\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0-FT\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e25-FT\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e50-FT\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eLinear\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c8\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eQuadratic\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003c/thead\u003e\u003ctbody\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eProtein\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c8\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eTotal protein (g/L)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e77.5\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e78.0\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e74.7\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e1.13\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.33\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.455\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c8\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.331\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eAlbumin (g/L)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e35.7\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e35.1\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e35.0\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.60\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.83\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.994\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c8\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.704\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eGlobulin (g/L)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e41.6\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e42.3\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e39.3\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e1.06\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.31\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.431\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c8\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.415\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eA:G\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.87\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.85\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.93\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.79\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.39\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.563\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c8\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.597\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eEnzymes\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c8\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eALP (U/L)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e269\u003csup\u003ea\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e196\u003csup\u003eb\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e155\u003csup\u003eb\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e20.46\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;0.01\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.653\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c8\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.078\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eAST (U/L)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e78.7\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e73.7\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e81.8\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e2.34\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.13\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.404\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c8\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.997\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eCK (U/L)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e89.1\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e97.7\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e77.0\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e6.81\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.41\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.398\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c8\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.435\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eGGT (U/L)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e40.1\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e36.2\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e37.5\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e1.72\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.41\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.650\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c8\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.220\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eLiver function\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c8\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eDirect bilirubin (umol/L)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.66\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e1.01\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e1.33\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.16\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.14\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.624\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c8\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.146\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eTotal bilirubin (umol/L)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e1.26\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e1.28\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e1.46\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.21\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.92\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.873\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c8\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.915\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eLipid profiles\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c8\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eHDL (mmol/L)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e1.71\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e1.82\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e1.79\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.05\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.556\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.402\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c8\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.609\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eLDL (mmol/L)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.63\u003csup\u003ea\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.61\u003csup\u003ea\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.47\u003csup\u003eb\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.03\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.04\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.227\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c8\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.027\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eCholestrol (mmol/L)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e2.59\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e2.72\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e2.52\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.06\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.17\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.088\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c8\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.490\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eKidney function\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c8\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eCreatinine (umol/L)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e68.5\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e65.4\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e61.6\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e2.98\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.29\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.773\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c8\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.290\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eUrea (mmol/L)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e4.99\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e5.23\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e5.35\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.19\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.69\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.718\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c8\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.586\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eMetabolites\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c8\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eGlucose (mmol/L)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e2.78\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e2.60\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e2.71\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e2.84\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.73\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.645\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c8\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.768\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eTriglyceride (mmol/L)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.19\u003csup\u003eb\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.25\u003csup\u003ea\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.23\u003csup\u003eab\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.01\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;0.05\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.055\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c8\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.058\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eElectrolytes\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c8\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eSodium (mmol/L)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e139\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e139\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e139\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e1.48\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.99\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.966\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c8\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.992\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003ePotassium (mmol/L)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e4.59\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e4.48\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e4.33\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.06\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.15\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.896\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c8\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.058\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eChloride (mmo/L)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e116\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e116\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e115\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.92\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.96\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.878\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c8\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.814\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eMinerals\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c8\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eCalcium (mmol/L)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e2.42\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e2.42\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e2.39\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.04\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.94\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.738\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c8\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.893\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003ePhosphorus (mmol/L)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e1.91\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e1.95\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e1.82\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e1.96\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.87\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.611\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c8\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.893\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"8\" nameend=\"c8\" namest=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eNote: A: G: Albumin to globulin ratio; ALP: Alkaline phosphatase; AST: Aspartate aminotransferase; CK: Creatine kinase; GGT: Gamma-Glutamyl transferase; HDL: High density lipoprotein; LDL: Low density lipoprotein. \u003csup\u003ea,b\u003c/sup\u003e Means within a row without a common superscript differ (P\u0026thinsp;\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;0.05). * Dietary treatments 50-FT\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;combination of 50% FTEFB: 50% NG, 25-FT\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;25% FTEFB: 75% NG, 0-FT\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0% FTEFB: 100% NG within 40% of roughages in total diets. FTEFB: \u003cem\u003eP. pulmonarius\u003c/em\u003e-treated EFB; NG: Napier grass. \u003csup\u003e2\u003c/sup\u003eContrast p-value\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;orthogonal polynomial contrast of increasing FTEFB inclusion levels (0 to 50%).\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003c/tbody\u003e\u003c/colgroup\u003e\u003c/table\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"DISCUSSION","content":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eDry matter and nutrients intake\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe inclusion of \u003cem\u003eP. pulmonarius\u003c/em\u003e-treated empty fruit bunch (FTEFB) in goat diets influenced the bodyweight changes and nutrient intake. According to the National Research Council (NRC 2007), goats with an average body weight of 30 kg require at least 62 g of protein and 1.99 Mcal of DE daily for maintenance. In this study, all dietary treatments including those containing 25% and 50% FTEFB did not limit nutrient availability and that diets containing FTEFB were comparable in palatability to those containing only Napier grass (NG). Although the goats were not expected to gain weight under maintenance feeding, changes in body weight were observed. Notably, goat on 50-FT diet exhibited a bodyweight loss, while 0-FT ad 25-FT groups slightly increased their weight. This outcome indicated that higher inclusion of FTEFB may reduce the efficiency of nutrient utilization, particularly in terms of energy and protein availability, despite meeting basic intake thresholds.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAlthough the dry matter intake (DMI) was statistically similar across treatments, there was a tendency toward reduced intake with the 25-FT group. The negative association between DMI and neutral detergent fiber (NDF) content support the idea that higher fiber levels can suppressed intake. When expressed on a metabolic weight basis (g/kg BW\u003csup\u003e0.75\u003c/sup\u003e), DMI in this study ranged from 64.6 to 67.1 g/kg BW\u003csup\u003e0.75\u003c/sup\u003e. These values are approximately 10\u0026ndash;21% lower than previously reported values of 74.74 to 82.23 g/kg BW\u003csup\u003e0.75\u003c/sup\u003e in male Thai Native Anglo Nubian goats fed with OPF-treated \u003cem\u003eLentinus sajor-caju\u003c/em\u003e (Hamchara et al. \u003cspan citationid=\"CR11\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2018\u003c/span\u003e). However, the values still fall within the broader range of 35.7 to 74.7 g/kg BW\u003csup\u003e0.75\u003c/sup\u003e for dry non-pregnant goats under varied feeding conditions (Avondo et al. 2005).\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe differences in respective nutrient intake such as crude protein, cellulose and ether extract between treatments diet can be explained by the differing nutrient profiles of the respective diets. The strong relationship between nutrient intake and diet composition support the conclusion that feed composition is a major determinant of intake patterns. These findings highlight that while FTEFB can be incorporated at moderate levels (up to 25%) without compromising nutrient adequacy, higher inclusion may affect nutrient balance and energy utilization even in goats at maintenance.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eApparent dry matter and nutrient digestibility\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe reductions in nutrient digestibility observed with the inclusion of FTEFB suggest that FTEFB has lower digestibility for CP and fiber components compared to NG, thereby reducing its nutritional efficiency. The 25% FTEFB (25-FT) diet resulted in marked decreases in digestibility of DM, CP, hemicellulose and cellulose. However, no further significant reductions were observed when the inclusion increased to 50% (50-FT). This indicates a possible plateau in the negative impact of FTEFB in digestibility. This plateau effect may reflect a physiological threshold in rumen microbial adaptation or digestive limitation. A similar but opposite trend was reported in a study where digestibility improved significantly as the inclusion of \u003cem\u003eLentinus sajor-caju\u003c/em\u003e-treated oil palm frond (OPF) increased from 0% (untreated OPF) to 33% but remained unchanged up to 100% (Hamchara et al. \u003cspan citationid=\"CR11\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2018\u003c/span\u003e). This differing plateau likely influenced by the choice of control diet: untreated OPF versus higher quality Napier grass in the present study, underscoring the influence of baseline forage quality on fungal treatment outcomes. In contrast, higher digestibility (DMD\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;74.6%) was observed in goats fed 25% \u003cem\u003eGanoderma lucidum\u003c/em\u003e-treated EFB and this highlighting that fungal species, treatment duration and substrate characteristics can substantially influence the effectiveness of biological treatment (BeAnn et al. \u003cspan citationid=\"CR5\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2023\u003c/span\u003e). Differences in enzymatic activity among fungi and variation capabilities are likely contributors to the divergent outcomes (Hultberg and Golovko \u003cspan citationid=\"CR12\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2024\u003c/span\u003e). The decline in digestibility with FTEFB inclusion in the current study is primarily attributed to increased structural carbohydrates, particularly cellulose and lignin. The negative association between DM digestibility and fiber components (cellulose and ADL), as observed in results are in line with earlier reports showing reduced digestibility in steer fed fibre-rich rations (Aguilu and Evans \u003cspan citationid=\"CR3\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e1972\u003c/span\u003e). Despite reduced digestibility, the total nutrient intake especially CP, EE and cellulose corresponded positively with the nutrient composition and this suggest that intake pattern reflected feed composition rather than digestibility constraints. Although, digestible energy (DE) was the lowest in the 25-FT (3.03 Mcal/kg) and plateau at 50-FT (3.17 Mcal/kg). The positive relationship between DE and cellulose digestibility highlighting the key role of cellulose in maintaining dietary energy. Other nutrients did not show a strong association with DE, which is consistent with earlier observation (Weimer, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR26\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2022\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eRumen fermentation profiles\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe inclusion of FTEFB influenced fermentation patterns in the rumen, particularly in terms of the VFA profile. While the total volatile fatty acids concentration was not significantly different among treatments, individual VFA profiles shifted notably. The reduction in acetate and corresponding increases in propionate and butyrate, particularly in the 50-FT indicate a fermentation shift toward a more glycogenic profile which can be advantageous for energy metabolism (Salisbury et al. \u003cspan citationid=\"CR23\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2021\u003c/span\u003e). Such VFA profile shifts have been documented in previous studies using fungal-treated fibrous feed (Hamchara et al. \u003cspan citationid=\"CR11\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2018\u003c/span\u003e). In those study, goats fed white rot fungi-treated oil palm frond showed similar increases in propionate and decreases in acetate, attributed to partial delignification and improved carbohydrate fermentability. Furthermore, a shift towards propionate can decrease methane production (Zinn et al. 2022). In the current study, the shift in VFA profiles could be linked to changes in fiber quality and carbohydrate fermentability introduced by fungal treatment. Increased propionate is generally considered favorable, yet the loss in overall digestibility may counteract this benefit. While more fermentable carbohydrate fractions may be present, the residual lignin and structural complexity of the substrate may still limit microbial access, leading to lower overall energy extraction (Tedeschi et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR25\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2023\u003c/span\u003e). This may explain lowest digestible energy (DE) in both 25-FT and 50-FT groups, despite shifts in fermentation profiles.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe higher valerate concentration in the 50-FT group also suggests increased in protein fermentation, and consistent with the observed rise in ruminal ammonia-N (NH\u003csub\u003e3\u003c/sub\u003e-N) levels. NH\u003csub\u003e3\u003c/sub\u003e-N concentrations increased significantly with FTEFB inclusion, reaching 18.49 mg/dl in the 50-FT group compared to 11.62 mg/dl in the 0-FT group. This likely reflects both greater CP degradation and reduced microbial nitrogen assimilation due to lower fermentable energy availability as the digestible energy was lowest in both 25-FT and 50-FT diets (Arias et al. \u003cspan citationid=\"CR1\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2020\u003c/span\u003e). Ruminal pH decreased slightly with increasing FTEFB, dropping to 6.58 in the 50-FT group but remained within the normal physiological range for fiber digestion (Zebeli et al. \u003cspan citationid=\"CR30\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2008\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eBlood serum biochemistry profiles\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eBlood serum biochemical parameters further support the general physiological tolerance of goats to FTEFB inclusion in the diet. All serum values measured were within the normal clinical range for healthy goat (Jackson and Cockroft 2002; Merck 2016). The stability of serum total protein, albumin, and globulins concentration across treatments suggests that nitrogen intake and utilization were adequate and this aligns with observed crude protein intake values. These parameters are reliable indicators of protein status and liver function, and their consistency across groups indicates that FTEFB did not adversely affect protein metabolism. Notably, serum total protein were above the minimum threshold of 42 g/L, below which rumen compaction may occur. Moreover, total protein concentration remained within the normal physiological range of 64\u0026ndash;78 g/dl (Merck 2016). A significant reduction in alkaline phosphatase (ALP) was observed with increased FTEFB inclusion, particularly in 50-FT may be indicative of reduced metabolic demand or lower hepatic enzyme activity under maintenance feeding without growth stimulation. Other liver enzymes (Aspartate aminotransferase (AST), Creatine kinase (CK) and Gamma-Glutamyl transferase (GGT)) did not differ significantly supporting the absence of liver or muscle pathology (Lim \u003cspan citationid=\"CR16\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2020\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe observed in LDL cholesterol at 50% FTEFB could be attributed to the bioactive components of \u003cem\u003ePleurotus pulmonarius\u003c/em\u003e, particularly β-glucans. These polysaccharides have been shown to lower serum cholesterol by binding the bile acids and reducing intestinal cholesterol absorption and thereby promoting greater cholesterol excretion (Sima et al. \u003cspan citationid=\"CR24\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2018\u003c/span\u003e). This aligns with previous findings that dietary supplementation with fungal-derived products can beneficially modulate lipid metabolism and improve serum cholesterol profiles in animals (Li et al. \u003cspan citationid=\"CR15\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2019\u003c/span\u003e; Lai et al. \u003cspan citationid=\"CR14\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2020\u003c/span\u003e). Such effects suggest that incorporating FTEFB not only serves as a fiber source but may also offer functional health benefits through its cholesterol-lowering properties.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eCreatinine and urea concentrations were stable across treatments confirming that nitrogen metabolism and excretory function were not impaired (Salazar \u003cspan citationid=\"CR22\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2014\u003c/span\u003e). Glucose was also unaffected, consistent with adequate energy metabolism despite observed reductions in digestible energy.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eElectrolyte and mineral concentrations (Na, K, Cl, Ca and P) showed no significant treatment effects, suggesting that FTEFB inclusion did not disrupt mineral homeostasis or electrolyte balance.\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"CONCLUSION","content":"\u003cp\u003eBased on the findings, the inclusion of FTEFB can be included up to 25% in goat diets without detrimental effects on nutrient intake, digestibility, rumen function or systemic health under maintenance conditions. However, higher inclusion levels (50%) may limit digestibility and energy utilization, despite stable serum biochemical profiles. Therefore, moderate incorporation of FTEFB offers a viable alternative roughage source while ensuring animal health and maintaining nutritional adequacy.\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"Declarations","content":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFunding\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe authors gratefully acknowledge the financial support provided by Universiti Putra Malaysia (GP-IPS/2020/9687100) and the scholarship by the Ministry of Higher Education Malaysia and Universiti Malaysia Sabah.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCompeting Interest\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe authors have no conflicts of interest to declare relevant to this article\u0026apos;s content.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAuthor Contributions\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMohamad Zaihan Zailan carried out the experiment, performed data collection and data analysis. The statistical analysis was verified by Suraya Mohamad Salleh. Mohamad Zaihan Zailan wrote the manuscript with the input from Halimatun Yaakub, Suraya Mohamad Salleh and Sumaiyah Abdullah. All authors read and approved the drafting of the manuscript. This work forms part of the doctoral research of Mohamad Zaihan Zailan.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eEthics approval\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAll procedures involving animals were approved by the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC), Universiti Putra Malaysia (Ref: AUP-R063/2020).\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eConsent to participate\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNot applicable.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWritten Consent for publication\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNot applicable.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAvailability of data and material\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe associated author provides the datasets and resources upon reasonable request.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCode availability\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNot applicable\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"References","content":"\u003col\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eArias RA, Guajardo G, Kunick S, Gilis CA, Keim JP (2020) Effect of two nutritional strategies to balance energy and protein supply in fattening heifers performance, ruminal metabolism, and carcass characteristics. Animals (Basel) 10(5): 852.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAOAC (2005) Official methods of analysis, 18\u003csup\u003eth\u003c/sup\u003e edn. Association of Official of Analytical Chemists (AOAC), USA.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAguilu JAA, Evans JL (1972) Nutrient digestibility of lower-fiber rations in the ruminant animal. J. Dairy Sci. 55(9): 1266-1274.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAvondo M, Biondi L, Pagano R, Bonanno A, Lutri L (2008). Feed intake. In: Cannas A, Pulina G (ed) Dairy goats feeding and nutrition, CAB International, pp 147-160.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBeAnn GY, Rakib MRM, Zailan MZ, Candyrine SCL (2023) \u003cem\u003eGanoderma lucidum\u003c/em\u003e-treated oil palm empty fruit bunch (OPEFB): A potential feedstuff for goat. IOP Conf Ser Earth Environ Sci 1341: 012049.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eChaney AL, Marbach EP (1962) Modified reagents for determination of urea and ammonia. Clin Chem 8(2): 130\u0026ndash;132. \u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eChanjula P, Petcharat V, Cherdthong A (2017) Effects of fungal (\u003cem\u003eLentinussajor-caju\u003c/em\u003e) treated oil palm on performance and carcass characteristics in finishing goats. Asian-Australas J of Anim Sci 30(6): 811-818.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eCooke AS, Machekano H, Gwiriri LC, Tinsley JHI, Silva GM, Nyamukondiwa C, Safalaoh A, Morgan ER, Lee MRF (2024) The nutritional feed gap: Seasonal variations in ruminant nutrition and knowledge gaps in relation to food security in Southern Africa. Food Secur 17: 73 \u0026ndash; 100.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eDhiman S, Kaur P, Narang J, Mukherjee G, Thakur B, Kaur S, Tripathi M. (2024) Fungal bioprocessing for circular bioeconomy: Exploring lignocellulosic waste valorization. Mycology 15(4): 538 \u0026ndash; 563.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eGeng A (2013) Conversion of oil palm empty fruit bunch to biofuels. In: Liquid, gaseous and solid biofuels. 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Trop Anim Health Prod 55: 402.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eZebeli Q, Dijkstra J, Tafaj M, Steingass H, Ametaj BN, Drochner W (2008) Modelling the adequacy of dietary fibre in dairy cows based on the responses of ruminal pH and milk fat production to composition of the diet. J. Dairy Sci. 91(5): 2046-2066.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eZinn RA, Owens FN, Ware RA (2002) Flaking corn: processing mechanics, quality standards, and impacts on energy availability and performance of feedlot cattle. J. Anim. Sci. 80(5): 1145-1156.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ol\u003e"}],"fulltextSource":"","fullText":"","funders":[],"hasAdminPriorityOnWorkflow":false,"hasManuscriptDocX":true,"hasOptedInToPreprint":true,"hasPassedJournalQc":"","hasAnyPriority":false,"hideJournal":false,"highlight":"","institution":"","isAcceptedByJournal":true,"isAuthorSuppliedPdf":false,"isDeskRejected":"","isHiddenFromSearch":false,"isInQc":false,"isInWorkflow":true,"isPdf":false,"isPdfUpToDate":true,"isWithdrawnOrRetracted":false,"journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"tropical-animal-health-and-production","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"externalIdentity":"trop","sideBox":"Learn more about [Tropical Animal Health and Production](https://www.springer.com/journal/11250)","snPcode":"11250","submissionUrl":"https://submission.nature.com/new-submission/11250/3","title":"Tropical Animal Health and Production","twitterHandle":"","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":true,"editorialSystem":"em","reportingPortfolio":"Springer Hybrid","inReviewEnabled":true,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":false},"keywords":"Goat, Oil palm by-products, White rot fungi","lastPublishedDoi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-7034082/v1","lastPublishedDoiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-7034082/v1","license":{"name":"CC BY 4.0","url":"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/"},"manuscriptAbstract":"\u003cp\u003eIntegrating agro-industrial residue into small ruminant diets offers a realistic pathway to lower feed costs and improve resource efficiency. In this study, a multidimensional nutritional assessment was conducted to evaluate the effects of \u003cem\u003ePleurotus pulmonarius \u003c/em\u003eempty fruit bunch (FTEFB) as a roughage substitute in the diet of goats. Nine crossbred goats with an average initial bodyweight of 27.68±0.79 kg was used in a 3 x 3 Latin square cross-over design. The animals were fed three dietary treatments: 100% Napier grass (NG), 75% NG + 25% FTEFB, and 50% NG + 50% FTEFB. Parameters evaluated included nutrient intake, digestibility, rumen fermentation profiles, and serum biochemical indicators. Increasing the level of FTEFB in diet led to a quadratic reduction (P\u0026lt;0.01) in bodyweight and crude protein intake, while cellulose intake increased (P\u0026lt;0.01). Apparent digestibility of dry matter, fiber fractions (NDF, ADF, ADL) and crude protein was significantly (P\u0026lt;0.05) reduced with FTEFB inclusion, though digestible energy remained unaffected. Rumen fermentation showed a quadratic increase (P\u0026lt;0.05) in propionate, butyrate valerate and ammonia-nitrogen with a corresponding decrease in acetate. Total VFA, pH and other minor VFAs were not significantly altered. Serum biochemistry remained largely within normal ranges, though ALP, triglycerides, and LDL cholesterol were significantly affected (P\u0026lt;0.05). This comprehensive assessment indicates that \u003cem\u003eP. pulmonarius\u003c/em\u003e-treated EFB can be included up to 25% of the diet without compromising health or performance, but higher levels may reduce digestibility and growth potential.\u003c/p\u003e","manuscriptTitle":"Multidimensional Nutritional Assessment of Goats Fed Pleurotus pulmonarius-treated Empty Fruit Bunch","msid":"","msnumber":"","nonDraftVersions":[{"code":1,"date":"2025-07-14 11:40:20","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-7034082/v1","editorialEvents":[{"type":"communityComments","content":0},{"type":"reviewerAgreed","content":"","date":"2025-07-11T19:42:22+00:00","index":0,"fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewersInvited","content":"","date":"2025-07-10T16:43:58+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"editorAssigned","content":"","date":"2025-07-07T09:29:23+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"submitted","content":"Tropical Animal Health and Production","date":"2025-07-03T00:33:59+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""}],"status":"published","journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"tropical-animal-health-and-production","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"externalIdentity":"trop","sideBox":"Learn more about [Tropical Animal Health and Production](https://www.springer.com/journal/11250)","snPcode":"11250","submissionUrl":"https://submission.nature.com/new-submission/11250/3","title":"Tropical Animal Health and Production","twitterHandle":"","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":true,"editorialSystem":"em","reportingPortfolio":"Springer Hybrid","inReviewEnabled":true,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":false}}],"origin":"","ownerIdentity":"c67dd754-c909-47ad-aaf0-1177c9756bc0","owner":[],"postedDate":"July 14th, 2025","published":true,"recentEditorialEvents":[],"rejectedJournal":[],"revision":"","amendment":"","status":"published-in-journal","subjectAreas":[],"tags":[],"updatedAt":"2025-11-24T16:11:07+00:00","versionOfRecord":{"articleIdentity":"rs-7034082","link":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s11250-025-04738-4","journal":{"identity":"tropical-animal-health-and-production","isVorOnly":false,"title":"Tropical Animal Health and Production"},"publishedOn":"2025-11-18 15:58:07","publishedOnDateReadable":"November 18th, 2025"},"versionCreatedAt":"2025-07-14 11:40:20","video":"","vorDoi":"10.1007/s11250-025-04738-4","vorDoiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s11250-025-04738-4","workflowStages":[]},"version":"v1","identity":"rs-7034082","journalConfig":"researchsquare"},"__N_SSP":true},"page":"/article/[identity]/[[...version]]","query":{"redirect":"/article/rs-7034082","identity":"rs-7034082","version":["v1"]},"buildId":"8U1c8b4HqxoKbykW_rLl7","isFallback":false,"isExperimentalCompile":false,"dynamicIds":[84888],"gssp":true,"scriptLoader":[]}