POTENTIAL OF SALICORNIA FRUTICOSA AS A FORAGE IN EGYPT: PHYTOCHEMICAL CONSTITUENTS, NUTRITIVE VALUE, AND METHANE PRODUCTION (AN IN VITRO PRELIMINARY STUDY)

Ghandour, Moustafa M.; Ahmed, Fatma A.; Wassif, Islam M.; Fahmy, Waleed G.; Abo Bakr, Salah Abo Bakr; Badawy, Mohamed T.; El Shaer, Hassan M.

doi:10.21608/ejdr.2025.362662.1200

POTENTIAL OF SALICORNIA FRUTICOSA AS A FORAGE IN EGYPT: PHYTOCHEMICAL CONSTITUENTS, NUTRITIVE VALUE, AND METHANE PRODUCTION (AN IN VITRO PRELIMINARY STUDY)

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

¹ 1Department of Animal and Poultry Nutrition, Desert Research Center, Cairo, Egypt

² Department of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants, Desert Research Center, Cairo, Egypt

³ Department of Animal and Poultry Health, Desert Research Center, Cairo, Egypt

⁴ Department of Animal and Poultry Nutrition, Desert Research Center, Cairo, Egypt

⁵ Department of Animal and Poultry Physiology, Desert Research Center, Cairo, Egypt

10.21608/ejdr.2025.362662.1200

Abstract

This study was carried out to investigate the potential of different ecotypes of Salicornia fruticosa to be a forage crop for ruminants. Three different ecotypes of Salicornia as wild, monoculture and intercropped (with tomato plants) were tested in ruminal in vitro study. Results illustrated that the chemical composition among Salicornia ecotypes was similar, but crude protein content was higher in the cultivated Salicornia (monoculture and intercropped) than in the wild type. Major elements such as sodium (Na) and potassium (K) concentrations were the highest in intercropped Salicornia, calcium (Ca) was the highest in monoculture Salicornia and magnesium (Mg) and phosphorus (P) were the highest in wild Salicornia. While, the essential amino acids percent was similar among Salicornia ecotypes and averaged 42.91% of the total amino acids. Total phenolic content was similar in all Salicornia ecotypes, but total flavonoids content was higher in cultivated Salicornia ecotypes. Six flavonoid compounds (Diosmin concentration was the highest) and eight phenolic compounds were identified (Cinnamic concentration acid was the highest). Intercropped and wild Salicornia methanolic extract had significant antibacterial activity against pathogenic E. coli as compared to monoculture methanolic extracts (P< 0.05). Nutritive values as in vitro organic matter digestion (OMD), metabolizable energy (ME) and total digestible nutrients (TDN) in intercropped Salicornia were the highest among the tested groups (P< 0.05). Methane production decreased by 28.75 and 25.72% in monoculture and intercropped Salicornia compared to wild Salicornia (P<0.05). Cultivation of Salicornia as monoculture or intercropped had higher nutritive value than wild type and it can be recommended in saline-affected soils as forage for feeding ruminants.

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