Effect of cellulase and Lactobacillus casei on ensiling characteristics, chemical composition, antioxidant activity, and digestibility of mulberry leaf silage

With the lack of feed resources in China, mulberry leaves have been developed as a ruminant forage rich in protein and functional components. To make full use of mulberry leaves, including their nutrients and biological activities, we investigated the effects of cellulase and Lactobacillus casei LC on the nutritive value and antioxidant capacity of mulberry leaf silage. Mulberry leaves from 2 locally prevailing high-yield cultivars were separately subjected to ensiling treatments either with or without addition of Lactobacillus culture, in combination with variable levels of cellulase application. After 60-d ensiling, the resulting silage was sampled and analyzed for fermentation parameters, antioxidant activity, carbohydrates, and protein fractions, as well as in vitro rumen gas production. The results showed that nutrients, including functional components of mulberry leaves, were well preserved during the ensiling process. Compared with the control, the application of cellulase and Lactobacillus casei LC resulted in greater dry matter recovery, higher contents of lactic acid, true protein, and total flavonoid, and increased antioxidant activity and microbial protein production, as well as decreased pH value, lower concentrations of ammonium nitrogen, and lower fiber fractions in the mulberry leaf silage, which varied between the 2 selected mulberry cultivars. These results suggest that mulberry leaf silage could be a quality feed with robust antioxidant capacity, which could be improved by the application of cellulase and Lactobacillus casei LC.