The Chemical Composition and Nutritive Value of Mulberry Leaf as a Protein Source in Poultry Diets

A study was conducted to determine the chemical composition of mulberry ( Morus alba ) leaf meal (MLM) and its nutritive value as a feed ingredient in diets of broiler and layer chickens. The crude d ry matter, protein, ash, fat, crude fibre, NDF, ADF, C a, P and gross energy contents were 89.3%, 29.8%, 11.8%, 11.1%, 32.3%, 22.8%, 0.28% 2.7% and 4220kcal/kg respectively. The amino acids composition of MLM indicates it is a good source of essential amino acids especially lysine 1.88% and leucine 2.55%. The overall ileal true amino acids a vailability was similar between layers and broilers . The digestibility coefficients of individual amino acids for aspartic acid, glutamic acid, tyrosine, histidine, argnine, glycine and tryptophan was sign ificantly (p<0.05) higher for layers compared to those for broilers. However, the digestibility of m ethionine was higher (P<0.05) in broilers than laye rs.