Title : Effect of UV-C on Shelf-Life Extension in Sea Grapes Caulerpa lentillifera
Abstract:
We propose the possibility in prediction of nutritive value of forage including neutral detergent fiber (NDF) and its digestibility, and crude protein (nitrogen content) with the conventional mechanical method as ground plant density determination. Genotypes of Brachiaria species were used as plant model in the experiment. Zero point five mm size of ground stems and leaves were mixed well with the ratio (volume to volume) of 0:10, 1:9, 3:7, 4:6, 5:5, 6:4, 7:3, 8:2, 9:1 and 10:0. The estimated volume of all samples were measured by 50-ml. centrifuge tube for 50 ml, and the weight of respective samples were determined by analytical balance for 5 replications. All sample density (D) was calculated as weight/estimated volume. NDF was analysed by standard method with slightly modification, in vitro dry matter digestibility (IVDMD) was analysed by pepsin-cellulase method, in vitro NDF digestibility (IVNDFD) was calculated as IVNDFD = 100 × (IVDMD – 100 + NDF%) / NDF%, and nitrogen content (N) was analysed by NC analyser. Correlation and simple regression between D and NDF, D and IVDMD, D and IVNDFD, and D and N were computed. It was found that the ranges of density, NDF, IVDMD, IVNDFD and nitrogen content were 0.3731−0.3995 g/ml, 73.41−82.88 % of dry matter, 48.51−58.98 %, 37.87−44.12 % of NDF, and 0.52−1.11 % of dry matter respectively. There were significant relation between density and these 4 traits with the correlation efficiency of 0.9773 (P≤0.00001), −0.9623 (P≤0.00001), −0.9229 (P≤0.00001), and −0.9712 (P≤0.00001) respectively. While r-squared of regression were 0.9555, 0.9262, 0.8527 and 0.9432 respectively with the equation as NDF = 332.51D-49.442, IVDMD = −374D+197.21, IVNDFD= −226.13D+127.59, and N = −21.331D+8.9892, respectively. The positive relationship between ground plant density and fiber trait could be the direct effect from density of cell wall content. Whereas the negative relationship of the density and nitrogen content may due to the proportion of cytoplasm, which negatively relates to the thickness of cell wall. This preliminary data reveals that the development of standard methods for predicting nutritive value in forage crop by this simple mechanical method is feasible.