Abstract

PIZZANI, P et al. Total phosphorus, phytic phosphorus and phytase activity in the fruits of forage trees from the Central Plains, Venezuela. Pastos y Forrajes [online]. 2009, vol.32, n.2, pp. 1-1. ISSN 0864-0394.

With the objective of learning the total phosphorus (TP) and phytic phosphorus (PP) concentrations and the intrinsic phytase activity (PAi) in some fruits of forage trees from the Central Plains, Venezuela: Pithecellobium saman, Enterolobium cyclocarpum, Acacia macracantha, Cassia emarginata, Genipa americana, Caesalpinia coriaria, Caesalpinia granadillo, Pereskia guamacho, Acacia glomerosa, Guazuma ulmifolia, Licania pyrifolia and Prosopis juliflora, a trial was conducted by means of a completely randomized design and ten replications. The results indicated TP values between 0,08 and 0,38% and the PP contents oscillated between 0,02 and 0,28%; both variables showed significant differences among species (P<0,05). P. guamacho had the highest TP and PP concentration. The PAi of 91,7% of the fruits was higher than 100 Ukg-1; the rest showed values between 94 and 95 Ukg-1. The PP content was highly correlated to TP concentration (r = 0,97; P<0,01). However, the PAi did not show significant relationship to the TP and PP values. Only L. pyrifolia recorded a lower value (0,08%). The PP content, as percentage of the TP concentration, was higher in C. granadillo (92%), P. juliflora (75%) and C. coriaria (75%), and lower in L. pyrifolia (25%). The fruits of the evaluated trees are considered to represent a resource with nutritional potential for supplementing the phosphorus requirements of ruminants in the dry season.

Keywords : Phytates; phosphorus; fruit.

        · abstract in Spanish     · text in Spanish     · Spanish ( pdf )