The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of using portulaca oleracea as a source of plant antioxidants for feeding fattening male lambs, on carcass traits, meat quality, and oxidative stability. Twenty-one male lambs with an average weight of 24±1.5 kg and 150±15 days old were fed with one of the experimental rations included a diet without portulaca oleracea as control, a diet containing 7.5%, and a diet containing 15% portulaca oleracea, for 84 days. The muscle (Longissimus dorsi) samplewas used to determine pH, CHEMICAL COMPOSITION, colorimetric properties, and oxidative stability of meat. Meat lipid oxidation was determined after 1, 7, and 30 days of refrigerated storage using thiobarbituric acid (TBARS). The use of portulaca oleracea in diets improved meat color characteristics such as L, chroma, and Hue. The highest ash concentration and the lowest meat moisture were observed in the treatment of 15% portulaca oleracea (P<0.05). Meat pH was the lowest in the first hour after slaughter but did not differ at 24 h. Compared to the control, in both treatment groups feeding the lambs with portulaca significantly reduced the concentration of Malondialdehyde in the meat of the lambs and increased the meat oxidative stability (P<0.05). The results of this experiment showed that feeding portulaca oleracea by improving properties such as color and increasing the meat oxidative stability improves meat quality, which may have lead to an increase in its nutritional value in terms of human health.

This experiment was conducted to study the variations in CHEMICAL COMPOSITION during the growth stage and characteristics of reed FORAGE ensilage. Sampling of reed FORAGE during the growth stage was done every 2 weeks for 3 months for investigation of variation in CHEMICAL COMPOSITION. Results were analyzed in a completely randomized design with 6 treatments and 5 replications. The determined CHEMICAL COMPOSITION of samples was CP, DM, OM, Ash, NDF, ADF, Hemicelluloses, IVDMD and IVOMD. Means of CP, IVDMD and IVOMD were decreased (from 16.56, 42.10 and 39.95 to 10.31, 28.68 and 27.83 percent respectively) and means of NDF and ADF were increased (from 63.34 and 35.12 to 77.76 and 41.64 percent respectively) with advancing growth period (p< 0.05). from Hoveize marsh 200 kg of reed FORAGE harvested and choppered (1-3 cm length) and laboratory reed FORAGE silage were prepared with 4 levels of molasses (0, 5, 10 and 15%) and 2 levels of inoculants, containing 1x1010CFUg-1 Lactobacillus plantarum (0 and 2.5 ppm) in 5 replication. This experiment was conducted in a completely randomized design with a factorial arrangement (2x4x5=40). Adding 15 percent molasses decreased pH (from 4.62 to 4.16), ADF (from 37.10% to 30.34%), cellulose (from29.16% to 22.49%) and increased CP (from 10.21% to 10.98%) and IVDMD (from 27.58% to 36.76%) (p< 0.05). Bacteria inoculation did not have any significant effect on improving silage quality. Based on this results harvesting date for reed FORAGE proposed to be between the first to middle of the month of may, and adding Lactobacillus plantarum silage was not effective, but adding 15%molasses proposed for silage preparing and improved its quality.

This study aimed to determine the effect of cutting the aerial part of Jerusalem artichoke at different growth stages, as FORAGE, on tuber yield. Tubers were planted in a randomized complete block design in 16 plots with dimensions of 3 m × 4 m (4 plots in 4 blocks). Treatments with different dates of the harvest of the aerial part were: 1) first cut at stem elongation stage, BBCH-39 and second cut at inflorescence emergence stage, BBCH-59 (66 and 138 days after planting, respectively), 2) first and second cuts at stem elongation stage, BBCH-39 (100 and 173 days after planting, respectively), 3) one cut at inflorescence emergence stage, BBCH-59 (132 days after planting) with no regrowth of the aerial part, and 4) no aerial part cut. Tubers were harvested with approaching the cold season when the aerial part stopped growing. Treatment 1 and 2 resulted in lower total fresh and dry matter yield than treatment 3. The amount of water-soluble carbohydrates and crude protein in second cuts were numerically higher and fiber fractions lower than the first cuts. The highest fresh and dry tuber yield in treatment 4 was 63. 3 and 14. 8 t/ha, respectively, which was significantly higher than the mean of fresh (25. 4-29. 5 t/ha) and dry (4. 6-6. 1 t/ha) tuber yield in the other treatments. An increase in tuber organic matter was observed in treatment 4 with a significant increase in soluble carbohydrate contents. The results showed that an extra cut of the aerial part of Jerusalem artichoke during the vegetative stage did not increase the aboveground biomass yield compared to the treatment in which the only harvest was made just before the flowering stage. Yield of tubers was also negatively affected by regrowth of the aerial part.

Introduction: The dry climate and water scarcity in most areas of Iran caused to serious restriction in planting fodder. Therefore, it is very important to find new fodder sources to feed ruminants in order to reduce the ration costs. One of the new sources of fodder that may have a favorable nutritional value are plants of the Paulowniaceae family in China, East Asia and some parts of Iran. Several types of Paulownia are known in the world. These plants are known for their high growth rate and intense photosynthesis, which are specific to C4 plants, and with wide leaves with a diameter of about 90 cm. The commercial production of Paulownia wood generates a large quantity of leaves, which are typically used as natural fertilizers.At the age of about 6 to 8 years, the production leaf of each Paulownia tree reaches about 100 kg. When the leaves have a favorable nutritional value, they can be used as fodder in feeding ruminants. In Iran, there has been no study on the nutritional value of Paulownia leaves for use in animal feed. Therefore, the aim of this research was to investigate the CHEMICAL COMPOSITION of Paulownia leaves and the CHEMICAL COMPOSITION, gas production parameters, digestion and fermentation characteristics of the silages from the mixture of different levels of Paulownia leaves (Tebjoo hybrid variety) and fodder corn in vitro.Materials and Methods: The corn FORAGE and Paulownia leaves (Tebjoo hybrid variety) were prepared. At first, the CHEMICAL COMPOSITION of corn FORAGE and Paulonia leaf samples was determined based on the conventional methods. Then, both FORAGEs were chopped into 2-4 cm sizes using a hand chopper for silage preparation. Experimental treatments included silages containing different ratios of fodder corn and Paulownia leaves (0:100, 75:25, 50:50, 25:75 and 0:100). The materials were compacted in the plastic containers and the silage period lasted 60 days. Determining the CHEMICAL COMPOSITION of fresh fodders and the nutritional value of experimental silages including CHEMICAL COMPOSITION, in vitro gas production and fermentation parameters, digestibility and enzyme activity were carried out based on a completely random design.Results and Discussion: Results indicated that dry matter (DM), organic matter (OM), crude protein (CP), neutral detergent fiber (NDF), acid detergent fiber (ADF), ether extract (EE), lignin, non-fibrer carbohydrates (NFC) and water soluble carbohydrates content of fresh Paulownia leaves were 266, 911, 173, 402, 201, 35.5, 86.4, 404 and 91.2 g/kg DM, respectively. The mentioned CHEMICAL COMPOSITION in Paulownia silage were 273, 902, 164, 393, 191, 38.8, 74.5, 386 and 25.4 g/kg DM, respectively. With increasing the proportion of Paulownia leaf in silage, DM, CP, lignin, EE, ammonia nitrogen concentration increased linearly (P<0.05). However, OM, NDF and ADF decreased linearly (P<0.05). By increasing the ratio of Paulownia leaf to corn in th silage, in vitro gas production (GP) in 24, 36 and 48 h, GP potential (coefficient b) and short-chain volatile fatty acids concentration decreased linearly (P<0.05), although it linearly increased ammonia nitrogen concentration and microbial protein synthesis (P<0.05). The carboxymethyl cellulase and filter paper degrading activities decreased linearly with increasing the inclusion level of Paulownia leaf in silage (P<0.05). However, ruminal alpha-amylase and protease activity showed a linear increase (P<0.05).Conclusion: The present study showed that the Paulownia leaf of Tebjoo hybrid variety has a favorable nutritional value as a new FORAGE source in animal nutrition. Also, the preparation of silages including different ratio of Paulownia leaves and corn is recommended for animal feeding in the conditions of significant shortage of protein resources in the country. Future research is warranted to investigate how Paulownia leaf affect ruminant performance.

In this study the yield, CHEMICAL COMPOSITION, in vitro digestibility and gas production of FORAGE from 18 different varieties of oat (Avena Sativa L.) was studied. All the oat varieties were grown under the similar agronomic condition in three replicates in a randomized complete block design at Research Farm of School of Agriculture, Razi University. Significant difference (P<0.01) was observed in the yield of FORAGE (15.6 to 26.3 ton dry matter (DM) /ha) from different varieties. Crude protein (CP), neutral detergent fiber (NDF), acid detergent fiber (ADF) and acid detergent lignin (ADL) content varied from 52.2 to 122, 500 to 597, 306 to 400 and 33.1 to 58.0 g/kg DM in FORAGEs respectively. The in vitro dry matter and organic matter digestibility (IVDMD, IVOMD) and metabolizable energy (ME) were significant (P<0.01) differences between 18 varieties of oat FORAGE. The variety 12 and V8 had the highest and lowest IVOMD, respectively (674 vs.549 g/kg DM). The mean value of digestible OM yield (DOM) was 10.8 ton/ha. Variety 8 had the highest DOM (13.2 ton/ha). The potential of gas production (A), rate of gas production (c) and lag time (L) indicated significant difference among different varieties. The result of this study emphasized a great variation in CHEMICAL COMPOSITION, digestibility and kinetics of fermentation in different varieties of oat. However the diversity in digestibility and total cumulative gas production was greater.

In this study, Spirulina has been cultured in semi mass scale in greenhouse in order to control light and temperature. Since, maximum growth of Spirulina had been observed; they harvested and dried to produce Spirulina powder. Its CHEMICAL COMPOSITION had been analyzed by common methods, then fatty acid and aminoacid profile had been taken by gass chromatography and HPLC device. Also the amount of chlorophil and astaxantine as an important pigments had been measured by spectrophotometry and HPLC. The results showed, protein and fat of Spirulina was 46.6 and 0.1 percent, respectively. Chlorophil was 2.097 mg/ml and astaxantin by using astaxantin standard was 0.21mg/kg.