A systematic analysis of nutritional and mineral composition and toxicity in Acacia species leaves

Pedro, Soraia; Gonçalves, Joana; Monteiro, M.C.H.; Gonçalves, José Carlos; Gominho, Jorge; Gallardo, Eugenia; Anjos, Ofélia

http://hdl.handle.net/10400.11/10163

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Authors

Pedro, Soraia

Gonçalves, Joana

Monteiro, M.C.H.

Gonçalves, José Carlos

Gominho, Jorge

Gallardo, Eugenia

Anjos, Ofélia

Abstract(s)

In the present study, the nutritive composition and mineral content of the leaves of eight species of Acacia trees were evaluated to assess their potential for different purposes, such as food resources for ruminants and mineral sources in soils. Caco-2 cells were employed to assess cytotoxicity, revealing that the extracts exhibited no cytotoxic effects after cellular incubation, suggesting their suitability as an alternative animal feed. The leaves proved to be a promising source of protein and fiber, offering an alternative to meet the needs of ruminants. The protein content differed among species, ranging from 18.96% in A. cyclops to 14.04% in A. melanoxylon. Similarly, fiber content varied from 35.52% in A. melanoxylon to 16.43% in A. cyclops. The species displayed moderate to high levels of minerals, particularly concentrations of Ca, P, and K. These values varied among species, ranging from 8452.90 to 28,465.31 mg/kg DM for Ca, 309.61 to 1293.82 mg/kg DM for P, and 5557.24 to 11,475.85 mg/kg DM for K, respectively. Each species displayed a distinct profile regarding the analyzed parameters, suggesting varied potential for their respective use. Additionally, vibrational spectroscopy analysis proved to be a highly valuable and dependable method for distinguishing between species.

Description

The authors are grateful to the Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT, Portugal) for their financial support through national funds FCT/MCTES (PIDDAC) to CERNAS IPCB, UIDB/00681/2020 (DOI: 10.54499/UIDP/00681/2020); CEF, UIDB/00239/2020 and TERRA (DOI: 10.54499/LA/P/0092/2020); UIDB/00709/2020 and UIDP/00709/2020 (CICS-UBI). Joana Gonçalves acknowledges the PhD fellowship from FCT (Reference: SFRH/BD/149360/2019).

Keywords

Acacia species Leaf Cytotoxicity Nutritive values Mineral content

URI

http://hdl.handle.net/10400.11/10163

Citation

PEDRO, Soraia [et al.] (2024) - A systematic analysis of nutritional and mineral composition and toxicity in Acacia species leaves. Applied Sciences. 14, 9437. DOI: 10.3390/app14209437