Methods to alleviate the toxicity of Acacia angustissima (acc. no 15132) were evaluated in vitro and
in vivo at ILRI Debre Zeit Research station in Ethiopia in 1997–1998. In an in vitro evaluation, A.
angustissima leaves were incubated for 120 h with rumen fluid from Borana steers consuming native
hay and cotton seed cake or from free ranging goat and sheep. Addition of polyethylene glycol (PEG,
molecular weight (MW) 4000) increased gas production (4·9 v. 13·9 ml/100 mg dry matter (DM)),
ammonia concentration (5·2 v. 9·7 mmol/l) and neutral detergent fibre (NDF) digestibility (380 v.
540 g/kg DM). In an in vivo experiment, Ethiopian highland sheep fed native hay and A. angustissima
as a supplement (200 g/d) were inoculated with mixed rumen content from sheep gradually adapted
on A. angustissima or were given PEG (MW 4000, 100 g/kg supplement) as methods to alleviate
toxicity induced by A. angustissima. Sesbania sesban (acc. no 10865) with and without PEG were fed
as a control. Effects on intake, apparent digestibility and nitrogen balance were studied in a 5×5
Latin square experiment. DM intake was increased by all the supplements (P<0·001) even though
hay intake was slightly reduced compared to hay only (P<0·05). PEG increased intake of A.
angustissima compared to inoculation. There were no significant differences in apparent DM or OM
digestibility. Apparent nitrogen digestibility tended to be higher with S. sesban than with A.
angustissima (P<0·10) and addition of PEG increased it with A. angustissima (P<0·05).
Supplements increased ammonia and VFA concentrations and molar proportion of propionate
(P<0·05). Supplements tended to increase microbial nitrogen supply (P<0·10) but there were no
significant differences in efficiency of microbial synthesis. Supplements increased nitrogen retention
(P<0·01) but due to short periods there were no significant differences in the live weights of sheep.
All the animals remained healthy during the experiment suggesting that both methods used alleviated
the toxicity of A. angustissima. Addition of PEG was more effective than inoculation in increasing
intake and nutritive value of A. angustissima.