Effect of Dietary Inclusion of Dried Subabul (Leucaena leucocephala) Leaf Meal on Nutrient Digestibility, Nitrogen-Mineral Balance and Blood Biochemical Profile in Crossbred Calves

Abstract

An experiment was conducted to evaluate the effect of dietary inclusion of dried subabul (Leucaena leucocephala) leaf meal on nutrient digestibility, nitrogen and mineral balance, and blood biochemical parameters in crossbred calves. Eighteen calves were allocated to three groups (T₀, T₁ and T₂), with six animals in each group. T₀ served as the control, while T₁ and T₂ received concentrate mixtures containing 5% and 10% subabul leaf meal, respectively. A metabolism trial was conducted on five calves from each group. Dry matter and organic matter digestibility did not differ significantly among treatments. Crude protein digestibility increased significantly, reaching 69.45% in T₂ compared with 65.65% in T₀, whereas ether extract, crude fibre and nitrogen-free extract digestibility remained unaffected. Nitrogen balance increased numerically from 37.07 g/d in T₀ to 47.61 g/d in T₂, although the tabled treatment effect was not significant. Calcium balance and retention increased significantly with subabul inclusion, whereas phosphorus balance and retention did not differ significantly among groups. Serum glucose, total protein, blood urea nitrogen, alanine transaminase, aspartate transaminase and superoxide dismutase also showed no significant treatment effects. Within the 90-day feeding period, dietary inclusion of dried subabul leaf meal at up to 10% was associated with improved crude protein digestibility and calcium utilisation without significant changes in the measured blood biochemical parameters.