Skip to main content

A simple enzyme assay for dry matter digestibility and its value in studying food selection by generalist herbivores

Oecologia volume 49, pages 170–178 (1981)Cite this article

Summary

The dry matter digestibility of 94 species of leaf was assayed by a simple method involving sequential treatment with pepsin and fungal cellulase enzymes. It was demonstrated that for foliage from rainforest trees of a wide range of dicotyledonous plant families the assay showed high positive correlation with estimates of dry matter digestibility obtained using rumenliquor from a fistulated steer. Both assays were found to reflect negative correlates of digestibility, notably fibre and condensed tannin, rather than the nutritional value of an item. The higher dry matter digestibility of immature leaves relative to mature leaves appeared to be accounted for by their lower fibre content. It is suggested that the pepsin/cellulase assay offers a cheap, quick, routine method of gaining information on the effects of some types of plant secondary compounds (digestibility reducers) on the ‘food potential’ of different kinds of foliage to herbivores. Its use in studies of herbivory in rainforest areas in relation to analyses for plant secondary compounds and food selection by herbivores is discussed.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution.

Access options

Buy single article

Instant access to the full article PDF.

43,34 €

Price includes VAT (Finland)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

References

  • Adegbola AA, Paladines O (1977) Prediction of the digestibility of the dry matter of tropical forages from their solubility in fungal cellulase solutions. J Sci Food Agric 28:775–785

    Google Scholar 

  • Aerts JV, de Brabander DL, Cottyn BG, Buysse FX, Carlier LA, Moermans RJ (1978) Some remarks on the analytical procedure of van Soest for the prediction of forage digestibility. Anim Feed Sci Tecn 3:309–322

    Google Scholar 

  • Allison M, Borzucki R (1978) Cellulase methods for the efficient digestion of grasses and brassicas. J Sci Food Agric 29:293–297

    Google Scholar 

  • Bate-Smith EC (1973) Tannins in herbaceous legumes. Phytochemistry 12:1809–1812

    Google Scholar 

  • Bauchop T (1978a) Digestion of leaves by vertebrate arboreal folivores. In: The Ecology of Arboreal Folivores. GG Montgomery (ed), Smithsonian Institution Press, Washington DC, pp 193–204

    Google Scholar 

  • Bauchop T (1978b) The significance of micro-organisms in the stomach of nonhuman primates. World Rev Nutr Diet 32:198–212

    Google Scholar 

  • Bigelow D, Heflin D (1972) A procedure for in vitro dry matter digestibility. Natural Resources Ecology Lab Mimeo, Fort Collins, Colorado

  • Chibber BAK, Mertz ET, Axtell JD (1980) In vitro digestibility of high tannin sorghum at different stages of dehulling. J Agric Food Chem 28:160–161

    Google Scholar 

  • Cooper-Driver G, Finch S, Swain T, Bernays E (1977) Seasonal variation in secondary plant compounds in relation to the palatability of Pteridium aquilinum. Biochem Systematics and Ecol 5:177–183

    Google Scholar 

  • Dowman MG, Collins FC (1977) The prediction of the digestibility of silages using cellulases. J Sci Food Agric 28:1071–1074

    Google Scholar 

  • Elias LG, De Fernandez DG, Bressani R (1979) Possible effects of seed coat polyphenoilics on the nutritional quality of bean protein. J Food Sci 44:524–527

    Google Scholar 

  • Feeny PP (1969) Inhibitory effect of oak leaf tannins on the hydrolysis of proteins by trypsin. Phytochemistry 8: 2119–2126

    Google Scholar 

  • Ford JE (1977) Availability of methionine and lysine in sorghum grain in relation to tannin content. Proc Nutr Soc 36:124A

    Google Scholar 

  • Freeland WJ, Janzen DH (1974) Strategies in herbivory by mammals: the role of plant secondary compounds. American Naturalist 108:269–289

    Google Scholar 

  • Gartlan JS, Waterman PG, McKey DB, Mbi CN, Struhsaker TT (1980) A comparative study of the phytochemistry of two African rainforests. Biochem Systematics and Ecol 8:401–422

    Google Scholar 

  • Griffiths DW (1979) The inhibition of digestive enzymes by extracts of field bean (Vicia faba). J Sci Food Agric 30:458–462

    Google Scholar 

  • Griffiths DW, Jones DIH (1977) Cellulase inhibition by tannins in the testa of field beans (Vivia faba). J Sci Agric 28:983–989

    Google Scholar 

  • Hoppe PP (1977) Comparison of voluntary food and water consumption and digestion in Kirk's dik-dik and suni. East African Wildl J 15:41–48

    Google Scholar 

  • Hungate RE (1966) The Rumen and its Microbes. Academic Press, New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Hungate RE (1975) The rumen microbial system. Ann Rev Ecol and Systematics 6:39–66

    Google Scholar 

  • Hungate RE, Phillips GD, McGregor A, Hungate DP, Buechner HK (1959) Microbial fermentation in certain mammals. Science 130:1192–1194

    Google Scholar 

  • Janis C (1976) The evolutionary strategy of the Equidae and the origins of rumen and caecal digestion. Evolution 30:757–774

    Google Scholar 

  • Jones DIH, Hayward MV (1973) A cellulase digestion technique for predicting the dry matter digestibility of grasses. J Sci Food Agric 24:1419–1426

    Google Scholar 

  • Jones DIH, Hayward MV (1975) The effect of pepsin pre-treatment of herbage on the prediction of dry matter digestibility from solubility in fungal cellulases. J Sci Food Agric 26:711–718

    Google Scholar 

  • Jones WT, Mangan JL (1977) Complexes of the condensed tannins of sainfoin (Onobrychis viciifolia Scop.) with fraction-1 leaf protein and with submaxillary mucoprotein and their reversal by polyethylene glycol and pH. J Sci Food Agric 28:126–136

    Google Scholar 

  • Marquardt RR, Ward AT, Campbell LD, Cansfield PE (1977) Purification, identification and characterisation of a growth inhibitor in faba beans (Vicia faba var. minor). J Nutr 107:1313–1322

    Google Scholar 

  • Marquardt RR, McKirdy JA, Ward AT (1978) Comparative cell wall constituent levels of tannin-free and tannin-containing cultivars of faba beans (Vicia faba). Canadian J Anim Sci 58:775–781

    Google Scholar 

  • Marshall DR, Broue P, Munday J (1979) Tannins in pasture legumes. Aust J Exp Agric Anin Husbandry 19:192–197

    Google Scholar 

  • McKey DB (1978) Soils, vegetation and seed-eating by black colobus monkeys. In: GG Montgomery (ed) The Ecology of Arboreal Folivores, Smithsonian Institution Press, Washington DC, pp 423–437

    Google Scholar 

  • McKey DB, Waterman PG, Mbi CN, Gartlan JS, Struhsker TT (1978) Phenolic content of vegetation in two African rain-forests: ecological implications. Science 202:61–64

    Google Scholar 

  • McLeod MN, Minson DJ (1978) The accuracy of the pepsin-cellulase technique for estimating the dry matter digestibility in vivo of grasses and legumes. Anim Feed Sci Tecn 3:277–287

    Google Scholar 

  • Milton K (1979) Factors influencing leaf choice by howler monkeys: a test of some hypotheses of food selection by generalist herbivores. American Naturalist 114:362–378

    Google Scholar 

  • Oates JF, Swain T, Zantovska J (1977) Secondary compounds and food selection by colobus monkeys. Biochem Systematics and Ecol 5:317–321

    Google Scholar 

  • Oates JF, Waterman PG, Choo GM (1980) Food selection by the South Indian Leaf-Monkey, Presbytis johnii, in relation to leaf chemistry. Oecologia (Berl) 45:45–56

    Google Scholar 

  • Osbourn DF (1978) Principles governing the use of chemical methods for assessing the nutritive value of forages: a review. Anim Feed Sci Tecn 3:265–275

    Google Scholar 

  • Radhakrishnan MR, Sivaprasad J (1980) Tannin content of sorghum varieties and their role in iron-availability. J Agric Food Chem 28:55–57

    Google Scholar 

  • Ramachandra G, Virupaksha TK, Shadaksharaswamy M (1977) Relationship between tannin levels and in vitro protein digestibility of finger millet. J Agric Food Chem 25:1101–1104

    Google Scholar 

  • Roughan PG, Holland R (1977) Predicting in vivo digestibility of herbages by exhaustive enzymic hydrolysis of cell walls. J Sci Food Agric 28:1057–1064

    Google Scholar 

  • Struhsaker TT (1975) The Red Colobus Monkey. University Press, Chicago

    Google Scholar 

  • Swain T (1979) Tannins and Lignins. In: G Rosenthal, DH Janzen (eds) Herbivores, their interaction with secondary plant metabolites, Academic Press, New York, pp 657–682

    Google Scholar 

  • Terry RA, Mundell DC, Osbourn DF (1978) Comparison of two in vitro procedures using rumen-liquor—pepsin or cellulase—pepsin for prediction of forage digestibility. J Brit Grassland Soc 33:13–18

    Google Scholar 

  • Tilley JMA, Terry RA (1963) A two-stage technique for the in vitro digestion of forage crops. J Grassland Soc 18:104–111

    Google Scholar 

  • Tsutsumi M, Abe A (1977) A comparison of results using five methods for prediction of forage digestibility. J Japanese Soc Grassland Sci 23:252–255

    Google Scholar 

  • van Soest PJ (1963) Use of detergents in the analysis of fibrous feeds. II. A rapid method for the determination of fibre and lignin. J Assoc Official Agric Chem 46:829–835

    Google Scholar 

  • van Soest PJ (1966) Non-nutritive residues: a system of analysis for the replacement of crude fibre. J Assoc Official Agric Chem 49:546–551

    Google Scholar 

  • Ward AT, Marquardt RR, Campbell LD (1977) Further studies on the isolation of the thermolabile growth inhibitor from the faba bean (Vicia faba var. minor). J Nutr 107:1325–1334

    Google Scholar 

  • Waterman PG, Mbi CN, McKey DB, Gartlan JS (1980) African rainforest vegetation and rumen microbes: phenolic compounds and nutrients as correlates of digestibility. Oecologia (Berl) 47:22–33

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Affiliations

  1. Phytochemistry Research Laboratory, Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of Strathclyde, G1 1XW, Glasgow, Scotland, UK

    Gillian M. Choo & Peter G. Waterman

  2. Primate Ecology Unit, Wisconsin Regional Primate Research Center, University of Wisconsin, 53706, Madison, WI, USA

    Doyle B. McKey & J. Stephen Gartlan

Authors
  1. Gillian M. Choo
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Peter G. Waterman
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Doyle B. McKey
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. J. Stephen Gartlan
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Additional information

Publication 20-018 of the Wisconsin Regional Primate Research Center

Rights and permissions

Reprints and Permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Choo, G.M., Waterman, P.G., McKey, D.B. et al. A simple enzyme assay for dry matter digestibility and its value in studying food selection by generalist herbivores. Oecologia 49, 170–178 (1981). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00349185

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00349185

Keywords

  • Cellulase
  • Tannin
  • Condensed Tannin
  • High Positive Correlation
  • Cellulase Enzyme