Assessment of nutritive values of some waterweeds

The potentials of water weeds as a feed resource material in livestock production industry in Nigeria is yet to be fully exploited. The nutritive values of ten identified water weeds (Polygonum lanigerum, Nymphaea lotus, Paspalum scrobiculatum, Ascroceras zizanioides, Ipomea aquatica, Panicum sulbabidum, Sacciolepis africana, Leersia hexandra, Heteranthera callifolia and Dicksonia antartica) were therefore evaluated by determining their chemical composition and antinutritional components. The crude protein content ranged from 13.67% to 32.67% in Paspalum scrobiculatum and Heteranthera callifolia respectively while the crude fibre composition ranged between 4.00 % and 26.00 % in Ipomea aquatica and Acroceras zizanioides respectively. The neutral detergent fibre was generally high and it is between 37.33% in Nymphaea lotus and 64.00 % in Panicum sulbabidum. The antinutritional factor result showed that only four of the weeds contain saponin where only Nymphaea lotus and Acroceras zizanioides do not contain phenols or tannin. Steroids were present in all except Nymphaea lotus which contains the saturated steroids or triterperoids. The study showed that the water weeds had low antinutritional values and adequate amounts of nutrients which could be utilized by animals. Thus, the plants could be fed to livestock especially during the dry season as a source of plant protein. Keywords: Water weeds, Saponins, Tannins, Steroids