Preventing Rancid Feed, IPB Researcher Utilizes Great Morinda Leaf
Physical properties and shelf life of pellet are essential in the livestock business. Dwi M. Suci, a researcher from Department of Nutrition and Feed Technology, Faculty of Animal Science, Bogor Agricultural University (IPB), explained that the storage process could decrease the quality of pellet. The decrease of quality could happen because of the increase of water content and fat oxidation in the pellet.
Great morinda (Mengkudu) can be used as a feed supplement. Its utilization as a feed supplement is expected to increase duck's growth and feed efficiency. Great morinda leaf in a decent amount will be a strengthening compound of pellet and also functions as a structure that will affect die and roller in pellet machine.
"Great morinda leaf is one of the alternative feed supplements that contains antioxidant within. The antioxidant content in great morinda leaf is 19,08 percent. It is one of the solutions to prevent oxidation reaction which is caused by fat content in the pellet. Thus antioxidant can prolong the shelf life of pellet," she said.
Dwi, along with her fellow researchers, Akbar, M.R.L, and I. Wijayanti from the same department, tried to evaluate the physical properties of the duck feed pellet that used great morinda leaf flour. It was also stored for 6 weeks.
In her research, Dwi stated that the use of great morinda flour for 2.5 to 7.5 percent did not lower the physical properties of the pellet. But, the 6-weeks storing condition was proven to lower the physical properties of the pellet. The storing of pellet for 6 weeks did not decrease the crude fat content, but with the existence of an appropriate storing condition, the water content, water activity, peroxide number, and crude fat content in the feed pellet increased.
"Both feed, whether added with great morinda leaf or not, can still be given to duck. Even so, feed that is added great morinda leaf has lower rancidity level that caused it to be more palatable," said Akbar. (CN)
