Detoxification of Jatropha curcas Seeds for Use in Nutrition of Monogastric Livestock as Alternative Feedstuff

A.A. Annongu, J.K. Joseph, D.F. Apata, A.O. Adeyina, M.B. Yousuf and K.B. Ogunjimi

An experiment was conducted to investigate the utilization of Jatropha seed cake by Albino rats. Jatropha Seed Cake (JSC) treated by boiling, fermentation followed by extraction with equal volumes of hexane and ethanol was included in diets at graded levels of 5, 10, 15, 20 and 25%. Data obtained on performance and body organ indices showed that rats tolerated up to 15% dietary JSC without adverse effects on the measured parameters in relation to the corn-soy reference diet (p>0.05). However, 20 and 25% inclusion levels elicited mortality in all the animal subjects receiving the diets within one week in the course of the experimental trial.