Bromatology of potential aquatic macrophytes in the manatees diet in Marajó Bay, northern Brazil
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.20873/jbb.uft.cemaf.v13n2.19410Abstract
In Marajó Island, Brazil, there are two sympatric manatee species, which are vulnerable to extinction. These animals are casually found in soft drinks and fed until released. In this context, the present study investigated the nutritional and energetic composition of species of aquatic macrophytes that are potentially exploited as food sources by free-ranging manatees in Marajó Bay. Five species were selected for this study – Blutaparon portulacoides (A.St.-Hil.) Mears, Crenea maritima Aubl., Eleocharis geniculata (L.) Roem. & Schult., Fimbristylis sp., and Spartina alterniflora Loisel. Bromatological analyses were used to estimate dry matter (DM), mineral matter (MM), ether extract (EE), crude protein (CP), neutral detergent fiber (NDF), acid detergent fiber (ADF), non-fibrous carbohydrates (NFC), and gross energy (GE). In addition to having the highest protein content, E. geniculata also had the highest mean EE, indicating that it is the richest source of lipids of the five species analyzed. As B. portulacoides and C. maritima had the highest NFC content, they may be the richest sources of easily-digested carbohydrates. Spartina alterniflora had the highest NDF and ADF contents, indicating that it was the least digestible of the five plants, given that, the higher the ADF content of a food, the lower its digestibility. The results of this study provide important insights for the development of a balanced diet for captive manatees in rehabilitation, in particular growing infants.
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