Comparison of plant secondary metabolites and digestibility of three different boreal coniferous trees

Moose (Alces alces L.) prefer to browse Pinus sylvestris Over Other coniferous trees. One reason for this preference might be due to differences in the chemical composition of various coniferous plants. and/or differences in digestibility. We evaluated the in-sacco digestibility of P. sylvestris, Pinus contorta and Picea abies using a fistulated cow, (Bos taurus). Additionally. we determined the chemical profile of the different plant species (with emphasis oil specific phenolics) mid we modified the concentration of the individual phenolic (+)catechin in plant m material of P. sylvestris to test the influence Of this p particular phenolic on digestibility in vitro (IVDMD). The in-sacco experiment revealed the highest digestibility of dry matter, and neural detergent fibre for P. sylvestris. In addition, the concentration of nitrogen was significantly higher, mid the concentrations of total phenolics mid condensed tannins were significantly lower in P. sylvestris than in the Other species. Individual phenolics showed high variation but were low in P. sylvestris, where is P. contorta and P. abies at least one species-specific phenolic compound of high concentration each. We found no changes in the digestibility of samples in which we experimentally elevated (+)catechin content. (C) 2007 Gesellschaft fur Okologie. Published by Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.