Assessment of Moringa oleifera and Clitoria ternatea as non-conventional protein sources: chemical composition, greenhouse gas production, and rumen fermentation.

The objective of the present study was to compare the chemical and mineral composition of Moringa oleifera and Clitoria ternatea as non-conventional protein sources with Medicago sativa as a conventional source, and to evaluate their effects on the in vitro ruminal fermentation profile and the production of total gas (TG), carbon dioxide (CO2), and methane (CH4) during a 72 h incubation period. The chemical and mineral composition differed among species (p ≤ 0.023), which was associated with differentiated responses in ruminal fermentation and gas production. C. ternatea recorded higher concentrations of crude protein, magnesium, and iron; Moringa oleifera showed lower contents of neutral and acid detergent fiber and higher concentrations of ether extract, non-structural carbohydrates, total digestible nutrients, and relative forage value; whereas M. sativa presented the highest concentrations of potassium, calcium, and manganese. In the kinetic parameters, M. sativa showed a greater asymptotic production of TG and higher productions of TG, CO2, and CH4 per unit of dry matter compared with M. oleifera and C. ternatea (p ≤ 0.007). In contrast, C. ternatea exhibited the lowest asymptotic gas production and lower gas volumes throughout incubation, while M. oleifera recorded longer lag times and the lowest proportion of CH4 relative to TG (p ≤ 0.009). In the ruminal fermentation profile, pH was slightly higher in C. ternatea, dry matter degradability, microbial biomass production, and partitioning factor were greater in M. oleifera, and metabolizable energy and short-chain fatty acid values were higher in M. sativa (p ≤ 0.023). Overall, these results indicate that M. oleifera and C. ternatea represent viable non-conventional protein alternatives for ruminants, with a favorable fermentative profile and potential to mitigate CH₄ production without compromising ruminal fermentation efficiency.