Effect of Magadi soda treatment on the tannin content and in-vitro nutritive value of grain sorghums.

Studies were conducted to investigate the possible use of raw Magadi soda (RMS), a sodium sesquicarbonate salt (Na2C03NaHC03. HzO) in the detoxification of the tannins associated with highand low-tannin sorghum grains and to establish the relative in-vitro nutritive value of the treated grains. Treatment of grains with concentrations as low as 4 g litre-1 of RMS for 3 days, reduced the level of the assayable tannins in the grains by 40 to 57 %. This reduction was accompanied with an increase in the in-vitro digestibility of the organic matter and starch. Treatment of the hightannin sorghums increased the in-vitro protein digestibility while no increase was observed for the low-tannin sorghums. Use of solutions containing more than 37.5 and 9 g RMS litre -l, resulted in reduced protein digestibility of the highand lowtannin containing sorghums, respectively.