Annual Report 1961 - BEEP

-- 106 _.protein and could be well utilized as a foodstuffprovided that nothing injurious is presentin the material.As however, the protein content of thecoagulate was fairly low, amounting to onlysome 16 per cent., whereas its fibre and waxcontents were high, it was thought thatbefore the coagulate could be used as a feedingstuff, its protein content would first haveto be raised and its fibre content lowered.Accordingly, pilot plant experiments werecarried out at Medine Sugar Factory in 1961,after several modifications had been broughtto the extraction process. The new procedureadopted was as follows: mixed juicefrom the mills, after passing through vibratingscreens, was further strained through a 130­mesh stationary monel wire screen and colleetedin a tank fitted with a perforated steam coil.The juice was heated to about 90°C by steaminjection and fed by gravity to the Westphaliaseparator. The coagulated proteins were allowedto build up in the annular chambers of themachine under the action of centrifugal force.Centrifuging was continued until the clarifiedjuice ran cloudy, when the centrifuge bowlwas full. The machine was then dismantledand the cake removed and dried.It was thus possible during the crop toextract over one ton of coagulate which. onanalysis, revealed a marked improvementover that obtained the previous year as faras protein and fibre contents were concerned,as may be seen from the following figures :-Crude proteinAshWax (benzene extraet)Wax & fats (benzene alcoholextract)SugarsCellulose fibre (by difference)Per centdry matter22.89.025.039.616.112.5Thus, the coagulate extracted in 196I hada protein content of close to 23 per cent,whereas its fibre content was low. Further,this fibre was in a very fine state of division,having passed through a l30-mesh screen, andwas presumably easily digestible. It wastherefore believed that the coagulate, in spiteof its high wax content, could be advantageouslyused as a feeding stuff, and it was decided tocarry out preliminary feeding trials on milchcows. These feeding trials were conducted byMessrs. Serge Lionnet. Veterinary Surgeon, andClaude Delaitrc, Animal Husbandry Officer ofthe Department of Agriculture, and the followingnotes are taken from a report submittedby them.Milking cows were selected in preferenceto other domestic animals because of theirknown sensitivity to various influences. Further,milk production is a reflection of theutilization of the protein in the diet.Two similar lots of milking cows werechosen; two groups of seven Fresian crosseswere used at Benares S. E. and two groups ofCreole cows at the Government Farm inCurepipe. In each lot the animals chosenwere approximately at the same stage of lactationand producing roughly equivalent amountsof milk. Nearly equal weights of rations couldtherefore be fed to both groups.Two different rations were compounded,one was called "coagulate" and the other"control" and these terms are used throughoutthis paper. These rations were compoundedas follows :-Coagulate ControlMolasses 25.0 25.0Groundnut 12.0 12.0Cane juice coagulate 20.0Lucerne meal 20.0Cotton seed cake 13.0 13.0Bran 10.0 10.0Oats 5.0 5.0Maize 14.0 14.0Bone meal 0.5 0.5Salt 0.5 0.5100.0 100.0Both rations were supplemented, in thesame proportion, with adequate amounts oftrace minerals. The percentage of moisture,protein and fat in these rations were thefollowing :-