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The studies demonstrate that three types of chemicals which adversely affect the utilization of nutrients in the most of cases are present in the sorghum when it is used as an animal feed ingredient. These include polyphenol, kafirin, and phytate. This paper reviewed the chemical and physical characteristics of these chemicals, their abilities to counteract with digestive enzymes, and mostly negative impact on digestibility of nutrients including starch, amino acids and minerals in animals. The benefits to supplement phytase in sorghum-based animals feed to improve nutrient digestibility and thus overall animal growth performance were also discussed. On the other hand, some of them such as tannin are beneficial to ruminant in different ways when sorghum is fed. It is concluded that with careful selection of suitable varieties and supplementation of beneficial enzymes, sorghum can be effectively used as a major feed ingredient in animal production. |
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