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Chemical Composition of Forage Corn Silage With Cocoa Mucilage
Residue in Different Proportions
ABSTRACT
Cocoa mucilage, a mucilaginous substance that coats cocoa seeds, is traditionally used as a substrate in
the cocoa bean fermentation process and plays a crucial role in the formation of flavor and aroma
precursor substances. The objective was to determine the chemical composition of forage corn silage
with the addition of different proportions of cocoa mucilage. A completely randomized experimental
design was employed with five treatments and five replications: T1 (100% Forage Corn), T2 (90%
Forage Corn + 10% Cocoa Mucilage), T3 (80% Forage Corn + 20% Cocoa Mucilage), T4 (70% Forage
Corn + 30% Cocoa Mucilage), and T5 (60% Forage Corn + 40% Cocoa Mucilage). The evaluated
variables were subjected to analysis of variance and the Tukey test at a 5% probability level. The silage
was subjected to a fermentation time of 30 days. The significance of the collected data was evaluated
through analysis of variance and Tukey's multiple range test (p<0.05). The results revealed significant
differences between treatments; dry matter (DM) content increased (p<0.05) in T5 (25.76%) compared
to T1, T2, and T3 (15.73%, 16.85%, and 14.56%, respectively), indicating that the inclusion of cocoa
mucilage was associated with higher DM content. T5 (10.02%) showed a significant (p<0.05) increase
in crude protein (CP) compared to T1 (8.90%), while T2, T3, and T4 presented similar values.
Regarding neutral detergent fiber (NDF), T1 (68.96%) exceeded (p<0.05) T3, T4, and T5 (53.54%,
56.09%, and 54.25%, respectively). Other components such as organic matter (OM), inorganic matter
(IM), crude fiber (CF), acid detergent fiber (ADF), ether extract (EE), and energy did not show
significant differences between treatments (p>0.05). The inclusion of cocoa mucilage in forage corn
silage positively influenced the content of DM, CP, and NDF. However, there were no significant
variations in components such as CF, ADF, EE, and energy among the evaluated treatments. These
findings provide valuable information for improving silage formulation, highlighting the importance of
cocoa mucilage in the nutritional quality of forage.
Keywords: agriculture residues, silage, mucilage