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 (Na 2 CO 3 NaHCO 3 . H 2 O) in the detoxification of the tannins associated with high‐ and 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 −1 , resulted in reduced protein digestibility of the high‐ and lowtannin containing sorghums, respectively.