Four-month old regrowths (leaves, petioles and tender stems) were collected from four leguminous (Calliandra calothyrsus, Cratylia argentea, Erythrina berteroana and Leucaena leucocephala) and four non-leguminous (Guazuma ulmifolia, Hibiscus rosa-sinensis, Morus alba.and Trichantera gigantea), trees to determine chemical composition and in vitro digestibility (IVDMD). For five of the species (C. calothyrsus, C. argentea, H. rosa-sinensis, M. alba. and T. gigantea) determinations were made of in sacco digestibility using the nylon bag technique in four rumen-fistulated steers in confinement. Crude protein (N*6.25) in dry matter exceeded 18% for all species except G. ulmifolia (11%). In vitro digestibility was greater in the non-leguminous species M. alba, H. rosa-sinensis and T. gigantea (74, 72 and 67%, respectively), than in the other species for which the IVDMD values were in the range 34 to 54%. Rumen dry matter degradability after 96 hours incubation were also highest in the three non-leguminous species which had highest IVDMD (87, 87 y 89%, for M. alba, H. rosa-sinensis and T. gigantea, respectively). The values for digestibility and crude protein content of the three non-leguminous species (M. alba, H. rosa-sinensis and T. gigantea) indicate their high potential as supplements for animals receiving basal diets of low nutritive value.
