| Summary: | The aim of this study was to evaluate the
chemical composition of jatobá-do-cerrado fl our and its
effects on rat´s growth. The chemical composition of the
fl our was determined according to AOAC. The PER, NPR,
food effi ciency ratio (FER), food conversion ratio (FCR), dry
matter digestibility (DMD) and fecal output were evaluated
by an assay in which animals were fed according the AIN-
93 diet: casein (CAS) diet and another having 50% of its
protein source from jatobá fl our (JAT). Chemical analysis
showed signifi cant amounts of crude fi bre and minerals
(potassium, magnesium, calcium and zinc) in the fl our. The
CAS group ate more and gained more weight than JAT group
(p<0.05). JAT was less effi cient on converting diet in body
weight. PER was lower for JAT (p<0.05), but no signifi cant
difference was observed for NPR values (p>0.05). Faeces
moisture and dried weight for JAT were higher, which
corroborated its lower DMD (p<0.05). Although JAT group
had to intake more diet to promote weight gain, the protein
utilization was acceptable. Therefore, further studies are
necessary for better understand nutrient and phytochemical
composition, their bioavailability, and metabolic effects of
jatobá-do-cerrado fl our.
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