| Abstract: | Sugar cane bagasse was partially delignified by three different chemical methods, viz. sodium sulphide/hydroxide (Kraft process), sodium hydroxide and sodium sulphite. The Kraft and alkali treatments each reduced the lignin content by about 55%, and increased the rumen dry matter digestibility (d.m.d., measured by an in vitro method) by over 170%. Treatment of the bagasse with sodium sulphite removed only 15% of the lignin and increased the d.m.d. by only 37%. The digestibility of hemicelluloses (measured as xylan and arabinan) and cellulose in delignified bagasse increased fourfold and twofold, respectively, for the Kraft and alkali treatments and twofold for the sodium sulphite treatment. |
