Anti-nutritional factors in fodder crops:constraints and solutions

Most livestock population in Egypt suffer from feed deficiency and in balance in both Nile Valley and the desert regions. Since forage crops represent the large portion of animal ration, therefore utilization of the marginal resources such as saline soils and underground water for producing feed animals (Fodder crops) becomes necessary in order to improve nutritional status of these livestock. This article focused on two main objectives. The first was classification and characteristic of ANF s and its impacts on animal performance while the second was the different treatments followed to eliminate or diminish their toxicity from animal feeds. Some fodder crops are sometimes toxic. Toxicity may result from number of secondary metabolit so called anti- nutritional factors (ANFs) such as tannins, fiavonoids, gossypols, saponins, hydrocyanic acid alkaloids, nitrate, oxalate, phytate, goitergens, plant carcinogens, organic acids ?etc Toxicity of most poisonous plants may vary with stage of growth, temperature, site, rainfall precipitation, light, soils, weather conditions and kind of animal. For instance sheep are more resistance to certain type of fodder plants (Larkspur) than are cattle. Poisoning of livestock by plants is usually the result of management errors, range condition or kind of animals rather than the presence of poisonous plants. In other cases, there are anti-nutritional substances which affect palatability and intake. So, considerable attention is given to anti-nutritional factors, The ANF s may cause liver damage, renal failure, Anoxia, pancreatic hypertrophy, hypoglycemia, death and other pathological conditions for animals. Improving livestock production requires better ways to reduce losses caused by the presence of such chemical compounds (ANF s) in the fodder crops such as management practices, adminis ration of sequestering agents via feedstuffs or drinking water and some fodder crops or some feedstuffs should be treated by physical, chemical and biological met