| Sumario: | Fermentation of legume fodder tree leaves by rumen microorganisms was evaluated. The substrates were sun-dried, ground leaves. Gas and volatile fatty acid (VFAs) production were estimated. Using gas production as an index of fermentation at 12 h, the leaves tested ranked as follows; Chamaecytisus palmensis>Gliricidia sepium>Sesbania sesban>Tephrosia bracteolata>Leucaena pallida>Vernonia amygdalina>Acacia sieberiana>Sesbania goetzei>Acacia angustissima. Using VFA production, the ranking was as follows; G. sepium>S. sesban>S. goetzei>L. pallida>C. palmensis/amygdalina>T. bracteolata> A. sieberiana>A. angustissima. Absolute gas or VFA production rates, were also used to rank the leaves. Extracts (70 percent acetone) of A. angustissima inhibited the growth of Ruminococcus albus 8, R. flavefaciens FD-1, Prevotell aruminicola D3ID and Streptococcus bovis JBI while the growth of Selenomonas ruminantium D was depressed when 0.6 ml extracts were added. C. palmensis water extracts enhanced cellulose hydrolysis by R. flavefaciens FD-1. All extracts reduced celluloysis by R. albus 8. R. flavefaciens FD-1 hydrolyzed more (p<0.001) cellulose than R. albus 8.
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