Chemical composition of the taro tuber (<em>Colocasia esculenta</em> L. Schott) of waste with and without processing for use in pigs

To evaluate the chemical composition of the taro tuber (Colocasia esculenta (L) Schott) of waste with and without processing for use in pig diets. In samples of natural tubers, solid state fermentation (SEF) and flour, it was determined: dry matter (DM), organic matter (OM), crude protein (CP), crude fiber (CF), ash, extract ethereal (EE), nitrogen-free extracts (NFE), gross energy (GE), digestible energy (DE) and metabolizable energy (ME). The experiment was conducted according to a completely randomized design, in the necessary cases the means were contrasted with the Duncan test with (p<0.05). The major (p<0.05) content in DM presented the flour. In relation to the OM, the highest contents were evidenced in the natural tuber and in flour. As for CP and ashes, the SEF had the best (p<0.05) contents. As for the CF and NFE, there were no differences (p>0.05) between the unprocessed and processed tuber. Regarding EE, GE, DE and ME, the natural tuber had the highest (p<0.05) concentrations, respectively. In conclusion, processed waste taro tubers constitute a good source of nutrients, guaranteeing a local alternative food of adequate nutritional characteristics for use in pigs.