The objective of the present work was to evaluate the effect of the alkaline treatment of sugarcane with virgin lime or hydrated lime on the bromatologic composition and in vitro digestibility of dry matter, neutral detergent fiber, and acid detergent fiber. It was used a complete random design with a 3 × 3 factorial scheme composed by three forms of of sugarcane processing (in natura sugarcane; hydrolyzed sugarcane with 0.5% virgin lime; and hydrolyzed sugarcane with 0.5% hydrated lime) and three storage times (12, 36 and 60 hours). The forms of processing changed the contents of organic matter, mineral matter, total carbohydrates, and hemicellulose as well as the contents of neutral detergent fiber and total digestible nutrients. Times of storage changed contents of crude protein, organic matter, total carbohydrates and hemicellulose. Among the minerals, only content of calcium showed an increase for the sugarcane processing forms. Coeficients of digestibility of dry matter and neutral detergent fiber increased with hydrolises of sugar cane when compared to in natura sugarcane. Hydrolisis with hydrated lime or with virgin lime keeps the nutrional value of sugarcane making its use possible up to 60 hours after storage.
chemical treatment; hydrated lime; nutritional value; Saccharum officinarum L.; virgin lime
