Tannins in livestock and human nutrition

Tannins are one of the most common secondary products found in plants species, and represent one of the greatest hurdles to effective utilisation of forages by grazing livestock. These compounds are complex phenolic molecules and are produced in plants, often in response to insect attack or browsing animals. Tannins form complexes predominantly with proteins, but also with carbohydrates and minerals, thereby denying access of the animal to these nutrients and reducing the potential nutritional value of the forage to livestock. These proceedings report on an international workshop held in Adelaide, Australia from May 31?June 2, 1999. Papers were presented on aspects of tannin chemistry, animal nutrition and microbiology.

(ISSN 1447-0837)