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Abstract

Xerophytic plants are an underutilized feed resource in arid and semi-arid rangelands, where conventional feed is often scarce. Their use in livestock diets is limited by variable nutritional composition and the presence of antinutritional compounds. This study evaluated selected xerophytic plants from the Cholistan Desert, Pakistan, and applied mathematical optimization to develop a balanced plant-based feed blend for goats. Five plant materials—Calotropis procera (Aiton.) W.T. Aiton leaves and fruits, Capparis decidua (Forssk.) Edgew., fruits, and Citrullus colocynthis (L.) Schrad., seeds, and whole dried fruits—were analyzed for crude protein, crude fat, crude fiber, gross energy, cyanide, oxalate, phytate, and phenolic compounds. Principal component analysis was used to examine variation among plant parts, followed by linear programming to maximize crude protein while constraining cyanide, phenolics, and ingredient inclusion levels. The optimized formulation contained 16.9% C. procera fruits, 40.0% C. decidua fruits, 40.0% C. colocynthis seeds, and 3.1% C. colocynthis whole dried fruit, while C. procera leaves were excluded. This blend provided 14.58% crude protein, 6.28% fat, 24.60% fiber, and 279.3 kcal/100 g gross energy, with cyanide and total phenolics at 2.00 and 31.70 mg/100 g, respectively. Compared with raw C. procera leaves, the optimized blend showed substantial reductions in cyanide, oxalate, phytate, and phenolic compounds. For a representative 30-kg doe consuming feed at 3% of body weight, estimated cyanide exposure was 0.60 mg/kg body weight/day. Overall, integrating nutritional analysis with linear programming offers a systematic approach for utilizing locally available xerophytic plants as livestock feed resources. Controlled feeding trials are needed to confirm palatability, nutrient utilization, animal performance, and long-term safety.

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