Table 2 Proanthocyanidin (PA) concentration and the structural traits of the PA containing species evaluated in the trial.

From: Linking metabolites in eight bioactive forage species to their in vitro methane reduction potential across several cultivars and harvests

Species

Cultivar

Harvest

PA

mDP

PD%

Sulla

Grimaldi

1

22 ± 4.9ADE

17.2 ± 0.9ADE

93.6 ± 0.5AD

Sulla

Sudda

1

25.2 ± 2.8A

19.3 ± 1.3A

91.4 ± 0.9A

Birdsfoot trefoil

Bull

1

2.3 ± 1.1B

9.7 ± 1B

33.3 ± 7.9B

Birdsfoot trefoil

Lotar

1

2.1 ± 0.5BC

10.6 ± 1.3BC

39 ± 4.1B

Birdsfoot trefoil

Rocco

1

2.1 ± 0.8CD

13.5 ± 0.8CD

52.3 ± 3.3C

Big trefoil

Lot 29

1

19.9 ± 2.4AE

16.7 ± 0.2AE

90.8 ± 1.7AD

Big trefoil

Wild type

1

15.1 ± 4.1ADE

15.8 ± 0.2ADE

90.5 ± 0.8AD

Sainfoin

CPI 63750

1

17 ± 1.2DEb

14.3 ± 0.7DEb

82.9 ± 4D

Sainfoin

Esky

1

15 ± 2DE

15 ± 0.8DE

81 ± 4.7D

Sainfoin

Visnovsky

1

15.4 ± 2.8DE

15.3 ± 0.5DE

82 ± 2.3Db

Sulla

Grimaldi

2

24.5 ± 4ADE

17.2 ± 2.3ADE

93.7 ± 0.4ADE

Sulla

Sudda

2

27.7 ± 5.5A

18.2 ± 2.3A

92.3 ± 1A

Birdsfoot trefoil

Bull

2

1.7 ± 0.7B

9 ± 0.9B

30.3 ± 1.9B

Birdsfoot trefoil

Lotar

2

1.8 ± 0.3B

9.7 ± 0.2B

33.8 ± 1.9B

Birdsfoot trefoil

Rocco

2

1.4 ± 0.7CD

12.8 ± 1.3CD

48.7 ± 4.3C

Big trefoil

Lot 29

2

11.8 ± 5.7Aa

18 ± 0.5Aa

89.1 ± 0.9A

Big trefoil

Wild type

2

11.6 ± 4.4AE

16.4 ± 1.2AE

88.3 ± 1.6AD

Sainfoin

CPI 63750

2

9.4 ± 3.2BCa

11.5 ± 1.1BCa

81.9 ± 4.9CE

Sainfoin

Esky

2

9.5 ± 2.6BCD

12.3 ± 2.4BCD

81.1 ± 2.2CDE

Sainfoin

Visnovsky

2

10.6 ± 2.2CDE

13.9 ± 0.5 CDE

71.7 ± 3.8Ea

  1. PA, proanthocyanidin concentration (g/kg DM); mDP, mean degree of polymerisation; PD%, prodelphinidin percentage in PA. Values identify mean concentration of the measured parameters. Within a column significant differences (P < 0.05) between the different cultivars for each harvest is represented by different uppercase letters and the significant differences within the harvests for each cultivar (P < 0.05) is represented by different lower-case letters.