Soluble Phenolic Compounds in Different Cultivars of Red Clover and Alfalfa, and their Implication for Protection against Proteolysis and Ammonia Production in Ruminants.

Red clover (Trifolium pratense) contains soluble phenolic compounds with roles in inhibiting proteolysis and ammonia production. Alfalfa (Medicago sativa) has been found to have a low phenolic content, but few alfalfa and red clover cultivars have been compared for phenolic content. Total soluble phenolics were quantified by a Folin-Ciocalteu colorimetric assay in nine red clover and 27 alfalfa cultivars. Mean total phenolic contents of red clover and alfalfa were 36.5 ± 4.3 mg/gdw and 15.8 ± 1.4 mg/gdw, respectively, with the greater standard deviation of red clover possibly indicating more diversity in phenolic content. Because different phenolic standards had different response factors in the colorimetric assay, the red clover and 11 alfalfa cultivars were analyzed by HPLC to determine if the differences in total soluble phenolics between genera reflected differences in the amounts of phenolics or in the classes of phenolics responding to the colorimetric assay. Two red clover cultivars differed in total phenolics and phaselic acid. Alfalfa produced different phenolic compounds from red clover, at lower concentrations. Extracts of two red clover cultivars were separated by thin-layer chromatography (TLC), and the bands were assayed for activity against Clostridium sticklandii, a bovine ruminal hyper ammonia-producing bacterium (HAB). Only biochanin A had anti-HAB activity. Inhibitory amounts indicated that five red clover cultivars could be suitable sources of anti-HAB activity.