The chemical composition, the fractions of nitrogenous and carbohydrates compounds and the in vitro dry matter digestibility, were evaluated in elephant and mombaça grasses pastures under rotational system. Fifteen paddocks of elephant grass and thirteen of mombaça grass were used with three days of occupation period and 42 and 36 days of resting periods, respectively. Extrusa samplings were done in order to get samples relating to third, second and first days of the occupation period. In each pasture were kept four crossbreds heifers. The comparison between the average composition of esophageal extrusa samples of to the first, second and third days of the occupation periods was done by the orthogonal contrast, with further adjustment by regression equations. For mombaça grass it was observed quadratic behavior (P<0.05) for crude protein content. In function of the occupation period carbohydrates, neutral detergent fiber, acid detergent fiber, cellulose and potentially degradable fraction of carbohydrates (B2), contents increased linearly by 1.95, 2.74, 2.57, 2.42 and 2.3 percent respectively by day of occupation (P<0.05). The mombaça grass quality decreased with the occupation period, mainly due to increases in the fibrous constituents. Were no differences in the chemical composition of elephant grass were observed the occupation period (P>0.05).
protein faction; carbohydrate fraction; esophageal extrusa
