The nutritional characteristics of the steam treated sugarcane pith were determined by physico-chemical properties. High-pressure steam-treated sugarcane pith was prepared at 19 bar for 3 min (70% moisture) in a Monel pressure vessel (Emamkhomeini Co., Khuzestan-Iran). Functional specific gravity (FSG) was measured by pycnometeric method; a hydration solution prepared from rumen liquor was used. Water holding capacity (WHC) of feedstuffs was measured using filtration method; the samples were filtered through Whatman No. 1 filter paper. The wet sample was weighed after letting water decant for 10 min. WHC was the quantity of water retained by the sample and expressed as mg/ml sample dry matter. A 100 mL glass graduated cylinder was filled with sample and swirled for 15 s., bulk density (BD) was equal to the weight of sample (mg) over the volume occupied (ml). Steam treatment resulted in a significant decrease in NDF, 77 vs. 55%; hemicellulose to cellulose ratio, 0.54 vs. 0.10, and increase degradation of hemicellulose. Using the steam pressure improved the physical properties of sugarcane pith by increasing the BD, 0.20 vs. 0.31 mg/ml and FSG, 0.3 vs. 0.57 g/ml and decreasing WHC, 2.5 vs. 2.1 mL/g. Steam-pressure treatment may improve the nutritional value of sugarcane by-product for ruminants, and also the physical properties might explain some behaviors of the feedstuffs in rumen which are not recognizable by the chemical approach.

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