• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• 제24권1호
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• pp.130-136
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• 2011

Methane is known to be one of the major greenhouse gases. On a global scale, livestock farming may contribute 18% of total greenhouse gas emissions. Though methane contribution is less than 2% of all the factors leading to global warming, it plays an important role because it is 21 times more effective than carbon dioxide. Methane emission is a direct result of the fermentation process performed by ruminal microorganisms and, in particular, the archael methanogens. Reducing methane emission would benefit both ruminant production and the environment. Methane generation can be reduced by electron-sink metabolic pathways to dispose of the reducing moieties. An alternative way for methane control in the rumen is to apply inhibitors against methanogens. Generating methane from manure has considerable merit because it appears to offer at least a partial solution to two pressing problems-environmental crisis and energy shortage. An obvious benefit from methane production is the energy value of the gas itself. Control of methane emission by rumen microbes in Korea has mainly been focused on application of various chemicals, such as BES and PMDI, that inhibit the growth and activity of methanogens in the rumen. Alternatives were to apply long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids and oils with or without organic acids (malate and fumarate). The results for trials with methane reducing agents and the situation of biogas production industries and a typical biogas plant in Korea will be introduced here.

• Journal of Animal Science and Technology
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• 제62권5호
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• pp.638-647
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• 2020

This study determined the substitution effects of rice for corn as the main grain source in a total mixed ration (TMR). In vitro rumen fermentation characteristics and microbes were assessed using two experimental diets. Diets included 33% dry matter (DM) of either corn (Corn TMR) or rice grains (Rice TMR). In a 48-h in vitro incubation, DM digestibility (IVDMD), neutral detergent fiber degradability (IVNDFD), crude protein digestibility (IVCPD), volatile fatty acids (VFAs), pH and ammonia nitrogen (NH₃-N) were estimated. Gas production has been calculated at 3, 6, 12, 24 and 48 h. Our results indicate that the gas production, VFAs, IVDMD, and IVNDFD of Rice TMR were higher than those of Corn TMR (p < 0.05). Ruminal pH and total fungi were significantly higher in Corn TMR (p < 0.05) than in Rice TMR; however, NH₃-N and IVCPD were not affected by treatment type. In conclusion, substituting rice for corn at 33% DM in TMR appears to have no negative effects on in vitro rumen fermentation characteristics. Therefore, rice grains are an appropriate alternative energy source in early fattening stage diets of beef cattle.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• 제16권3호
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• pp.463-472
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• 2003

Cassava (Manihot esculenta, Crantz), an annual tropical tuber crop, was nutritionally evaluated as a foliage for ruminants, especially dairy cattle. Cultivation of cassava biomass to produce hay is based on a first harvest of the foliage at three months after planting, followed every two months thereafter until one year. Inter-cropping of leguminous fodder as food-feed between rows of cassava, such as Leucaena leucocephala or cowpea (Vigna unculata), enriches soil fertility and provides additional fodder. Cassava hay contained 20 to 25% crude protein in the dry matter with good profile of amino acids. Feeding trials with cattle revealed high levels of DM intake (3.2% of BW) and high DM digestibility (71%). The hay contains tannin-protein complexes which could act as rumen by - pass protein for digestion in the small intestine. As cassava hay contains condensed tannins, it could have subsequent impact on changing rumen ecology particularly changing rumen microbes population. Therefore, supplementation with cassava hay at 1-2 kg/hd/d to dairy cattle could markedly reduce concentrate requirements, and increase milk yield and composition. Moreover, cassava hay supplementation in dairy cattle could increase milk thiocyanate which could possibly enhance milk quality and milk storage, especially in small holder-dairy farming. Condensed tannins contained in cassava hay have also been shown to potentially reduce gastrointestinal nematodes in ruminants and therefore could act as an anthelmintic agent. Cassava hay is therefore an excellent multi-nutrient source for animals, especially for dairy cattle during the long dry season, and has the potential to increase the productivity and profitability of sustainable livestock production systems in the tropics.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• 제13권10호
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• pp.1399-1406
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• 2000

A continuous culture study was conducted to determine the impact of ruminal degradable soy protein (S-RDP) level and dilution rate (D) on growth of ruminal non-structural carbohydrate-fermenting microbes. Corn starch, urea and isolated soy protein (ISP) were used to formulate three diets with S-RDP levels of 0, 35 and 70% of total dietary CP. Two Ds were 0.03 and $0.06h^{-1}$ of the fermenter volume in a single-effluent continuous culture system. As S-RDP levels increased, digestibilities of dietary dry matter (DM), organic matter (OM) and crude protein (CP) linearly (p=0.001) decreased, whereas digestion of dietary starch linearly (p=0.001) increased. Increasing D from 0.03 to $0.06h^{-1}$ resulted in decreased digestibilities of dietary DM and OM, but had no effect on digestibilities of dietary starch (p=0.77) and CP (p=0.103). Fermenter pH, the concentration of volatile fatty acids (VFA) and daily VFA production were unaffected (p=0.159-0.517) by S-RDP levels. Molar percentages of acetate, propionate and butyrate were greatly affected by S-RDP levels (p=0.016-0.091), but unaffected by D (p=0.331-0.442). With increasing S-RDP levels and D, daily bacterial counts, daily microbial N production (DMNP) and microbial efficiency (MOEFF; grams of microbial N produced per kilogram of OM truly digested) were enhanced (p=0.001). The increased microbial efficiency with increasing S-RDP levels is probably the result of peptides or amino acids that served as a stimulus for optimal protein synthesis. The quantity of ruminal degradable protein from soy proteins required for optimum protein synthesis of non-structural carbohydrate-fermenting microbes appears to be equivalent to 9.5% of dietary fermented OM.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• 제20권4호
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• pp.543-549
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• 2007

Two experiments were conducted to investigate the effects of disodium fumarate on the in vitro rumen fermentation profiles of different substrates and microbial communities. In experiment 1, nine diets (high-forage diet (forage:concentrate, e.g. F:C = 7:3, DM basis), medium-forage diet (F:C = 5:5, DM basis), low-forage diet(F:C = 1:9, DM basis), cracked corn, cracked wheat, soluble starch, tall elata (Festuca elata), perennial ryegrass and rice straw) were fermented in vitro by rumen microorganisms from local goats. The results showed that during 24 h incubations, for all substrates, disodium fumarate increased (p<0.05) the gas production, and tended to increase (p<0.10) the acetate, propionate and total VFA concentration and decrease the ratio of acetate to propionate, whereas no treatment effect was observed for the lactate concentration. The apparent DM loss for tall elata, perennial ryegrass and rice straw increased (p<0.05) with the addition of disodium fumarate. With the exception of tall elata, perennial ryegrass and rice straw, disodium fumarate addition increased the final pH (p<0.05) for all substrates. In experiment 2, three substrates (a high-forage diet, a medium-forage diet and a high concentrate diet) were fermented by mixed rumen microbes in vitro. A polymerase chain reaction-denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (PCR-DGGE) technique was applied to compare microbial DNA fingerprints between substrates at the end of 24 h incubation. The results showed that when Festuca elata was used as substrate, the control and disodium fumarate treatments had similar DGGE profiles, with their similarities higher than 96%. As the ratio of concentrate increased, however, the similarities in DGGE profiles decreased between the control and disodium fumarate treatment. Overall, these results suggest that disodium fumarate is effective in increasing the pH and gas production for the diets differing in forage: concentrate ratio, grain cereals and soluble starch, and in increasing dry matter loss for the forages (tall elata, perennial ryegrass and rice straw) in vitro, whereas its effect on changes of ruminal microbial community may largely depend on the general nature of the substrate.

• Animal Bioscience
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• 제35권2호
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• pp.184-195
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• 2022

Objective: In this study we aimed to evaluate the effect of dietary live yeast supplementation on ruminal pH pattern, fermentation characteristics and associated bacteria in beef cattle. Methods: This work comprised of in vitro and in vivo experiments. In vitro fermentation was conducted by incubating 0%, 0.05%, 0.075%, 0.1%, 0.125%, and 0.15% active dried yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae, ADY) with total mixed ration substrate to determine its dose effect. According to in vitro results, 0.1% ADY inclusion level was assigned in in vivo study for continuously monitoring ruminal fermentation characteristics and microbes. Six ruminally cannulated steers were randomly assigned to 2 treatments (Control and ADY supplementation) as two-period crossover design (30-day). Blood samples were harvested before-feeding and rumen fluid was sampled at 0, 3, 6, 9, and 12 h post-feeding on 30 d. Results: After 24 h in vitro fermentation, pH and gas production were increased at 0.1% ADY where ammonia nitrogen and microbial crude protein also displayed lowest and peak values, respectively. Acetate, butyrate and total volatile fatty acids concentrations heightened with increasing ADY doses and plateaued at high levels, while acetate to propionate ratio was decreased accordingly. In in vivo study, ruminal pH was increased with ADY supplementation that also elevated acetate and propionate. Conversely, ADY reduced lactate level by dampening Streptococcus bovis and inducing greater Selenomonas ruminantium and Megasphaera elsdenii populations involved in lactate utilization. The serum urea nitrogen decreased, whereas glucose, albumin and total protein concentrations were increased with ADY supplementation. Conclusion: The results demonstrated dietary ADY improved ruminal fermentation dose-dependently. The ruminal lactate reduction through modification of lactate metabolic bacteria could be an important reason for rumen pH stabilization induced by ADY. ADY supplementation offered a complementary probiotics strategy in improving gluconeogenesis and nitrogen metabolism of beef cattle, potentially resulted from optimized rumen pH and fermentation.

• Journal of Animal Science and Technology
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• 제49권5호
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• pp.647-656
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• 2007

In order to investigate the effects of supplemental ionic surfactants in in vitro ruminal fermentation, N-Lauroylsarcosine sodium salt(N-LSS) and sodium dodecyl sulfate(SDS) for negative(－) ionic surfactant, and hexadecylpyridinium chloride monohydrate(HPCM) and hexadecyltrimethyl ammonium bromide(HTAB) for positive (+) ionic surfactant were supplemented by 0.05% and 0.1% into the Dehority’s artificial medium containing rice straw(1mm) as a substrate. In vitro DM digestibility, the growth of rumen mixed microbes, pH, cumulative gas production and SEM(Scanning Electron Microscopy) observation of microbial attachment on rice straw particle were investigated through the experiment composing 9 treatments (two supplemental levels of two positive ionic(+) surfactant, two supplemental levels of two negative(－) ionic surfactant) including the control. The sample collection was at 6, 12, 24, 48 and 72 h post fermentation with 3 replications per treatments. DM digestibility in treatments supplemented (+) or (－) surfactants almost stopped afterward 12 h fermentation, in vitro DM digestibility at 72 h post fermentation in the ionic surfactants was at half level of that of the control(P<0.05). Accumulative gas production in in vitro was less(P<0.05) with addition of ionic surfactants compared to the control. The amount of rumen mixed microbes recovered from in vitro incubation fluid pleateaued at 12 h post fermentation for the positive (+) ionic surfactants, but steadily increased as fermentation time elapsed for the control. Rumen microbial growth rate was significantly(P<0.05) low in the negative(－) ionic surfactant compared to the control. pH of the incubation fluid was ranged from 6.02 to 7.20, and was the highest in the negative(－) ionic surfactants, and was the lowest in the control(P<0.05). In SEM observation, rumen microbial population attached on rice straw particle was less with addition of ionic surfactants than the control. In conclusion we could not found any positive effects of negative- and positive- charged surfactants on rumunal fermentation characteristics and rumen microbial growth rates.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• 제10권2호
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• pp.157-163
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• 1997

This paper analyses a number of important areas relating to methane production in ruminants, consequent hazards and different methods of reducing this gas. Clearly methane not only affects on the environment but also on the economy of animal production. Several factors including feed, species, microbes, rumen environment, etc. are responsible for methane production in animals. Although methane production can be reduced by chemical manipulation, defaunation and strategic feeding, the latter was found to be effective because the method is easier to follow than the others. Furthermore, feeding technology could play an important role in reducing methane production particularly in developing countries because of its relative cost effectiveness. however, it needs to compare to what extent it could reduce methane production as well as cost of animal production. Therefore, research program needs to be concentrated on the appropriate feeding system to reduce methane production, consequently pollution and cost of production particularly in developing countries.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• 제8권3호
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• pp.213-217
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• 1995

Leucaena leucocephala (lam. de Wit) is a multipurpose leguminous tree/shrub, promoted extensively for reforestation and rural development programmes, as well as in ruminant production. After a year of establishment in the plots, the overall leaves and twigs yield was on average 0.92 kg/plant, containing an average 23.34, 10.61, 5.32 and 10.13 percent CP, CF, and ash, respectively. The proximate and mineral compositions are affected by factors such as stage of maturity, type of cultivar, seasons, cutting intervals, different plant parts. Though leucaena contains toxic mimosine and tannins, these are not always deleterious for ruminants and rumen microbes can often degrade toxic factors into a nontoxic utilizable product Mimosine content is generally higher in the seed than other plant parts. Leucaena supplementation in ruminant ration showed higher digestibility co-efficient of proximate component, which may results in higher productivity. Considering its productivity, composition and nutritive value. L. Leucocephala could be more widely used as a protein source for ruminants in tropical and sub-tropical countries.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• 제16권3호
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• pp.445-454
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• 2003

Concept and establishment of essential amino acids in animals and human beings rendered immeasurable contributions to animal production and human health. In ruminant animals, however, essential amino acids have never been completely established. The present review proposes a hypothesis that histidine may not be an essential amino acid for normal growing cattle (Japanese black) at least at the growing stage after about 450 kg of body weight on the basis of the experimental results of histidinol dehydrogenase activities in some tissues of the cattle together with hints from which the hypothesis was derived. At the same time, histidinol dehydrogenase activities in liver, kidney and muscle of swine, mouse, fowl and wild duck will be shown and the essentiality of histidine in these animals will be discussed. Finally, the essentiality of histidine for adult human will briefly be discussed.