• Animal Bioscience
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• v.34 no.11
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• pp.1784-1793
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• 2021

Objective: An experiment was conducted to evaluate the effects of bamboo leaf extract (BLE) on the production performance, rumen fermentation parameters, and rumen bacterial communities of heat-stressed dairy cows. Methods: The experiment comprised a 14-day adaptation period and a 21-day experimental period and was conducted in a high-temperature and humidity environment (daily mean ambient temperature = 33.5℃±1.3℃; daily mean relative humidity = 64.9%±0.8%, daily mean temperature-humidity index = 86.2±0.4). Twelve Holstein dairy cows were randomly allocated into two groups. A total mixed ration supplemented with BLE at 0 (CON) and 1.3 g/kg dry matter (DM) were fed, respectively. Feed intake and milk yield were recorded daily. Milk samples were collected on 1, 11, and 21 d of the experimental period to analyze milk performance. Rumen fluid samples were collected on 21 d of the experimental period to analyze rumen fermentation parameters and rumen bacterial communities. Results: Compared with the control group, supplementation of BLE increased milk yield (p<0.01), milk fat yield (p = 0.04), 4% fat-corrected milk (p<0.01) and milk fat content (p<0.01); reduced somatic cell count (p<0.01). No differences in DM intake and milk protein or lactose content were observed between two groups. Supplementation of BLE also increased the rumen total volatile fatty acid (p<0.01), acetate (p<0.01), butyrate (p<0.01), and valerate (p = 0.05) concentrations. However, no significant effects were observed on rumen pH, ammonia nitrogen, propionate, acetate/propionate ratio, isobutyrate, or isovalerate. Furthermore, BLE increased the rumen bacterial abundance and the diversity of the rumen bacterial community. The BLE reduced the Firmicutes/Bacteroidetes abundance ratio and increased the abundances of Butyrivibrio_2 (p<0.01) and Ruminococcus_2 (p<0.01). Conclusion: The BLE supplementation at 1.3 g/kg DM could improve production performance and rumen fermentation in dairy cows during heat stress.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.129-138
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• 1999

If rumen bacteria can be manipulated to utilize nutrients (i.e., ammonia and plant cell wall carbohydrates) more completely and efficiently, the need for protein supplementation can be reduced or eliminated and the digestion of fiber in forage or agricultural residue-based diets could be enhanced. However, these approaches require a complete and accurate description of the rumen community, as well as methods for the rapid and accurate detection of microbial density, diversity, phylogeny, and gene expression. Molecular ecology techniques based on small subunit (SSU) rRNA sequences, nucleic acid probes and the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) can potentially provide a complete description of the microbial ecology of the rumen of ruminant animals. The development of these molecular tools will result in greater insights into community structure and activity of gut microbial ecosystems in relation to functional interactions between different bacteria, spatial and temporal relationships between different microorganisms and between microorganisms and reed panicles. Molecular approaches based on SSU rRNA serve to evaluate the presence of specific sequences in the community and provide a link between knowledge obtained from pure cultures and the microbial populations they represent in the rumen. The successful development and application of these methods promises to provide opportunities to link distribution and identity of gastrointestinal microbes in their natural environment with their genetic potential and in situ activities. The use of approaches for assessing pupulation dynamics as well as for assessing community functionality will result in an increased understanding and a complete description of the gastrointestinal communities of production animals fed under different dietary regimes, and lead to new strategies for improving animal growth.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.26 no.12
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• pp.1689-1697
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• 2013

This study was designed to determine the effect of physical form and urea treatment of rice straw on rumen fermentation, microbial protein synthesis and nutrient digestibility. Four rumen-fistulated dairy steers were randomly assigned according to a 2 (2 factorial arrangement in a 4 (4 Latin square design to receive four dietary treatments. Factor A was roughage source: untreated rice straw (RS) and urea-treated (3%) rice straw (UTRS), and factor B was type of physical form of rice straw: long form rice straw (LFR) and chopped (4 cm) rice straw (CHR). The steers were offered the concentrate at 0.5% body weight (BW) /d and rice straw was fed ad libitum. DM intake and nutrient digestibility were increased (p<0.05) by urea treatment. Ruminal pH were decreased (p<0.05) in UTRS fed group, while ruminal ammonia nitrogen ($NH_3$-N) and blood urea nitrogen (BUN) were increased (p<0.01) by urea treatment. Total volatile fatty acid (VFA) concentrations increased (p<0.01) when steers were fed UTRS. Furthermore, VFA concentrations were not altered by treatments (p>0.05), except propionic acid (C3) was increased (p<0.05) in UTRS fed group. Nitrogen (N) balance was affected by urea treatment (p<0.05). Microbial protein synthesis (MCP) synthesis were greater by UTRS and CHR group (p<0.05). The efficiency of microbial N synthesis was greater for UTRS than for RS (p<0.05). From these results, it can be concluded that using the long form combined with urea treatment of rice straw improved feed intake, digestibility, rumen fermentation and efficiency of microbial N synthesis in crossbred dairy steers.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.19 no.3
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• pp.368-375
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• 2006

Four rumen-fistulated dairy steers were randomly assigned according to a $4{\times}4$ Latin square design to investigate effects of supplementation levels of sodium dl-malate in concentrates on rumen ecology, ruminal fermentation, nitrogen balance, feed intake and digestibility of nutrients and ruminal microbial protein synthesis. The dietary treatments were cassava concentrate-based, containing sodium dl-malate supplementation at 0, 9, 18 and 27 g/hd/d with urea-treated rice straw (UTS) fed ad libitum. The experiment was conducted for four periods, each period lasting 21 days. Ruminal pH increased with incremental addition of malate (p<0.05). Additionally, molar proportions of propionate were higher in supplemented groups and was highest at 18 g/hd/d of malate supplement (p<0.05). Microbial protein synthesis tended to be higher in dairy steers receiving sodium dl-malate supplements and also was the highest at 18 g/hd/d. Variable bacterial populations, such as amylolytic, proteolytic and cellulolytic species were increased (p<0.05). Furthermore, protozoal populations were decreased significantly (p<0.05), while fungal zoospores were dramatically increased in dairy steers receiving sodium dl-malate supplement (p<0.05). These results suggested that supplementation of concentrate containing a high level of cassava chip at 18 g/hd/d with UTS in dairy steers could improve rumen fermentation efficiency and rumen microbial protein synthesis.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.20 no.12
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• pp.1849-1857
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• 2007

The experiment was carried out using fistulated multiparous Holstein Friesian crossbred (75% Holstein Friesian and 25% Red Sindhi) dairy cows in their dry period fed on untreated rice straw to evaluate the nutritive value of local protein feed resources using the in sacco method and in vitro pepsin-pancreatin digestion. Experimental feeds were cottonseed meal (CSM); soybean meal (SBM); dried brewery's grains (DBG); palm kernel meal (PSM); cassava hay (CH); leucaena leaf meal (LLM). Each feedstuff was weighed into duplicate nylon bags and incubated in each of the two rumen fistulated cows for 0, 2, 4, 8, 16, 24, and 48 h. Rumen feed residues from bags of 16 h incubation were used for estimation of lower gut digestibility by the technique of in vitro pepsin-pancreatin digestion. Ruminal ammonia-nitrogen ($NH_3-N$) concentrations did not differ between treatments or time with a mean of 5.5 mg%. Effective degradability of DM of CSM, SBM, DBG, PSM, CH and LLM were 41.9, 56.1, 30.8, 47.0, 41.1 and 47.5%, respectively. Effective degradabilities of the CP in feedstuffs were 49.6, 59.2, 40.9, 33.5, 47.3 and 65.0% for the respective feedstuffs. The CP in vitro pepsin-pancreatin digestibility as ranked from the highest to the lowest were SBM, CSM, LLM, CH, DBG, PSM, respectively. The intestinal and total tract digestion of feedstuffs in the current study were relatively lower than that obtained from previous literature. The results of this study indicate that SBM and LLM were highly degradable in the rumen, while CH, CSM and DBG were less degradable and, hence resulted in higher rumen undegradable protein. Soybean meal and LLM could be used to improve rumen ecology whilst CH, CSM and DBG could be used as rumen by-pass protein for ruminant feeding in the tropics.

• Journal of Animal Science and Technology
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• v.62 no.2
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• pp.208-217
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• 2020

Heat stress negatively affects cattle productivity by reducing feed intake. In the present study, we assessed if the rumen microbiome composition of Hanwoo steers was altered by exposure to heat stress. Rumen samples were collected from four Hanwoo steers that were individually housed in climate-controlled chambers with 60% humidity and environmental temperatures of: 1) 15℃ (0-day group), 2) 35℃ for 3 days (3-day group), and 3) 35℃ for 6 days (6-day group). The total community DNA of samples was extracted, and 997,843 bacterial and 1,508,770 archaeal sequences were analyzed using next-generation sequencing. Assessment of the relative abundances revealed 15 major phyla of which Bacteroidetes was found to be the most dominant. After 3 days of heat stress exposure there were no significant changes in the rumen microbiome composition, except for a decrease in the Planctomycetes. However, after 6 days of heat stress exposure, we found that the relative abundance of fibrolytic Ruminococcaceae had decreased while that of lactate-producing Lactobacillaceae and amylolytic Prevotella and Ruminobacter had increased. The normal rumen microbiome of Hanwoo cattle was shown to be disrupted after 6 days of heat stress, which led to the decrease in fibrolytic bacteria that are sensitive to low pH and the increase in both lactate-producing and amylolytic bacteria. We have demonstrated that the microbiome composition of the rumen is affected by acute heat stress. Our findings may contribute to the development of different feeding strategies to restore heat stress-induced disruption of the rumen microbiome.

• Animal Bioscience
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• v.36 no.1
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• pp.53-62
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• 2023

Objective: In this study, metabolites that changed in the rumen fluid, urine and feces of dairy cows fed different feed ratios were investigated. Methods: Eight Holstein cows were used in this study. Rumen fluid, urine, and feces were collected from the normal concentrate diet (NCD) (Italian ryegrass 80%: concentrate 20% in the total feed) and high concentrate diet (HCD) groups (20%: 80%) of dairy cows. Metabolite analysis was performed using proton nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) identification, and statistical analysis was performed using Chenomx NMR software 8.4 and Metaboanalyst 4.0. Results: The two groups of rumen fluid and urine samples were separated, and samples from the same group were aggregated together. On the other hand, the feces samples were not separated and showed similar tendencies between the two groups. In total, 160, 177, and 188 metabolites were identified in the rumen fluid, urine, and feces, respectively. The differential metabolites with low and high concentrations were 15 and 49, 14 and 16, and 2 and 2 in the rumen fluid, urine, and feces samples, in the NCD group. Conclusion: As HCD is related to rumen microbial changes, research on different metabolites such as glucuronate, acetylsalicylate, histidine, and O-Acetylcarnitine, which are related to bacterial degradation and metabolism, will need to be carried out in future studies along with microbial analysis. In urine, the identified metabolites, such as gallate, syringate, and vanillate can provide insight into microbial, metabolic, and feed parameters that cause changes depending on the feed rate. Additionally, it is thought that they can be used as potential biomarkers for further research on subacute ruminal acidosis.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.23-30
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• 2000

The effects of grass lipids and long chain fatty acids (LCFA; palmitic, stearic and oleic acids), at low concentrations (0.001~0.02%), on the growth and enzyme activity of two strains of anaerobic fungi, monocentric strain Piromyces rhizinflata B157 and polycentric strain Orpinomyces joyonii SG4, were investigated. The addition of grass lipids to the medium significantly (p<0.05) decreased filter paper (FP) cellulose digestion, cellulase activity and fungal growth compared to control treatment. However, LCFA did not have any significant inhibitory effects on fungal growth and enzyme activity, which, however, were significantly (p<0.05) stimulated by the addition of oleic acid as have been observed in rumen bacteria and protozoa. This is the first report to our knowledge on the effects of LCFA on the rumen anaerobic fungi. Continued work is needed to identify the mode of action of LCFA in different fungal strains and to verify whether these microorganisms have ability to hydrogenate unsaturated fatty acids to saturated fatty acids.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.107-116
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• 1998

Measurement of DCP is considered inadequate and unsatisfactory means of assessing the protein value of the diet as no distinction is made between the digestion in ferestomach and in the small intestine. Protein meals should be classified on the basis of rumen degradable protein (RDP) and rumen undegradable protein (UDP). Usually, protein meals naturally available with high level of UDP or bypass protein value should be preferred for incorporation in the diet of lactating and growing animals. However, if such resources are non-available or are expensive, protein meals having high degradability can be carefully subjected to heat or formaldehyde treatment to achieve desired level of rumen bypassability. Various studies conducted the world over have revealed that bypass protein feeding to ruminants, especially when animals are fed on crop residue based basal diet, help increasing feed conversion efficiency in growing and lactating ruminants.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.23 no.3
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• pp.410-416
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• 2010

Methane emitted from ruminant livestock is regarded as a loss of feed energy and also a contributor to global warming. Methane is synthesized in the rumen as one of the hydrogen sink products that are unavoidable for efficient succession of anaerobic microbial fermentation. Various attempts have been made to reduce methane emission, mainly through rumen microbial manipulation, by the use of agents including chemicals, antibiotics and natural products such as oils, fatty acids and plant extracts. A newer approach is the development of vaccines against methanogenic bacteria. While ionophore antibiotics have been widely used due to their efficacy and affordable prices, the use of alternative natural materials is becoming more attractive due to health concerns regarding antibiotics. An important feature of a natural material that constitutes a possible alternative methane inhibitor is that the material does not reduce feed intake or digestibility but does enhance propionate that is the major hydrogen sink alternative to methane. Some implications of these approaches, as well as an introduction to antibiotic-alternative natural materials and novel approaches, are provided.