• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• 제21권6호
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• pp.818-823
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• 2008

The interaction of fibre degrading microbes and methanogens was studied using two forages, lucerne (Medicago sativa) hay and maize (Zea mays) hay, as substrate and 2-bromoethanesulphonic acid (BES) as an additive in an in vitro gas production test. Gas and methane production (ml/g dry matter) were significantly higher (p<0.05) on lucerne as compared to maize hay. Inclusion of BES in the incubation medium significantly suppressed methane emission irrespective of substrate. The population density of total bacteria, fungi, Ruminococcus flavefaciens and Fibrobacter succinogenes was higher, whereas that of methanogens was lower with maize hay as compared to lucerne as substrate. BES suppressed methanogen population by 7 fold on lucerene and by 8.5 fold on maize at 24 h incubation as estimated by real time-PCR. This suppression was accompanied by almost complete (>98% of control) inhibition of methanogenesis. The proportion of acetate decreased, whereas that of propionate increased significantly by inclusion of BES, resulting in narrowing of acetate to propionate ratio. In vitro true digestibility (IVTD) of lucerne was significantly higher as compared to maize but BES inclusion did not affect IVTD.

• Animal Bioscience
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• 제36권6호
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• pp.879-890
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• 2023

Objective: This study was conducted to evaluate the use of Megasphaera elsdenii (M. elsdenii) as a probiotic on rumen fermentation, production performance, carcass traits and health of ruminants by integrating data from various related studies using meta-analysis. Methods: A total of 32 studies (consisted of 136 data points) were obtained and integrated into a database. The parameters integrated were fermentation products, rumen microbes, production performance, carcass quality, animal health, blood and urine metabolites. Statistical analysis of the compiled database used a mixed model methodology. Different studies were considered random effects, while M. elsdenii supplementation doses were considered fixed effects. p-values and the Akaike information criterion were employed as model statistics. The model was deemed significant at p<0.05 or had a tendency to be significant when p-value between 0.05<p<0.10. Results: Supplementation with M. elsdenii increased (p<0.05) some proportion of fermented rumen products such as propionate, butyrate, isobutyrate, and valerate, and significantly reduced (p<0.05) lactic acid concentration, acetate proportion, total bacterial population and methane emission. Furthermore, the probiotic supplementation enhanced (p<0.05) livestock production performance, especially in the average daily gain and body condition score. Regarding the carcass quality, hot carcass weight and carcass gain were elevated (p< 0.05) due to the M. elsdenii supplementation. Animal health also showed improvement as indicated by the lower (p<0.05) diarrhoea and bloat incidences as well as the liver abscess. However, M. elsdenii supplementation had negligible effects on blood and urine metabolites of ruminants. Conclusion: Supplementation of M. elsdenii is capable of decreasing ruminal lactic acid concentration, enhancing rumen health, elevating some favourable rumen fermentation products, and in turn, increasing production performance of ruminants.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• 제16권1호
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• pp.104-115
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• 2003

A series of experiments was carried out to determine the possibility for the non-ionic surfactant (NIS) as a feed additive for ruminant animals. The effect of the NIS on (1) the enzyme distribution in the rumen fluids of Hereford bulls, (2) the growth of pure culture of rumen bacteria and (3) rumen anaerobic fungi, (4) the ruminal fermentation characteristics of Korean native cattle (Hanwoo), and (5) the performances of Holstein dairy cows were investigated. When NIS was added to rumen fluid at the level of 0.05 and 0.1% (v/v), the total and specific activities of cell-free enzymes were significantly (p<0.01) increased, but those of cell-bound enzymes were slightly decreased, but not statistically significant. The growth rates of ruminal noncellulolytic species (Ruminobacter amylophilus, Megasphaera elsdenii, Prevotella ruminicola and Selenomonas ruminantium) were significantly (p<0.01) increased by the addition of NIS at both concentrations tested. However, the growth rate of ruminal cellulolytic bacteria (Fibrobacter succinogenes, Ruminococcus albus, Ruminococcus flavefaciens and Butyrivibrio fibrisolvens) were slightly increased or not affected by the NIS. In general, NIS appears to effect Gram-negative bacteria more than Gram-positive bacteria; and non-cellulolytic bacteria more than cellulolytic bacteria. The growth rates of ruminal monocentric fungi (Neocallimastix patriciarum and Piromyces communis) and polycentric fungi (Orpinomyces joyonii and Anaeromyces mucronatus) were also significantly (p<0.01) increased by the addition of NIS at all concentrations tested. When NIS was administrated to the rumen of Hanwoo, Total VFA and ammonia-N concentrations, the microbial cell growth rate, CMCase and xylanase activities in the rumen increased with statistical difference (p<0.01), but NIS administration did not affect at the time of 0 and 9 h post-feeding. Addition of NIS to TMR resulted in increased TMR intake and increased milk production by Holstein cows and decreased body condition scores. The NEFA and corticoid concentrations in the blood were lowered by the addition of NIS. These results indicated that the addition of NIS may greatly stimulate the release of some kinds of enzymes from microbial cells, and stimulate the growth rates of a range of anaerobic ruminal microorganisms, and also stimulate the rumen fermentation characteristics and animal performances. Our data indicates potential uses of the NIS as a feed additive for ruminant animals.

• 생명과학회지
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• 제28권10호
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• pp.1244-1253
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• 2018

반추위 속에는 박테리아, 고세균, 프로토조아, 곰팡이 및 바이러스와 같은 다양한 미생물들이 편성의 혐기조건에서 공생하고 있다. 사료의 발효에 중요한 역할을 하고 있는 반추위 미생물은 위내 발효과정에서 에너지 손실에 영향을 주는 메탄의 발생을 제외하면 에너지와 단백질 대사에 필수적인 다양한 휘발성 지방산을 생산한다. 반추위내 미생물의 이용효율을 개선시키기 위해 사료배합비조절, 천연사료첨가제, 생균제첨가 등의 다양한 접근방법들이 사용되고 있다. 최근에 반추위 군집에 대한 메타유전체 또는 메타전사체와 같은 차세대 유전체 해독기술 또는 차세대 시퀀싱 기술의 적용으로 반추위 미생물의 다양성 및 기능에 대한 이해가 크게 증가하였다. 특히 메타단백질체와 메타대사체는 반추위 생태계의 복잡한 미생물네트워크에 대한 더 깊은 통찰력을 제공할 뿐만 아니라, 다양한 반추가축용 사료에 대한 반응을 제공함으로서 생산효율을 개선시키는데 기여하였다. 본 논문에서는 반추위내 사료의 발효와 이용을 향상시키기 위한 메타오믹스 기술, 즉, 메타유전체, 메타전사체, 메타단백질체 및 메타대사체의 최신 응용기술을 요약하고자 한다.

• Genomics & Informatics
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• 제13권1호
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• pp.7-14
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• 2015

During recent years, there has been exponential growth in biological information. With the emergence of large datasets in biology, life scientists are encountering bottlenecks in handling the biological data. This study presents an integrated geographic information system (GIS)-ontology application for handling microbial genome data. The application uses a linear referencing technique as one of the GIS functionalities to represent genes as linear events on the genome layer, where users can define/change the attributes of genes in an event table and interactively see the gene events on a genome layer. Our application adopted ontology to portray and store genomic data in a semantic framework, which facilitates data-sharing among biology domains, applications, and experts. The application was developed in two steps. In the first step, the genome annotated data were prepared and stored in a MySQL database. The second step involved the connection of the database to both ArcGIS and $Prot{\acute{e}}g{\acute{e}}$ as the GIS engine and ontology platform, respectively. We have designed this application specifically to manage the genome-annotated data of rumen microbial populations. Such a GIS-ontology application offers powerful capabilities for visualizing, managing, reusing, sharing, and querying genome-related data.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• 제23권7호
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• pp.972-979
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• 2010

The objective of this paper was to review recent studies on nutrient synchrony and the effects of synchronization of energy and N supply in the rumen on nitrogen utilization and animal performance. Theoretically, synchronization of energy and N supply in the rumen should allow more efficient use of nutrients by rumen microbes, increase microbial protein and fermentation end products, and thus increase available nutrients in the small intestine. Efficient use of nutrients possibly improves animal performance and reduces nutrient excretion to the environment. However, a number of studies showed contradictory results in microbial protein synthesis, nitrogen retention and animal production performance. Since there are additional challenges to nutrient synchrony that must be addressed, further research is required to apply the nutrient synchrony concept directly to the field situation.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• 제11권1호
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• pp.13-16
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• 1998

A $2{\times}2{\times}4$ factorial study was conducted to examine the possibility of improving estimates of in vitro digestibility, using untreated (UBS) and ammonia-treated (ABS) barley straw, through homogenization of rumen fluid (RF) and by additions of urea (U) and casein (C) as N sources and Xylose + Glucose (XG) as energy sources into artificial saliva. Digestibiltiy of ABS was significantly greater than that of UBS (p < 0.001). There was a significant decrease in digestibility when additions (U, UC, UCXG) were compared with the control (p < 0.001). A 2-way interaction between RF and straw type was significant (p < 0.05) for dry matter digestibility (DMD). Homogenization of RF increased DMD of ABS (p < 0.05) whereas it decreased DMD of UBS (p > 0.05). The study showed that addition of N alone or in combination with energy sources was not better than control, rather the reverse, digestion was inhibited by a combination of U and casein (UC). It was concluded that sufficient N and branched chain fatty acids were supplied in the inoculum from sheep fed high protein grass cubes to support the growth of cellulolytic microbes during in vitro incubation. Further studies are, however, required to explore the potential of homogenization in improving the in vitro method to estimate digestibility of cereal straws.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• 제26권11호
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• pp.1583-1591
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• 2013

The objective of this study was to investigate microbial population in the rumen of dairy steers as influenced by supplementing with dietary condensed tannins and saponins and different roughage to concentrate ratios. Four, rumen fistulated dairy steers (Bos indicus) were used in a $2{\times}2$ factorial arrangement in a $4{\times}4$ Latin square design. The main factors were two roughage to concentrate ratios (R:C, 60:40 and 40:60) and two supplementations of rain tree pod meal (RPM) (0 and 60 g/kg of total DM intake). Chopped 30 g/kg urea treated rice straw was used as a roughage source. All animals received feed according to respective R:C ratios at 25 g/kg body weight. The RPM contained crude tannins and saponins at 84 and 143 g/kg of DM, respectively. It was found that ruminal pH decreased while ruminal temperature increased by a higher concentrate ratio (R:C 40:60) (p<0.05). In contrast, total bacterial, Ruminococus albus and viable proteolytic bacteria were not affected by dietary supplementation. Numbers of fungi, cellulolytic bacteria, Fibrobactor succinogenes and Ruminococus flavefaciens were higher while amylolytic bacteria was lower when steers were fed at 400 g/kg of concentrate. The population of Fibrobactor succinogenes, was found to be higher with RPM supplementation. In addition, the use of real-time PCR technique indicated that the population of protozoa and methanogens were decreased (p<0.05) with supplementation of RPM and with an increasing concentrate ratio. Supplementation of RPM and feeding different concentrate ratios resulted in changing the rumen microbes especially, when the animals were fed at 600 g/kg of concentrate and supplemented with RPM which significantly reduced the protozoa and methanogens population.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• 제27권9호
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• pp.1285-1292
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• 2014

An in vitro experiment was conducted to evaluate the effects of Aspergillus oryzae culture (AOC) and 2-hydroxy-4-(methylthio)-butanoic acid (HMB) on rumen fermentation and microbial populations between different roughage sources. Two roughage sources (Chinese wild rye [CWR] vs corn silage [CS]) were assigned in a $2{\times}3$ factorial arrangement with HMB (0 or 15 mg) and AOC (0, 3, or 6 mg). Gas production (GP), microbial protein (MCP) and total volatile fatty acid (VFA) were increased in response to addition of HMB and AOC (p<0.01) for the two roughages. The HMB and AOC showed inconsistent effects on ammonia-N with different substrates. For CWR, neither HMB nor AOC had significant effect on molar proportion of individual VFA. For CS, acetate was increased (p = 0.02) and butyrate was decreased (p<0.01) by adding HMB and AOC. Increase of propionate was only occurred with AOC (p<0.01). Populations of protozoa ($p{\leq}0.03$) and fungi ($p{\leq}0.02$) of CWR were differently influenced by HMB and AOC. Percentages of F. succinogenes, R. albus, and R. flavefaciens (p<0.01) increased when AOC was added to CWR. For CS, HMB decreased the protozoa population (p = 0.01) and increased the populations of F. succinogenes and R. albus ($p{\leq}0.03$). Populations of fungi, F. succinogenes (p = 0.02) and R. flavefacien (p = 0.03) were increased by adding AOC. The HMB${\times}$AOC interactions were noted in MCP, fungi and R. flavefacien for CWR and GP, ammonia-N, MCP, total VFA, propionate, acetate/propionate (A/P) and R. albus for CS. It is inferred that addition of HMB and AOC could influence rumen fermentation of forages by increasing the number of rumen microbes.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• 제5권2호
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• pp.323-327
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• 1992

An experiment was conducted to determine whether there were any apparent differences in the microbial population, colonization pattern and digestion of guinea grass in situ, between cattle and swamp buffalo. Percentage losses in dry matter (DM), nitrogen (N) and neutral detergent fibre (NDF) of guinea grass were significantly (p<0.01) higher when incubated in the rumen of buffalo than in cattle. Buffalo also showed significantly (p<0.05) faster degradation rates than cattle for each grass component (DM, N, DNF). Light microscopy and SEM examination of the incubated grass materials showed that there were no apparent differences in the pattern of bacterial and fungal invasion and colonization of the grass materials between cattle and buffalo. Attachment of bacteria and fungal zoospores on the grass fragments occurred at 15 min after rumen incubation. After 3 h of rumen incubation, dense population of bacteria was observed in the thin-walled mesophyll and parenchyma tissues, whereas root-like fungal rhizoids were observed in both thin-walled and thick-walled cells. By 6 h, eroded zones were apparent in the thin-walled tissues and in thick-walled tissues with profuse rhizoids. After 24. 48 and 72 h of rumen incubation, most thin-walled tissues were degraded leaving mostly the thick-walled tissues. The predominant bacteria were the curved rods resembling Butyrivibrio sp., the thick rods resembling Fibrobacter sp., the diplococcoids resumbling Ruminococcus sp. And spirochetes. Fungi were predominantly those with spherical or oval sporangia. Fusiform sporangia with acuminate apices which resembled Ruminomyces sp. Were of lesser occurrence. Few protozoa were found on the grass fragments at all incubation times.