Comparison of the production rate of bacteria in the rumen of buffalo calves estimated by using labelledStreptococcus bovisand mixed ruminal bacterial cells

Abstract

The rate of production of bacteria in the rumen of buffalo calves kept on two rations was measured using 14 C labelled Streptococcus bovis and 35 S whole ruminal bacterial cells. The animals received daily either 15-20 kg green maize or 25-30 kg green cow pea in 12 equal amounts at 2-h intervals. The bacterial cells from the rumen of animals maintained on the same diet were tagged with 36 S by in vitro incubation in the presence of 35 S-sodium sulphate. Similarly Streptococcus bovis of rumen origin was grown in the presence of U-14 C DL-leucine. The ceJls were injected into the rumen in a single dose. The dilution of the specific radioactivity of bacterial cells in the rumen with time was taken for calculation of the turnover time and rate of production of bacteria.The average production rates of bacteria were 88-3 ± 3-88 and 92-3 ± 1-82 g/kg digestible organic matter and 101-8 + 1-55 and 103-3 + 1-49 g/kg digestible organic matter in animals fed green maize and cow pea, when estimated by using mixed rumen whole bacterial cells and Streptococcus bovis respectively. There was no significant difference in the rate of bacteria production when estimated by either method.t n e r u m e n ( 14 Q Streptococcus bovis was used to estimate bacteria production and comparison made Microbes in the rumen degrade a large proportion of the bacterial growth of the rumen obtained either of dietary proteins and utilize some of the degrada-by injecting labelled mixed rumen bacterial cells tion products for their own protein synthesis. or pure cultures of Streptococcus bovis of rumen These microbes can also make use of non-protein origin. nitrogen (NPN) compounds and can upgrade the EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURE dietary proteins of low biological value into microbial proteins which are of good biological value Animals and feeding regime (Bergen, Purser & Cline, 1967). Whereas the utilizaThree male Murrah buffalo (Bos bubalis) of about tion of NPN by the rumen microbes is very advan-2 years of age were used in these experiments. All tageous in animal feeding, the degradation of the the animals were fitted with permanent cannulae dietary proteins of high biological value is a dis-in rumen fistulae. In the first set of experiments advantage. Therefore, it is important to know the each animal was given 15-20 kg of green chopped extent of microbial growth in a particular dietary maize daily whereas in the second experiment regime in order to assess its effectiveness for 25-30 kg cow pea was fed to each animal. The production.residue was measured to assess intake. The calves In our previous communications an experi-were kept on a pre-experimental feeding period for mental approach was described for the measure-5 weeks during which they received their ration ments of bacterial and protozoal production rates once daily and thereafter they received their daily in the rumen using 36 S and 14 C isotope dilution ration in 12 equal amounts at 2-h intervals for a techniques (Singh et al. 1973, 1974a, b and c). In period of 3 weeks. The residue, if any, le...

Digestibility of rumen bacterial cell proteins in buffaloes and goats

“…Streptococcus bovis (Strain B 15) isolated from the rumen of a fistulated buffalo calf was labelled with 14 C as described by Verma et al (1976).…”