Effects of Supplementation of Rumen Protected Fats on Rumen Ecology and Digestibility of Nutrients in Sheep

Abstract

Rumen protected fats (RPF) are known to improve animal performance without affecting rumen metabolism in sheep. However, comparative effects of prilled fat, prilled fat with lecithin and calcium soap have not been fully studied. Hence this experiment was planned using 36 male Dorper sheep in a completely randomized design in four treatment groups. The diets included: Basal diet (70:30 concentrate to rice straw) with no added RPF as a control (CON), basal diet plus prilled fat (PF), basal diet plus prilled fat with lecithin (PFL) and basal diet plus calcium soap (CaS). The trial lasted 90 days following two weeks adaptation period. The body weights, average daily gain and gain to feed ratio were not affected by treatments. The intake and digestibilities of dry matter, organic matter, crude protein and neutral detergent fibre were not affected, while those for ether extract and crude fibre differed (p < 0.05). RPF had no effect on concentrations of ammonia nitrogen, total volatile fatty acids and total bacterial population. The concentrations of rumen total saturated fatty acids, unsaturated fatty acids, total n − 3, total n − 6, unsaturated fatty acids:saturated fatty acids and polyunsaturated fatty acids:saturated fatty acids differed (p < 0.05) among the treatments with RPF supplementation. Hence supplementation of different types of protected fats did not influence animal performance in Dorper sheep.

Effect Of Dietary Concentrate And Bypass Fat Supplements On In Vitro Rumen Fermentation, Digestibility And Rumen Microbial Population In Buffaloes

“…This study also in line with previous research who also reported the increment population of Ruminococcus albus in Dorper sheep that fed with 5% rumen protected fat diet [11].…”

“…Data are the mean of triplicate analyses of each diet. a,b,c Means in the same row with different superscript are signi cantly different (P < 0.05) Table 4 Effect of diet supplemented with concentrate and bypass fat on pH, total volatile fatty acid and methane production from in vitro incubation of Murrah cross and Swamp buffalo rumen uid Diets Breed pH TVFA 1) C2 2) C3 3) C4 4) C2:C3 11 TVFA: Total volatile fatty acids; 2) C2: Acetate ; 3) C3: Propionate; 4) C4: Butyrate; 5) CH 4 : methane production(mM/L); 6) NH 3 : Ammonia; 7) Diet A CON -(100% Brachiaria decumbens); 8) Diet B -(70% Brachiaria decumbens + 30% Concentrate); 9) Diet C -(70% Brachiaria decumbens + 26% Concentrate + 4% Bypass fat); 10) SEM: standard error of means. 11) C2:C3: Acetate:Propionate ratio; 12) ARDC: Apparent rumen degradable carbohydrate; a,b,c,d Means with different superscript letters in the same column are signi cantly different at P < 0.05.…”

“…compositions within each supplement [11,45]. Bypass fat and concentrate containing high fat and protein were commonly used in ruminant nutrition, especially in cattle and sheep to regulate the activity of the rumen fermentation [10] and rumen microbial population.…”

Effect of supplementing palmitic acid and altering the dietary ratio of n-6:n-3 fatty acids in low-fibre diets on production responses of dairy cows

“…The depression of NDF digestibility with PW6 could be because it contained the highest UFA concentration ( Table 2). The high proportion of UFA is toxic to rumen microbial populations and particularly to cellulolytic bacteria (38) .…”

Phytogenic Additives Can Modulate Rumen Microbiome to Mediate Fermentation Kinetics and Methanogenesis Through Exploiting Diet–Microbe Interaction

“…Adding fat up to 6–7% of DM has shown no adverse effects on total tract digestibility ( 126 ). Recent studies have reported no effects of rumen-protected fats on NH 3 -N concentrations, total VFA, and overall bacterial population in sheep ( 127 ). Changes in rumen microbiota ( Acetitomaculum, Lachnospira , and Prevotella ) caused by an increased proportion of concentrates were considerably more significant than fat ( 128 ).…”