The effect of selected rumen fauna on fibrolytic enzyme activities, bacterial mass, fibre disappearance and fermentation pattern in sheep

Abstract

Three Polish Merino wethers, fed hay and ground barley, were defaunated and then faunated with Eudiplodinium maggii only; with Eudiplodinium maggii and Entodinium caudatum or with both opryoscolecids and Dasytricha ruminantium. The total number of ciliates varied in the range of 16-403 x 10 3 /g rumen content depending on the experimental period. Total bacterial contributed to 12.7-19.6% DM of rumen digesta. The bacterial matter in two of three sheep was negatively influenced by Entodinium caudatum and Dasytricha ruminantium while the effect of Eudiplodinium maggii was positive. The establishment of ophryoscolecid ciliates in the rumen resulted in an increase in both CMC-ase and xylanase activities (P<0.01), while the appearance of Dasytricha ruminantium was accompanied by a decrease in xylanolytic activity. A positive relationship was found between the numbers of Eudiplodinium maggii and both CMC-ase and xylanase activities (P<0.05) irrespective of the presence or absence of other protozoa in the rumen. It was calculated that 8-38% of the activity of CMC-ase and 14-49% of xylanase in the rumen originated from Eudiplodinium maggii. The quantities of dry matter, ADF and NDF that disappeared from the rumen within 12 h after feeding were 0.62-0.83, 0.18-0.32 and 0.32-0.54 kg, respectively.Establishment of Eudiplodinium maggii in the rumen was accompanied by increased disappearance of DM, ADF and NDF in only one of three animals. A decrease in disappearance of DM, ADF and NDF was observed following the establishment of Dasytricha ruminantium in all three animals. The concentration of acetic, propionic and butyric acids was within the ranges of 5.25-7.94, 1.29-2.34 and 0.75-1.39 mM/100 ml of rumen fluid, respectively. Acetate and propionate were the lowest in the sheep with the established population of Eudiplodinium maggii, whereas butyrate, in animals with all three ciliate species in the rumen. The highest concentration of acetic acid was observed following establishment of both entodiniomorphid species, while that of butyrate, in sheep inoculated with Eudiplodinium maggii. The production rate of acetate, propionate and butyrate was 21.3-24.5, 4.7-6.6 and 2.8-5.6 μM/g rumen contents/h, respectively. Production of acetic acid was not influenced by protozoa. An increase in the production rate of butyrate at 4 h after feeding was found after establishment of Eudipoldinium maggii in the rumen. Appearance of Entodinium caudatum and Dasytricha ruminantium decreased the production of butyrate at 4 h after and propionate just before feeding, respectively.

The effect of live yeast, <i>Saccharomyces cerevisiae</i>, and their metabolites on ciliate fauna, fibrolytic and amylolytic activity, carbohydrate digestion and fermentation in the rumen of goats

“…The higher activity of xylanase in animals fed live yeast agrees with results published by Michalet- Doreau et al (1997). It can not be precluded that the increase in fibrolytic activity could result from the increase in the number of cellulolytic ciliates from the genus Diplodinium, for example, Eudiplodinium maggii, Diploplastron affine and Anoplodinium denticulatum, which were present in the rumen of goats and which exhibit high cellulolytic and xylanolytic activity (Michałowski et al, 2003;Stan et al, 2006). In the present study it was found that the amylolytic activity in the rumen decreased significantly when the control diet fed to the goats was replaced by the ration supplemented with live yeast (Table 3).…”

“…In our experiment, the total number of protozoa did not change after enrichment of the control diet with live yeast, but a numerical increase in the population density of ciliates from the genus Diplodinium was observed (Table 2). It is well known that some species from this group are characterized by high cellulolytic and, especially, xylanolytic activity (Michałowski et al, 2003;Stan et al, 2006). Our results thus support the suggestion of the authors cited above but contradict the results of Arcos-García et al (2000) who did not observe increased digestibility of cell wall carbohydrates in the rumen when fungal preparations were added to the ration.…”

“…Enzymes were extracted from the rumen content with CCl 4 (Huhtanen and Khalili, 1992) and the activities carboxymethylocellulase (CMC-ase), xylanase, and amylase were determined according to Michałowski et al (2003) and Bełżecki et al (2007) using the dinitrosalicilic acid reagent. The VFA concentration was determined by gas chromatography according to Ziołecki and Kwiatkowska (1973).…”

The effect of the yeast, <i>Saccharomyces cerevisiae</i>, on the fibrolytic activity in the rumen and on nutrient digestibility in the digestive tract of cows

“…This finding suggests a negative effect of Saccharomyces cerevisiae on the activity and/or number of fibrolytic species of ruminal microorganisms, but not on the digestibility of fibrous nutrients (Michałowski et al, 2003). It was found that the activity of CMC-ase and xylanase decreased after feeding and then increased and that the yeast did not affect the pattern of these changes.…”

The influence of supplementing heifer diets with <i>Saccharomyces cerevisiae</i> yeast on the activity of polysaccharidases in the rumen

“…The live yeast cells added to the ruminants' diets could increase the activity of cellulase because they stimulated the activity of cellulolytic bacteria, in particular of Fibrobacter succinogenes, Ruminococcus albus, as well as Ruminococcus flavefaciens (Chaucheyras et al, 1997). It can not be precluded that the increase in cellulolytic activity could result from an increase in the number of cellulolytic protozoa from the genus Diplodinium, e.g., Eudiplodinium maggii and Diploplastron affine, which are commonly present in the rumen of domestic ruminants (Michałowski et al, 2003). The authors found that up to 38% of total cellulolytic activity in the rumen originated from Eudiplodinium maggii, and that this contribution was visibly related to the number of ciliates.…”