In vitro fermentation of mixed rumen microorganisms on molasses-based substrates

A fermentor consisting of two compartments (called inner and outer) separated by a dialysis membrane was developed for studying the digestion pattern in vitro of rumen microorganisms of sheep fed a molasses-urea based diet. A bout 35 ml of strained rumen liquor withdrawn from Merino weathers adapted to a molasses-urea diet (100 g oaten chaff and molasses containing 3% urea and 0.135% mineral mix fed ad libitum) was used as the initial fermenting inoculum in the inner compartment. Molasses-urea substrate (8.333% molasses and 0.277% urea, w/v) prepared in artificial saliva was infused at 3 ml h-1 into the fermenting medium and artificial saliva at 30 ml h-1 into the outer compartment. Incubation was carried out in a specially constructed water bath maintained at 39°C and filled with CO2 gas. With these flow rates, pH of fermenting fluids was maintained within physiological range with volatile fatty acids (VFA) production at 30 - 40 μmole ml-1 h-1. Using the fermentor, the effect of partial substitution of tryptone for urea as a nitrogen source on rumen microorganisms adapted to a molasses-urea based diet was studied with infusion solution consisting of 8.333% molasses, 0.208% urea and 0.202% tryptone (w/v) prepared in artificial saliva. Factors related to cell yield studied were, VFA and ammonia (NH) productions, dry matter (DM) and CP yields. However, no positive effects of protein supplementation (when compared to molasses-urea substrate) were observed in VFA productions, DM and CP yields. Only NH 3 levels of fermentors infused with molasses-urea substrate were significantly higher (P<0.05) than protein supplemented fermentors

Comparative Studies In Rumen Activities And Urea Kinetics Between Cattle And Buffaloes

Studies in rumen activities and urea kinetics were conducted to compare the digestion between cattle and buffaloes fed fibrous diets. On straw-based diets , buffaloes demonstrated higher rate of rumen fermentation . The rumen pH of buffaloes ( 6.46+0.02) was lower than cattle (6.78+0.02) , while the VFA concentration was higher than that of cattle (98.0+2.2 versus 85.5+1.6 romo1/1 ) . The rumen ammonia was also found to be higher in buffaloes (4.00+0.08mg N/100ml) than in cattle (3.55+0.08mg N/ 100 ml ) . The rate of degradation of straw-1 was also faster in buffaloes (0.018 ± 0.003 h ) than in cattle-1 (0 . 010 + 0.004 h ) . A similar trend was observed when the animals were fed guinea grass. Voluntary feed intake and water consumption were similar for both species fed grass, but when fed fed straw, cattle showed higher feed intake and lower water consumption than buffaloes. There was no difference between cattle and buffaloes in the rate of passage of small feed particles from the rumen and rumen fluid volume based on liveweight was also not significantly different between the two animal species. However, the fluid outflow rate from the rumen was slower in the buffaloes (1.06 +0.9 1/h) than in the cattle (1.55 ± 0. 01 1/h)

Investigation of The Antioxidant Activity of Cinnamon Bark Extracted with Different Solvents

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of methanol, ethyl acetate, and hexane for the extraction of cinnamon bark (Cinnamomum burmanni) (CB) on the contents of the total phenolic, total flavonoid and its 1,1,-diphonyl-1-picryl-hydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging activity. CB samples were ground with grinder machine in one mm sieve and extracted with treatments to determine parameter measured. All CB samples were extracted using different treatments. Parameter measured were total phenolic, total flavonoid and DPPH. CB was ground and extracted by using three treatments, data collected was statistical analysis and followed with Duncant Test, The highest total phenolic content found when CB extracted with methanol with the value of 111.43 mg gallic acids equivalent (GAE)/g DW while the lowest amount detected in hexane with the amount of 57.23 mg GAE/g dry weight (DW). It was significantly different (P&lt;0.05) from those extracted with ethyl acetate and hexane. There was significant (P&lt;0.05) different for the content of flavonoid among all treatment groups. Methanol was the highest solvent and hexane was the lowest with the amount of 286.27 and 64.73 mg rutin equivalent (RE)/g DW respectively. There was significantly different (P&lt;0.05) for scavenging activity among all treatment. Using methanol in extracting CB showed the highest scavenging activity of 69.59 % among all other treatment groups. It could be concluded that Methanol was the best solution in extracting C

Micorbial colonisation and degradation of some fibrous crop residues in the rumen of goats

An investigation was carried out to study the microbial colonization and degradation of five crop residues, viz., sago waste, rice straw, oil palm trunk shanings, untreated palm press fibre and palm press fibre teated with 3% ammonium hydroxide in the rumen of goats. Colonisation by rumen bacteria and fungi was already established on all the five crop residues 8 h after incubation. However, the extent of colonization varied among the crop residues. Microbial colonization was poor on palm press fibre(treated and untreated) but more extensive on sago waste, oil palm trunk shavings and rice wtraw. By 24 h, most of the soft-walled tissues in sago waste, rice straw and oil palm trunk shavings were degraded leaving the thick-walled tissues extensively colonized by bacteria and fungi. Degradation on palm press fibre was still limited. At 48 h, the thick-walled tissueds of sago waste, oil palm trunk shavings and rice straw showed various degress of degradation - from small erosion zones gto large digested areas. Bacterial growth was similar to that at 24 h but fungal growth was less. On palm press fibre, microbial colonization was more extensive than at 24 h but degradation of the fibres was still limited. Degradation of all the five crop residues at 72 h was somewhat similar to that at 48 h. Overall, microbial colonization and degradation were the most extensive on sago waste, follwed by rice straw and oil palm trunk shavings, and the least on palm press fibre(treated and untreated). Dry matter loss of the five crop residues at the various incubation periods also showed the same order of degradation

Energy requirement for maintenance of growing and adult male lesser mouse deer (Tragulus javanicus) in captivity.

A study was conducted to determine the energy requirement for maintenance of eight lesser mouse deer, consisting of four growing males (6–8 months of age) with average body weight of 1.4 ± 0.2 kg and four adult males (>2 years of age) with average body weight of 1.6 ± 0.2 kg. The animals were from the colony reared at the Department of Animal Science, Universiti Putra Malaysia. The experiment was based on a 2 × 4 factorial arrangement in Latin-Square design. The animals were kept in single pens and fed with different levels of feed (70%, 80%, 90% and 100% of ad libitum intake). The feed was made up of 95% pellet and 5% ‘kangkong’ (Ipomoea aquatica) leaves. The energy requirement for maintenance was determined by using the regression equations between metabolisable energy intake and energy retention or body weight change. Energy retention was calculated as the difference between metabolisable energy intake and heat production. The results showed that the metabolisable energy requirements for maintenance when calculated based on energy retention were 420.1 and 422.9 kJ kg−0.75 d−1 for growing and adult mouse deer, respectively, and when calculated based on weight change the values were 435.1 and 436.9 kJ kg−0.75 d−1, respectively. The efficiency of utilization of metabolisable energy for maintenance (km) for growing mouse deer was 0.58 and that for adult mouse deer was 0.54