The effect of protozoa on the bacterial composition and hydrolytic activity of the roe deer rumen.

© 2020 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. The purpose of this study was to compare the effect of the presence of protozoa in the rumen of wild roe deer (Capreolus capreolus) on the bacteria composition and digestion rate of the main carbohydrates of forage. The research material involved rumen content and rumen fluid, which were collected in the autumn-winter season, from eight adult males of roe deer with an average body mass of 22.6 kg. The microscopic analysis demonstrated that there were only protozoa in 50% of the animals sampled. Qualitative analysis revealed the presence of protozoa belonging to the genus Entodinium. The density of protozoal population varied from 6.5 to 38.7 × 105/mL rumen fluid. The analysis of bacteria composition indicated that protozoa did not have an effect on bacterial diversity. Furthermore, the results of hydrolytic activity revealed that the fastest digestion of carbohydrates was for pectin, while the slowest was inulin. The pH and redox potential in the rumen varied from 5.9 to 6.1 and from −248.1 to −251.1 mV, respectively. In summary, the presence of protozoa in the rumen of wild roe deer does not have an effect on the bacterial population and has no effect on the digestion rate of carbohydrates in the rumen

Effect of seasonal diet composition changes on the characteristics of the gastrointestinal tract contents of the Eurasian beaver (Castor fiber).

The goal of the study was to compare chemical and physical parameters of the content of various gastrointestinal (GI) tract segments of adult beavers and to relate the obtained results to seasonal changes in the composition of natural diet. The study was conducted on 36 adult beavers originated from the natural environment that were captured in winter, summer and autumn. The obtained results demonstrated that pH, redox potential (Eh), dry matter (DM), short-chain fatty acids (SCFA) and distribution of food particles varied along the beaver GI tract during the year. The lowest value of pH was observed in stomach whereas the highest in the small intestine and cecum. The reverse pattern of changes was found for the value of redox potential. The research indicated that anaerobic conditions were predominant in the cecum and so contributed to development of microbial population. Also, the increase in the SCFA contents in the cecum and colon indicated that beavers belong both to hindgut fermenters as well as to the mixed moderate type animals. In summary, the obtained results indicated that seasonal changes in the diet composition affected physical and chemical parameters as well as microbial activity of the GI tract of beaver

Effect of Entodinium caudatum on starch intake and glycogen formation by Eudiplodinium maggii in the rumen and reticulum.

This study aimed to quantify the engulfed starch and reserve α-glucans (glycogen) in the cells of the ciliates Eudiplodinium maggii, as well the α-glucans in defaunated and selectively faunated sheep. The content of starch inside the cell of ciliates varied from 21 to 183 mg/g protozoal DM relative to the rumen fauna composition whereas, the glycogen fluctuated between 17 and 126 mg/g dry matter (DM) of this ciliate species. Establishment of the population Entodinium caudatum in the rumen of sheep already faunated with E. maggii caused a drop in both types of quantified carbohydrates. The content of α-glucans in the rumen of defaunated sheep varied from 4.4 to 19.9 mg/g DM and increased to 7.4–29.9 or 11.8–33.9 mg/g DM of rumen contents in the presence of only E. maggii or E. maggii and E. caudatum, respectively. The lowest content of the carbohydrates was always found just before feeding and the highest at 4 h thereafter. The α-glucans in the reticulum varied 7.5–40.1, 14.3–76.8 or 21.9–106.1 mg/g DM of reticulum content for defaunated, monofaunated or bifaunated sheep, respectively. The results indicated that both ciliate species engulf starch granules and convert the digestion products to the glycogen, diminishing the pool of starch available for amylolytic bacteria

Growth performance, carcass and meat quality of lambs supplemented different vegetable oils

Objective The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of rapeseed and linseed oil supplementations on performance and meat quality of lambs. Methods The experiment was conducted on 18 growing (100-day-old) lambs of 19.7±1.9 kg live weight, assigned to 3 groups of 6 animals each. Control lambs were fed meadow hay and concentrate alone. Experimental animals additionally received rapeseed or linseed oils at a dose of 50 g/d. The lambs were slaughtered at an average body weight of 35.7±0.5 kg. Results The dressing percentage was higher in lambs fed rapeseed oil. Total saturated fatty acids (SFA) and C15:0, C16:0, C17:0, C21:0, C24:0 were lower in longissimus dorsi muscle (MLD) in lambs fed linseed oil. Supplementation of diet with linseed oil decreased concentrations of total monounsaturated fatty acids and C16:1, C17:1, C18:1 cis-9 in MLD. The concentrations of n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) and C18:3 n-3, C20:5 n-3 in MLD were higher in lambs fed linseed oil than in other groups. Oils supplementation to diets resulted in increased concentration of C22:6 n-3 in MLD. The inclusion of linseed oil into the diet increased the contents of total PUFA, n-3 PUFA and C18:3 n-3, C20:5 n-3, C22:6 n-3 in semitendinosus muscle in comparison to control. A tendency towards a lower n:6/n:3 ratio in MLD was observed when lambs were supplemented linseed oil. Conclusion The supplementation of linseed oil to diets seems to reduce the concentration of SFA and increase the concentration of n-3 PUFA. The n-6/n-3 ratio is an important nutritional factor, and its value has been favorably decreased below 2, thereby achieving an important target related to human health. Due to these changes carcass fatty acid profile was improved, and so enhanced lamb meat healthy properties

Park Przyrody w Łysogórach im. Stefana Żeromskiego

Biblioteka Powszechnego Uniwersytetu Regionalnego im. St. Konarskiego ZN

Biochemical properties and hydrolytic activity in the nutria (Myocastor coypus) digestive tract

Current understanding of site-specific digestion of carbohydrates in mammals is that whereas starch can be degraded by mammalian enzymes, other complex carbohydrates (e.g. pectin, inulin, xylan or cellulose) are typically digested by the enzymes of symbiotic microbes. To test whether the previously reported presence of complex carbohydrate-digesting enzymes in the small intestine of sheep represent actual small intestinal enzyme activity or just outflux of microbial enzymes from the forestomach, we applied the same methodology of isolating enzymes from gastrointestinal contents and applying them in vitro to test substrates in nutria (Myocastor coypus), a hindgut-fermenting rodent without a forestomach. No enzymatic activity against carbohydrates was detected in the stomach, excluding an effect of coprophagy on the presence of the investigated enzymes. While – as expected – starch digestion was highest in the small intestine, and that of the other carbohydrates was highest in the caecum, there was nevertheless detectable enzymatic activity against pectin, inulin, xylan and cellulose in the small intestine. Further investigations notwithstanding, we suggest that these results indicate a certain degree of unspecific carbohydrase activity by small intestinal enzymes that plays no relevant role in vivo due to the short residence time of digesta in the small intestine

Isolation and purification of chitinolytic enzymes of rumen ciliates eudiplodinium maggii

Results of the earlier studies suggested an involvement of ciliates Eudiplodinium maggii in the digestion and metabolism of chitin in the rumen. In the presented paper we described the results on the preliminary identification and characterization of chitinolytic enzymes of this ciliate as well as the method of their purification. The protozoal crude enzyme preparation was used as source of enzymes, whereas the molecular filtration on Sephadex G-150 (single step method) or separation of protein by precipitation with ammonium sulfate followed by molecular filtration (two step method) were applied to purify the identified enzymes. The identification studies resulted in the detection of endochitinase, exochitinase and N-acetyl-D-glucosaminidase. The highest activity of identified enzymes were obtained in 4.0 - 4.5 pH and at 45 - 50 °C. Results of the comparative study on purification procedures showed that the single-step method enabled us to obtain enzymes of higher purity and higher activity than the two-step purification method