Influence of extruded rapeseeds and faba beans mixture on rumen fluid parameters of dairy cows’

The study was conducted to evaluate the influence of extruded rapeseeds (70 %) and faba beans (30%) mixture for dairy cows on fermentation processes of rumen fluid. 20 holsteinizated Lithuanian cows of black-and-white breed of II-IV lactation were selected and divided in to two groups (10 cows for each) for this study applying the principle of analogous groups. pH, total volatile fatty acid (VFA), fluid of total and ammonia nitrogen were investigated during the whole experimental period. The investigation showed no crucial influence of the extruded rapeseeds and faba beans mixture on microbiological and biochemical indicators. Introduction Today the most important task for the dairy farming is to get cost-effective production of high quality. The cellulose is broken down to glucose and sugar in rumen, so carbohydrates are necessary for bacteria growth and protein synthesis (Nocek and Tamminga, 1991). The optimal ruminal pH of dairy cows is 6.3-6.8. When it drops below 6.0, the growth rate of anaerobic fungi and protozoa is decreased. If pH is lower than 5.5, protozoa die and activity of ruminal bacteria become destabilized (Sederevicius et al., 2001). Due to their great number and mobility, protozoa mix and loosen the fluid of a rumen which results in greater surface area of the forage and better conditions for activities of bacteria and enzymes. Protozoa accumulate reserved polysaccharides which are not only vital for their own life but are also important to the cattle nutrition. Protozoa actively break down cellulose, hemicellulose, and starch, and participate in the digestive processes in the rumen (Karim and Santra, 2002).Volatile fatty acids are the main energy source for cows that provide approximately 70 % of energy and consist in the rumen during fermentation. During presence [...]

The Effects of extruded peas (Pisum sativum) on the ruminal fluid parameters in dairy cows

The aim of our research was to determine the influence o extruded peas on fermentation processes in the rumen of dairy cows. For the trial 20 Lithuanian Black-and-White cows with analogous characteristics were selected and randomly allocated into 2 groups (control and experimental), 10 animals each. The control group was fed a conventional diet consisting mainly of grass silage, barley grain, enriched extruded full fat soybean flour, and mineral premix. The experimental groups was fed a similar diet, but instead of 1.5 kg of soybean meal, the cows were given the same amount of the extruded peas and 700 gr. extruded soybean. The rumen fluid samples were collected three times (once a month) in the experimental period. The samples were collected from three randomly selected animals of each group with a stomach tube 3 hours after the supplementary feeding with extruded peas. Tge rumen fluid was analyzed for the pH, total volatile fatty acid (VFA) content, total and ammonia nitrogen, reduction activity of bacteria and protozoa count. The results of this study shows that partial replacement of extruded soybean with extruded peas in dairy cows rations, had no negative influence on rumen's fermentative indexes and maintained its optimal activity

Determination of heavy metal content: arsenic, cadmium, mercury, and lead in cyano-phycocyanin isolated from the cyanobacterial biomass

Cyano-phycocyanin (C-PC) is a light-absorbing biliprotein found in cyanobacteria, commonly known as blue-green algae. Due to its antioxidative, anti-inflammatory, and anticancer properties, this protein is a promising substance in medicine and pharmaceuticals. However, cyanobacteria tend to bind heavy metals from the environment, making it necessary to ensure the safety of C-PC for the development of pharmaceutical products, with C-PC isolated from naturally collected cyanobacterial biomass. This study aimed to determine the content of the most toxic heavy metals, arsenic (As), cadmium (Cd), mercury (Hg), and lead (Pb) in C-PC isolated from different cyanobacterial biomasses collected in the Kaunas Lagoon during 2019-2022, and compare them with the content of heavy metals in C-PC isolated from cultivated Spirulina platensis (S. platensis). Cyanobacteria of Aphanizomenon flos-aquae (A. flos-aquae) dominated the biomass collected in 2019, while the genus Microcystis dominated the biomasses collected in the years 2020 and 2022. Heavy metals were determined using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). ICP-MS analysis revealed higher levels of the most investigated heavy metals (Pb, Cd, and As) in C-PC isolated from the biomass with the dominant Microcystis spp. compared to C-PC isolated from the biomass with the predominant A. flos-aquae. Meanwhile, C-PC isolated from cultivated S. platensis exhibited lower concentrations of As and Pb than C-PC isolated from naturally collected cyanobacterial biomass