UTJECAJ EKSTRAKTA KESTENA (FARMATAN®) NA KINETIKU IN VITRO FERMENTACIJE CELULOZE

Four different concentrations [0 (control), 0.33, 0.67 and 1.33 mg/ml medium)] of sweet chestnut extract (Farmatan®, Tanin, Slovenia) were used to investigate their effect on the kinetics of in vitro fermentation of pure cellulose (BWW 40, J. Rettenmaier & Söhne, Germany). Gas produced was measured at 0, 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 24, 36, 48, 72 and 96 h after the start of incubation. Gompertz model was used to estimate kinetic parameters “B” (total potential gas production), “C” (relative degradation rate) and “A” (constant decay in relative degradation rate). First and second derivative of Gompertz model were used to calculate the maximum fermentation rate (MFR) and time of maximum fermentation rates (TMFR), respectively. Comparing with the control (550.8 ml/g DM) the total potential gas production significantly decreased (p < 0.05) when 0.33 and 0.67 mg of Farmatan® were added to the medium (474.0 ml/DM and 504.2 ml/g DM, respectively). On contrary, the highest concentration of Farmatan® (1.33mg/ml medium) did not decrease the total potential gas production. Maximum fermentation rate of cellulose (21.4 ml/h) occurred after 13 h of incubation. Increasing concentrations of Farmatan® decreased MFR (p < 0.05) from 21.4 ml/h (control) to 16.6 ml/h (0.33 mg/ml medium), 18.4ml/h (0.67 mg/ml medium) and 10.5 ml/h (1.33 mg/ml medium). Farmatan® significantly increased (p < 0.05) TMFR. The increase was the greatest when 0.67 mg of Farmatan® was added to the medium (29.2 h). Lag phase of cellulose (4.4 h in control) did not change significantly (p < 0.05) with increasing concentrations of Farmatan®.Četiri različite koncentracije [0 (kontrola), 0.33, 0.67 i 1.33 mg/ml medija)] ekstrakta slatkog kestena (Farmatan®, Tanin, Slovenija) korištene su za istraživanje učinka na kinetiku in vitro fermentaciju čiste celuloze (BWW 40, Rettenmaier i Söhne, Germany). Proizvodnja plina mjerena je 0, 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 24, 36, 48, 72 i 96 sati nakon početka inkubacije. Model „Gomperz“ je korišten kako bi se utvrdili parametri kinetike „B“ (ukupna potencijalna proizvodnja plina), „C“ (relativno vrijeme razgradnje) i „A“ (konstantno nestajanje u relativnom vremenu razgradnje). Prva i druga derivacija „Gomperz“ modela je korištena kako bi se izračunala maksimalna brzina fermentacije (MBF) i vrijeme maksimalnih brzina fermentacije (VMBF). U usporedbi s kontrolom (550.8 ml/g ST), ukupna potencijalna proizvodnja plina značajno se smanjila (p < 0.05) kada je dodano 0.33 i 0.67 mg Farmatana® u medij (473.0 ml/ST i 504.2 ml/ST, za svako posebno). Nasuprot tome, najviša razina Farmatana® (1.33 mg/ml medija) nije smanjila ukupnu potencijalnu proizvodnju plina. Maksimalna brzina fermentacije celuloze (21.4 ml/h) nastupila je 13 sati nakon inkubacije. Povećanje koncentracije Farmatana® smanjilo je MFR (p < 0.05) od 21.4 ml/h (kontrola) na 16.6 ml/h (0.33 mg/ml medija), 18.4 ml/h (0.67 mg/ml medija) i 10.5 ml/h (1.33 mg/ml medija). Farmatan® je značajno povećao (p < 0.05) TMFR. Povećanje je bilo najviše kada je u medij dodano 0.67 mg Farmatana® (29.2 h). Lag faza celuloze (4.4 h u kontroli) nije se značajno (p < 0.05) promijenila s povećanjem koncentracije Farmatana®

Differences between sheep and red deer in in vitro apparent and true digestibility of commonly used red deer feeds

The nutritive value of red deer feeds is frequently determined by sheep despite the ultimate arbitrator of the nutritive value of any feed is the host animal. The objective of the trial was to determine the influence of rumen fluid donor (sheep vs red deer) on in vitro dry matter (DMD), neutral-detergent fibre (NDFD) and true digestibility (ivTD) of eleven substrata, naturally occurring in Slovenian forests (chestnut fruits, acorns of common and sessile oak, two fresh grasses) and those frequently used in supplemental red deer feeding (two grass hays and two grass silages, apple pomace and sugar beet roots). Only the fresh grass from Jelendol had greater (p &lt; 0.05) DMD (646 vs 508 g/kg) when incubated in red deer inoculum. The NDFD and ivTD were always numerically greater when substrates were incubated in red deer inocula, however the NDFD and ivTD were significantly greater (p &lt; 0.05) only when fresh grass from Jelendol (590 vs 343 g/kg and 801 vs 681 g/kg, respectively), grass silage from Kokra (541 vs 359 g/kg and 742 vs 639 g/kg, respectively) and apple pomace (428 vs 328 g/kg and 704 vs 653 g/kg, respectively) were incubated in the inoculum prepared from red deer rumen contents. These results indicate that rumen fluid from sheep can be used to predict in vitro digestibility in red deer and that these parameters can be used in the formulation of deer diets

How Can We Advance Integrative Biology Research in Animal Science in 21st Century?:Experience at University of Ljubljana from 2002 to 2022

In this perspective analysis, we strive to answer the following question: how can we advance integrative biology research in the 21st century with lessons from animal science? At the University of Ljubljana, Biotechnical Faculty, Department of Animal Science, we share here our three lessons learned in the two decades from 2002 to 2022 that we believe could inform integrative biology, systems science, and animal science scholarship in other countries and geographies. Cultivating multiomics knowledge through a conceptual lens of integrative biology is crucial for life sciences research that can stand the test of diverse biological, clinical, and ecological contexts. Moreover, in an era of the current COVID-19 pandemic, animal nutrition and animal science, and the study of their interactions with human health (and vice versa) through integrative biology approaches hold enormous prospects and significance for systems medicine and ecosystem health

The in vitro caecal fermentation of different starch sources in rabbits

The objective of our study was to extend the knowledge of microbial fermentation of starch in the rabbit caecum using the in vitro gas production technique. Different sources of starch (wheat and maize grain, raw and cooked potato) and different starch isolates (wheat, maize and potato starch) were incubated with inoculum, prepared from rabbit caecum content. The gas production parameters such as total potential gas production (parameter "B"), gas production till 10 h of incubation (Gas10), maximum fermentation rate (MFR) and time of maximum fermentation rate (TMFR) were estimated with Gompertz model and were significantly affected by the substrata. Differences between maize grain and maize starch were small: MFR and TMFR were not different, while Gas10 of maize starch was higher than from maize grain (5 and3 ml/kg DM, respectivelyP < 0.05). MFR of wheat starch was higher than that of wheat grain (3.1 and 2.4 ml/h, respectivelyP < 0.05), but reached maximum rate later (TMFR: 12.4 and 10.9 h, respectivelyP < 0.05) and had lower Gas10 (6 and 9 ml/kg DM, respectivelyP < 0.05). The fermentation of cooked potato reached the TMFR after 8.5 h of incubation and had the highest MFR (2.9 ml/h) and Gas10 (16 ml/kg DM) of all substrata. The MFRs of raw potato and potato starch were similar (2.1 and 2.3 ml/h, respectively), although TMFR and Gas10 of raw potato were shorter and higher than those of potato starch (TMFR of 10.7 and 17.2 h and Gas10 of 10 and 1 ml/kg DM, respectivelyP < 0.05)

In vitro dry matter and crude protein rumen degradation and abomasal digestibility of soybean meal treated with chestnut and quebracho wood extracts

The effects of commercial chestnut (CWE) and quebracho (QUE) extract at different inclusion levels to soybean meal (SBM) on the in vitro degradability and digestibility of dry matter (DM) and crude protein (CP) were evaluated. Samples were prepared by mixing 0 (CON), 15, 30, and 60 g/kg of CWE and QUE with SBM, soaked in water overnight at room temperature, dried, and ground. Samples were incubated in duplicate in buffered rumen fluid for 24 hr at 39°C. In vitro rumen degradability of DM and CP of tannin-treated SBM decreased with increasing quantities of tannins, especially with CWE-treated SBM. In vitro abomasal (pepsin-HCl) digestibility of the DM and CP was only slightly suppressed. As a result, rumen by-pass protein (BP-CP) increased with increased quantities of tannins, especially with CWE-treated SBM. In comparison with nontreated SBM, the BP-CP digestibility did not decrease, except with the highest quantity of QUE. Treatment of the SBM with tannins, especially with CWE, increased flow of the undegraded protein to the abomasum, suggesting the better supply of the ruminant animal with amino acids

Effect of hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC) hard capsules on in vitro rumen fermentation kinetics of commonly used feeds in ruminant feeding

Background Accurate dosing of feed additives is often required to evaluate their effects on rumen fermentation. This can be done using soluble but nonfermentable hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC) hard capsules. Objectives The aim of the study was to evaluate the effect of HPMC hard capsules on the extent and rate of in vitro gas production in eleven feeds. Methods Six high-fibre feeds and five concentrates, were weighed into syringes either directly or into HPMC capsules and incubated anaerobically in 30 mL buffered rumen fluid at 39°C. Data obtained from gas production measurements were fitted using the Gompertz model to obtain kinetic parameters for gas production. Results HPMC hard capsules had no effect on the gas production of the blank sample and concentrate feeds. In contrast, high-fibre feeds weighed in HPMC showed a significant decrease (p < 0.05) in total gas production and gas produced within 24 h of incubation. Conclusions The use of HPMC hard capsules was found to be inappropriate for determining gas production kinetics because fermentation subsides at a certain point when peak fermentation is reached (at TMFR), resulting in a decrease in both total potential gas production and gas production within 24 h of incubation. This is particularly evident when high-fibre feeds are incubated

In vitro gas and short-chain fatty acid production from soybean meal treated with chestnut and quebracho wood extracts by using sheep rumen fluid

An in vitro study was conducted to investigate the effects of soybean meal (SBM) treated with two commercially available quebracho (QUE) and chestnut wood (CWE) extracts, at three different concentrations (15, 30 and 60 g/kg SBM) on the extent and rate of gas and short-chain fatty acid (SCFA) production. During the incubation, the gas production was measured at regular intervals from 0 to 48 h and the data were fitted with the Gompertz model to model gas production dynamics. After 24 h volumes of two syringes per substrate were analysed for individual SCFA contents. Treatment of SBM with CWE and QUE at the lowest concentration significantly increased (P < 0.05) gas production at 24 h of incubation (Gas24) and total SCFA production, but did not affect the proportions of individual SCFA. At higher concentrations (30 and 60 g/kg SBM), only the CWE significantly decreased (P < 0.05) Gas24, while both tannins significantly decreased (P < 0.05) the maximum fermentation rate. Both higher concentrations of CWE and QUE also did not affect total SCFA production, yet CWE significantly increased (P < 0.05) the proportion of acetic acid, while QUE tannins did not affect the proportions of individual SCFA. Obtained results suggest that the low doses of QUE and CWE have a stimulating effect on rumen microorganisms, enhancing the extent and rate of fermentation, while higher doses of CWE and QUE decrease the rate of fermentationhowever, only CWE affects the fermentation pattern of rumen microorganisms by changing the proportions of individual SCFA