Chemical composition and in vitro gas production of fermented cassava pulp with different types of supplements

The effect of different additives on chemical composition, in vitro gas production and dry matter (DM) disappearance of cassava pulp was investigated. The experiment used the completely randomized design with 2 × 2 × 2 factorial arrangement of treatments with control. The control treatment was cassava pulp fermentation without any supplementation. Factor A was a type of microbes including yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) or a mixture of microbes (effective microorganisms (EM)), factor B was supplementation of molasses and urea (MU), and factor C was supplementation of a mixture of exogenous enzyme. It was found that the interaction between factors A and C was significant for crude protein (CP), non-protein nitrogen and non-structural carbohydrate (NSC) contents. MU supplementation increased the CP content of fermented cassava pulp; however, EM and MU addition resulted in a significantly lower NSC and higher neutral detergent fibre fractions than the control. The supplementation showed higher gas production when compared with un-supplemented group, particularly when MU were added. However, DM disappearance was not affected by type of microbe, urea–molasses addition or exogenous enzyme supplement. Thus, the nutritive value of fermented cassava pulp with yeast and EM was improved by MU supplementation but not by exogenous enzyme addition

Effects of Malate and Yeast Supplementation in Concentrate Containing High Cassava Chip on Rumen Ecology and Digestibility of Nutrients in Beef Cattle

Four, 1-year old beef cattle were randomly assigned according to a 2 ´ 2 Factorial arrangement in a 4 ´ 4 Latin square design to study supplementation of malate level at 500 and 1,000 g with yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) at 1,000 and 2,000 g in concentrate containing high levels of cassava chip. The treatments were as follows: T1 is supplementation of malate at 500 g with yeast at 1,000 g; T2 is supplementation of malate at 500 g with yeast at 2,000 g; T3 is supplementation of malate at 1,000 g with yeast at 1,000 g; T4 is supplementation of malate at 1,000 g with yeast at 2,000 g in concentrate, respectively. The animals were offered the treatment concentrate at 1 % BW of dry matter basis and urea-treated rice straw. The results revealed that rumen fermentation and blood metabolites were similar for all treatments. However, the digestibility of nutrients were significantly different for the diets, especially digestible nutrient intake of crude protein (CP) which was higher for cows fed cassava-based diets with T4 rather than T3, T2 and T1 (74.3, 72.5, 71.1 and 68.9 %, respectively). In addition, the concentration of volatile fatty acid was significantly different especially the concentration of propionic acid which was slightly higher in cattle receiving T4 than T3, T2 and T1 (23.3, 21.9, 20.9 and 18.0 %, respectively). The populations of protozoa and fungal zoospores were significantly different as affected by malate and yeast levels. In conclusion, the combined use of concentrate containing high levels of cassava chip at 70 % DM with malate at 1,000 g and yeast at 2,000 g in concentrate with urea-treated rice straw as a roughage improved rumen fermentation and digestibility of nutrients in beef cattle

Manipulating rumen fermentation and methanogenesis using an essential oil and monensin in beef cattle fed a tropical grass hay

The objective of this study was to determine if a specific blend of essential oils (CRINA® Ruminants) compared to monensin could reduce enteric methane production in beef cattle fed medium to low quality Rhodes grass (Chloris gayana) hay. Five Brahman steers [mean live weight (LW); 226 kg] were allocated to one of five groups: control (no additive), CRINA1 (CRINA 1 g/d), CRINA2 (CRINA 2 g/d), Mon1 (monensin 60 mg/d) and Mon2 (monensin 250 mg/d) as a 5 × 5 Latin square. Individual LW, dry matter (DM, kg/d) intake, rumen pH, fermentation patterns, and ruminal fungal colonisation was measured. Methyl coenzyme-M reductase (mcrA) clone libraries (methanogen diversity) were generated from microbial DNA extracted from the rumen. Total methane production (g/d) was measured over 24 h using open circuit respiration chambers. The DM intake for animals given CRINA at either dose rate was not different (P>0.05) to the control (5.4 kg/d). However, Mon2 (P<0.05) reduced DM intake by 18%, compared with the control with no effect on rumen pH or total VFA production. CRINA significantly increased butyrate and iso-valerate concentrations compared with the control. Mon2 also reduced acetate:propionate compared with CRINA and the control. Based on sporangia counts from rumen fluid collected throughout the experimental period a reduction in fungal colonisation was observed for both monensin and CRINA treatments.\ud \ud The use of Mon1 or CRINA did not affect methane production. Mean methane production was reduced to 10.2 g/kg DM intake for Mon2 treated animals, compared with the control group (14.6 g/d DM intake), but this was also associated with lower DM intakes. A shift in methanogen diversity for monensin treated animals was due to a decrease in Methanomicrobium genus and concurrent increase in Methanobrevibacter genus. The specific blend of essential oils used in this study had no direct effect on methane emissions; however the potential to manipulate rumen fungi with CRINA and/or monensin and the relationship with methanogens may be a novel strategy to indirectly reduce enteric methanogenesis