Condensed tannins in the gastrointestinal tract of cattle after sainfoin (Onobrychis viciifolia) intake and their possible relationship with anthelmintic effects

The fate of condensed tannins (CTs) along the digestive tract of ruminants is not well known and may account for the variable efficacy of CTs against gastrointestinal nematodes in different locations. Here, we analyzed sainfoin CTs in the digesta of cattle from two separate experiments. When using the acetone-butanol-HCl assay, the total CTs concentrations in the digestive tract were close to those in the diets (6.3 and 1.5% of DM in Expt. 1 and 2, resp.) indicating that CTs remained largely undegraded and unabsorbed. Yet with the thiolysis assay in Expt. 1, CTs concentration was much higher in the abomasum (2.3 ± 0.4 % of DM) compared with the rumen, small and large intestines, along with increases of mean size and percentage of prodelphinidins within CTs. This corroborates the anthelmintic efficacy reported only against Ostertagia ostertagi in the abomasum. In Expt. 2, no anthelmintic effect was observed against the larval exsheathment in the rumen, probably because the dietary level of CTs was too low. Overall, the level of CTs accessible to thiolysis in the gut appears to be critical for anthelmintic activity, which is favored under the acidic conditions of the abomasum

Glucogenic and lipogenic diets affect in vitro ruminal microbiota and metabolites differently

This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of two glucogenic diets (C: ground corn and corn silage; S: steam-flaked corn and corn silage) and a lipogenic diet (L: sugar beet pulp and alfalfa silage) on the ruminal bacterial and archaeal structures, the metabolomic products, and gas production after 48 h in vitro fermentation with rumen fluid of dairy cows. Compared to the C and S diets, the L dietary treatment leaded to a lower dry matter digestibility (DMD), lower propionate production and ammonia-nitrogen concentration. The two glucogenic diets performed worse in controlling methane and lactic acid production compared to the L diet. The S diet produced the greatest cumulative gas volume at any time points during incubation compared to the C and L diet. The metabolomics analysis revealed that the lipid digestion especially the fatty acid metabolism was improved, but the amino acid digestion was weakened in the L treatment than in other treatments. Differences in rumen fermentation characteristics were associated with (or resulting from) changes in the relative abundance of bacterial and archaeal genera. The rumen fluid fermented with L diet had a significantly higher number of cellulolytic bacteria, including the genera of Ruminococcus, Butyrivibrio, Eubacterium, Lachnospira, unclassified Lachnospiraceae, and unclassified Ruminococcaceae. The relative abundances of amylolytic bacteria genera including Selenomonas_1, Ruminobacter, and Succinivibrionaceae_UCG-002 were higher in samples for diets C and S. The results indicated that the two glucogenic diets leaded to a higher relative abundance of bacteria which functions in succinate pathway resulting in a higher propionate production. The steam-flaked corn diet had a higher gas production and lower level of metabolites in fatty acids and amino acids. Most highly abundant bacteria were observed to be not sensitive to dietary alterations of starch and fiber, except for several amylolytic bacteria and cellulolytic bacteria. These finding offered new insights on the digesting preference of ruminal bacteria, which can assist to improve the rumen functioning

Benefits of Condensed Tannins in Forage Legumes Fed to Ruminants: Importance of Structure, Concentration, and Diet Composition

Condensed tannins (CTs) account for up to 20% of the dry matter in forage legumes used as ruminant feeds. Beneficial animal responses to CTs have included improved growth, milk and wool production, fertility, and reduced methane emissions and ammonia volatilization from dung or urine. Most important is the ability of such forages to combat the effects of gastrointestinal parasitic nematodes. Inconsistent animal responses to CTs were initially attributed to concentration in the diet, but recent research has highlighted the importance of their molecular structures, as well as concentration, and also the composition of the diet containing the CTs. The importance of CT structural traits cannot be underestimated. Interdisciplinary research is the key to unraveling the relationships between CT traits and bioactivities and will enable future on-farm exploitation of these natural plant compounds. Research is also needed to provide plant breeders with guidelines and screening tools to optimize CT traits, in both the forage and the whole diet. In addition, improvements are needed in the competitiveness and agronomic traits of CT-containing legumes and our understanding of options for their inclusion in ruminant diets. Farmers need varieties that are competitive in mixed swards and have predictable bioactivities. This review covers recent results from multidisciplinary research on sainfoin (Onobrychis Mill. spp.) and provides an overview of current developments with several other tanniniferous forages. Tannin chemistry is now being linked with agronomy, plant breeding, animal nutrition, and parasitology. The past decade has yielded considerable progress but also generated more questions-an enviable consequence of new knowledge

In vitro methane and gas production with inocula from cows and goats fed an identical diet

BACKGROUND: Fermentative capacity among ruminants can differ depending on the type of ruminant species and the substrate fermented. The aim was to compare in vitro cow and goat rumen inocula in terms of methane (CH4 ) and gas production (GP), fermentation kinetics and 72 h volatile fatty acids (VFA) production using the browse species Acacia etbaica, Capparis tomentosa, Dichrostachys cinerea, Rhus natalensis, freeze-dried maize silage and grass silage, and a concentrate as substrates. RESULTS: Total GP, CH4 and VFA were higher (P ≤ 0.008) in goat inoculum than cows across substrates. The half-time for asymptotic GP was lower (P < 0.0001) in phase 1 and higher (P < 0.012) in phase 2, and the maximum rate of GP was higher (P < 0.0001) in phase 1 and phase 3 (P < 0.0001) in goats compared to cows. Methane production and as a percentage of total GP was higher (P < 0.0001) and the half-time tended (P = 0.059) to be at a later time for goats compared to cows. CONCLUSION: Goat inoculum showed higher fermentative activity with a concomitant higher CH4 production compared to cows. This difference highlights the ability of goats to better utilise browse species and other roughage types. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry

In vitro methane and gas production with inocula from cows and goats fed an identical diet

BACKGROUND: Fermentative capacity among ruminants can differ depending on the type of ruminant species and the substrate fermented. The aim was to compare in vitro cow and goat rumen inocula in terms of methane (CH4) and gas production (GP), fermentation kinetics and 72 h volatile fatty acids (VFA) production using the browse species Acacia etbaica, Capparis tomentosa, Dichrostachys cinerea, Rhus natalensis, freeze-dried maize silage and grass silage, and a concentrate as substrates. RESULTS: Total GP, CH4 and VFA were higher (P ≤ 0.008) in goat inoculum than cows across substrates. The half-time for asymptotic GP was lower (P < 0.0001) in phase 1 and higher (P < 0.012) in phase 2, and the maximum rate of GP was higher (P < 0.0001) in phase 1 and phase 3 (P < 0.0001) in goats compared to cows. Methane production and as a percentage of total GP was higher (P < 0.0001) and the half-time tended (P = 0.059) to be at a later time for goats compared to cows. CONCLUSION: Goat inoculum showed higher fermentative activity with a concomitant higher CH4 production compared to cows. This difference highlights the ability of goats to better utilise browse species and other roughage types

Jerman Barat bertanding

The objectives were to determine browse species preference of goats using dry matter intake (DMI) as a proxy, to compare preference when offered in combination with polyethylene glycol (PEG) and to establish relationships between browse species intake and chemical compositional data. Air-dried leaves of Acacia etbaica, Cadaba farinosa, Capparis tomentosa, Dichrostachys cinerea, Dodonaea angustifolia, Euclea racemosa, Maerua angolensis, Maytenus senegalensis, Rhus natalensis and Senna singueana were used. Two cafeteria trials, each lasting 10 days, were conducted using four local mature male goats of 2–2.5 years receiving a daily ration of grass hay (4% of body weight) and 200 g wheat bran. In trial 1, goats were offered 25 g of each browse species for a total of 30 min with intake, time spent on consumption and the number of visits to specific browse species recorded at 10-min intervals. In trial 2, the same procedure was followed except that 25 g of PEG 4000 was added to the daily wheat bran ration. Crude protein and neutral detergent fibre in browse species ranged from 69.0–245.5 to 159.8–560.6 g/kg dry matter (DM) respectively. Total phenols and total tannins contents ranged between 3.7–70.6 and 2.5–68.1 mg tannic acid equivalent/g DM, respectively, and condensed tannins 1.7–18.4 Abs550 nm/g DM. Preference indicators measured in the first 10 min of browse species intake differed significantly among browse species and with PEG (p < 0.0001). Principal components explained 69.9% of the total variation in browse species DMI. Despite the high tannin levels, D. cinerea, R. natalensis and A. etbaica were the most preferred species regardless of PEG presence. Tannin levels at the observed browse species DMI did not determine preference, instead, preference appeared to be based on hemicellulose. Determining browse species preference is essential to exploit them to improve nutrient utilization and control parasites in goats

Starch and Cellulose Degradation in the Rumen and Applications of Metagenomics on Ruminal Microorganisms

Carbohydrates (e.g., starch and cellulose) are the main energy source in the diets of dairy cows. The ruminal digestion of starch and cellulose is achieved by microorganisms and digestive enzymes. In order to improve their digestibility, the microbes and enzymes involved in starch and cellulose degradation should be identified and their role(s) and activity known. As existing and new analytical techniques are continuously being developed, our knowledge of the amylolytic and cellulolytic microbial community in the rumen of dairy cows has been evolving rapidly. Using traditional culture-based methods, the main amylolytic and cellulolytic bacteria, fungi and protozoa in the rumen of dairy cows have been isolated. These culturable microbes have been found to only account for a small fraction of the total population of microorganisms present in the rumen. A more recent application of the culture-independent approach of metagenomics has acquired a more complete genetic structure and functional composition of the rumen microbial community. Metagenomics can be divided into functional metagenomics and sequencing-based computational metagenomics. Both approaches have been applied in determining the microbial composition and function in the rumen. With these approaches, novel microbial species as well as enzymes, especially glycosyl hydrolases, have been discovered. This review summarizes the current state of knowledge regarding the major amylolytic and cellulolytic microorganisms present in the rumen of dairy cows. The ruminal amylases and cellulases are briefly discussed. The application of metagenomics technology in investigating glycosyl hydrolases is provided and the novel enzymes are compared in terms of glycosyl hydrolase families related to amylolytic and cellulolytic activities

Dried-Atella as an affordable supplementary feed resource for a better sheep production : in the case of Washera lambs in Ethiopia

Ethiopia has a huge livestock population that includes sheep, which can be considered as a significant potential for the advancement of the country's economy. However, due to a shortage of appropriate supplementary feed and its escalating price, the production and productivity of sheep fattening in Ethiopian smallholder farmers are below its potential. Moreover, the use of Dried-Atella as an affordable supplementary feed resource for a better sheep production is not investigated and well documented. The aim of this study was to assess the comparative supplementation effects of Dried-Atella and Niger seed cakes (NSCs) on total dry matter and nutrient intake, body weight change, and carcass characteristics of Washera lambs. The experiment was conducted using a completely randomized design with three treatments replicated five times. The treatments are described as follows: Treatment 1 = Natural pasture hay (NPH) (800 g/d) + Wheat bran (WB) (160 g/d) + salt and water (ad libitum); Treatment 2 = NPH (800 g/d) + WB (160 g/d) + NSC (163 g/d) + salt and water (ad libitum); and Treatment 3 = NPH (800 g/d) + WB (160 g/d) + Dried-Atella (330 g/d) + salt and water (ad libitum). The finding elucidated that the crude protein (CP) content of Dried Atella, WB, NPH, and NSC were about 25.07%, 16.57%, 4.48%, and 38.04%, respectively. The result also indicated that the average mean value of the feed and CP intake of the sheep fed Dried-Atella was significantly higher than the other treatments (P-value = 0.000). With regard to the CP digestibility and dry matter digestibility, animals supplemented with Dried-Atella were significantly higher than the control group with P-value = 0.000 and P-value = 0.028, respectively. The body weight gain of the sheep is significantly higher (P-value = 0.008) for feeds supplemented with Dried-Atella than feeds without any supplement. In terms of economic profitability, a slightly better benefit was recorded in feed supplements with Dried-Atella than supplements with NSC, animal feed without any supplement exhibited loss. Considering its effect on feed intake, CP intake, and its digestibility, body weight gain, and carcass characteristics of lambs, Dried-Atella is a promising affordable supplementary feed resource for better sheep production in Ethiopia

Microbial protein metabolism in the monogastric gastrointestinal tract: a review

Dietary and endogenous protein that become available for the microbiota in the hindgut can be metabolized via different routes. They can become building blocks for the microbial cells or enter different catabolic pathways. Protein degradation via fermentation pathways is seen as a non-preferred route as it results in the formation and release of metabolites that can interfere with biological systems in the host and can have deleterious outcomes. Reducing protein fermentation and guiding the metabolism towards less toxic end-products might be possible targets for improving host health. To do so, more knowledge on factors manipulating the process of microbial protein metabolism, including on substrate availability, microbial composition and segmental differences in the hindgut, is required

Evaluation of equine rectal inoculum as representative of the microbial activities within the horse hindgut using a fully automated in vitro gas production technique system

The in vitro gas production technique (IVGPT) has been a valuable tool in ruminant nutrition research for decades and has more recently been used in horse nutrition studies to investigate fermentation activities of the equine hindgut though primarily using feces as inoculum. This study was conducted to evaluate the use of equine rectal content in the IVGPT system as a viable inoculum that can be considered representative of the activities throughout the equine hindgut. Additionally, the study was conducted to measure the effects on fermentation kinetics and end-product production using inoculum from horses fed supplemental levels of coated sodium butyrate in an IVGPT system. Eight warmblood horses were fed a diet consisting of haylage (1% DM intake based on ideal body weight [BW]) and a mash concentrate formulated to provide 2.5 g nonstructural carbohydrate (NSC)/kg BW per meal. The diet was intended to create a NSC challenge to the microbial populations of the hindgut. The horses were randomly assigned to treatment or control group and after a 1-wk diet-adaptation period, the treatment group received 0.4 g/kg BW per day of a coated sodium butyrate supplement, while the control group received a placebo (coating only). After a 3-wk treatment period, the animals were sacrificed and digesta from the cecum, left ventral colon, right dorsal colon, and the rectum were collected within 30 min postmortem and used as inocula for the IVGPT trial. Haylage and concentrates fed to the test animals were also used as substrates in vitro. Sodium butyrate supplementation was not significant for gas production parameters or VFA measured suggesting no effect of sodium butyrate supplementation on the extent or kinetics of gas production or microbial end-product production (P >= 0.073). Differences in inocula were significant for organic matter corrected cumulative gas production (P = 0.0001), asymptotic gas production of the second phase (A2) (P < 0.0001); and maximal rate of OM degradation of the second phase (R-max2) (P = 0.002). Inocula had a significant effect on total VFA (P = 0.0002), butyrate (Bu) (P = 0.015), branched chain fatty acids (P < 0.0001), pH (P < 0.0001), and ammonia (NH3) (P = 0.0024). In conclusion, based on observed results from this study, total tract digestibility may be overestimated if using rectal content inoculum to evaluate forage-based feeds in an IVGPT system