Veterinary Research Forum

Abstract While severe shortage of feed has presented livestock industry with a major challenge, millions of tons of fruit by-products (FBPs) are discarded annually, as valuable sources of energy and numerous nutrients. However, some of FBPs contain high tannins that must be treated for use in animal feeding. This study was investigated the effect of tannin-degrading bacteria isolated from the rumen of some ruminants on the in vitro digestibility and gas production of FBPs silage. The FBPs, including pomegranate peel (PP), and the pulps of lemon (LP), grape (GP), and orange (OP) were ensilaged with tannin-degrading bacteria (enzyme activity: 10.46 - 8.60 U mL^-1) isolated from the rumen of male goat (Escherichia coli GHMGHE41), deer (Escherichia fergusonii GHMGHE44), ram (E. fergusonii GHMGHE30), and camel (Klebsiella aerogenes GHMGHE38). After anaerobic incubation (30 days; 39.00 ˚C), PP + camel strain silage showed the highest dry matter, and the lowest natural acid detergent fiber and pH. The camel strain increased crude protein content of LP silage to the highest level, and decreased acid detergent fiber of GP silage to the lowest level. The highest digestibility was observed for LP + goat strain silage (50.37%) compared to the uninoculated OP silage (42.73%). The maximum ammonia (N-NH₃) and minimum level of pH were recorded for the silages of LP + goat strain and PP + CR strain, respectively. Overall, the current results showed that tannin-degrading E. coli GHMGHE41 and K. aerogenes GHMGHE38 were able to improve the digestibility of LP and PP silages as ingredients in ruminants’ diets.

Abstract This experiment was conducted to study the effects of various amounts of treated sunflower meal (SFM) with extracted tannins from pistachio hulls on in vitro gas production and ruminal fermentation in ruminants. The SFM was treated with pistachio extract concentrate (PEC), which contained 111.40 g kg^-1 total phenol and 71.30 g kg^-1 total tannin per dry matter of extract, at six experimental treatment levels of 0, 7, 14, 21, 28 and 35 g PEC per 100 g SFM on a dry matter basis. In vitro gas production, in vitro organic matter digestibility (IVOMD), metabolizable energy (ME) and fermentative parameters of samples were measured. The PEC had no effect on fermentation rate, but asymptotic gas production was linearly decreased with increasing dose of extract. All fermentation parameters (i.e., apparent degraded substrate, short chain fatty acids, gas yield at 24 hr, partitioning factor at 96 hr, IVOMD, ME and microbial protein production (MP) linearly decreased with increasing PEC treatment. Inclusion of PEC linearly decreased ruminal ammonia nitrogen concentration (NH₃-N), total protozoa population and pH in the all incubation times. In conclusion, the addition of PEC positively modified some rumen parameters such as NH₃-N concentration and protozoa population.

Abstract The current study evaluated the effects of electron beam (EB; 10, 20, 30 and 40 kGy), urea and NaOH treatments on chemical composition, phenolic compounds, in vitro gas production and in situ ruminal degradability of pistachio by-product (PB). The EB decreased (p < 0.01) neutral detergent fiber (NDF), acid detergent fiber (ADF) and acid detergent lignin (ADL) contents of PB. Treating PB by NaOH and urea increased cell wall constitute of PB (p < 0.01). Irradiation at doses of 30 and 40 kGy reduced tannin and increased total phenol content of PB (p < 0.01). NaOH and urea treatments decreased tannins, total phenolics and condensed tannins of PB compared to control (p < 0.01). In situ ruminal dry matter (DM) degradation data showed that irradiation increased (p < 0.01) and, urea and NaOH decreased (p < 0.01) rapidly fermentable fraction (a) of PB. NaOH decreased (p < 0.01) fraction b and total degradable fraction (a + b) of PB. Irradiation and polyethylene-glycol increased rate of gas production (k), metabolizable energy (ME) and short chain fatty acid concentrations (SCFA), while, NaOH decreased gas production potential (b), ME and SCFA (p < 0.01). Data showed that although NaOH was efficent in detannification of PB, howevr, it reduced gas production and in situ degradation of PB.

Abstract The present experiment was carried out to determine the digestion kinetics of carbohydrate fractions of citrus by-products. Grapefruit pulp (GP), lemon pulp (LE), lime pulp (LI) and orange pulp (OP) were the test feed. Digestion kinetic of whole citrus by-products and neutral detergent fiber (NDF) fraction and acid detergent fiber (ADF) fractions of citrus by-products were measured using the in vitro gas production technique. Fermentation kinetics of the neutral detergent soluble carbohydrates (NDSC) fraction and hemicelluloses were calculated using a curve subtraction. The fermentation rate of whole was the highest for the LE (p < 0.05). For all citrus by-products lag time was longer for hemicellulose than other carbohydrate fractions. There was no significant difference among potential gas production (A) volumes of whole test feeds (p < 0.16). Dry matter (DM) digestibility contents of LE and LI were the highest (p < 0.02). The NDF digestibility was the highest (p < 0.05) in LI and GP, while the lowest (p < 0.03) values of ADF digestibility were observed in LI and LE. According to the results of the present study, carbohydrate fractions of citrus by-products have high potential for degradability. It could also be concluded that carbohydrate fractions of citrus by-products have remarkable difference in digestion kinetics and digestive behavior.

Abstract The major aim of this study was to compare the morphology and activity of rumen protozoa of Khuzestan water buffalo and Holstein cow using in vitro digestibility and gas production parameters of steam treated sugarcane pith. Rumen fluid obtained from two buffalo and cow steers fed the same diet, 30:70 concentrate: forage. To separate rumen protozoa, antibiotic solution and fungicides were added to rumen fluid. The results of present experiment indicated that the neutral detergent fiber (NDF; 7.8 vs. 1.69%) and acid detergent fiber (ADF; 6.24 vs. 3.24%) digestibility of steam treated sugarcane pith by rumen protozoal population of Khuzestan buffalo was higher than those of cow (p < 0.05). Also, digestibility of dry matter, NDF and ADF by whole buffalo micro-organisms was more than those in cow (p < 0.05). The results indicated that the potential of gas production of sugarcane pith by rumen protozoa in water buffalo was more than that of cow (p < 0.05). Total rumen ciliate protozoa numbers in water buffalo were significantly higher than those of cow (3.68 × 10⁵ vs. 2.18 × 10⁵ mL^-1 of rumen content) (p < 0.05). The number of Diplodinium in buffalo was more than that of cow (41.27 vs. 35.7% of total rumen protozoa, respectively). Percentage of Entodinium, Epidinium, Ophryoscolex and Isotricha in cow was more than those of buffalo. Therefore, in the same diet, protozoa and total rumen micro-organisms of Khuzestan water buffalo have higher digestion activity compared to Holstein cow.

Abstract The effect of inclusion of garlic essential oil (EO) at 33, 66 and 100 μg mL-1, raw garlic (GAR) at 5, 10 and 15 mg mL-1 and monensin (MON) at 7.5 μg mL-1 of incubation medium on organic matter digestibility (OMD) was studied with in vitro gas production, ANKOM daisyII and conventional in vitro (IVOMD) methods. The material was incubated with sheep ruminal fluid and the experimental design was a completely randomized design. Cumulative gas production was recorded at 0, 2, 4, 6, 8, 12, 16, 24, 36, 48, 72 and 96 hours of incubation. Conventional in vitro OMD was determined after 48 hours incubation in acid and pepsin solutions. Samples for DaisyII OMD prepared according to the operating instructions supplied by ANKOM® Tech. Co., Fairport, USA. Compared to in vitro dry matter digestibility (IVDMD), DaisyII and gas production techniques overestimated (P < 0.05) OMD. The addition of EO and MON reduced (P < 0.05) the organic matter (OM), neutral detergent fiber (NDF), acid-detergent fiber (ADF) digestion, and gas production volume. The potential of gas production and rate of gas production for EO and MON were the lowest; however, these variables were higher for GAR supplemented groups. It was concluded that raw garlic could be of great interest for its usage as a modulator of ruminal fermentation.