Degradation of mimosine, 2,3‐dihydroxy pyridine and 3‐hydroxy‐4(1H)‐pyridine by bacteria from the rumen of sheep in Venezuela

The addition of Leucaena leucocephala herbage did not diet of sheep in Venezuela did not affect the concentration of volatile fatty acids (VFA) in the rumen, the degradation of rice straw incubated in sacco, or the numbers of rumen fungi or bacteria. However, feeding Leucaena increased the concentration of ammonia in the rumen. In addition, two products of the degradation of the toxic amino acid mimosine were detected in the rumen when Leucaena was fed. One of these products, 2,3‐dihydroxy pyridine (2,3‐DHP), was detected at concentrations of up to 1.1 μmol/ml. The other, 3‐hydroxy‐4(1H)‐pyridone (3,4‐DHP) was found at concentrations of up to 0.96 μmol/ml. The examination of bacterial cultures isolated from the rumen of the sheep under investigation showed that feeding Leucaena increased the relative proportions of short Gram‐negative rods and decreased the proportion of long roads and coccobacilli present. Although the animals fed Leucaena showed a small loss in weight during the feeding trial, no evidence of Leucaena toxicity was seen. A total of 18 cultures capable of degrading 2,3‐DHP or 3,4‐DHP were isolated from the rumen of the sheep before Leucaena was fed. These included both Gram‐positive and Gram‐negative bacteria, and a Gram‐positive sporeformer. It seems that 2,3‐DHP and 3,4‐DHP may be degraded by a much wider range of bacteria than has been recognised previously. The detection of these bacteria before Leucaena was fed suggests that they were indigenous members of the rumen microflora of sheep in Venezuela.