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Effect of Yeast Culture Supplement on Ruminal Microbial Populations and Metabolism in Buffalo Calves Fed a High Roughage Diet
Author(s) -
Kumar Umesh,
Sareen Vijay K,
Singh Sudarshan
Publication year - 1997
Publication title -
journal of the science of food and agriculture
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.782
H-Index - 142
eISSN - 1097-0010
pISSN - 0022-5142
DOI - 10.1002/(sici)1097-0010(199702)73:2<231::aid-jsfa710>3.0.co;2-d
Subject(s) - rumen , propionate , dry matter , hay , zoology , biology , fermentation , food science , biochemistry
The effect of Saccharomyces cerevisiae yeast culture (YC, Yea‐Sacc 1026) as a supplement to the high‐roughage diet of buffalo calves on the rumen microbial populations, fermentation pattern and in sacco dry matter disappearance of dietary constituents was examined. A control group was fed a diet consisting of, on a dry matter basis, 2·12 kg bajra ( Pennisetum typhoides ) hay and 0·45 kg groundnut cake per day per calf, while the treatment group had the same diet plus 5 g YC. After feeding for 6 weeks, inclusion of YC was stopped and both groups were given the control diet for 2 weeks. At week 4 the pH in the rumen fluid (RF) was significantly higher ( P <0·05) up to 6 h post‐feeding in the treatment group compared with the control group. The concentrations of total, total viable and cellulolytic bacteria were increased by 41·0 ( P <0·05), 33·5 and 57·4% ( P <0·01), respectively, with YC supplement. The concentration of total volatile fatty acids ( P <0·05), particularly at 4 h post‐feeding ( P <0·01) and acetate ( P <0·01) and acetate to propionate ratio ( P <0·05) were higher in the treatment compared with the control group. On YC supplementation, the concentration of NH 3 ‐N was decreased ( P <0·05) while that of TCA‐precipitable protein in RF was marginally but non‐significantly increased. Withdrawal of YC from the diet reversed these effects and the rumen variables returned to values close to control levels after 2 weeks. The in sacco dry matter disappearance of dietary components was higher in the treatment compared with the control group, particularly during the first 24 h of incubation. © 1997 SCI.