Effect of sainfoin on in vitro digestion of fresh alfalfa and bloat in steers

1999 ◽  
Vol 79 (2) ◽  
pp. 203-212 ◽  
Author(s):  
L. R. McMahon ◽  
W. Majak ◽  
T. A. McAllister ◽  
J. W. Hall ◽  
G. A. Jones ◽  
...  

The effects of sainfoin (Onobrychis viciifolia) on digestion of alfalfa (Medicago sativa) were investigated in vitro and in vivo. Fresh alfalfa and sainfoin were incubated in an artificial rumen (Rusitec) in ratios of 100:0, 75:25, 50:50, 25:75 and 0:100 (as-fed). Disappearances of dry matter and N from sainfoin were 77 and 65% of those from alfalfa, respectively. Protease and endoglucanase activities, NH3-N and methane production declined (P < 0.05) as sainfoin increased. Bacterial numbers and microbial outputs were unchanged (P > 0.05), but cells incorporated more 15NH3N as sainfoin in the diet increased. Chopped leaves (100:0, 95:5 and 90:10 alfalfa:sainfoin) were incubated for 48 h with diluted ruminal fluid containing 0 or 50 mg polyethylene glycol, which binds tannins. Gas and volatile fatty acid productions were similar (P > 0.05) across treatments, but including 10% sainfoin (without polyethylene glycol) reduced (P < 0.05) NH3 concentrations between 8 and 24 h. Sainfoin tannins reduced degradation of forage protein without affecting the digestibility of the nonprotein fraction. Alfalfa herbage was fed alone or with early- to full-bloom sainfoin herbage (at 10 or 20% of ad libitum alfalfa dry matter intake) or with sainfoin hay or pellets, to eight Jersey steers in crossover trials conducted over 4 yr. Including sainfoin in the diet reduced (P < 0.001) the incidence of bloat by 45 to 93% in 3 of 4 yr, irrespective of the form in which it was supplied. Co-feeding sainfoin can markedly reduce the incidence of bloat in ruminants consuming fresh alfalfa. Key words: Alfalfa, sainfoin, bloat, condensed tannins

1972 ◽  
Vol 23 (1) ◽  
pp. 25 ◽  
Author(s):  
DC Brown ◽  
JC Radcliffe

Twenty experimental silages were made from seven pasture species at different stages of maturity. In vivo dry matter, organic matter, and energy ad libitum intakes and digestibilities of the silages were determined with standardized pairs of Merino wethers. The following chemical characteristics of the silages were measured: nitrogen, ammonia nitrogen, total titratable acids, acetic, propionic, butyric, and lactic acids, total volatiles lost during oven drying, lactic acid as a percentage of the total organic acids, pH, acid pepsin dry matter disappearance, dry matter content, and in vitro digestibility and rate of digestion. When all 20 silages were considered, energy intakes on a body weight basis were significantly related to silage pH (r = 0.55) and rate of in vitro digestion (r = 0.58). When the five legume silages were removed from the analysis and only the 15 grass-dominant silages were considered, dry matter intakes were significantly related to acetic (r = –0.57) and propionic acid (r = –0.55) concentrations. Multiple regression analyses did not significantly increase the accuracy of predicting intake. The results suggested that silage intake was negatively related to the degree of fermentation that occurred during the ensiling process.


1998 ◽  
Vol 22 ◽  
pp. 172-174
Author(s):  
D. L. Romney ◽  
F. C. Cadario ◽  
E. Owen ◽  
A .H. Murray

Parameters from in vitro gas production techniques could have potential as predictors of dry-matter intake (DMI) and digestibility. Fermentation is usually carried out under conditions where nitrogen (N) is not limiting. Therefore where N supply is a constraint to intake and digestibility, prediction equations may be inaccurate. This study compared the use of N-free and N-rich media in an in vitro fermentation method (Theodorou et al., 1994) and studied the relationships between in vitro and in vivo parameters obtained using both media.


1978 ◽  
Vol 58 (2) ◽  
pp. 167-176 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. O. THORLACIUS ◽  
W. COATES ◽  
M. FELDMAN

In 1972, crested wheatgrass, intermediate wheatgrass, and bromegrass hay were harvested with a Hesston 30 stacking wagon, McKee 1000 stacking wagon, and conventional baler. Crested wheatgrass was stacked at 35 and 29% moisture, intermediate wheatgrass at 38 and 27% moisture, and bromegrass at 41 and 31% moisture. Crested wheatgrass was baled at 23 and 19%, intermediate wheatgrass at 27 and 22%, and bromegrass at 30 and 20% moisture. In 1973, the same grass species were harvested at two moisture levels, 20 and 12% for crested wheatgrass, 25 and 19% for intermediate wheatgrass, and 24 and 20% for bromegrass with a Hesston 10 stacking wagon, Vermeer 605 round baler, and conventional baler. Dry matter intake by lambs and digestibility measurements (in vivo 1972, in vitro 1973) indicated that with the exception of bromegrass harvested in 1972, harvesting machine had little effect on hay quality. In 1972, bromegrass harvested with the stacking wagons was inferior in quality to the baled hay. The effect of moisture level at harvest was dependent on species of grass, harvesting machine, and weather conditions during harvest.


1971 ◽  
Vol 22 (5) ◽  
pp. 787 ◽  
Author(s):  
GD Brown ◽  
JC Radcliffe

Twenty experimental silages were made from seven pasture species at different stages of maturity. In vivo dry matter, organic matter, and energy digestibilities of the silages were determined at restricted and ad libitum intake levels on standardized pairs of Merino wethers. In vitro dry matter digestibility determinations were made on ground frozen silage and ground oven-dried silage with and without a correction for the loss of volatile compounds during drying. Corrected in vitro dry matter digestibilities of ground oven-dried silage for a 48 hr rumen liquor digestion time gave the most accurate prediction of in vivo dry matter (r = 0.88), organic matter (r = 0.86), and energy (r = 0.74) digestibilities for restricted intake levels. In vitro digestibilities of ground frozen silage more accurately predicted in vivo digestibilities than did in vitro digestibilities of ground oven-dried silage without the correction for volatile losses. In vivo dry matter and organic matter digestibilities were highly correlated (v = 0.97), but both were poorly correlated with in vivo energy digestibilities. In vitro digestion of ground oven-dried silage with a correction for the volatile compounds lost during drying is recommended as a suitable routine determination for predicting the in vivo digestibility of silage.


1997 ◽  
Vol 128 (3) ◽  
pp. 365-372 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. C. WAGHORN ◽  
I. D. SHELTON

The extent to which condensed tannins (CT) in Lotus corniculatus were able to affect protein degradation and the nutritive value of pasture were evaluated at Palmerston North, New Zealand in 1992 in an indoor feeding trial with sheep and using in vitro incubations. The feeding trial involved three groups of seven young wether sheep held indoors in metabolism crates for the 32-day experimental period with one group fed freshly cut ryegrass/clover pasture (Pasture group) whilst the other two groups received a mixture of c. 37% freshly cut Lotus corniculatus and 63% pasture (dry matter (DM) basis). One of the latter groups was given twice daily oral drenches of polyethylene glycol (PEG) to bind with and remove the effects of the CT (PEG group) whilst the remaining sheep (Tannin group) were not drenched. Intakes of sheep given the mixed diets were constrained to that of the pasture group. The CT concentration in the lotus was 26·1 g/kg DM so that the mixed diets contained c. 10g CT/kg DM. Effects of CT on digestion and sheep performance were minimal. Apparent digestibility of N was lower in the Tannin group (76·4%) than PEG (79·8%) or Pasture (79·4%) sheep (P<0·001), but there were no differences in DM digestibility (75%) or wool growth from mid-side patches. Rumen ammonia and soluble protein concentrations appeared to be similar in PEG and Tannin sheep and volatile fatty acid (VFA) concentrations were similar in all groups (100 mmol/l).For incubations in vitro, several ratios of Lotus corniculatus: pasture were used to determine the effects of CT on precipitation of soluble proteins and the net yield of ammonia and gas with and without PEG. Homogenates of Lotus corniculatus leaves and pasture showed that 50% of soluble protein was precipitated by 1·3% CT in homogenate DM and there was a substantial decrease in in vitro degradation to ammonia when lotus leaf accounted for 33% or more of DM with pasture. This work emphasises the need for caution when extrapolating from in vitro to the in vivo situation and suggests that 1% CT from Lotus corniculatus may be insufficient to affect the nutritive value of fresh forages for sheep.


Animals ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (6) ◽  
pp. 1041
Author(s):  
Jihed Zemzmi ◽  
Luis Ródenas ◽  
Enrique Blas ◽  
Taha Najar ◽  
Juan José Pascual

Some components of soluble fibre appear to have prebiotic effects that can contribute to improving digestive health in post-weaning rabbits. In this work, a fenugreek seed gum (FGS), extracted from Trigonella foenum-graecum seeds and rich in galactomannan, was characterised. Both the pure FSG and ten substrates obtained by the inclusion of 0, 5, 10, 15 and 20 g/kg of FSG in diets rich in soluble (SF) and insoluble (IF) fibre were evaluated in vitro to determine FSG prebiotic potential for rabbit diets. FSG was rich in total sugars (630 g/kg dry matter), consisting entirely of galactose and mannose in a 1:1 ratio, and a moderate protein content (223 g/kg dry matter). Pure FSG was affected very little by in vitro digestion, as only 145 g/kg of the FSG was dissolved during the enzymatic phase. However, the linear inclusion of FSG up to 20 g/kg in growing rabbit feeds has led to a reduction in the solubility of some nutrients during in vitro enzymatic phase, especially in SF diets. Pure FSG not digested during the enzymatic phase almost completely disappeared during the in vitro fermentation phase, 984 g/kg of this indigestible fraction. However, although linear inclusion of FSG up to 20 g/kg in SF diets increased the fermented fraction, no relevant changes in the fermentation profile were observed. In conclusion, FSG satisfies two essential conditions of the prebiotic effect, showing resistance to in vitro enzymatic digestion and being totally fermented in vitro by caecal bacteria, although in vivo studies will be necessary to determine its prebiotic potential.


Author(s):  
M.H. Tavendale ◽  
L.P. Meagher ◽  
Z.A. Park-Ng ◽  
G.C. Waghorn ◽  
G.T. Attwood

A series of in vitro incubations with kikuyu grass (Pennisetum clandestinum), lucerne and six legumes containing condensed tannins (CT) were undertaken to evaluate this technique against in vivo trials in New Zealand, measuring methane emissions. Published trials have demonstrated a reduction in methane emissions associated with CT and in one instance from kikuyu. The incubations used fresh minced forage (equivalent to 0.5 g dry matter (DM)) and were carried out in 50 ml sealed bottles containing buffer and rumen inoculum. Gas was sampled through a septum to monitor volume and composition throughout the 24h incubation. Incubation for 24 h resulted in 2.4-6.6 % conversion of DM to methane, and suggested CT concentrations below about 8% of the DM can reduce methane production without inhibiting fermentation rate. Higher concentrations of CT (> 8%) were associated with a lower rate of digestion. In common with in vivo trials, CT concentration in forage DM was inversely related to methane (adjusted R2 = 0.49; P = 0.01) and volatile fatty acid (adjusted R2=0.86; P


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