Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-94fs2 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-08T07:47:25.849Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

The effect of feeding a low- or a high-starch diet on the in vitro fermentative capacity of equine faecal inocula

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  09 March 2007

J. M. D. Murray*
Affiliation:
Institute of Grassland and Environmental Research, Plas Gogerddan, Aberystwyth, SY23 3EB, UK Institute of Rural Sciences, University of Wales, Aberystwyth, Llanbadarn Campus, Aberystwyth, SY23 3AL, UK
A. Longland
Affiliation:
Institute of Grassland and Environmental Research, Plas Gogerddan, Aberystwyth, SY23 3EB, UK
M. Moore-Colyer
Affiliation:
Institute of Rural Sciences, University of Wales, Aberystwyth, Llanbadarn Campus, Aberystwyth, SY23 3AL, UK
C. Dunnett
Affiliation:
Dengie Crops Limited, Heybridge Business Centre, 110 The Causeway, Maldon, Essex CM9 4ND, UK
*
Present address: Division of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, University of Edinburgh, Easter Bush, Roslin, Midlothian EH25 9RG, UK. E-mail: [email protected]
Get access

Abstract

Seven mature Welsh-cross pony geldings provided the faecal inocula in a cross-over design experiment, consisting of two 14-day periods. In period 1, four ponies (group 1) were offered a low-starch fibre mix (LS), and three (group 2) were offered a conventional high-starch coarse mix (HS). Both groups were offered these mixes in a 50:50 ratio with mature grass hay, to give a total daily dry-matter intake of 17·5 g/kg live weight per day. Diets were then switched in period 2. At the end of each experimental period freshly voided faeces were collected from each animal and assessed for their ability to ferment grass hay (H), fibre mix (FMix) or starch-based coarse mix (SMix) using the gas production (GP) technique of Theodorou et al. (1994). Donor animal diet and donor animal had no effect on any end-point measurements. Lag times recorded for the SMix were significantly (P<0·001) greater in LS-inoculated bottles compared with the HS inocula (1·74 v. 2·25 h, respectively). Lag times for FMix and SMix varied significantly (P<0·001) between ponies (0·82 to 1·78 h in the FMix and 1·64 to 2·51 h in the SMix). The degradation rate of H also differed significantly (P<0·001) between ponies with the time taken to reach 50% of GP (T50) ranging from 12·70 to 17·30 h. Consequently, it would appear that the effect of feeding LS or HS on the in vitro fermentative capacity of equine faecal inocula is minimal; moreover, the GP technique appears to be valuable tool for evaluating such effects.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © British Society of Animal Science 2006

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Aiple, K. P., Steingass, H. and Menke, K. H. O. 1992. Suitability of a buffered faecal suspension as the inoculum in the Hohenheim gas test. Journal of Animal Physiology and Animal Nutrition 67: 5766.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Akhter, S. 1994. Use of cow faeces to provide micro-organisms for the in vitro digestibility assay of forages. Ph.D. thesis, University of Reading.Google Scholar
Association of Official Analytical Chemists. 1990. Official methods of analysis of the Association of Official Analytical Chemists, 15th edition. Virginia, USA, AOAC.Google Scholar
Clarke, L. L., Roberts, M. C. and Argenzio, R. A. 1990. Feeding and digestive problems in horses: physiologic responses to a concentrate meal. Veterinary Clinics of North America Equine Practice 6: 433451.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
De Fombelle, A., Julliand, V., Drogoul, C. and Jacotot, E. 2001. Feeding and microbial disorders in horses. 1. Effects of an abrupt incorporation of two levels of barley in a hay diet on microbial profile and activities. Journal of Equine Veterinary Science 21: 439445.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Dhanoa, M. S. 1988. Research note: on the analysis of Dacron bag data for low degradability feeds. Grass and Forage Science 43: 441444.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Drogoul, C., De Fombelle, A. and Julliand, V. 2001. Feeding and microbial disorders in horses. 2. Effect of three hay: grain ratios on digesta passage rate and digestibility in ponies. Journal of Equine Veterinary Science 21: 487491.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
El Shaer, H. M., Omed, H. M., Chamberlain, A. G. and Axford, R. F. E. 1987. Use of faecal organisms from sheep for the in vitro determination of digestibility. Journal of Agricultural Science, Cambridge 109: 257259.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
France, J., Dhanoa, M. S., Theodorou, M. K., Lister, S. J., Davies, D. R. and Isac, D. 1993. A model to interpret gas accumulation profiles associated with in vitro degradation of ruminant feeds. Journal of Theoretical Biology 163: 99111.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Garner, H. E., Hutcheson, D. P., Coffman, J. R. and Hahn, A. W. 1977. Lactic acidosis: a factor associated with equine laminitis. Journal of Animal Science 45: 10371041.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Goodson, J., Tyznik, W. J., Cline, H. and Dehority, B. A. 1988. Effects of an abrupt diet change from hay to concentrate on microbial numbers and physical environment in the caecum of the pony. Applied Environmental Microbiology 54: 19461950.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Julliand, V., De Fombelle, A., Drogoul, C. and Jacotot, E. 2001. Feeding and microbial disorders in horses: part 3. Effects of three hay: grain ratios on microbial profile and activities. Journal of Equine Veterinary Science 21: 543546.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kern, D. L., Slyter, L. L., Weaver, J. M., Leffel, E. C. and Samuelson, G. 1973. Ponies vs. steers: the effect of oats and hay on the microbial ecosystem. Journal of Animal Science 37: 463469.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kienzle, E. 1994. Small intestinal digestion of starch in the horse. Revue de Medecine Vétérinaire 145: 199204.Google Scholar
Kienzle, E., Radicke, S., Landes, E., Kleffken, D., Illenseer, M. and Meyer, H. 1994. Activity of amylase in the gastrointestinal tract of the horse. Journal of Animal Physiology and Animal Nutrition 72: 234241.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lawes Agricultural Trust. 1993. Genstat release 5·1. Rothamstead Experimental Station, Harpenden, UK.Google Scholar
Lindemann, G., Schmidt, M. and Meyer, H. 1983. Contributions to digestive physiology of the horse. 8. Studies on the prececal digestion of starch and lactose as well as its influence on the caecal metabolism. Journal of Animal Physiology and Animal Nutrition 50: 157169.Google Scholar
Lowman, R. S., Theodorou, M., Hyslop, J. J., Dhanoa, M. S. and Cuddeford, D. 1999. Evaluation of an in vitro batch culture technique for estimating the in vivo digestibility and digestible energy content of equine feeds using equine faeces as the source of microbial inoculum. Animal Feed Science and Technology 80: 1127.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Macheboeuf, D. and Jestin, M. 1997. Utilisation of the gas test method using horse faeces as a source of inoculum. In vitro techniques for measuring nutrient supply to ruminants: an international symposium, pp. 187189.Google Scholar
Macheboeuf, D. and Van Milgen, J. 1997. Comparison of five models to describe gas accumulation profiles in the gas test method with horse caecal fluid as inoculum. In vitro techniques for measuring nutrient supply to ruminants (ed. Deaville, E. R., Owen, E., Adesogan, A. T., Rymer, C., Huntindgton, J. A. and Lawrence, T. L. J.), pp. 185186. British Society of Animal Science occasional publication no. 22.Google Scholar
McLean, B. M. L.Hyslop, J. J., Longland, A. C., Cuddeford, D. and Hollands, T. 2000. Physical processing of barley and its effects on intra-caecal fermentation parameters in ponies. Animal Feed Science and Technology 85: 7987.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Medina, B., Girard, I. D., Jacotot, E. and Julliand, V. 2002. Effect of a preparation of Saccharomyces cerevisiae on microbial profiles and fermentation patterns in the large intestine of horses fed a high fibre or a high starch diet. Journal of Animal Science 80: 26002609.Google ScholarPubMed
Merry, R.J., Dhanoa, M.S. and Theodorou, M.K. 1995. Use of freshly cultured lactic-acid bacteria as silage inoculants. Grass and Forage Science 50: 112123.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Meyer, H., Radicke, S., Kienzle, E., Wilke, S., Kleffken, D. and Illenseer, M. 1995. Investigations on preileal digestion of starch from grain, potato and manioc in horses. Journal of Veterinary Medicine, Series – Physiology Pathology Clinical Medicine 42: 371381.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Moore, B. E. and Dehority, B. A. 1993. Effects of diet and hindgut defaunation on diet digestibility and microbial concentrations in the cecum and colon of the horse. Journal of Animal Science 71: 33503358.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Moore, J. A., Garner, H. E., Berg, J. N. and Sprouse, R. F. 1979. Intracaecal endotoxin and lactate during the onset of equine laminitis: a preliminary report. American Journal of Veterinary Research 40: 722723.Google Scholar
Moore-Colyer, M. J. S.Hyslop, J. J., Longland, A. C. and Cuddeford, D. 2000. Intra-caecal fermentation parameters in ponies fed botanically diverse fibre-based diets. Animal Feed Science and Technology 84: 183197.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Murray, J. M. D.Longland, A. C., Moore-Colyer, M. J. S. and Dunnett, C. 2005. The effect of enzyme treatment on the in vitro fementation of Lucerne incubated with equine faecal inocula. British Journal of Nutrition 94: 771782.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ørskov, E. R. and McDonald, I. 1979. The estimation of protein degradability in the rumen from incubation measurements weighted according to rate of passage. Journal of Agricultural Science, Cambridge 92: 499503.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Potter, G. D., Arnold, F. F., Householder, D. D., Hansen, D. H. and Brown, K. M. 1992. Digestion of starch in the small or large intestine of the equine. Proceedings of the first European conference on the nutrition of the horse, pp. 107111.Google Scholar
Radicke, S., Kienzle, E. and Meyer, H. 1991. Preileal apparent digestibility of oats and corn starch and consequences for caecal metabolism. Proceedings of the 12th equine nutrition and physiology symposium, p. 43.Google Scholar
Ross, G. J. S. 1987. MLP: maximum likelihood programme (a manual). Rothamsted Experimental Station, Harpenden, UK.Google Scholar
Rowe, J. B., Lees, M. J. and Pethick, D. W. 1994. Prevention of acidosis and laminitis associated with grain feeding in horses. Journal of Nutrition 124: 2742S2744S.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Theodorou, M. K., Williams, B. A., Dhanoa, M. S., McAllen, A. B. and France, J. 1994. A simple gas production method using a pressure transducer to determine the fermentation kinetics of ruminant feeds. Animal Feed Science and Technology 48: 185197.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Tisserand, J. L., Pecchio, M. O. and Rollin, G. 1980. Effect of distributing hay and cereals on cellulolytic activity in the large-intestine of the pony. Reproduction, Nutrition, Development 20: 16851689.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Vermorel, M. and Martin-Rosset, W. 1997. Concepts, scientific bases, structure and validation of the French net energy system. Livestock Production Science 47: 261275.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Weiss, D. J., Evanson, O. A., Green, B. T. and Brown, D. R. 2000. In vitro evaluation of intraluminal factors that may alter intestinal permeability in ponies with carbohydrate-induced laminitis. American Journal of Veterinary Research 61: 858861.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Weiss, W. P. 1994. In vitro biological procedures. In Forage quality, evaluation and utilisation (ed. Fahey, G. C.), pp. 645681, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, USA.Google Scholar