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Rumen in vitro techniques for the investigation of rumen probiosis. Jerry Hughes Memorial Scholarship for 1991

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  24 November 2017

J.A. Huntington*
Affiliation:
Biochemical Sciences Dept., SAC, Auchincruive, Ayr. KA6 5HW
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Extract

Recent research has shown that supplemention of beef cattle diets with small quantities (10-20 g/d) of yeast culture can lead to increased liveweight gain and improved feed conversion efficiency (Hughes 1988, Edwards 1991). Supplementation of dairy cow diets has led to reduced weight loss in early lactation, increased milk yield and an improved milk composition (Williams et al 1989). Improved animal performance has usually been associated with increased dry matter intake. The precise mode of action of yeast culture in ruminants is, as yet, unknown. There is evidence that yeast culture increases cellulolytic (Harrison et al 1988) and total rumen bacterial numbers (Edwards 1991). This may lead to increased rates of fibre digestion and increased microbial protein production. A number of in sacco studies have shown increased degradation of substrates at rumen incubation times of 24 hours or less (Williams 1989, Chademana and Offer 1990).

Type
Beef Production
Copyright
Copyright © The British Society of Animal Production 1992

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References

Chademana, I. and Offer, N.W. (1990). The effect of dietary inclusion of yeast culture on digestion in sheep. Animal Production 50: pp483–489.Google Scholar
Edwards, I.E. (1991). Practical uses of yeast culture in beef production: Insight into its Mode of action. In: Biotechnology in the Feed Industry, Lyons, T.P. (Ed.); Proceedings of Alltech's Seventh Annual Symposium. pp51–63.Google Scholar
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Williams, P.E.V., Walker, A. and Mac Rae, J.L. (1990). Rumen probiosis: The effects of addition of yeast culture (viable yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) plus growth medium) on duodenal flow in wether sheep. Proceedings of the Nutrition Society 49: 128A.Google Scholar