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Use of the rumen simulation technique (rusitec) to provide micro-organisms for assessing forage rate-of-fermentation in vitro: effect of solid food input to rusitec

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  21 November 2017

J H T Barbi ,
E Owen  and
M K Theodorou
J H T Barbi
Affiliation:
Department of Agriculture, University of Reading, Earley Gate, PO Box 236, Reading, Berks RG6 2AT
E Owen
Affiliation:
Department of Agriculture, University of Reading, Earley Gate, PO Box 236, Reading, Berks RG6 2AT
M K Theodorou
Affiliation:
AFRC Institute of Grassland and Environmental Research, Plas Gogerddan, Aberystwyth, Dyfed SY23 3EB
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Extract

In a previous experiment (Barbi, Owen & Theodorou, 1993) effluent fluid from the in vitro rumen simulation technique (RUSITEC - Czerkawski & Breckenridge, 1977) was used as a source of inoculum when fermenting forage in the Pressure Transducer Technique (PTT - Theodorou, Williams, Brooks, Dhanoa, McAllan & Gill, 1993). The main objective was to replace rumen fistulated animals for assessing the fermentation kinetics of forages. However, low microbial activity in RUSITEC effluent-fluid affected the results, such that fermentation profiles were lower than those in controls inoculated with rumen liquor (Barbi et al, 1993).

In the present study, in an attempt to increase the microbial cellulolytic activity in the effluent fluid, we altered the particle size and increased the amount of substrate added daily to the RUSITEC vessels. Two particle sizes were examined in an attempt to enhance microbial activity and growth by increasing the availability of colonization surfaces.

Type
Ruminant Nutrition and Digestion
Information
Proceedings of the British Society of Animal Production (1972) , Volume 1994 , March 1994 , pp. 93
Copyright
Copyright © The British Society of Animal Production 1994

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References

Barbi, J H T, Owen, E, Theodorou, M K 1993 Use of the rumen simulation technique (RUSITEC) to provide microorganisms for assessing the rate of fermentation, in vitro, of forages. Animal Production 56: 462 (Abstract).Google Scholar
Barbi, J H T, Owen, E, Theodorou, M K 1994 Use of the rumen simulation technique to provide micro-organisms for assessing forage rate-of-fermentation in vitro: effect of soluble carbohydrate inputs to RUSITEC. In Proceedings of Winter meeting of British Society of Animal Procuction Google Scholar
Blachart, G, Durand, M, Barry, J L, Bouiller-Oudot, M & Jouany, J P 1989 Interets et limites des fermenteurs a flux semi-continu de type Rusitec dans l'etude des fermentations du rumen. Ann. Zootech. 38:285–314 Google Scholar
Czerkawski, J W & Breckenridge, G 1977. Design and development of a long-term rumen simulation technique (Rusitec). British Journal of Nutrition 38:371–384 Google Scholar
Theodorou, M K, Williams, B A, Brooks, A, Dhanoa, M S, McAllan, A B & Gill, M 1993. Estimation of kinetic parameters associated with the digestibility of tropical forages using a new in vitro gas production procedure. In Animal Production in Developing Countries Occasional Publication No 16 (ed Gill, M, Owen, E, Pollot, G E and Lawrence, T L J) British Society of Animal Production, 224-225.Google Scholar