Determination of the effect of a lactic acid bacteria+enzyme mixture on the silage quality and digestibility of vetch-oat mixture silages

The study aimed to compare the impact of four chemical additives on fermentation characteristics, aerobic stability and in vitro digestibility of total mixed ration (TMR) silage based on soy sauce residue. The TMR (35% soy sauce residue + 45% Napier grass + 20% concentrate) was placed into silos (10 L). The experiment followed the completely random design, treated with different chemical additives: (1) distilled water (control); (2) 0.1% potassium sorbate (SP); (3) 0.1% sodium benzoate (SS); (4) 0.5% calcium propionate (SC); (5) 0.5% sodium diacetate (SD). Total of 100 silos (5 treatments × 4 aerobic exposure days × 5 replicates) were ensiled for 60 days. After exposure to the air, the samples were analyzed for the dynamic change of fermentation parameters at 4, 9 and 15 days, and the data was analyzed as repeated measures. The content of butyric acid and ammonia nitrogen was maintained at a low level. The highest (p < 0.05) lactic acid (LA) content and the lowest (p < 0.05) pH value were measured in SP. At the first 4 days of aerobic exposure, TMR silages treated with four chemical additives were more stable relative to the control, as indicated by the low pH value and yeast counts. Furthermore, the highest (p < 0.05) LA content and the lowest (p < 0.05) pH value indicated that SP performed superior aerobic stability compared with other chemical additives. The SP shows higher (p < 0.05) 72 h cumulative gas production (GP72) and in vitro neutral detergent fiber digestibility (IVNDFD) relative to the control. In conclusion, the SP performed superior in improving fermentation characteristics, aerobic stability and in vitro digestibility of TMR silages based on soy sauce residue.

The effect of biological additive on the fermentation quality of whole-crop rye silage

Economic benefits of adding enzyme mixtures (EM) to forages prior to ensiling have not been clearly established. Potential benefits such as improved silage quality and animal performance have been observed in some studies but not in others. This study was implemented to evaluate silage quality and lactation performance of dairy cattle fed silage treated with commercial EM. Alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) silage was treated with 7.8 oz/ton of a commercial EM and silage quality was compared with an untreated control. Diets containing experimental silages were fed in a switchback trial to 20 multiparous Holstein cows (Bos taurus) and lactation performance was evaluated. Enzyme treatment improved silage fermentation characteristics as evidenced by decreased pH and acetate, and increased lactate content. Enzyme treatment reduced neutral detergent fiber (NDF) by 3.3 percentage units compared with the control silage. Pectic fractions and hemicellulose were reduced by enzyme treatment. Enzyme treated silage contained higher levels of ruminally undegraded NDF. Enzyme treatment did not alter ruminal dry matter (DM) degradation or cellulose content of alfalfa silage. Milk yield, milk components, and DM intake of lactating dairy cows was also not improved by enzyme treatment. In this study treatment of alfalfa silage with a commercial EM improved silage quality by enhancing fermentation characteristics and decreasing NDF content, but these improvements did not have a positive effect on lactation performance of dairy cows.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the microbial kinetics, fermentative and chemical characteristics during solid state fermentation (SSF) of apple bagasse (AB), which was determined over the course of 4 incubation times: 0, 24, 48, 72 h, in a completely randomized design with 4 repetitions. pH values, lactic acid concentration, numbers of total aerobic bacteria, yeast and lactobacilli, dry matter digestibility and neutral detergent fiber digestibility were determined. True and crude protein, neutral and acid detergent fiber were also measured. Results revealed that pH decreased over the 4 sampling times. The lactic acid concentration increased over time. There was a reduction in numbers of total aerobic bacteria. Numbers of lactobacilli also reduced. Yeast populations (CFU/ml) were stable at 24 h, but decreased thereafter. In vitro dry matter digestibility (IVDMD) increased during incubation. In vitro neutral detergent fiber digestibility (IVNDFD) similarly increased, with a maximum value observed at 72 h. True protein (TP) increased during fermentation, achieving a high value at 24 h; however, crude protein (CP) showed no change during incubation. Neutral detergent fiber (NDF) content did not change during fermentation however acid detergent fiber (ADF) reduced. It is concluded that the increased content of lactic acid and the accompanying decrease in pH during SSF of AB negatively affected the yeast and total bacteria populations whereas true protein content increased likely because of formation of unicellular protein during the process.

Laboratory Evaluation of Corn Grain and Silage Digestibility

Effects of Lactobacillus plantarum and fibrolytic enzyme on the fermentation quality and in vitro digestibility of total mixed rations silage including rape straw

This experiment investigated the effects of different additives on the fermentation quality, in vitro digestibility, and aerobic stability of amaranth and wheat bran (AWB) mixed silage. In this experiment, a two-factor (moisture content × additive) completely randomized experimental design was used, with amaranth as the raw silage material, and the moisture content was adjusted to 60%, 65%, and 70% using wheat bran. At each moisture content condition, the silage treatments included groups without any additives (control), with lactic acid bacteria (L), with cellulase (E), and with lactic acid bacteria and cellulase (M). Six replicates of each treatment were analyzed for fermentation quality, chemical composition, and in vitro digestibility of AWB mixed silage after 60 days of ensiling. The results showed that in the same L group, the pH and the lactic acid (LA) in the 60% moisture content (MC) group were lower and higher, respectively, than in the 70% MC group (p &lt; 0.05). In the same E and M groups, the ammonia nitrogen to total nitrogen (AN/TN) in the 60% MC group was lower than that in the 70% MC group, and the in vitro crude protein digestibility (IVCPD) was higher than that in the 70% MC group (p &lt; 0.05). At the same time, the aerobic stability of AWB mixed silage gradually decreased as the MC of the raw material increased (p &lt; 0.05). Under 60% MC, the IVCPD and in vitro neutral detergent fiber digestibility (IVNDFD) in AWB mixed silage from the E and M groups were higher than those in the control group (p &lt; 0.05). Under 60% MC, the pH and AN/TN in AWB mixed silage from the M group were lower than those in the control group (p &lt; 0.05). Compared with the control under 60% MC, the aerobic stability of AWB mixed silage inoculated with L, E, and M increased by 33 h, 42 h, and 57 h, respectively. It was shown that the addition of M resulted in the best fermentation quality, in vitro digestibility, and aerobic stability of AWB mixed silage when the amaranth MC was 60%.

The low digestibility of fiber in alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) limits dry matter intake and energy availability in ruminant animal production systems. Previously, alfalfa plants were identified for low or high rapid (16 h) and low or high potential (96 h) in vitro neutral detergent fiber digestibility (IVNDFD) of plant stems. Here, two cycles of bidirectional selection for 16 h and 96 h IVNDFD were carried out. The resulting populations were evaluated for total herbage, percentage of stems to total biomass, IVNDFD, neutral detergent fiber (NDF), and acid detergent lignin as a proportion of NDF (ADL/NDF) at three maturity stages. Within these populations, 96 h IVNDFD was highly heritable (h2 = 0.71), while 16 h IVNDFD had lower heritability (h2 = 0.46). Selection for high IVNDFD reduced NDF and ADL/NDF in plant stems at the late flowering and green pod maturity stages and reduced seasonal variability in stem digestibility but did not alter the percentage of stems. Stability analyses across 12 harvest environments found that selection for high IVNDFD had little effect on environmental stability of the trait compared to the unselected population. Thus, selection for stem IVNDFD was a highly effective strategy for developing alfalfa populations with improved nutritional quality without changing the percentage of stems to total biomass.

Numerous chemical procedures have been suggested for predicting feeding quality of perennial forages but none have been adequately tested for their ability to predict quality of silages of corn (Zea mays L.) and sorghum [Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench, S. sudanense (Piper) Stapf, and their hybrid]. The objective of this phase of a comprehensive study was to determine the value of 20 of these chemical procedures for predicting in vivo digestibility of corn and sorghum silages.We determined in vivo digestible dry matter (DDM) of 51 silages (17 in each of 3 years) in conventional sheep feeding trials.Acid detergent fiber (ADF) was the best chemical predictor of in vivo DDM for both corn and sorghum silages. ADF concentration accounted for 80% of the variation in digestibility of sorghum silages and 61% of the variation in digestibility of corn silages. More than half of the variation in digestibility of these silages was also accounted for by calculated cellulose and by crude fiber (CF) concentration. Permanganate lignin accounted for 74% of the variation in digestibility of sorghum silages but only 23% of the variation in corn silage digestibility. Inclusion of crude protein concentration did not improve the digestibility prediction potential of ADF, CF, or the other chemical methods.The Van Soest summative equation, acid detergent lignin (ADL), ADL/ADF, dry matter solubility in 1 NH2SO4, and solubility in acid pepsin all failed to provide satisfactory estimates of corn or sorghum silage digestibility.None of the chemical methods equaled our modified Tilley and Terry in vitro DDM as a predictor of in vivo DDM of corn or sorghum silages. However, ADF accounted for only 4% less of the variation in digestibility of sorghum silages and 9% less of the variation in digestibility of corn silages than did in vitro DDM. The relatively low cost of ADF analysis makes it a useful procedure for testing silages that are intended as feeds for ruminants.We present simple regression equations for prediction of in vivo DDM of corn and sorghum silages from their concentrations of several chemical entities.

The Study was conducted to evaluate the additive effect of selected feed additives (Glycerol, a mixture of exogenous fibrolytic enzymes (EFE), a mixture of probiotics and rumen protected methionine (RPM) under both in vitro and in vivo conditions. The optimum dose of pre-mixture of feed additives (PFA) was evaluated by in vitro gas production technique in two stages. The marginal increase in Y-max and in vitro neutral detergent fiber digestibility (IVNDFD) for each incremental increase in PFA was compared graphically and it was found to be 1.7 %. In in vivo trial, 12 crossbred HF cows were equally divided into 3 groups based on milk yield and average days in lactation. The optimized dose of PFA was added to the concentrate supplements without (T1) or with buffer (T2), control group (CG) was fed with the basal diet (roughage: concentrate ratio of 60:40). Results indicated that PFA with or without buffer had no significant effect on nutrient intake and digestibility. Fat corrected milk yield (FCM), milk fat, total solids (TS) and milk protein were significantly (P Lass Than 0.01) increased in TGs than that of CG. From the results, it may be concluded that optimized PFA had an additive effect on milk production efficiency but not on nutrient intake and digestibility. Further, different groups of feed additives can be evaluated for additive effect, which may pave the way for commercial product preparation.

An enzyme mixture (EM) of glucose oxidase, glucosyl transferase, and fructosyl transferase can regulate glucose absorption into the body by converting carbohydrates in food to indigestible oligosaccharides. We evaluated the antidiabetic effects of repeated oral administration of EM in db/db mice. Seven-week-old db/db mice were divided into control, voglibose, and EM groups. Drugs were administered orally mixed with limited feed for one month. Glucose levels were measured every week. A meal tolerance test was conducted after overnight fasting, before the mice were sacrificed. There were no differences in body weight or food intake between the groups. EM treatment reduced blood glucose levels compared with those in the control group. Blood glucose levels during the meal tolerance test were significantly lower in the EM group than those in the control group. A significant decrease in triglyceride level and a tendency for decreased low-density lipoprotein were observed in the EM group compared with in the control group. The Bacteroidetes-to-Firmicutes ratio was higher in the EM group than that in the control group. EM may be useful for people at risk of hyperglycemia or diabetes who need to safely regulate their blood glucose levels. EM may also improve lipid and gut microbiota profiles.

In this study, it was aimed to determine the effects of the addition of almond hull, which has no economic value and causes environmental pollution, to alfalfa silage as an easily soluble carbohydrate source on silage quality, fermentation characteristics and in vitro organic matter digestion (IVOMD). The groups were designed to contain 0% (control), 1%, 2%, 4% and 6% almond hull, respectively. When the IVOMD and metabolizable energy (ME) values of the silages were examined, increases were observed in all additive groups compared to the control group. When the pH, NH3-N/TN and carbon dioxide (CO2) values of the silages were examined, the highest values were determined in the control group, while the lowest pH, NH3-N/TN and CO2 values were determined in the silage group with 6% almond hull added. Although an increase was determined in all trial groups in terms of lactic acid (LA) and acetic acid (AA) values of silages compared to the control group, the highest values were determined in the group with 6% almond hull addition, and a decrease was determined due to the increase in almond hull in terms of butyric acid (BA) values. Yeast and mold values of the silages decreased due to the increase in almond hull compared to the control group. As a re- sult, it was determined that the addition of 6% almond hull as an easily soluble carbohydrate source had a positive effect on alfalfa silage quality and fermentation characteristics.

Simple SummaryIn the context of a shortage of feed resources and a complete ban on veterinary antibiotics, searching for green additives that can improve the production performance of ruminants has become a popular research topic. Oregano essential oil (EO) inhibits rumen gas production (GP) and regulates animal digestive metabolism, and cobalt lactate (Co) can improve feed digestibility. However, previous studies on EO of oregano and Co showed different results. Therefore, the present study aimed to investigate the effects of different EOC addition levels on rumen in vitro fermentation and rumen bacterial community composition, and the experimental data obtained showed that all five EOC (0.1425% cobalt lactate + 1.13% oregano essential oil + 98.7275% carrier) addition levels in this experiment had no significant effect on nutrient digestibility. However, the addition of 1500 mg·L−1 EOC significantly improved rumen fermentation parameters and altered the microbiota composition. All presented data provide a theoretical basis for the application of oregano essential oil and cobalt in ruminant nutrition.The objective of this experiment was to evaluate the effect of different EOC (0.1425% cobalt lactate + 1.13% oregano essential oil + 98.7275% carrier) levels on in vitro rumen fermentation and microbial changes. Six EOC levels (treatments: 0 mg·L−1, CON; 50 mg·L−1, EOC1; 100 mg·L−1, EOC2; 400 mg·L−1, EOC3; 800 mg·L−1, EOC4 and 1500 mg·L−1, EOC5) were selected to be used to in vitro incubation. The in vitro dry matter digestibility (IVDMD), in vitro neutral detergent fiber digestibility (IVNDFD), in vitro acid detergent fiber digestibility (IVNDFD), pH, ammonia-nitrogen (NH3-N) concentration, total volatile fatty acid (TVFA) concentration and microbial protein (MCP) concentration were measured after 48 h incubation, after which the groups with significant nutrient digestibility and fermentation parameters were subjected to 16S rRNA sequencing. The results showed that the total gas production (GP) of the EOC5 group was higher than that of the other groups after 12 h of in vitro incubation. TVFA, NH3-N and MCP concentrations were also shown to be higher in group EOC5 than those in other groups (p < 0.05), while NH3-N and MCP concentrations in the EOC2 group were lower than those in other groups significantly (p < 0.05). The molar ratio of acetic acid decreased while the molar ratio of propionic acid increased after the addition of EOC. 16S rRNA sequencing revealed that the rumen microbiota was altered in response to adding EOC, especially for the EOC5 treatment, with firmicutes shown to be the most abundant (43.1%). The relative abundance of Rikenellaceae_RC9_gut_group was significantly lower, while the relative abundance of uncultured_bacterium_f_Muribaculaceae and Succiniclasticum was significantly higher in the EOC5 group than those in other groups (p < 0.05). Comprehensive analysis showed that EOC (1500 mg·L−1) could significantly increase gas production, alter sheep rumen fermentation parameters and microbiota composition.

Perennial grass silages are needed as alternatives to corn (Zea mays L.) silage on erosive cropland. Eastern gamagrass [Tripsacum dactyloides (L.) L.] may offer an alternative to corn for silage production, but it's fermentation characteristics and quality under different rates of N have not been evaluated. A 5-yr-old stand of «PMK-24' eastern gamagrass was treated in 1991 and 1992 with ammonium nitrate at 0, 100, and 200 Ib N/acre and harvested for silage. Corn was grown adjacent to the eastern gamagrass stand in 1992 for comparison. First harvest eastern gamagrass forage was ensiled at the seed development stage in 1991 and inflorescence emergence stage in 1992, and regrowth forage at the vegetative stage both years. Eastern gamagrass silage pH was not influenced by stage of maturity or N rates, and averaged 0.4 to 0.8 pH units greater than corn silage

The objective of this study was to identify the impact of making silages using Lenox (forage turnip, Brassica rapa L.) harvested in two different stages of vegetation with bacterial inoculant+enzyme mixtures (0, 2.5, 5, and 7.5 mg.kg-1) on the quality, in-vitro digestibility, and energy parameters of the silages. The vegetation period affected the examined variables significantly except for neutral detergent fiber (NDF), (p&amp;lt;0.005), and further into the vegetation period, dry matter (DM), organic matter (OM), ether extract (EE), NDF, acid detergent fiber (ADF), NH3-N, pH, and Fleig score increased, whereas ash, crude protein (CP), lactic acid (LA), acetic acid (AA), and propionic acid (PA) decreased (p&amp;lt;0.005). The effect of additive levels added to the silages was found to be significant in terms of LA, AA, pH and fleig scores (p&amp;lt;0.05). The effects of the vegetation period and additives were found to be significant in terms of in vitro DM (DMD) and OM digestibility (OMD) and energy contents of Lenox silages (p&amp;lt;0.05). Further into the vegetation period, DMD and OMD values decreased. Compared to the control group, the greatest DMD, metabolic energy (ME), and net energy for lactation (NEL) results were found in the group with 2.5 mg.kg-1 of additive. It was concluded that the VFA, DMD, OMD, SE, ME, and NEL results of the silage samples dropped as the vegetation period progressed, and when forage turnip was ensiled in its flowering period with the bacterial inoculant+enzyme mixture at a ratio of 2.5 mg.kg-1, the quality of the obtained silages was high, and these can be utilized as alternative, quality roughage sources for feeding ruminants.