Effect of a Ruminal Buffer and Exogenous Amylolytic Enzymes on Growth and Digestion in Lambs Fed High Concentrate Diets

Abstract

Lee-Rangel, H.A., Pinos-Rodríguez, J.M., Mendoza, G.D., González, S.S., Monies, M.A., Trejo, A.S. and Jasso-Pineda, Y. 2010. Effect of a ruminal buffer and exogenous amylolytic enzymes on growth and digestion in lambs fed high concentrate diets. J. Appl. Anim. Res., 37: 117–120. To evaluate a ruminal buffer and exogenous amylolytic enzymes from Bacillus licheniformis and Aspergillus niger in high concentrate diet, lambs were fed on diet with no additives, or the same diet supplemented with enzymes (0.26% of diet as DM), buffer (1% of diet as DM) or enzymes + buffer in a growth assay. The supplemented diets did not affect intake, BW changes, feed conversion, rumen digestibility and total tract digestion of DM, organic matter (OM) and starch. Ruminal pH values, ammonia N, lactic acid concentrations and molar proportion of acetate and propionate were similar among treatments. Ruminal molar proportion of butyrate of lambs fed enzymes + buffer was lower than those fed control or buffer diets. Thus exogenous amylolytic enzymes did not have any positive effect on growth, rumen digestibility or total tract digestion in lambs.