Effect of lactic acid bacteria silage inoculants on the ruminal ecosystem, fiber digestibility and animal performance

Abstract

The overall objective of the whole research was to elucidate the mechanisms by which LAB silage inoculants enhance ruminant performance. The results generated will permit the development of better silage inoculants that maximize both silage preservation and animal performance. For this one-year BARD feasibility study, the objectives were to: 1. determine whether lactic acid bacteria (LAB) used in inoculants for silage can survive in rumen fluid (RF) 2.select the inoculants that survived best, and 3. test whether LAB silage inoculants produce bacteriocins-like substances. The most promising strains will be used in the next steps of the research. Silage inoculants containing LAB are used in order to improve forage preservation efficiency. In addition, silage inoculants enhance animal performance in many cases. This includes improvements in feed intake, liveweight gain and milk production in 25-40% of studies reviewed. The cause for the improvement in animal performance is not clear but appears to be other than direct effect of LAB inoculants on silage fermentation. Results from various studies suggest a possible probiotic effect. Our hypothesis is that specific LAB strains interact with rumen microorganisms which results in enhanced rumen functionality and animal performance. The first step of the research is to determine whether LAB of silage inoculants survive in RF. Silage inoculants (12 in the U.S. and 10 in Israel) were added to clarified and strained RF. Inoculation rate was 10 ⁶ (clarified RF), 10⁷ (strained RF) (in the U.S.) and 10⁷, 10⁸ CFU ml⁻¹ in Israel (strained RF). The inoculated RF was incubated for 72 and 96 h at 39°C, with and without 5 g 1⁻¹ glucose. Changes in pH, LAB numbers and fermentation products were monitored throughout the incubation period. The results indicated that LAB silage inoculants can survive in RF. The inoculants with the highest counts after 72 h incubation in rumen fluid were Lactobacillus plantarum MTD1 and a L. plantarum/P. cerevisiae mixture (USA) and Enterococcus faecium strains and Lactobacillus buchneri (Israel). Incubation of rumen fluid with silage LAB inoculants resulted in higher pH values in most cases as compared with that of un-inoculated controls. The magnitude of the effect varied among inoculants and typically was enhanced with the inoculants that survived best. This might suggest the mode of action of LAB silage inoculants in the rumen as higher pH enhances fibrolytic microorganisms in the rumen. Volatile fatty acid (VFA) concentrations in the inoculated RF tended to be lower than in the control RF after incubation. However, L. plalltarull1 MTDI resulted in the highest concentrations of VFA in the RF relative to other inoculants. The implication of this result is not as yet clear. In previous research by others, feeding silages which were inoculated with this strain consistently enhanced animal performance. These finding were recently published in Weinberg et.al.. (2003), J. of Applied Microbiology 94:1066-1071 and in Weinberg et al.. (2003), Applied Biochemistry and Biotechnology (accepted). In addition, some strains in our studies have shown bacteriocins like activity. These included Pediococcus pentosaceus, Enterococcus faecium and Lactobacillus plantarum Mill 1. These results will enable us to continue the research with the LAB strains that survived best in the rumen fluid and have the highest potential to affect the rumen environment.