Effects of certain long-chain fatty acid combinations on the ruminal microbe species relating to fermentation type in vitro

Abstract

This experiment was conducted to investigate the effects of certain long-chain fatty acid combinations on ruminal microbial community in vitro. Three cows fitted with permanent ruminal cannulas were used to provide rumen liquor for the in vitro trail. The treatments were fatty acid combinations of stearic acid, oleic acid, linoleic acid and linolenic acid, which respectively were group A (calcium palmitate, control), B (1.5%, 1.0%, 0.5% and 1.5%, acetic type fermentation), C (1.5%, 1.0%, 1.5% and 1.0%, propionic acid type fermentation), D (1.0%, 1.5%, 1.5% and 0.5%, butyric acid type fermentation). Three goats fitted with rumen cannula were used to provide the culture medium was collected for the measurement of the rumen microorganism in vitro culture. Culture medium was collected at 0, 3, 6, 12, 18 and 24 h. The results demonstrated that, except for Ruminococcus albus, all the other bacterial genus had significant differences between groups (P less than 0.05). The Fibrobacter succinogenes and Ruminococcusflavefaciens, Clostridium proteoclasticum and Ruminobacter amylophilus were higher in group B; Butyrivibrio fibrisolvens, Megasphaera elsdenii and Ruminococcus bromii were higher in group C; while Pseudobutyrivibrio ruminis was higher in group D. Different higher species in different treatments described above related to their fermentation type. It was also observed that, bacteria were the dominant flora in rumen and Megasphaera elsdeniiwere the dominant species in bacterial fraction no matter what the treatment is. It was therefore concluded that, certain fatty acid combinations have remarkable effects on the amount of ruminal specific bacteria species,mainly related to their fermentation type.