Sacco Digestibility Research Articles

Composition and digestibility of beet pulp with and without molasses and dried using three methods

This study compared the effects of drying on beet pulp with and without added molasses by measuring the in sacco digestibility and composition including fiber polysaccharides and minerals. Beet pulp was sampled before and after the addition of molasses from four different sugar processing plants within California. These samples were sub-sampled and then sun-, freeze-, or air-dried. The percentage molasses in the beet pulp with added molasses averaged about 27%. After glucose, arabinose was the second most prevalent sugar in the neutral non-starch polysaccharides. Molasses addition did not result in a significant change in the crude protein, ether extract, TDN, ribose, or Mg content. Fiber components, other minerals, and neutral detergent fiber (NDF) residues were significantly different in beet pulp with versus without molasses. However, the NDF residues remaining at 24 h in sacco fermentation time differed by less than three percentage units. Method of drying affected NDF, acid detergent fiber (ADF), crude protein in NDF and ADF, ribose, mannose, and pectin content of beet pulp but the differences were small and probably not biologically important. Although the NDF residues remaining in beet pulp were lowest for freeze-dried and highest for sun-dried at all fermentation times, they were only significantly different at 6 h. Sun-dried beet pulp NDF residues remaining at 6 and 12 h of fermentation were significantly higher than freeze-dried beet pulp. Drying had little affect on other components measured. Results from this experiment suggest the nutritional characteristics of sun-dried beet pulp are generally similar to wet beet pulp.

Evaluation of a Nonstarch Polysaccharidase Feed Enzyme in Dairy Cow Diets

The objective of this study was to evaluate a commercial feed enzyme product (Natugrain 33-L; BASF Corporation, Ludwigshafen, Germany) used mainly in poultry diets for use in ruminant diets. The product contained mainly β-glucanase, xylanase, and endocellulase activities. The study was conducted as a double 3 × 3 Latin square design with six lactating dairy cows (84±12 DIM) to measure intake, chewing activities, total tract digestion, and milk production. An additional three cows fitted with ruminal cannulae were used to measure dietary effects on ruminal fermentation and in sacco digestion characteristics. Cows received a diet consisting of 45% forage containing 0, 1.22, or 3.67L of enzyme product/tonne of total mixed ration (DM basis). Using a low or high concentration of enzyme supplementation increased feed intake, but total tract digestibility only increased with the low concentration of enzyme. As a result, intake of digestible nutrients was increased to a greater extent for cows fed the low concentration than for cows fed the high concentration. Because the cows used in this experiment were in positive energy balance, increased intake of digestible energy due to enzyme supplementation did not increase milk yield or milk component yield. Further research is necessary to determine the mechanism by which adding a fibrolytic enzyme mixture enhanced intake, but only increased feed digestion when used at a low level.

In vitro and in sacco digestibility of wheat straw treated with calcium oxide and sodium hydroxide alone or with hydrogen peroxide

A series of five factorial experiments examined the effects of sodium hydroxide (NaOH) and calcium oxide (CaO) alone or together with hydrogen peroxide (H 2O 2, 27.5% w/w) at pH of about 11.5 (AHP) on in vitro (IVDMD) and in sacco (ISDMD) dry matter digestibility of wheat straw. The effects of different temperatures (20°C, 40°C and 60°C), various times (2, 3, 4, 6 and 27 h), pre-soaking, filtration and washing on the efficacy of the above levels of chemicals in improving IVDMD and ISDMD were tested in separate experiments. AHP improved IVDMD ( P<0.001) of straws when pH was regulated to around 11.5 using NaOH. In contrast, AHP was ineffective or depressive ( P<0.001) when CaO was used to regulate pH to around 11.5. However, CaO alone increased IVDMD to a similar extent as did NaOH. Washing, filtration and temperature were ineffective in improving the IVDMD of CaO-treated straw. AHP was most effective when 130 g H 2O 2 was applied to each kg DM of straw after soaking it with 3 l solution containing 80 g NaOH for a period of 27 h. The nutritional value of low quality forages can be enhanced for ruminants by using alkalis provided conditions as described above are maintained during alkali treatments.

Composition, digestibility and rumen degradability of crab meal

The nutritive value of dried shellfish waste (referred to as crab meal) produced in New Brunswick in the mid-1980s was evaluated by physical, chemical and biological assays. Typically the crab meal was high in ash content (about 50%), consisting mainly of calcium carbonate and contained about 20% chitin, 25% crude protein (CP) and less than 2% lipid material. The meal could be separated by screening into a coarse fraction high in ash and chitin and a fine fraction lower in ash and higher in CP. Although the reactivity rate of crab meal ash was not as high as that of similar sized limestone particles (42 vs. 30.4 min for particles that passed a 500-μm screen but were retained on a 300-μm screen), it was high enough to suggest crab meal could be a useful rumen buffer. The CP of crab meal was highly resistant to degradation in the rumen in sacco. Less than 18% of the crab meal CP disappeared from bags suspended in the rumen for 24 h, compared with more than 87% for soybean meal and full-fat canola seed. The digestibility of crab meal dry matter by sheep was only 34.3 ± 3.7%, but the CP digestibility was 69.6 ± 4.1%. The chemical and physical attributes assayed and the results of the in sacco and sheep digestibility trials all suggest that crab meal should be a useful supplement for diets low in digestible undergraded protein. However its inclusion in a supplement for beef calves fed legume silage resulted in lower feed consumption and rate of gain (P &lt; 0.01). Feeding soybean meal or full-fat canola resulted in a significant increase (P &lt; 0.01) in feed efficiency, compared with calves fed the control and crab meal supplements. It was concluded that crab meal produced in New Brunswick would be a useful supplement for beef cattle if problems of palatability could be overcome. Key words: Crab meal, rumen degradability, digestibility, protein, palatability

Effects of chemical treatments of barley straw on leaching, and digestibility by rumen fluid and cellulolytic bacteria

Effects of chemical treatments on in sacco and in vitro digestibility of barley straw by rumen fluid and pure cultures of celluloytic bacteria were studied to evaluate the pretreatment and to improve the poor quality feed. Chemicals were applied by dissolving them in water equivalent to 40% of the weight of the straw (dry matter basis). Pretreatment with 5% NaOH yielded the largest increase in sacco digestion followed by pretreatment with 2% (NH4)2SO3, 2.6% NH4OH, 1.6% NaHSO3 and untreated straw (control). In sacco dry matter digestibility of straw treated with NaOH and (NH4)2SO3 continued to increase as the concentration of chemical increased (1 to 7.5%), as it was the in vitro dry matter loss by leaching. Treatment of barley straw with 5% NaOH enhanced significantly (p<0.01) in vitro digestibility by rumen fluid, Fibrobacter succinogenes and Ruminococcus albus though the fermentation products by celluloytic bacteria were low, whereas the treatment with 5% (NH4)2SO3 inhibited in vitro digestibility by F. succinogenes and R. albus together with lower fermentation products. Dry matter loss by leaching and bacterial digestion from barley straw treated with NaOH and (NH4)2SO3 suggested the effect of pretreatment with these chemicals were based on leaching, and the celluloytic bacteria had little to do with digestion.

Effects of different forms of polyunsaturated fatty acids on rumen fermentation and total nutrient digestibility of sheep fed prairie hay based diets

Four rumen cannulated sheep were used in a 4 × 4 Latin square design to investigate the effects of soy fatty acid infusion on ruminal fermentation, in sacco digestion and apparent total digestibility. The control diet (C) based on 78.0% prairie hay, 5.3% protein supplement and 16.7% whole barley, was compared to diets where soy oil (SO), emulsified soy oil (ESO) or calcium salts of soy oil fatty acids (CaSSO) replaced whole barley. Diets were formulated to be isonitrogenous and isoenergetic. Fat content in DM was 2.9% for diet C, 8.3 to 9.0% for supplemented diets. In sacco degradation of DM, ADF and NDF was not affected by lipid infusions during the first 24 h in the rumen. Total VFA and molar proportion of butyrate in prefeeding rumen fluid were lower with the SO diet compared with diet C: 53.3 vs. 81.6 mmol/1 and 10.7 vs. 14.8%, respectively. Adding SO or ESO depressed apparent digestibilities of OM, ADF and NDF by 8.8 to 9.0%; depression of fiber digestion was reversed with diet CaSSO. Fat infusion increased total dietary lipid digestibility particularly with emulsifiers, 60.0, 73.9, 81.5 and 68.3% for diets C, SO, ESO and CaSSO, respectively. Calcium salts of polyunsaturated fatty acids were an effective energy source for ruminant rations.

Effects of 3 chemical treatments on in vitro fermentation of rice straw by mixed rumen microbes in the presence or absence of anaerobic rumen fungi.

Rice straw (Rs) was treated by a sodium chlorite/acetic acid mixture (Sct), ammoniation (At) and alkaline hydrogen peroxide (Athp) methods. The objective was to compare their degradation and fermentation products in the presence or suppression of anaerobic fungi. Significant differences (P < 0.01) in degradation of straws were observed during all periods of incubation with Sct having the highest digestibilities during the 48-h and 72-h incubations. The degradation of Sct straw was highest in both of the incubations with whole rumen fluid (WRF) and WRF plus cycloheximide. In sacco digestion followed the order of Sct > At > Rs > Athp. Suppressing fungal activity with cycloheximide resulted in a decrease in dry matter degradation, with concomitant decrease in total volatile fatty-acid concentration. While the suppression of fungal activity with cycloheximide depressed acetate and butyrate production, it favored an increase in propionate production.

Effects of four cereal grains on intake and ruminal digestion of harvested forage by beef steers

Effects of grain supplements on intake and digestion of roughage diets have been studied extensively, but studies comparing these effects among different grains are limited. Our experiment compared the effects of four cereal grains on roughage intake and ruminal digestion. Five separately penned ruminally cannulated beef steers (average body weight (BW) 194 kg) were used in a 5 × 5 Latin square design; treatments included prairie hay, or prairie hay plus supplemental barley, corn, sorghum or wheat. Each grain was dry rolled and fed to provide 0.25% BW as starch to a basal diet of prairie hay (in vitro organic matter digestibility, 56 g 100 g −1; crude protein, 10.8 g 100 g −1 of organic matter). Urea was added to grains to ensure that supplements were isonitrogenous. Grain supplementation did not affect ( P > 0.10) hay organic matter intake, although digestible organic matter intake was increased ( P < 0.10) by supplementation. Ruminal pH was not affected ( P > 0.10) by grain supplementation. Ruminal ammonia-nitrogen was increased ( P < 0.10) by grain supplements containing urea (barley, corn, and sorghum). Ruminal fluid volume and dilution rate was not affected ( P > 0.10) by grain supplementation, nor were particulate passage rate, ruminal or intestinal retention time, or gastrointestinal dry matter fill. Total tract mean retention time was decreased ( P < 0.10) by barley, corn and wheat supplementation, but unaffected ( P > 0.10) by sorghum. A treatment × sampling time interaction ( P < 0.05) was detected for proportions of ruminal acetate and propionate. Acetate was decreased ( P < 0.01) by barley and increased ( P < 0.01) by sorghum. 4 h after supplementation. At 8 h after supplementation, wheat decreased ( P < 0.10) acetate proportions, while sorghum increased acetate proportions ( P < 0.01). Propionate proportions were not affected ( P > 0.10) by treatments. Wheat supplementation increased ( P < 0.01) ruminal butyrate at 2 and 12 h after supplementation, but sorghum decreased butyrate proportions at 2, 8 and 12 h after supplementation. Barley increased ( P < 0.10) total volatile fatty acid (VFA) concentrations at 4 h after supplementation, but VFA concentrations were not affected by other grains. Grain supplementation increased ( P < 0.10) in sacco organic matter disappearance of prairie hay at 48 h of incubation. We conclude that grain supplementation, to provide 0.25% of BW as starch, did not affect hay intake adversely, and slightly increased in sacco digestion of hay organic matter. More readily fermentable grains (barley and wheat) affected ruminal VFA proportions and concentrations.

Effect of anaerobic fungi on the ruminal proteolysis in gnotobiotic lambs

The establishment of a fungal population composed of the main species usually found in ruminants in the rumen of gnotobiotic lambs did not significantly alter the in sacco digestibility of meat meal and soybean cake. The proteolytic activity of the rumen fluid against 14C-casein was not affected by the fungi. Therefore, these microorganisms probably do not play an important role in the degradation of proteins in the rumen.

In saccoDegradability and Apparent Digestibility of Horse Urine Treated Wheat Straw in Sheep and Goats

Abstract Chopped wheat straw was homogeneously mixed with horse urine (1: 1.5; N-content of urine: 5.75 g/l) and stored in airtight plastic containers for 6 months. The straw-silage was of an excellent quality, the crude protein content of urine treated straw was increased from 50 to 99 g and NDF was decreased from 856 to 733 g/kg dry matter. Three sheep and three goats were fed on diets containing untreated (320 g) or urine treated wet wheat straw (800 g) plus concentrate (500 g per animal per day). Rumen in sacco dry matter degradability (DMD) and apparent digestibility (AD) were determined Urine treatment increased significantly the washing loss (from 15.0 to 24.0% of DM) and the potential degradability (from 67.1 to 72.7%). AD of organic matter of wheat straw was increased by urine treatment from 50.4 to 56.0%. There were no significant differences in DMD and AD between sheep and goats.

Effect of grain processing on in sacco digestibility and degradability in the rumen

Effect on nylon-bag digestibility of rolling and steam-flaking as such or followed by grinding through a 1-mm screen was studied in wheat, barley and maize grains. Digestibilities of ground grains were not different, irrespective of rolling or steam-flaking, except flaked and ground barley, which was less digestible than ground barley. Rolled and flaked grains were less digestible than ground grains, except for rolled wheat which was not different from ground wheat. These results suggest that particle size due to grinding is more important than other methods of processing. Dry matter and protein degradabilities of steam-flaked grains were investigated by in sacco technique and compared with unprocessed grains. Dry matter degradability during incubation periods up to 24 h was reduced for steam-flaked wheat and barley, but increased for flaked maize. Protein degradability was lower for flaked grains.

EFFECT OF TANNINS ON THE DIGESTIBILITY OF TWO ISOSYNTHETIC STRAINS OF BIRDSFOOT TREFOIL (Lotus corniculatus L.) USING IN VITRO AND IN SACCO TECHNIQUES

Two new isosynthetic strains of birdsfoot trefoil (Lotus corniculatus L.), containing low or high concentrations of tannin, were tested using in vitro and in sacco digestibility techniques. The high tannin (HT) strain contained an average of five times more tannin on a dry matter basis, than the low tannin (LT) strain. After 24-h in vitro digestion, by a rumen inoculum, there was less (P &lt; 0.01) dry matter disappearance (45.7 vs. 54.4%) from the HT strain. Also, the development of gas pressure was lower (P &lt; 0.01) and production of volatile fatty acids less (P &lt; 0.05) with the HT strain than with the LT strain. Average dry matter loss from four replicated nylon bags was also lower (P &lt; 0.01) for the HT strain than for the LT strain after 8, 12, and 24 h of incubation in rumen. These data indicate that a LT strain of birdsfoot trefoil might improve the forage digestibility. Key words: Birdsfoot trefoil, tannin, digestibility

NUTRITIVE VALUE OF PULP MILL FIBER WASTE FOR RUMINANTS

Two experiments were conducted to determine the feeding value of pulp fiber waste (PFW) from British Columbia pulp mills. In the first experiment, PFW from 10 mills was analyzed for chemical constituents and in sacco digestion in the rumen of steers. Dry matter (DM), organic matter (OM) and lignin contents ranged from 15.6 to 35.2%, 42.5 to 96.3% and 2.2 to 50.7%, respectively. Nitrogen content was low (&lt; 0.1% N) in all samples. Neutral detergent fiber (NDF) content accounted for virtually all non-ash DM. Several PFW samples contained levels of Ca, Na, Al, Cd and Pb sufficiently high to be of concern if fed to ruminants. Five of the 10 samples of PFW surveyed contained mineral levels in a range suitable for feeding to ruminants and were observed to have 24-h in sacco digestibilities of &gt;50%. These criteria were used to determine if a particular sample of PFW was suitable as a substitute for forage. In the second experiment, steers were fed red clover-timothy silage substituted with 0, 12, 24, 36 and 48% PFW from one of the mills. Digestibility of DM, OM, acid detergent fiber (ADF) and NDF in the diets increased linearly (P &lt; 0.01) with increasing level of PFW in the diet. Digestibilities estimated by regression analysis for PFW were 79.7, 84.0, and 95.7% for DM, OM, and NDF, respectively. Voluntary intake of DM decreased linearly (P &lt; 0.05) with increasing PFW in the diet but intake of digestible DM declined only at the highest level of PFW in the diet. These results indicate that PFW from certain pulp mills can be used successfully as forage substitutes for ruminants. Keys words: Cattle, cellulosic waste, wood, digestibility, in sacco

Effects of feeding alkali-treated olive cake on intake, digestibility and rumen liquor parameters

Solvent-extracted screened olive cake (SESOC) is a very abundant lignocellulosic byproduct in the Mediterranean basin (3 million tonnes per year). It has a low digestibility (30–35% OMD) but rather high intake (100 g DM/day/W 0.75) among sheep. In the first experiment, SESOC was ensiled with different levels of sodium hydroxide and ammonia on a laboratory scale and chemical composition and in sacco digestibility determined. Maximum digestibility was achieved with 8% sodium hydroxide, and levels above 4% ammonia were not effective. In the second and third experiments, 4% sodium hydroxide-treated and pelleted SESOC and 2.5% ammonia-treated SESOC silage were given to sheep in order to determine the intake, digestibility, nitrogen balance and eating and ruminating behaviour. Pelleting of the untreated SESOC decreased the organic matter digestibility by about 6 percentage units, and significantly reduced the time spent eating and ruminating. Ammonia treatment increased the organic matter digestibility by 4 percentage units and the nitrogen retention by 6%. In a fourth experiment, 4 rumendashcannulated adult sheep received 4 rations (R1: hay, R2: untreated SESOC, R3: 4% NaOH-treated SESOC, R4: 2.5% ammonia-treated SESOC silage) in order to study the biochemical kinetics, protozoa counts, volume and rate of passage of the rumen liquid phase. Sodium hydroxide treatment increased rumen pH (6.89–7.02) and total volatile fatty acids (65–72 mM 1 −1) without any shift in the fermentation pattern. Dilution rates (0.154–0.174) were also significantly increased. Ammonia treatment increased rumen ammonia concentration by a factor of 5 and increased total volatile fatty acids concentration from 65 to 76 mM 1 −1 without any shift in the fermentation pattern or the other parameters. Neither alkali had a significant effect on protozoa counts.