• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.9 no.5
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• pp.557-562
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• 1996

The effects of diets differing in protein content through soybean meal supplementation on ruminal fractionation of selenium (Se) were studied. A $3{\times}3$ Latin square design was used with three Japanese Corriedale wethers (45 kg average body weight), three periods, and three dietary treatment. The three dietary treatments were : Diet 1, without soybean meal supplementation (14% crude protein, CP); Diet 2, with 10% soybean meal supplementation (16.5% CP); and Diet 3, with 20% soybean meal supplementation (19% CP). All the diets had a Se supplementation in the form of sodium selenite at 0.2 mg Se/kg dietary DM. The Se supplement and the concentrate mixture were fed only in the morning before the hay was given. Daily feeding schedule for gay was set at 09:00 and 17:00 h. On the final day of collection period, ruminal fluid samples were obtained at 0.5, 2, 6, 12 and 24 h post-feeding starting at 09:00 h. Total ruminal fluid Se was markedly higher (p<0.05) in Diet 3 than those in Diets 1 and 2 at almost all sampling time except at 24 h. The proportion of Se in soluble protein to the total ruminal Se was higher (p< 0.05) in Diet 3 (40%) followed by Diet 2 (28%) and Diet 1 (21%). The proportion of free inorganic Se to the total ruminal Se was the reverse, especially after two hours where Diet 1 (p<0.05) was higher than the other diets. Bacterial Se was lower (p < 0.05) in Diet 1 than those in Diets 2 and 3 at any sampling time. The highest was observed at 2 h postprandially in all diets with a value of 421, 556, $655{\mu}g/kg$ bacterial DM for Diet 1, 2 and 3, respectively. No differences (p>0.05) were observed on ruminal pH, ammonia and total nolatile fatty acids although increasing protein supplementation tended to decline the ruminal pH and increase ruminal ammonia. This study concludes that increasing dietary protein content by soybean meal supplementation can affect the ruminal Se metabolism.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.10 no.5
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• pp.460-470
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• 1997

On an absolute straw diet, the effect of graded levels of green grass supplementation on intake, nutrient digestibility, rumen fermentation pattern and microbial N yield has been studied in cattle. Of the two trials conducted, 16 intact growing bulls of 304 kg weight and 32 months old, randomly allocated to four treatments in a completely randomized design in the 1st trial. While, in the, 2nd trial, four rumen cannulated local bulls of about 60 months old and 400 kg weight were used in a $4{\times}4$ Latin square design with four treatments in four periods. In both the trials, in addition to a mineral mixture, animals were supplemented with graded levels of naturally grown green grass of 0 kg (T1), 2 kg (T2), 4 kg (T3) or 6 kg (T4) to an ad libitum rice straw diet In the 1st trial, measurements were made on intake digestibility, growth rate, N balance and microbial N yield. While in the 2nd trial, in addition to the above parameters (except growth rate), rumen parameters were also studied. All levels of grass supplementation decreased the straw DM intake and increased the substitution rate. The rumen $NH_3-N$ concentration increased with the increase in grass level and ranges from 8-46 mg/l. The rumen pH and the rate and extent of DM degradability of straw were not affeceted by different rumen environments created by different levels of grass inclusion. At 48 h, straw DM degradability were 42, 44, 44 and 43% respectively for 0, 2, 4 and 6 kg grass supplementation daily. The whole gut digestibilities of DM, OM and ADF increased significantly (p < 0.05) only at 6 kg level daily. The microbial N yield was not affected by the levels of grass supplemented. The mean microbial N yield was 10 (SD 3.7) g/kg DOM apparently fermented in the rumen. The estimated minimum N loss and thus the maintenance requirement of tissue protein was 303 mg/kg $W^{0.75}/d$. All the animals lost live weight but 6 kg grass supplementation gave positive energy and N balances. Small amount of green grass supplementation is often recommended for optimization of rumen environment of a straw diet However, under the present experimental condition, no such beneficiary effect observed up to 6 kg (26% of DM intake) level of supplementation.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.38-41
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• 2005

An experiment was conducted on 3 male rumen fistulated adult buffaloes fed on wheaten straw and concentrate mixture in a Latin square design to study the impact of niacin supplementation on rumen metabolites. Three animals were fed wheaten straw+concentrate mixture (group I, control), wheaten straw+concentrate mixture+100 ppm niacin (group II), and wheaten straw +concentrate mixture+200 ppm niacin (group III). After 21 days feeding, rumen liquor was drawn for 3 consecutive days at different time intervals (0, 2, 4, 6 and 8 h) to study the various rumen metabolites i.e., rumen pH, ammonia-N, total-N, trichloroacetic acid precipitable-N, non-protein nitrogen, total volatile fatty acids, their fractions and number of protozoa. Mean pH values in strained rumen liquor (SRL) of animals in 3 groups were 6.64, 6.71 and 6.67, indicating no statistically significant difference. Results revealed a significant (p<0.01) increase in TVFA concentration among the supplemented groups (group II and III) in comparison to control group. Mean TVFA concentration (meq/dl) was 9.75, 10.97 and 11.44 in 3 groups respectively. The highest concentration of TVFA was observed at 4 h and minimum at 0 h in all the 3 groups. The percentage of acetic, propionic, butyric and isobutyric acid was statistically similar among the three groups. The mean ammonia-N concentration (mg/dl SRL) was significantly (p<0.01) lower in group II (16.38) and group III (15.42) than group I (18.14). Ammonia-N concentration was higher (p<0.01) at 4 h as compared to all the time intervals. The mean total-N concentration (mg/dl SRL) was higher (p<0.01) in group II (74.16) and group III (75.47) as compared to group I (62.04). Total-N concentration was higher (p<0.01) at 4 h as compared to other time intervals and lowest value was recorded at 0 h.Concentration of TCA-ppt-N (mg/dl SRL) was significantly (p<0.01) lower in control group as compared to niacin supplemented groups. Mean value of NPN (mg/dl SRL) was significantly (p<0.01) lower in group III (23.21) as compared to group I (25.71), whereas groups I and II, and groups II and III were similar to each other. Total protozoa number (${\times}10^4$/ml SRL) ranged from 18.06 to 27.41 in group I, 20.89 to 38.44 in group II and 27.61 to 39.45 in group III. The mean protozoa number was significantly (p<0.01) higher in SRL of group II (27.60) and III (30.59) as compared to group I (22.48). It can be concluded from the study that supplementation of niacin in the diet of buffaloes had improved the rumen fermentation by decreasing the concentration of ammonia-N and increasing protein synthesis.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.561-566
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• 2008

Two experiments were conducted to evaluate nutritive value of cell mass from lysine production (CMLP) as a protein supplement for ruminants. In each experiment, animals were fed a diet containing 40% of forages and 60% of concentrates, mainly composed of rice straw and ground corn, respectively, to meet the maintenance requirements, and the diets were formulated to supply equal amounts of energy and nitrogen among treatments. In order to investigate the effect of CMLP on ruminal fermentation (Experiment 1), three Korean native goats weighing $26.1{\pm}1.4kg$ were allotted into individual cages with a $3{\times}3$ Latin square design. Each animal was fed one of three protein sources (CMLP, soybean meal (SBM), and urea). Rumen pH, bacterial and fungal counts, volatile fatty acid concentrations and acetate to propionate ratio were not significantly different among treatments. Concentration of propionate, however, was higher in SBM treatment (14.1 mM) than in CMLP (8.7 mM) or urea (9.3 mM) treatments. There was significantly more branch-chain volatile fatty acid production in CMLP (1.9 mM) and SBM (1.8 mM) treatments than in urea (1.3 mM) treatment. The number of protozoa was the highest in urea treatment, followed by CMLP and SBM treatment with significant differences. A metabolic trial (Experiment 2) was conducted to measure in vivo nutrient digestibility and nitrogen retention in Korean native goats fed CMLP and SBM. Two heavy ($35.0{\pm}1.2kg$) and two light ($25.0{\pm}0.9kg$) Korean native goats, caged individually, were used in this experiment. A heavy and a light animal were paired and supplemented with either CMLP or SBM. The animals fed CMLP showed a trend of lower total tract digestibility in all the nutrients measured; however, there was no statistical significance except for digestibility of ether extract. Nitrogen digestibility of CMLP was estimated to be about 7% units lower than that of SBM. There was a tendency for lower nitrogen retention in CMLP treatment (35.9%) compared to SBM treatment (42.3%). In summary, CMLP can be a good protein source for ruminant animals from nutritional and economic perspectives and may replace some, if not all, of SBM in a diet without losing nitrogen utilization efficiency. Further research is warranted for investigating the effect of CMLP fed with easily fermentable forage and the effective level of CMLP for replacing SBM.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.27 no.5
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• pp.706-716
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• 2014

A new strategy of co-inoculating Bacillus subtilis MA139 with Streptococcus thermophilus and Saccharomyces cerevisiae was used to produce fermented soybean meal (FSBM). Three experiments were conducted to determine the concentration of digestible energy (DE) and metabolizable energy (ME) (Exp. 1), apparent ileal digestibility (AID) and standardized ileal digestibility (SID) of amino acids (AA) (Exp. 2), and feeding value (Exp. 3) of FSBM produced by this new strategy (NFSB) compared with soybean meal (SBM) and conventionally available FSBM (Suprotein). In Exp. 1, twenty-four barrows (initial body weight [BW] of $32.2{\pm}1.7kg$) were randomly allotted to 1 of 4 diets with 6 replicates per diet. A corn basal diet and 3 diets based on a mixture of corn and 1 of 3 soybean products listed above were formulated and the DE and ME contents were determined by the difference method. The results showed that there were no differences in DE and ME between SBM and either FSBM product (p>0.05). In Exp. 2, eight barrows (initial BW of $26.8{\pm}1.5kg$) were fitted with ileal T-cannulaes and used in a replicated $4{\times}4$ Latin square design. Three corn-starch-based diets were formulated using each of the 3 soybean products as the sole source of AA. A nitrogen-free diet was also formulated to measure endogenous losses of AA. The results showed that the SID of all AA except arginine and histidine was similar for NFSB and SBM (p>0.05), but Suprotein had greater (p<0.05) SID of most AA except lysine, aspartate, glycine and proline than NFSB. In Exp. 3, a total of 144 piglets (initial BW of $8.8{\pm}1.2$ kg) were blocked by weight and fed 1 of 4 diets including a control diet with 24% SBM as well as diets containing 6% and 12% NFSB or 12% Suprotein added at the expense of SBM. During d 15 to 28, replacing SBM with 6% NFSB significantly improved average daily gain (ADG) and average daily feed intake (ADFI) (p<0.05) for nursery piglets. During the overall experiment, ADG of piglets fed diets containing 6% NFSB was significantly greater (p<0.05) than that of piglets fed SBM. In conclusion, fermentation with the new strategy did not affect the energy content or the AID and the SID of AA in SBM. However, inclusion of 6% NFSB in diets fed to nursery piglets improved performance after weaning likely as a result of better nutritional status and reduced immunological challenge.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.15 no.3
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• pp.390-395
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• 2002

Two experiments were conducted to study the performance and carcass characteristics of Hanwoo (Korean native beef cattle) steers (Experiment 1) and the nutrient digestibility of sheep (Experiment 2) when the animals fed diets containing four levels of dried wormwood (Artemisia sp.). For both experiments the animals were given a basal diet consisting of rice straw and concentrate mixed at 3:7 ratio (on DM basis). In Experiment 1, the treatments were designed as a completely randomized design with two feeding periods. Steers were allotted in one of four dietary treatments, which were designed to progressively substitute dried wormwood for 0, 3, 5 and 10% of the rice straw in the basal diet. Bodyweight gain and average daily gain (ADG) of Hanwoo steers fed diets containing the 5 and 10% wormwood inclusion were greater (p<0.05) than the 3% wormwood-feeding group. Total and daily intakes of roughage and concentrate were not altered by all levels of dried wormwood inclusion. However, the 10% dried wormwood inclusion led to increased total feed intake (p<0.05) compared with that of the 0 and 3% of dried wormwood inclusion. Carcass weight, carcass yield and backfat thickness were not altered by dried wormwood inclusion. The highest level of dried wormwood inclusion resulted in significantly increased (p<0.05) loin-eye area compared with the 0 and 5% levels of dried wormwood inclusion. Experiment 2 was designed by a $4{\times}4$ Latin square with four periods. Sheep were allocated in one of four dietary treatments as same as in Experiment 1. Digestibilities of DM and TDN were significantly increased (p<0.05) in sheep fed the diet containing all three levels of dried wormwood inclusion compared with the control treatment. Digestibilities of CP and crude fiber in the 5% dried wormwood inclusion highly increased (p<0.05) up to 8.2 and 5.5% respectively relative to the control treatment. The palatability was significantly improved (p<0.05) by the 5% dried wormwood inclusion compared with the control treatment. It is concluded that feeding diets containing dried wormwood substituted for equal weights of rice straw at 5 and 10% levels would be anticipated to provide better quality roughage for beef cattle production and higher income for beef cattle producers.

• Journal of The Korean Society of Grassland and Forage Science
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• v.40 no.4
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• pp.244-250
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• 2020

This study investigated the effects of silage additives on rumen fermentation characteristics of rye silage. Rye was harvested at ripening stage and treated with different additives in quadruplicate following: without additive (control), with either lactic acid bacteria inoculant (LAB), formic acid (FA), or Ca-formate (Ca-FA). Overall, ensiling characteristics of FA and Ca-FA silages contained 4-fold more (P<0.05) butyrate and 2-fold more (P<0.05) NH3-N concentration (% total nitrogen) than those of control and LAB silages. Cows fed LAB silage showed a diurnal trend with the highest values of propionate concentration compared to the control at 1, 2 and 3 hr after feeding. In contrast, FA and Ca-FA silages increased the proportion of butyrate significantly (P<0.05) at all sampling times compared to control and LAB silage. In conclusion, Forage rye treated with FA or Ca-FA showed different fermentation characteristics during ensilage and in the rumen compared to LAB silage. Further studies are needed to evaluate whether different fermentation characteristics in the rumen between LAB and FA silages had effect on partitioning of nutrients between milk production and body tissue.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.25 no.10
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• pp.1364-1373
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• 2012

Four crossbred (75% Holstein Friesian) lactating dairy cows, with an average live weight of $418{\pm}5$ kg and $36{\pm}10$ d in milk were randomly assigned according to a $2{\times}2$ factorial arrangement in a $4{\times}4$ Latin square design to evaluate the effects of cassava hay (CH) and rice bran oil (RBO) on feed intake, nutrient digestibility, ruminal fermentation, milk yield, and milk composition. Factor A was non-supplementation or supplementation with CH in the concentrate. Factor B was supplementation with RBO at 0% or 4% in the concentrate mixture. The four dietary treatments were (T1) control (Concentrate with non-CH plus 0% RBO; C), (T2) Concentrate with CH plus 0% RBO (CH), (T3) Concentrate with non-CH plus 4% RBO (RBO), and (T4) Concentrate with CH plus 4% RBO (CHRBO). The cows were offered concentrate, at a ratio of concentrate to milk production of 1:2, and urea-lime treated rice straw was fed ad libitum. Urea-lime treated rice straw involved 2.5 g urea and 2.5 g $Ca(OH)_2$ (purchased as hydrated lime) in 100 ml water, the relevant volume of solution was sprayed onto a 100 g air-dry (91% DM) straw, and then covering the stack with a plastic sheet for a minimum of 10 d before feeding directly to animals. The CH based concentrate resulted in significantly higher roughage intake and total DM intake expressed as a percentage of BW (p<0.05). Ruminal pH, $NH_3$-N, BUN and total VFA did not differ among treatments, while RBO supplementation increased propionate, but decreased acetate concentration (p<0.05). Furthermore, the population of total ruminal bacteria was significantly lower on the RBO diet (p<0.05). In contrast, the total ruminal bacteria and cellulolytic bacteria on the CH diet were higher than on the other treatments. Supplementation with CH increased (p<0.05) F. succinogens and R. flavefaciens populations, whereas the populations of B. fibrisolvens and M. elsdenii were increased on the RBO diet. In addition, supplementation with CH and RBO had no effect on milk production and composition in dairy cows, while fatty acid composition of milk was influenced by RBO supplementation, and resulted in significantly lower (p<0.05) concentrations of both short-chain and medium-chain FA, and increased (p<0.05) the proportion of long-chain FA in milk fat, as well as significantly increased cis-9, trans-11 CLA and total CLA. In conclusion, RBO or CH exhibited specific effects on DMI, rumen fermentation, microbial population, milk yield and composition in lactating dairy cows, which were not interactions between CH and RBO in the diets. Feeding lactating dairy cows with RBO could improve fatty acid in milk fat by increasing cis-9, trans-11 CLA.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.29 no.8
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• pp.1111-1119
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• 2016

Mao seed is a by-product of the wine and juice industry, which could be used in animal nutrition. The current study was designed to determine the effect of supplementation of mao (Antidesma thwaitesianum Muell. Arg.) seed meal (MOSM) containing condensed tannins (CT) on rumen fermentation, nitrogen (N) utilization and microbial protein synthesis in goats. Four crossbred (Thai Native${\times}$Anglo Nubian) goats with initial body weight (BW) $20{\pm}2kg$ were randomly assigned to a $4{\times}4$ Latin square design. The four dietary treatments were MOSM supplementation at 0%, 0.8%, 1.6%, and 2.4% of total dry matter (DM) intake, respectively. During the experimental periods, all goats were fed a diet containing roughage to concentrate ratio of 60:40 at 3.0% BW/d and pangola grass hay was used as a roughage source. Results showed that supplementation with MOSM did not affect feed intake, nutrient intakes and apparent nutrient digestibility (p>0.05). In addition, ruminal pH and ammonia nitrogen ($NH_3$-N) were not influenced by MOSM supplementation, whilst blood urea nitrogen was decreased quadraticly (p<0.05) in goats supplemented with MOSM at 2.4% of total DM intake. Propionate was increased linearly with MOSM supplementation, whereas acetate and butyrate were remained the same. Moreover, estimated ruminal methane ($CH_4$) was decreased linearly (p<0.05) when goats were fed with MOSM at 1.6% and 2.4% of total DM intake. Numbers of bacteria and protozoa were similar among treatments (p>0.05). There were linear decreases in urinary N (p<0.01) and total N excretion (p<0.01) by MOSM supplementation. Furthermore, N retention was increased linearly (p<0.05) when goats were fed with MOSM supplementation at 1.6% and 2.4% of total DM intake. Microbial protein synthesis were not significantly different among treatments (p>0.05). From the current study, it can be concluded that supplementation of MOSM at 1.6% to 2.4% of total DM intake can be used to modify ruminal fermentation, especially propionate and N utilization in goats, without affecting the nutrient digestibility, microbial populations and microbial protein synthesis.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.26 no.7
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• pp.961-970
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• 2013

Eight multiparous Holstein cows ($569{\pm}47$ kg of BW; $84{\pm}17$ DIM) were used to evaluate the effects of different levels of coarsely ground wheat (CGW) as replacements for ground corn (GC) in diets on feed intake and digestion, ruminal fermentation, lactation performance, and plasma metabolites profiles in dairy cows. The cows were settled in a replicated $4{\times}4$ Latin square design with 3-wk treatment periods; four cows in one of the replicates were fitted with rumen cannulas. The four diets contained 0, 9.6, 19.2, and 28.8% CGW and 27.9, 19.2, 9.6, and 0% GC on dry matter (DM) basis, respectively. Increasing dietary levels of CGW, daily DM intake tended to increase quadratically (p = 0.07); however, apparent digestibility of neutral detergent fiber (NDF) and acid detergent fiber (ADF) were significantly decreased (p<0.01) in cows fed the 28.8% CGW diets. Ruminal pH remained in the normal physiological range for all dietary treatments at all times, except for the 28.8% CGW diets at 6 h after feeding; moreover, increasing dietary levels of CGW, the daily mean ruminal pH decreased linearly (p = 0.01). Increasing the dietary levels of CGW resulted in a linear increase in ruminal propionate (p<0.01) and ammonia nitrogen ($NH_3$-N) (p = 0.06) concentration, while ruminal acetate: propionate decreased linearly (p = 0.03) in cows fed the 28.8% CGW diets. Milk production was not affected by diets; however, percentage and yield of milk fat decreased linearly (p = 0.02) when the level of CGW was increased. With increasing levels of dietary CGW, concentrations of plasma beta-hydroxybutyric acid (BHBA) (p = 0.07) and cholesterol (p<0.01) decreased linearly, whereas plasma glucose (p = 0.08), insulin (p = 0.02) and urea nitrogen (p = 0.02) increased linearly at 6 h after the morning feeding. Our results indicate that CGW is a suitable substitute for GC in the diets of dairy cows and that it may be included up to a level of 19.2% of DM without adverse effects on feed intake and digestion, ruminal fermentation, lactation performance, and plasma metabolites if the cows are fed fiber-sufficient diets.