• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
• /
• v.22 no.1
• /
• pp.131-138
• /
• 2009

Among rumen microbes, bacteria play important roles in the biological degradation of plant fiber due to their large biomass and high activity. To maximize the utilization of fiber components such as cellulose and hemicellulose by ruminant animals, the ecology and functions of rumen bacteria should be understood in detail. Recent genome sequencing analyses of representative fibrolytic bacterial species revealed that the number and variety of enzymes for plant fiber digestion clearly differ between Fibrobacter succinogenes and Ruminococcus flavefaciens. Therefore, the mechanism of plant fiber digestion is also thought to differ between these two species. Ecology of individual fibrolytic bacterial species has been investigated using pure cultures and electron microscopy. Recent advances in molecular biology techniques complement the disadvantages of conventional techniques and allow accurate evaluation of the ecology of specific bacteria in mixed culture, even in situ and in vivo. Molecular monitoring of fibrolytic bacterial species in the rumen indicated the predominance of F. succinogenes. Nutritive interactions between fibrolytic and non-fibrolytic bacteria are important in maintaining and promoting fibrolytic activity, mainly in terms of crossfeeding of metabolites. Recent 16S rDNA-based analyses suggest that presently recognized fibrolytic species such as F. succinogenes and two Ruminococcus species with fibrolytic activity may represent only a small proportion of the total fibrolytic population and that uncultured bacteria may be responsible for fiber digestion in the rumen. Therefore, characterization of these unidentified bacteria is important to fully understand the physiology and ecology of fiber digestion. To achieve this, a combination of conventional and modern techniques could be useful.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
• /
• v.16 no.5
• /
• pp.677-684
• /
• 2003

Twenty eight multiparous lactating cows were utilized in an experiment to evaluate the response to an exogenous fibrolytic enzyme on their lactational performance during early lactation period (in terms of milk production, milk composition, feed intake, milking efficiency, body weight change) and the exact time of this response. Cows were randomized into two groups (14 each) with similar parities and were fed a concentrate ration of barley, ground corn, soybean meal, and wheat bran and roughage ration of alfalfa hay. One of the two groups was supplemented with the fibrolytic enzyme immediately after parturition up to 100 post partum. The experiment was of two phases with 50 days each. The enzyme, which has a cellulase/hemicellulase activity (derived from Trichoderma group), was added to the concentrate part of the ration in a dry powder form. Milk production, 3.5% fat corrected milk, energy corrected milk were higher (p<0.05) for cows fed treated diet. At the same time, No differences were observed in percentages of milk components, feed intake, body weight, body weight change, or rectal temperature for the whole experimental period or during any of the two phases. Efficiency of milk production was higher (p<0.05) for treatment group cows than for that of the control ones. However, efficiency was better during the second phase than during the first phase. Feeding enzyme treated diets to dairy cows improved lactational performance during early 100 day of the lactation period. However, the first 50 days of lactation looked to be the critical.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
• /
• v.23 no.8
• /
• pp.1022-1027
• /
• 2010

Effects of increasing dietary rice straw on chewing activity, ruminal fermentation, and fibrolytic enzyme activity in growing goats were investigated in a $4{\times}4$ Latin Square experiment. The goats were offered four diets with an increasing proportion of rice straw (i.e. 0.05, 0.10, 0.15 and 0.20, respectively, on dry matter basis). Increasing level of rice straw increased ($P_{linear\;effect}$ <0.05) the time spent on eating, ruminating, and chewing. The ruminal pH and acetate: propionate ratio were increased ($P_{linear\;effect}$ <0.05), while the $NH_3$-N concentration was decreased ($P_{linear\;effect}$ <0.01). Increasing level of rice straw in the diet increased ($P_{linear\;effect}{\leq}0.01$) molar proportion of acetate and isovalerate, and decreased ($P_{linear\;effect}$ <0.01) molar proportion of propionate. The CMCase, xylanase and cellobiase activities in the rumen were decreased ($P_{linear\;effect}$ <0.05) with increasing level of dietary rice straw, whereas the avicelase activity was increased ($P_{linear\;effect}$ <0.01). In summary, increased level of rice straw elevated the dietary neutral detergent fibre (NDF) content in the diet and had a great impact on chewing activity and ruminal fermentation.

• Journal of Animal Science and Technology
• /
• v.47 no.5
• /
• pp.789-804
• /
• 2005

This study was conducted to determine effects of supplementation levels of aqueous direct-fed microbials (DFM; Bacillus spp.) to TMR(exp. 1.) and aqueous DFM addition under the various ratios of starch and cellulose(exp. 2.) on ruminal fermentation and fibrolytic enzyme activity. In experiment 1, ruminal fluids taken from rumen-cannulated Holstein cows were incubated during 24 hr by using TMR as substrates. Aqueous DFM was applied at a rate of 0, 0.025 and 0.05%, respectively. The pH of 0.025% treatment was not significantly different from that of control at 6 and 9 hr, but it was significantly lower (P<0.05) than 0.05% treatment. Concentrations of ammonia-N and VFAs were not affected by supplementing aqueous DFM. The A:P ratio of 0.05% treatment was significantly increased(P<0.05) by supplementation of aqueous DFM as compared with that of control at 24 hr. Although overall fibrolytic enzyme activities were not significantly affected by supplementing aqueous DFM, CMCase(carboxymethylcellulase) activity showed significant increase(P<0.05) compared to control at 6hr. However, the xylanase activity of 0.05% treatment significantly decreased(P<0.05) at 12 hr due to the application of aqueous DFM. There was no significant difference for in vitro dry matter disappearance among treatments. In experiment 2, ruminal fluids were incubated under the condition of various ratios of starch to cellulose(90:10, 70:30, 50:50, 30:70 and 10:90) with or without aqueous DFM(0.025%). Ruminal pH was unaffected by the addition of aqueous DFM, however, as increased level of starch, ruminal pH partially showed significant decrease(P<0.05). Ammonia-N concentration was not affected by aqueous DFM and ratio of starch and cellulose. On 9 hr incubation, DFM addition at a ratio of 70:30 showed significantly (P<0.05) lower value of ammonia-N(35.65 mg/dL) than that(65.05 mg/dL) of control. Concentrations of VFAs were significantly increased(P<0.05) by aqueous DFM addition compared with control at the same ratio on 6 hr incubation. The overall CMCase activity was not affected by aqueous DFM addition. However, the xylanase activity by aqueous DFM partially showed significant differences at the ratios of 90:10, 30:70 and 10:90. Our results indicated that supplementation of aqueous DFM did not significantly improve in vitro fermentation and fibrolytic enzyme activity. In addition, the DFM utilized in this study did not show consistent results by having various effects on ruminal fermentation under different feeding regimens.

• The Korean Journal of Mycology
• /
• v.35 no.2
• /
• pp.85-95
• /
• 2007

This study was carried out to investigate the physiological activities of the ethanol extract from Gymnopilus spectabilis mycelium (EGM) and of the supernatant obtained from fermentation broth (SGB). The contents of polysaccharides, phenol compounds and total ${\beta}-glucans$ of EGM were found to be 80.14%, 3.5 mg/ml and 5.91%, respectively and those for SGB were 78.68%, 3.32 mg/ml and 3.28%, respectively. Both EGM and SGB exhibited dose-dependent nitrate-scavenging abilities at pH 1.2. In addition, both EGM and SGB on the autoxidation rate of the linoleic acid demonstrated powerful antioxidant activities at 1 mg/ml level. With respect to fibrolytic activity, EGM showed 1,180 unit/g, which was the same activity as streptokinase, while SGB was 1,011 unit/g. The angiotensin converting enzyme inhibition activity of EMG determined by both the normal and pretreatment methods were estimated to be 8.2% and 10.2%, respectively. However, SGB showed no corresponding activity. The growth inhibitory effects of EGM on AGS, A549, HeLa and NCTC cells were over 58.88%, respectively. And the growth inhibitory effects of the SGB on HeLa and NCTC cells were 44.92 and 76.76%, respectively. Also, EGM and SGB activated the components of the alternative complement pathway from 51 and 62% at the concentration of 100 mg/ml, The xanthine oxidase inhibition activities of EGM and SGB (1 mg/ml) were 9.53 and 16.92%, respectively.

• Journal of Animal Science and Technology
• /
• v.46 no.5
• /
• pp.763-772
• /
• 2004

The patterns of fungal growth and fiber digestion under the microscope, and tile productions of fibrolytic enzyme were studied in an in vitro culture with Neocallimastix frontalis SA when either filter paper or rice straw was provided as sole energy source. Under the microscopic observation, active zoospores attachment, sporangium development and complex rhizoidal system were founded on the surface and at the edge of filter paper. After 7 days of incubation, a reduced fiber mass, a decreased fiber cohesion and a weakened fiber structure by fungal digestion were clearly observed. Similar fungal development was observed with rice straw, but fungal growth and digestion took place mostly on the damaged and exposed portion of rice straw. Although there were some differences in absolute concentration and pattern, the concentration of both cellulase and xylanase increased with incubation time with the higher activity being obtained with filter paper. Their differences were large especially after 48 and 96hr of incubation(P< 0.05). The filter paper was more good inducer of cellulolytic and xylanolytic enzymes compared with complex substrate, rice straw. These findings suggest that the filter paper is the better energy source for N frontalis than the complex substrate, and structural disintegration by physical process is able to help rumen fungal growth on the lignified roughage although anaerobic rumen fungi have mechanical and enzymatic functions for fiber digestion.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
• /
• v.24 no.3
• /
• pp.379-385
• /
• 2011

Ferulic acid esterase (FAE) and acetyl esterase (AE) cleave feruloyl groups substituted at the 5'-OH group of arabinosyl residues and acetyl groups substituted at O-2/O-3 of the xylan backbone, respectively, of arabinoxylans in the cell wall of grasses. In this study, the enzyme profiles of FAE, AE and polysaccharide hydrolases of the anaerobic rumen fungus Neocallimastix sp. YQ1 grown on Chinese wildrye grass hay (CW) or alfalfa hay (AH) were investigated by two $2{\times}4$ factorial experiments, each in 10-day pure cultures. The treatments consisted of two glucose levels ($G^+$: glucose at 1.0 g/L, $G^-$: no glucose) and four N sources (N1: 1.0 g/L yeast extract, 1.0 g/L tryptone and 0.5 g/L $(NH_4)_2SO_4$; N2: 2.8 g/L yeast extract and 0.5 g/L $(NH_4)_2SO_4$; N3: 1.6 g/L tryptone and 0.5 g/L $(NH_4)_2SO_4$; N4: 1.4 g/L tryptone and 1.7 g/L yeast extract) in defined media. The optimal combinations of glucose level and N source for the fungus on CW, instead of AH, were $G^-N4$ and $G^-N3$ for maximum production of FAE and AE, respectively. Xylanase activity peaked on day 4 and day 6 for the fungus grown on CW and AH, respectively. The activities of esterases were positively correlated with those of xylanase and carboxymethyl cellulase. The fungus grown on CW exhibited a greater volatile fatty acid production than on AH with a greater release of ferulic acid from plant cell wall.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
• /
• v.18 no.10
• /
• pp.1435-1439
• /
• 2005

Bacterio-mineral water (BMW) produced from manure has been known to exert a number of positive effects on animal production and odor control. An experiment was conducted to examine the effects of BMW produced from bio-reacted swine manure on in vitro gas production, cellulose degradation, microbial growth and fibrolytic enzyme activities of mixed rumen microorganisms. The five levels of 0, 0.001, 0.005, 0.01 and 1.0% BMW were supplemented into serum vials containing mixed rumen microorganisms. Incubations were carried out anaerobically at $39^{\circ}C$ without shaking for 0, 12, 24, 48, 72 and 96 h. There were no significant (p>0.05) differences among the treatments for the initial rate of gas production. At 72 h incubation, the gas production tended (p<0.1) to be increased by the 0.01 and 1.0% BMW treatments compared with control and the 0.001% BMW treatment. At the end of incubation (96 h), the sample supplemented with 0.01% BMW was higher (p<0.05) than control (0% BMW) in the gas production. The microbial growth rate was increased by all the BMW treatments, while 0.01% BMW was most effective in stimulating the growth rate. Although the addition of BMW on the filter paper DM degradation was not significantly influenced throughout the incubation period except the 48 h incubation, DM degradation tended to be increased by all BMW treatments compared with control. The addition of both 0.005 and 0.01% BMW highly increased (p<0.05) CMCase activity compared with control after 24 h and 48 h incubation, while at the 72 h incubation the 0.01% BMW addition only significantly increased (p<0.05). After 72 h incubation, the xylanase activity was significantly (p<0.05) increased with the addition of 1.0% BMW compared with the addition of 0.001 and 0.005% BMW, while at the other incubation times, the xylanase activity was not different among the treatments. In conclusion, the 0.01% BMW of supplementation level would be the suitable addition level to stimulate rumen fermentation increasing microbial growth and cellulose degradation.

• Journal of Animal Science and Technology
• /
• v.48 no.3
• /
• pp.415-424
• /
• 2006

The purpose of this study was to investigate the fungal growth and enzyme production under different carbohydrate substrate conditions. The anaerobic fungus Neocallimastix sp. NLRI-3 isolated from the rumen of Korean native goat was incubated with different carbohydrate media containing 0.2% of glucose, starch, rice straw, filter paper, carboxymethyl cellulose(CMC), Sigmacell cellulose, xylan or xylose, respectively. The culture head gas production was the highest in the culture of filter paper medium, and the lowest in the culture of CMC medium at 96h incubation (P<0.05). The fungal zoospore production reached peak at 72h incubation, and its number was the highest in rice straw medium among the treatments (P<0.05). At 96h incubation, carboxymethyl cellulase(CMCase) activity was the highest in the culture of filter paper medium and the lowest in the culture of starch medium (P<0.05). While xylanase activity was the highest in the culture of rice straw medium and the lowest in the culture of xylose medium(P<0.05) at 72h incubation. There were no differences in culture supernatant protein expression among the treatments. However, the patterns of enzyme expression were different among the treatments with zymogram analysis. Six CMCases and 4 xylanase were detected from the results of zymogram analysis. Therefore the present study indicating that the fungal enzyme expression could be stimulated with insoluble substrates in the culture medium.

• Journal of Animal Science and Technology
• /
• v.45 no.6
• /
• pp.1019-1030
• /
• 2003

The study was conducted to isolate and identify highly fibrolytic anaerobic fungi from the guts of a Hanwoo steer and a Korean native goat, and then investigate the characterization of cellulolytic activity of an anaerobic fungus. Twenty-one anaerobic fungal colonies were isolated in the study, in which 16 colonies were isolated from the rumen contents of the Hanwoo steer and 5 colonies from the duodenal fluids of the Korean native goat. Four anaerobic fungi were selected based on higher cellulolytic enzyme activities to identify under a optical microscope. NLRI-M003 and -T004 belong to Neocallimastix genus and NLRI-M014 belongs to Piromyces genus based on the morphology of their thallus, sporangia, rhizoid and the number of flagella. NLRI-M001 appeared to be an unknown strain of anaerobic fungi due to its different morphology from existing types of anaerobic fungi, though the morpholgoy is similar to Orpinomyces sp. Supplementation of 2% anaerobic fungal culture(NLRI-M003) in rumen-mixed microorganisms increased in vitro DM degradability of rice straw and filter paper up to 4 and 11%, respectively, compared with non-supplementation(control). CMCase and xylanase activities in in vitro culture were also higher in 2% fungal supplementation than controls in both rice straw and filter paper substrates.