• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.17 no.7
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• pp.942-946
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• 2004

This study aimed to examine the fermentation quality of a tropical Elephant grass (Pennisetum purpuereum) and temperate Italian ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum) forages ensiled additive of fermented juice of epiphytic lactic acid bacteria (LAB) and to determine what factor affects the fermentation characteristics of the crops. In both species cell walls neutral detergent fiber (NDF) and acid detergent fiber (ADF) contents in silages were consistently decreased (p<0.05) with the addition of FJLB at ensiling more then Control treatment. The FJLB additive increased number of LAB (cfu) and lactate concentration in the silages in both species. The Control treatment without additive underwent a clostridial type of fermentation with traces of propionic, iso-butyric, n-butyric acids contents with higher (p<0.01) levels of volatile basic nitrogen (VBN %TN) and had appreciable decreased of nutrient in silages. FJLB treatment improved silage nutritive value with little contents of VBN %TN, ethanol and very small amount of dry matter (DM) and hemicellulose losses (p<0.05) between 2 to 5% and 7 to 3% respectively, in Elephant grass and Italian ryegrass species. The results in this study indicates that while among the factors affecting silage fermentation butyric type of fermentation was more pronounced in tropical elephant grass compared to the temperate Italian ryegrass, FJLB additive revealed a better silage fermentation products in both species.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.20 no.6
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• pp.920-924
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• 2007

Two experiments were carried out on a laboratory scale. The first involved a study of the effect of green tea on characteristics of fermented juice of epiphytic lactic acid bacteria (FJLB). FJLB was treated with 50 g/L of green tea products as follows: new shoot powder (FJLB+N), leaf powder (FJLB+L), commercial powder (FJLB+P), sterilized new shoot powder (FJLB+SN), sterilized leaf powder (FJLB+SL) or sterilized commercial powder (FJLB+SP). FJLB without any additive was also prepared (Untreated FJLB). After incubation, the number of microorganisms in FJLB were studied. Subsequently, these FJLB were applied at 10 ml/kg to chopped rhodesgrass to study their effects on fermentation. Compared with untreated FJLB, the addition of green tea increased (p<0.05) lactic acid bacteria (LAB) and also aerobic bacteria counts in FJLB. At 60 d of ensiling, all the FJLB treated silages were well preserved, pH and butyric acid content were lower (p<0.001) and lactic acid was higher (p<0.001) than that of the control. Lactic acid content was significantly higher (p<0.001) with treated FJLB than with untreated FJLB. FJLB treated with sterilized green tea decreased (p<0.001) the pH and the lactic acid content was higher (p<0.001) than that in the unsterilized green tea silages.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.18 no.6
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• pp.807-811
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• 2005

This experiment examined the characteristics of fermented juice of epiphytic lactic acid bacteria (FJLB) prepared by the addition of glucose, sucrose and molasses as a fermentation substrate. The effect of FJLB on the fermentative quality and changes in chemical composition during fermentation of guineagrass silage were also investigated. The pH value of the silages treated with FJLB rapidly decreased, and reached to the lowest value within 7 days of start of fermentation, as compared to the control. The number of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) in the treated silages increased for the first 3 days, thereafter the number of LAB declined gradually up to the end of the experiment. Silages treated with FJLB had larger populations of LAB than the control. Ammonia-nitrogen production increased throughout the ensiling period, which in the control and no-sugar added FJLB silages were higher than the other treated silages. Lactic acid levels varied with the time of ensiling and among the silage treatments. For any sugar FJLB treated silages, the lactic acid increased initially, and then slightly reduced to less than 50 g/kg of dry matter until 49 days after ensiling, except the silage treated with glucose added FJLB. Nevertheless, lactic acid content of the control decreased constantly from the beginning of ensiling and was not found after 35 days. Moreover, acetic acid content increased throughout the ensiling period. All the FJLB treated silages had significantly (p<0.05) lower pH and ammonia-nitrogen content, while significantly (p<0.05) higher lactic acid content and V-score value compared with the control. This study confirmed that the applying of FJLB with any sugar substrate improved fermentative quality of silage.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.20 no.11
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• pp.1699-1704
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• 2007

This experiment was carried out to evaluate the effects of adding encapsulated-glucose, glucose, sorbic acid or prefermented juice of epiphytic lactic acid bacteria (FJLB) on the fermentation quality and residual mono- and disaccharide composition of Italian ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum Lam) silages. The additive treatments were as follows: (1) control (no addition), (2) encapsulated-glucose addition at 0.5% for glucose, (3) glucose addition at 1%, (4) sorbic acid addition at 0.1%, (5) FJLB addition at a theoretical application rate of $2.67{\times}10^5$ CFU (colony forming unit) $g^{-1}$, on a fresh weight basis of Italian ryegrass. Although control and encapsulated-glucose treatments had higher contents of butyric acid (33.45, 21.50 g $kg^{-1}$ DM) and ammonia-N/Total nitrogen (114.91, 87.01 g $kg^{-1}$) as compared with the other treated silages, the fermentation in all silages was clearly dominated by lactic acid. This was well indicated by the low pH (4.38-3.59), and high lactic acid/acetic acid (4.39-22.97) and lactic acid content (46.85-121.76 g $kg^{-1}$ DM). Encapsulated-0.5% glucose and glucose addition increased lactic acid/acetic acid, and significantly (p<0.05) decreased ammonia-N/total nitrogen, and the contents of butyric acid and total volatile fatty acids (VFAs) as compared with the control. However, there were higher butyric acid and lower residual mono-and di-saccharides on the two treatments as compared with sorbic acid and FJLB addition, and their utilization efficiency of water soluble carbohydrates (WSC) was lower than that of both sorbic acid and FJLB additions. Sorbic acid addition showed the lowest content of ethanol and ammonia-N/total nitrogen, and the highest content of residual fructose and total mono-and disaccharides as well as the higher lactic acid/acetic acid value. Sorbic acid addition decreased the loss of mono-and disaccharides, and inhibited the activity of clostridial and other undesirable bacteria, and greatly increased the utilization efficiency of fermentable substrates by epiphytic LAB. FJLB addition had the lowest pH value and the highest lactic acid content among all additive treatments, with the most intensive lactic acid fermentation occurring in FJLB treated silage. This resulted in the faster accumulation of lactic acid and faster pH reduction. Sorbic acid and FJLB addition depressed clostridia or other undesirable bacterial fermentation which decreased the WSC loss and saved the fermentable substrate for lactic acid fermentation.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.25 no.9
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• pp.1248-1254
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• 2012

The effect of silage additives on ensiling characteristics and nutritive value of Napier grass (Pennisetum purpureum) silages was studied. Napier grass silages were made with no additive, fermented juice of epiphytic lactic acid bacteria (FJLB), molasses or cassava meal. The ensiling characteristics were determined by ensiling Napier grass silages in airtight plastic pouches for 2, 4, 7, 14, 21 and 45 d. The effect of Napier grass silages treated with these additives on voluntary feed intake, digestibility, rumen fermentation and microbial rumen fermentation was determined in 4 fistulated cows using $4{\times}4$ Latin square design. The pH value of the treated silages rapidly decreased, and reached to the lowest value within 7 d of the start of fermentation, as compared to the control. Lactic acid content of silages treated with FJLB was stable at 14 d of fermentation and constant until 45 d of ensiling. At 45 d of ensiling, neutral detergent fiber (NDF) and acid detergent fiber (ADF) of silage treated with cassava meal were significantly lower (p<0.05) than the others. In the feeding trial, the intake of silage increased (p<0.05) in the cow fed with the treated silage. Among the treatments, dry matter intake was the lowest in the silage treated with cassava meal. The organic matter, crude protein and NDF digestibility of the silage treated with molasses was higher than the silage without additive and the silage treated with FJLB. The rumen parameters: ruminal pH, ammonia-nitrogen ($NH_3$-N), volatile fatty acid (VFA), blood urea nitrogen (BUN) and bacterial populations were not significantly different among the treatments. In conclusion, these studies confirmed that the applying of molasses improved fermentative quality, feed intake and digestibility of Napier grass.