• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.75-81
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• 2007

The object of this study was to determine the influence of supplementation of concentrate containing high levels of cassava chip on rumen ecology, microbial protein and digestibility of nutrients. Four, rumen fistulated crossbred beef steers with initial body weight of 400${\pm}$10 kg were randomly assigned according to a 4${\times}$4 Latin square design. The dietary treatments were concentrate cassava chip based offering at 0, 1, 2 and 3% BW with urea-treated rice straw fed ad libitum. It was found that ruminal pH was significantly decreased with increase of concentrate. Volatile fatty acids (VFA) concentration in the rumen was significantly different among treatments. In addition, a molar proportion of propionate was higher in supplemented groups at 2 and 3% BW (p<0.05), leading to significantly decreased acetate:propionate ratio. Furthermore, microbial N supply was significantly improved and was highest at 2% BW supplementation. The efficiency of rumen microbial-N synthesis based on organic matter (OM) truly digested in the rumen was highest in level of concentrate supplementation at 2% BW (80% of cassava chip in diets). Moreover, bacterial populations such as amylolytic bacteria was linearly increased, while cellulolytic bacteria was linearly decreased (p<0.01) when cattle received concentrate supplementation in all levels. The total protozoal counts were significantly increased, while fungal zoospores were dramatically decreased in cattle receiving increased levels of concentrate. In conclusion, cassava chip can be use as energy source at 80% in concentrate and supplementation of concentrate at 2% BW with urea-treated rice straw as roughage could improve rumen fermentation efficiency in beef cattle.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.22 no.3
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• pp.378-387
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• 2009

To investigate the effects of sago palm pith (SPP) substitution of corn in the diets on intake, digestibility, rumen fermentation characteristics, nitrogen balance and microbial N Supply, five ruminally fistulated Southern indigenous cattle (mean initial BW = 226${\pm}$5 kg) were randomly assigned to a 5${\times}$5 Latin Square Design to receive five diets, $T_1$ = concentrate with 0% SPP, $T_2$ = 25% SPP, $T_3$ = 50% SPP, $T_4$ = 75% SPP and $T_5$ = 100% SPP, of dietary dry matter, respectively. Plicatulum hay (PH) was offered ad libitum as the roughage. A metabolism trial lasted for 21 days during which liveweight changes and feed intakes were measured. Based on this experiment, there were no significant differences (p>0.05) among treatments groups regarding total DM intake (OMI, NDFI and ADFI) and digestion coefficients of nutrients (DM, OM, CP, NDF and ADF), while total DM intake (% BW) was significantly (p<0.05) higher as higher levels of SPP were incorporated into diets. Rumen parameters (ruminal temperature, pH, glucose, packed cell volume, volatile fatty acid and rumen microorganism populations) were similar among treatments (p>0.05), whereas $NH_3-N$, blood urea nitrogen and molar proportion of propionate concentrations were significantly (p<0.05) higher as higher levels of SPP were incorporated into diets. The amount of N absorption, N retention and microbial protein synthesis were similar among treatments. These results indicate that SPP can be included in diets for Southern indigenous cattle to supply up to 100% of supplemental corn when fed with PH without negative impact on animal performance and it was a good approach in exploiting the use of local feed resources for beef cattle production.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.16 no.8
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• pp.1137-1142
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• 2003

In a balanced incomplete block design, two dry Holstein cows were used to investigate the effect of $\beta$ 1-4 galactooligosaccharides (GOS) supplementation on nitrogen (N) utilization, rumen fermentation and microbial N supply in the rumen. During the experiment, cows were fed four diets: orchardgrass (Dactylis glomerata L.) silage (OS), OS with GOS supplementation (OSG), OS mixed with alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) silage (MS) and MS with GOS supplementation (MSG). GOS was supplemented at 2% of dry matter intake. Diets were fed at maintenance level of protein and energy. Results showed that N digestion was affected by silage and interaction of silage and GOS supplementation. Cows fed OSG had the highest N digested (p<0.05) followed by MS, OS and MSG. Supplementation of GOS to OS or MS diets tended to improve N utilization through reducing the N losses on dairy cows. There was no effect of GOS supplementation on rumen fermentation parameters (i.e. pH, $NH_3$-N and total VFA) at 1 h and 6 h after feeding. Compared to cows fed MS, cows fed OS silage had higher (p<0.05) allantoin excretion (80.8 vs. 67.1 mmol/d) and higher (p<0.05) total purine derivatives excretion (92.9 vs. 78.5 mmol/d). The microbial N supply in cows fed OSG was higher (p<0.05) than those fed OS, MS and MSG.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.23 no.7
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• pp.972-979
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• 2010

The objective of this paper was to review recent studies on nutrient synchrony and the effects of synchronization of energy and N supply in the rumen on nitrogen utilization and animal performance. Theoretically, synchronization of energy and N supply in the rumen should allow more efficient use of nutrients by rumen microbes, increase microbial protein and fermentation end products, and thus increase available nutrients in the small intestine. Efficient use of nutrients possibly improves animal performance and reduces nutrient excretion to the environment. However, a number of studies showed contradictory results in microbial protein synthesis, nitrogen retention and animal production performance. Since there are additional challenges to nutrient synchrony that must be addressed, further research is required to apply the nutrient synchrony concept directly to the field situation.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.26 no.6
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• pp.820-826
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• 2013

The objective of this study was to determine the effect of rain tree pod meal with palm oil supplementation on feed intake, digestibility, microbial protein synthesis and microbial populations in dairy cows. Four, multiparous early-lactation Holstein-Friesian crossbred (75%) lactating dairy cows with an initial body weight (BW) of $405{\pm}40$ kg and $36{\pm}8$ DIM were randomly assigned to receive dietary treatments according to a $4{\times}4$ Latin square design. The four dietary treatments were un-supplementation (control), supplementation with rain tree pod meal (RPM) at 60 g/kg, supplementation with palm oil (PO) at 20 g/kg, and supplementation with RPM at 60 g/kg and PO at 20 g/kg (RPO), of total dry matter intake. The cows were offered concentrates, at a ratio of concentrate to milk production of 1:2, and chopped 30 g/kg of urea treated rice straw was fed ad libitum. The RPM contained condensed tannins and crude saponins at 88 and 141 g/kg of DM, respectively. It was found that supplementation with RPM and/or PO to dairy cows diets did not show negative effects on feed intake and ruminal pH and BUN at any times of sampling (p>0.05). However, RPM supplementation resulted in lower crude protein digestibility, $NH_3$-N concentration and number of proteolytic bacteria. It resulted in greater allantoin absorption and microbial crude protein (p<0.05). In addition, dairy cows showed a higher efficiency of microbial N supply (EMNS) in both RPM and RPO treatments. Moreover, NDF digestibility and cellulolytic bacteria numbers were highest in RPO supplementation (p<0.05) while, supplementation with RPM and/or PO decreased the protozoa population in dairy cows. Based on this study, supplementation with RPM and/or PO in diets could improve fiber digestibility, microbial protein synthesis in terms of quantity and efficiency and microbial populations in dairy cows.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.23 no.11
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• pp.1455-1461
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• 2010

Three rumen-cannulated Holstein steers were fed three diets, each with a different synchrony index (SI) (LS: 0.77, MS: 0.81, and HS: 0.83), in order to examine the effect of diet on rumen fermentation, nitrogen balance, and microbial protein synthesis. Synchrony index was calculated based on the carbohydrate and crude protein fractions of each ingredient and their degradation rates. Feeding the steers diets with different SIs did not influence dry matter, crude protein, NDF, or ADF digestibility. The concentrations of total and individual VFA in the rumens of steers that were fed the two higher-SI diets were higher than in those fed the low-SI diet (p<0.05), but there was no significant difference between the two higher-SI diets. One hour after feeding, steers on the LS diet had lower ruminal pHs than did those fed the MS or HS diets (p<0.05), and animals on the LS diet generally showed higher ruminal $NH_3$-N levels than did animals on the other diets, with the 4-h post-feeding difference being significant (p<0.05). Steers receiving the LS diet excreted more nitrogen (N) in their urine than did those on the two higher-SI diets (p<0.05), and the total N excretion of those on the LS diet was also higher (p<0.05). Microbial N levels calculated from the concentration of urinary purine derivatives were generally higher when the SI was higher, with the highest microbial protein synthesis being produced by steers on the HS diet (p<0.05). In conclusion, in the current study, ingestion of a synchronous diet by Holstein steers improved microbial protein synthesis and VFA production and decreased total N output.

• Animal Bioscience
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• v.34 no.4
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• pp.613-620
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• 2021

Objective: This study aimed at studying the potential use of Flemingia (Flemingia macrophylla) as a protein source fodder to improve nutrients digestibility and ruminal fermentation efficiency in beef cattle. Methods: Four, Thai native beef cattle were randomly assigned in a 4×4 Latin square design. Four levels of Flemingia hay meal (FHM) were used to replace soybean meal (SBM) in the concentrate mixtures in four dietary treatments replacing levels at 0%, 30%, 60%, and 100% of SBM. Results: The experimental findings revealed that replacements did not effect on intake of rice straw, concentrate and total dry matter (DM) intake (p>0.05). However, the apparent digestibilities of DM, organic matter, crude protein, acid detergent fiber, and neutral detergent fiber were linearly increased up to 100% replacement levels. Moreover, the production of total volatile fatty acids, and propionate concentration were enhanced (p<0.05) whereas the concentration of acetate was reduced in all replacement groups. Consequently, the CH4 production was significantly lower when increasing levels of FHM for SBM (p<0.05). Furthermore, rumen bacterial population was additionally increased (p<0.05) while protozoal population was clearly decreased (p<0.05) in all replacement groups up to 100%. In addition, microbial nitrogen supply and efficiency of microbial nitrogen synthesis were enhanced (p<0.05), as affected by FHM replacements. Conclusion: The findings under this experiment suggest that 100% FHM replacement in concentrate mixture enhanced rumen fermentation efficiency, nutrients digestibilities, bacterial population, microbial protein synthesis, and subsequently reduced CH4 production in beef cattle fed on rice straw.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.28 no.4
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• pp.494-501
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• 2015

A digestibility study was conducted to evaluate the effects of supplementing mulberry foliage and urea rice-bran as a source of fermentable energy and protein to 12 sheep fed diets based on urea-treated rice straw (TRS). The three dietary treatments were: T1, TRS with mulberry; T2, TRS with 50% mulberry replaced with rice bran and urea; and T3, TRS with rice bran and urea. The study was arranged in a completely randomized design with four replications for each treatment. The sheep were fed one of the three diets and the supplements were offered at 1.2% of the body weight (BW) and the TRS was provided ad libitum. There were no differences (p>0.05) among the three treatment groups with respect to dry matter (DM) intake ($76.8{\pm}4.2g/kg\;BW^{0.75}$) and DM, organic matter (OM), and crude protein (CP) digestibility ($55.3{\pm}1.22$; $69.9{\pm}0.85$; $46.3{\pm}1.65%$ respectively for DM, OM, and CP). The digestibility of fiber (neutral detergent fiber [NDF] and acid detergent fiber) was significantly lower (p<0.05) for T3 (46.2 and 46.6 respectively) compared to T1 (55.8 and 53.7 respectively) and T2 (54.1 and 52.8 respectively). Nitrogen (N) intake by sheep on diet T3 was significantly (p<0.05) higher than sheep fed diet T1. However, N balance did not differ among the three diets ($3.0{\pm}0.32g/d$). In contrast, the rumen ammonia ($NH_3-N$) concentrations in sheep fed T2 and T3 were significantly (p<0.05) higher than in sheep fed T1. The $NH_3-N$ concentrations for all three diets were above the critical value required for optimum rumen microbial growth and synthesis. Total volatile fatty acid concentrations were highest (p<0.05) in T1 (120.3 mM), whilst the molar proportion of propionic acid was highest in T3 (36.9%). However, the microbial N supply in sheep fed T1 and T3 was similar but was significantly (p<0.05) higher than for sheep fed T2. It was concluded that mulberry foliage is a potential supplement of fermentable energy and protein for sheep fed TRS based diet. The suggested level of supplementation is 1.2% of BW or 32% of the total diet since it resulted in similar effects on the intake of DM, OM, and NDF, digestibility of DM, OM, and CP, N utilization and microbial supply when compared to rice bran and urea supplementation.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.26 no.7
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• pp.952-960
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• 2013

The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of carbohydrate source and cottonseed meal level in the concentrate on feed intake, nutrient digestibility, rumen fermentation and microbial protein synthesis in swamp buffaloes. Four, 4-yr old rumen fistulated swamp buffaloes were randomly assigned to receive four dietary treatments according to a $2{\times}2$ factorial arrangement in a $4{\times}4$ Latin square design. Factor A was carbohydrate source; cassava chip (CC) and CC+rice bran at a ratio 3:1 (CR3:1), and factor B was level of cottonseed meal (CM); 109 g CP/kg (LCM) and 328 g CP/kg (HCM) in isonitrogenous diets (490 g CP/kg). Buffaloes received urea-treated rice straw ad libitum and supplemented with 5 g concentrate/kg BW. It was found that carbohydrate source did not affect feed intake, nutrient intake, digested nutrients, nutrient digestibility, ammonia nitrogen concentration, fungi and bacterial populations, or microbial protein synthesis (p>0.05). Ruminal pH at 6 h after feeding and the population of protozoa at 4 h after feeding were higher when buffalo were fed with CC than in the CR3:1 treatment (p<0.05). Buffalo fed with HCM had a lower roughage intake, nutrient intake, population of total viable and cellulolytic bacteria and microbial nitrogen supply than the LCM fed group (p<0.05). However, nutrient digestibility, ruminal pH, ammonia concentration, population of protozoa and fungi, and efficiency of microbial protein synthesis were not affected by cottonseed meal levels (p>0.05). Based on this experiment, concentrate with a low level of cottonseed meal could be fed with cassava chips as an energy source in swamp buffalo receiving rice straw.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.24 no.12
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• pp.1685-1689
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• 2014

Baeyer-Villiger (BV) oxidation of cyclohexanone to ${\varepsilon}$-caprolactone in a microbial system expressing cyclohexanone monooxygenase (CHMO) can be influenced by not only the efficient regeneration of NADPH but also a sufficient supply of oxygen. In this study, the bacterial hemoglobin gene from Vitreoscilla stercoraria (vhb) was introduced into the recombinant Escherichia coli expressing CHMO to investigate the effects of an oxygen-carrying protein on microbial BV oxidation of cyclohexanone. Coexpression of Vhb allowed the recombinant E. coli strain to produce a maximum ${\varepsilon}$-caprolactone concentration of 15.7 g/l in a fed-batch BV oxidation of cyclohexanone, which corresponded to a 43% improvement compared with the control strain expressing CHMO only under the same conditions.