• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.30 no.11
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• pp.1515-1528
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• 2017

The gastrointestinal (GI) tract, including the rumen and the other intestinal segments of cattle, harbors a diverse, complex, and dynamic microbiome that drives feed digestion and fermentation in cattle, determining feed efficiency and output of pollutants. This microbiome also plays an important role in affecting host health. Research has been conducted for more than a century to understand the microbiome and its relationship to feed efficiency and host health. The traditional cultivation-based research elucidated some of the major metabolism, but studies using molecular biology techniques conducted from late 1980's to the late early 2000's greatly expanded our view of the diversity of the rumen and intestinal microbiome of cattle. Recently, metagenomics has been the primary technology to characterize the GI microbiome and its relationship with host nutrition and health. This review addresses the main methods/techniques in current use, the knowledge gained, and some of the challenges that remain. Most of the primers used in quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction quantification and diversity analysis using metagenomics of ruminal bacteria, archaea, fungi, and protozoa were also compiled.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.32 no.8_spc
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• pp.1296-1305
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• 2019

There have been recent advances concerning research of the feeding and nutrition of dairy goats in a wide array of areas. Ruminally emitted methane and supplementary feedstuffs to a lesser extent make appreciable contributions to the carbon footprint of dairy goats, with the former affected by type of production system and associated dietary characteristics. Unique behavior of goats necessitates careful consideration of the nature of confinement facilities to achieve optimal production by animals differing in social hierarchy. Physiological conditions such as nutritional needs and perhaps health status may influence diet selection by goats in both grazing and confinement settings. Some research suggests that low concentrations of protein and fat in milk of high-yielding dairy goat breeds could involve the type and nature of dietary ingredients as influencing end products of ruminal fermentation. With the relationship between milk urea nitrogen concentration and efficiency of dietary protein utilization, through future research the measure may be a useful tool for diet formulation as in dairy cattle. Effects of dietary inclusion of sources of fats and oils vary considerably depending on their nature, as is also true for byproduct feedstuffs and conventional ones being substituted for. Supplementation of dairy goats with sources of polyunsaturated fatty acids can affect oxidative stress and various feedstuffs influence antioxidant status; however, research addressing the significance of such changes under practical production settings would be beneficial.

• Journal of The Korean Society of Grassland and Forage Science
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• v.27 no.4
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• pp.323-334
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• 2007

An in vitro study was conducted to examine the influence of alcohol-fermented feedstuff formulated with byproducts on the fermentation characteristics and NDF disappearance in the rumen. Dietary treatments were either a soybean curd-based alcohol-fermented feedstuff (AFS) or brewery grain-based alcohol-fermented feedstuff (AFB). The AFS and AFB are composed of 50% commercial beef cattle feed, 50% soybean curd dreg, 5% molasses and 0.5% yeast and 25% commercial beef cattle feed, 25% brewery grain, 25% soybean curd dreg, 25% corn grit, 5% molasses and 0.5% yeast, respectively. The change of ammonia, pH alcohol, volatile fatty acids, and NDF disappearance were measured at 0, 2, 4, 8 and 12 hr after in vitro incubation in the rumen. After 2 hr incubation, higher ammonia concentrations were resulted in AFS (12.47 mg/dl) and AFB (12.85 mg/dl) compared to control (11.84 mg/dl) (p<0.05). Ruminal pH of AFS and AFB were significantly higher than control during 1 to 6 hr fermentation, but the pH of AFS and AFB were decreased after 6 hr. At 12 hr fermentation, the alcohol concentration of AFS and AFB was significantly increased by 43.9% and 48.0%, respectively. The acetate concentration was rapidly decreased in control, while the concentration was slowly decreased in AFS and AFB with increasing the fermentation time. Lower concentrations propionate and butyrate were observed in AFS and AFB during every fermentation time (p<0.05). The NDF disappearance was significantly lower in AFS and AFB after 4 hr fermentation. These results suggest that alcohol fermented feedstuff can control the fermentation pattern in the rumen.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.18 no.4
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• pp.515-521
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• 2008

This experiment was conducted to investigate effects of non-ionic or zwitterionic (+/-) surfactants on digestibility of rice straw, and changes of growth of rumen mixed microbes, pH, and gas production during in vitro fermentation. Also, during in vitro ruminal fermentation, microbial attachment on rice straw was investigated using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Tween 80 or SOLFA-850 for non-ionic surfactant (NIS), and 3-(Dodecyldimethylammonio) propanesulfanate (DDAP) for zwitterionic surfactant (ZIS) was supplemented by 0.05% and 0.1% in Dehority's artificial medium containing Holtein rumen fluid, respectively, and the substrate for fermentation was rice straw passed through 1 mm screen. The experiment was composed of 7 treatments (two levels of two NISs, two levels of a ZIS) including the control, and 6, 12, 24, 48 and 72 hr of fermentation time with 3 replications per treatment. Treatment of Tween 80 increased in vitro DM digestibilities during 48 hr and 72 h post fermentations compared to the other treatments, whereas treatment of DDAP as a ZIS resulted in decreased DM digestibility than that of the control from 24 hr post fermentation (P<0.05). Gas production in vitro was greater (P<0.05) with addition of NIS than the control or ZIS, and increased as fermentation time elapsed. Rumen mixed microbial growth was greatest with addition of Tween 80 as NIS, and lowest when DDAP as ZIS was supplemented to the fermentation tube (P<0.05). In SEM observation, rumen microbial population attached on rice straw particle was greater with addition of NIS, but was less with addition ZIS compared with the control. In conclusion we could not found any positive effects of ZIS surfactants on rumunal fermentation characteristics and rumen microbial growth rates.

• Journal of Animal Science and Technology
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• v.50 no.2
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• pp.199-208
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• 2008

This study was undertaken to investigate the effects of ruminally protected amino acids (Methionine and Lysine) on in vitro ruminal parameters, and in vivo milk yield and milk composition in mid-lactating cows. In the first in vitro experiment, there were no statistical significances between treatments in ruminal pH and dry matter digestibility during various incubation times. In the second in vivo experiment, milk yield decreased by 11.92% in control and 5.68% in the treatment respectively, but decrease rate of milk yield in the treatment was lower than control. Milk yields naturally decreased as time goes by since the DIMs(Days in milk) of the cows in experiment were in mid-lactation period. 4% FCM(Fat corrected milk) and milk protein yields also, respectively, decreased by 11.25% and 11.09% in control and 6.16% and 5.47% in the treatment as compared with the intial. Milk protein and milk fat production were higher in the treatment(0.90kg, 1.10kg) than those of control(0.66kg, 0.79kg). Milk fat content significantly increased with supplementing protected amino acids as compared to control(P<0.05). From the above results, protected amino acids were positively utilized in the performances of mid-lactating cows without inhibiting rumen fermentation. Further investigation is suggested for essential amino acid composition and intestinal digestion rate out of rumen bypass protein in dietary protein to be estimated.

• Journal of Animal Science and Technology
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• v.58 no.1
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• pp.4.1-4.7
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• 2016

Background: This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of adding Korean rice wine residue (RWR) in total mixed ration (TMR) on in vitro ruminal fermentation and growth performance of growing Hanwoo steers. Methods: For in vitro fermentation, the experimental treatments were Control (Con: 0 % RWR + TMR), Treatment 1 (T1: 10 % RWR + TMR), and Treatment 2 (T2: 15 % RWR + TMR). The rumen fluid was collected from three Hanwoo steers and mixed with buffer solution, after which buffered rumen fluid was transferred into serum bottles containing 2 g dry matter (DM) of TMR added with or without RWR. The samples were then incubated for 0 h, 12 h, 24 h, or 48 h at $39^{\circ}C$ and 100 rpm. For the in vivo experiment, 27 Hanwoo steers (6 months old) with an average weight of $196{\pm}8.66kg$ were subjected to a 24-week feeding trial. The animals were randomly selected and equally distributed into three groups. After which the body weight, feed intake and blood characteristics of each group were investigated. Results: The pH of the treatments decreased significantly relative to the control during the 12 h of incubation. Total gas production and ammonia nitrogen ($NH_3-N$) was not affected by RWR addition. The total volatile fatty acid (VFA) was lower after 24 h of incubation but at other incubation times, the concentration was not affected by treatments. Feed cost was 8 % and 15 % lower in T1 and T2 compared to control. Blood alcohol was not detected and a significant increase in total weight gain and average daily gain were observed in Hanwoo steers fed with RWR. Conclusion: Overall, the results of this study suggest that TMR amended with 15 % RWR can be used as an alternative feed resource for ruminants to reduce feed cost.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.25 no.2
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• pp.240-247
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• 2012

Dietary supplementation with conventional linted cottonseed hulls (LCSH) is a common practice in livestock production all over the world. However, supplementation with mechanically delinted cottonseed hulls (DCSH) and cottonseed linter residue (CLR) is uncommon. Cottonseed by-products, including LCSH, DCSH and CLR, were assessed by chemical analysis, an in situ nylon bag technique, an in vitro cumulative gas production technique and in vitro enzyme procedure. The crude protein (CP) content of CLR (302 g/kg dry matter (DM)) was approximately 3 times that of LCSH and 5 times that of DCSH. The crude fat content was approximately 3 times higher in CLR (269 g/kg DM) than in LCSH and 4 times higher than in DCSH. Neutral detergent fibre (311 g/kg DM) and acid detergent fibre (243 g/kg DM) contents of CLR were less than half those of DCSH or LCSH. Metabolisable energy, estimated by in vitro gas production and chemical analyses, ranked as follows: CLR (12.69 kJ/kg DM)>LCSH (7.32 kJ/kg DM)>DCSH (5.82 kJ/kg DM). The in situ degradation trial showed that the highest values of effective degradability of DM and CP were obtained for CLR (p<0.05). The in vitro disappearance of ruminal DM ranked as follows: CLR>LCSH>DCSH (p<0.05). The lowest digestibility was observed for DCSH with a two-step in vitro digestion procedure (p<0.05). The potential gas production in the batch cultures did not differ for any of the three cottonseed by-product feeds. The highest concentration of total volatile fatty acids was observed in CLR after a 72 h incubation (p<0.05). The molar portions of methane were similar between all three treatments, with an average gas production of 22% (molar). The CLR contained a higher level of CP than did LCSH and DCSH, and CLR fermentation produced more propionate. The DCSH and LCSH had more NDF and ADF, which fermented into greater amounts of acetate.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.23 no.12
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• pp.1578-1586
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• 2010

This study estimated the effect of fermented persimmon (Diospros kaki L.) extract (FPE) supplement on feed intake, digestibility, nitrogen (N) balance, and rumen fermentation characteristics in sheep. Five male sheep (Corriedale${\times}$Polwarth) with average body weight of $48.6{\pm}1.3\;kg$ were housed in metabolism crates and assigned to a 5${\times}$5 Latin square design with five consecutive 20-d periods which consisted of 14-d adaptation and 6-d data collection. The sheep were fed ad libitum a diet containing concentrate and rice straw (3:7). The five treatments were FPE supplemented at 0 (Control), 5, 10, 20, and 30 g/kg of concentrate. Intakes of dry matter (DM, p<0.01), organic matter (OM, p<0.01), neutral detergent fiber (NDF, p<0.05), acid detergent fiber (ADF, p<0.05), and nitrogen-free extract (NFE, p<0.01) increased quadratically with increasing intake of FPE supplement and maximized (p<0.05) at 10 g/kg FPE. The digestibilities of DM (p<0.05), OM (p<0.05), crude protein (p<0.01), and NFE (p<0.01) increased quadratically with increasing amount of FPE supplement, and sheep fed 5 and 10 g/kg diets had greater (p<0.05) DM, OM, and NFE digestibilites than the Control treatment. By increasing FPE supplement concentration, N intake (p<0.01) and fecal N (p<0.05) increased linearly, whereas retained N (p<0.05) and retained N ratio (p<0.05) increased quadratically. The retained N was maximized (p<0.05) in sheep fed 5 and 10 g/kg diets. The mean rumen pH was not affected by FPE supplement, but there was a quadratic increase (p<0.05) of mean rumen ammonia N concentration and a linear increase (p<0.01) in mean rumen total volatile fatty acid (VFA) and acetate concentrations. The mean concentration of rumen propionate in sheep fed all FPE supplemented diets was greater (p<0.05) than the Control, but the mean ratios of rumen acetate to propionate in sheep fed 5 and 10 g/kg diets were lower (p<0.05) than that of Control sheep. In conclusion, FPE supplemented at 5-10 g/kg of concentrate improved feed intake, the digestibilites of OM and NFE, N metabolism, and rumen fermentation indices of sheep.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.20 no.4
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• pp.543-549
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• 2007

Two experiments were conducted to investigate the effects of disodium fumarate on the in vitro rumen fermentation profiles of different substrates and microbial communities. In experiment 1, nine diets (high-forage diet (forage:concentrate, e.g. F:C = 7:3, DM basis), medium-forage diet (F:C = 5:5, DM basis), low-forage diet(F:C = 1:9, DM basis), cracked corn, cracked wheat, soluble starch, tall elata (Festuca elata), perennial ryegrass and rice straw) were fermented in vitro by rumen microorganisms from local goats. The results showed that during 24 h incubations, for all substrates, disodium fumarate increased (p<0.05) the gas production, and tended to increase (p<0.10) the acetate, propionate and total VFA concentration and decrease the ratio of acetate to propionate, whereas no treatment effect was observed for the lactate concentration. The apparent DM loss for tall elata, perennial ryegrass and rice straw increased (p<0.05) with the addition of disodium fumarate. With the exception of tall elata, perennial ryegrass and rice straw, disodium fumarate addition increased the final pH (p<0.05) for all substrates. In experiment 2, three substrates (a high-forage diet, a medium-forage diet and a high concentrate diet) were fermented by mixed rumen microbes in vitro. A polymerase chain reaction-denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (PCR-DGGE) technique was applied to compare microbial DNA fingerprints between substrates at the end of 24 h incubation. The results showed that when Festuca elata was used as substrate, the control and disodium fumarate treatments had similar DGGE profiles, with their similarities higher than 96%. As the ratio of concentrate increased, however, the similarities in DGGE profiles decreased between the control and disodium fumarate treatment. Overall, these results suggest that disodium fumarate is effective in increasing the pH and gas production for the diets differing in forage: concentrate ratio, grain cereals and soluble starch, and in increasing dry matter loss for the forages (tall elata, perennial ryegrass and rice straw) in vitro, whereas its effect on changes of ruminal microbial community may largely depend on the general nature of the substrate.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.26 no.6
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• pp.804-811
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• 2013

The effects and significance of ${\gamma}$-amino butyric acid (GABA) producing bacteria (GPB) on in vitro rumen fermentation and reduction of biogenic amines (histamine, methylamine, ethylamine, and tyramine) using corn meal as a substrate were determined. Ruminal samples collected from ruminally fistulated Holstein cows served as inoculum and corn was used as substrate at 2% dry matter (DM). Different inclusion rates of GPB and GABA were evaluated. After incubation, addition of GPB had no significant effect on in vitro fermentation pH and total gas production, but significantly increased the ammonia nitrogen ($NH_3$-N) concentration and reduced the total biogenic amines production (p<0.05). Furthermore, antioxidation activity was improved as indicated by the significantly higher concentration of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) among treated samples when compared to the control (p<0.05). Additionally, 0.2% GPB was established as the optimum inclusion level. Taken together, these results suggest the potential of utilizing GPB as feed additives to improve growth performance in ruminants by reducing biogenic amines and increasing anti-oxidation.