Nutritive Values of Forages Evaluated Using a Mixed Bacteria Isolated From the Rumen Liquor of Buffalo

Abstract

Fresh rumen liquor (FRL) is commonly used in in vitro studies to evaluate the nutritive values of feed for ruminants. However, the type and activity of microbes in the FRL vary with feed and time. To reduce the variation of results, a mixed bacterial isolates (MBI) may be used as an alternative to repalce the FRL. This study was aimed at evaluating the nutritive value of forages using MBI and FRL. Sampels of Penisetum sp., Panicum sp., Brachiaria sp., Setaria sp., Paspalum sp., Calliandra sp., Leucaena sp., Indigofera sp. and Gliricidia sp. were fermented in vitro using either MBI or FRL for 3 and 48 hours to determine NH3, total volatile fatty acids (VFA), dry matter (DMD) and organic matter digestibility (OMD) based on two steps digestibility method. Paired t-Test was applied to compare the results of using MBI and FRL. Dry matter and organic matter digestibility of the forages were lower when they were determined using MBI than those determained using FRL. The forages DMD and OMD determined using MBI and FRL had significant correlation. Digestibility of dry matter and organic matter were affected by fiber and protein content of the forages. The results sugested that to determine the nutritive values of the forages, in in vitro studies, the MBI could be used to replace FRL with an adjusment to the result.