Effect of Protected Vegetable Oils on In Vitro Fermentation Characteristics and Nutrien Digestibility of Bali Cattle Rumen Fluid

Abstract

ABSTRACT In vitro experiment using rumen fluid of Bali cattle was conducted to evaluate the effect of different vegetable oils protected in calcium soap on the fermentation characteristics and nutrien digestibility. The experiment was assigned in factorial complete block design with three replications (block). The first factor was source of vegetable oil (soybean oil, palm oil, sunflower oil) and the second factor was type of protection (unprotected and calcium soap protection). The ration consisted of60% concentrate and 40% grass. Vegetable oils were added at 5% of ration dry matter. The results showed that there was no interaction between source of oils and type of protection on all parameters, except on total volatile fatty acid (VFA). The highest VF A production was obtained from ration containing protected soybean oil compared to the other treatments. The rations containing protected vegetable oils had higher (P<0.05) dry matter digestibility (72.51 ± 1.66% vs 70.76 ± 1.76%), organic matter digestibility (75.58 ± 1.26% vs 74.62 ± 1.57%), and total bacterial population (7.65 ± 1.26 vs 7.16 ± 0.95 log CFU/ml ) compared to those unprotected oils. However, the oils protection decreased NH3 (5.94 ± 0.70 mM vs 7.16 ± 0.36 mM) and protozoa population (4.81 ± 0.22 log CFU/ml vs 5.11 ± O.lllog CFU/ml). Source of oils did not significantly affect all parameters measured. It is concluded that oils protected in calcium soap improves in vitro fermentation and digestibility of Bali cattle rumen fluid, and ration containing protected soybean oil produces the highest VF A.