Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-t7czq Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-23T07:24:13.989Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Effects of feeding frequency and level of feed intake on chemical composition of rumen bacteria

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  27 March 2009

A. John
A. John
Affiliation:
Applied Biochemistry Division, D.S.I.R., Private Bag, Palmerston North, New Zealand
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Summary

Cell mass (dry matter per cell) and cell composition (concentrations of DNA, RNA, phospholipids, total N, a-dextran, diaminopimelic acid and 18 common amino acids) of rumen bacteria were measured at various times after feeding sheep chaffed lucerne hay (Medicago sativa L.) once daily. Cell composition was measured with sheep fed once hourly. Total DNA and RNA pool sizes in the rumen were also measured.

While cell composition was not affected by level of feed intake (700 g v. 1050 g dry matter/day), total DNA, RNA and D.M. pool sizes in the rumen increased with increasing feed intake. With sheep on the once daily feeding regimen relative rumen pool sizes in rumen digesta at various times after feeding were: RNA, 4 > 14 > 0 h; DNA, 4 and 14 > 0 h; D.M. 4 > 14 > 0 h. With the hourly feeding regimen pool sizes were similar to the averaged daily values for sheep fed once daily.

When sheep were fed once daily bacterial cell mass, DNA and phospholipid concentrations peaked at 12–14 h after feeding and subsequently decreased to the 0 h value. RNA concentration was maximal at about 4 h after feeding and declined to near the 0 h value at about 14 h. RNA concentrations in bacteria were highly correlated with gas production rates by whole rumen digesta. The ratio RNA:DNA was highest shortly after feeding, decreased to below the 0 h value at about 14 h and then increased to the 0 h value. The relative concentrations of a-dextran in bacteria were: 4 > 14 > 0 h. Cell composition witli sheep fed hourly tended to reflect the averaged daily values for sheep fed once daily.

These results are discussed with regard to changes in estimated fermentation rate and pool size of bacteria in the rumen. It is suggested that changes in average composition (DNA, RNA, total N and RNA: DNA ratio) of mixed rumen bacteria reflect changes in the average growth rate of the population.

Type
Research Article
Information
The Journal of Agricultural Science , Volume 102 , Issue 1 , February 1984 , pp. 45 - 57
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1984

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Clarke, R. T. J., Ulyatt, M. J. & John, A. (1982). Variation in numbers and mass of ciliate protozoa in the rumens of sheep fed chaffed alfalfa (Medicago sativa). Applied and Environmental Microbiology 43, 1201–1204.Google Scholar
Czerkawski, J. W. (1976). Chemical composition of microbial matter in the rumen. Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture 27, 621–632.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Dean, A. R. C. & Rodgers, P. L. (1967). The cell size and macromolocular composition of Aerobacter aerogenes in various systems of continuous culture. Biochimica et Biophysica Ada 148, 267–279.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Ellwood, D. C. & Tempest, D. W. (1972). Effects of environment on bacterial wall content and composition. In Advances in Microbial Physiology, vol. 7 (ed. Rose, A. H. and Tempest, D. W.), pp. 83–117. London: Academic Press.Google Scholar
El-Shazly, K. & Hunoate, R. E. (1965). Fermentation capacity as a measure of net growth of rumen microorganisms. Applied Microbiology 13, 62–69.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Frantz, J. C. & McCallum, R. E. (1980). Changes in maeromolecular composition and morphology of Bacterioides fragilis cultured in a complex medium. Applied and Environmental Microbiology 39, 445–448.Google Scholar
Guinn, G. (1966). The extraction of nucleic acid from lyophilized plant material. Plant Physiology 41, 689–695.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Harrison, D. G. & Mcallan, A. B. (1980). Factors affecting microbial growth yields in the reticulorumen. In Digestive Physiology and Metabolism in Ruminants (ed. Ruckebush, Y. and Thivend, P.), pp. 205–226. MTP Press Limited, England.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Herbert, D. (1961). The chemical composition of microorganisms as a function of their environment. In Microbial Reaction to Environment, 2nd Symposium of the Society for General Microbiology (ed. Meynell, G. G. and Gooder, H.), pp. 391–416. Cambridge: University Press.Google Scholar
Hespell, R. B. (1979). Efficiency of growth by ruminal bacteria. Federation Proceedings 38, 2707–2712.Google ScholarPubMed
Isaacson, H. R., Hinds, F. C., Bryant, M. P. & Owens, F. N. (1975). Efficiency of energy utilisation by mixed rumen bacteria in continuous culture. Journal of Dairy Science 58, 1645–1660.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
James, K. A. C. & Hove, E. L. (1980). The ineffectiveness of supplementary cystine in legume-based rat diets. Journal of Nutrition 110, 1736–1744.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
John, A. & Ulyatt, M. J. (1984). Measurement of protozoa, using phosphatidyl choline, and of bacteria, using nucleic acids, in the duodenal digesta of sheep fed chaffed lucerne hay (Mediago sativa L.) diets. Journal of Agricultural Science, Cambridge 102, 33–44.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Koch, A. L. (1970). Overall controls on the biosynthesis of ribosomes in growing bacteria. Journal of Theoretical Biology 28, 202–231.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Koch, A. L. (1980). The inefficiency of ribosomes functioning in Escherichia coli growing at moderate rates. Journal of General Microbiology 116, 165–171.Google ScholarPubMed
Lend, R. A. (1973). Salient features of the digestion of pastures by ruminants and other herbivores. In Chemistry and Biochemistry of Herbage, vol. 3 (ed. Butler, G. W. and Bailey, R. W.), pp. 81–129. London: Academic Press.Google Scholar
McAllan, A. B. & Smith, R. H. (1976). Interrelationships between different chemical components in mixed rumen bacteria. Journal of Agricultural Science, Cambridge 86, 639–642.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
McAllan, A. B. & Smith, R. H. (1977). Some effects of variation in carbohydrate and nitrogen intakes on the chemical composition of mixed rumen bacteria from young steers. British Journal of Nutrition 37, 55–65.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
McAllan, A. B. & Smith, R. H. (1983). Estimation of flows of organic matter and nitrogen components in postruminal digesta and effects of level of dietary intake and physical form of protein supplements on such estimates. British Journal of Nutrition 49, 119–127.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
MacRae, J. C. (1971). Quantitative measurement of starch in very small amounts of leaf tissue. Planta (Berlin) 96, 101–108.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Maeng, W. J. & Baldwin, R. L. (1976a). Factors influencing rumen microbial growth rates and yields: effects of urea and amino acids over time. Journal of Dairy Science 59, 643–647.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Maeng, W. J. & Baldwin, R. L. (1976b). Factors influencing rumen microbial growth rates and yields: effect of amino acid additions to a purified diet with nitrogen from urea. Journal of Dairy Science 59, 648–655.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Maeng, W. J., Van Nevel, C. J., Baldwin, R. L. & Morris, J. G. (1976). Rumen microbial growth rates and yields: effect of amino acids and protein. Journal of Dairy Science 59, 68–79.Google Scholar
Markham, R. (1955). Nucleic acids, their components and related compounds. In Modern Methods of Plant Analysis (ed. Paech, K. and Tracey, M. V.), pp. 246–304. London: E. & F. N. Spon.Google Scholar
Mink, R. W., Patterson, J. A. & Hespell, R. B. (1982). Changes in viability, cell composition and enzyme levels during starvation of continuously cultured (ammonia-limited) Selenomonas ruminantium. Applied and Environmental Microbiology 44, 913–922.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Munro, H. N. & Fleck, A. (1966). The determination of nucleic acids. In Methods of Biochemical Analyses, vol. 14 (ed. Glick, D.), pp. 113–176. Berlin: Springer-Verlag.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Salter, D. N., Daneshvar, K. & Smith, R. H. (1979). The origin of nitrogen incorporated into compounds in the rumen bacteria of steers given protein- and urea-containing diets. British Journal of Nutrition 41, 197–209.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Sawada, T., Chohji, T. & Kuno, S. (1977). Macromolecule synthesis of Escherichia coli BB at a lower or transient growth rate. Applied and Environmental Microbiology 34, 751–755.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Schaechter, M., Maaloe, O. & Kjeldgaard, N. O. (1958). Dependency on medium and temperature of cell size and chemical composition during balanced growth of Salmonella typhimurium. Journal of General Microbiology 19, 529–606.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Setaro, F. & Morley, C. D. G. (1977). A rapid colourimetric assay for DNA. Analytical Biochemistry 81, 467–471.Google Scholar
Shehata, T. E. & Marr, A. G. (1971). Effect of nutrient concentration on the growth of Escherichia coli. Journal of Bacteriology 107, 210–216.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Smith, R. H. & McAllan, A. B. (1970). Nucleic acid metabolism in the ruminant. 2. Formation of microbial nucleic acids in the rumen in relation to the digestion of food nitrogen, and the fate of dietary nucleic acids. British Journal of Nutrition 24, 545–556.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Smith, B. H. & McAllan, A. B. (1974). Some factors influencing the chemical composition of mixed rumen bacteria. British Journal of Nutrition 31, 27–34.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Sud, I. J. & Schaechter, M. (1964). Dependence of the content of cell envelopes on the growth rate of Bacillus megaterium. Journal of Bacteriology 88, 1612–1617.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Tempest, D. W. (1978). The biochemical significance of microbial growth yields: a reassessment. Trends in Biochemical Sciences 3, 180–184.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Thompson, F. (1973). The effect of frequency of feeding on the flow and composition of duodenal digesta in sheep given straw-based diets. British Journal of Nutrition 30, 87–94.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Wade, H. E. (1952). Observations on the growth phases of Escherichia coli American Type B. Journal of General Microbiology 7, 18–22.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed