effect of diets containing different levels of milk thistle and grains with different degradation rate on rumen fungi of khuzestan buffalo

background: identifying the potential of livestock and forage plants of each region is a way to compensate the lack of forage, and efficient use of edible resources of the country. milk thistle is a medicinal plant which may be used as fodder for native livestock of khuzestan province. objectives: the purpose of this research was to study  the effects of different levels of milk thistle on rumen fungi and whole rumen microorganisms (wrm) of khuzestan buffalo, with diets containing grains with different degradation rate (barley and maize). methods: the impact of diets containing different levels of milk thistle (0, 100 and 200 g per kg dm) on rumen fungi and wrm of buffalo was measured by different techniques. results: potential and rate of gas production from experimental diets by wrm were not significantly different. this parameters by buffalo rumen fungi were significantly differed and increased in diets containing milk thistle (p