Influence of rumen protozoa and bacteria upon cellulose digestion in vitro.

S TUDIES by Appleby et al. (1956), Gutierrez and tlungate (1957), Eadie et al. (1959) and Eadie and Hollson (1962) indicated that ciliate protozoa normally inhabiting the rumen exerted considerable influence upon end products of rumen fermentation and upon tureen bacterial populations. The full significance of protozoa to the nutrition of cattle and sheep is not clear. However, Christiansen et at. (1965) and Abou Akkada and El-Shazly (1964) observed increased growth of lambs with protozoa as compared with lambs without ciliate protozoa. These workers observed higher concentrations of volatile fatty acids and ammonia in rumen fluid from faunated lambs, which suggested a faster rate of fermentation in the faunated rumen. The purpose of the present investigation was to study cellulose digestion and volatile fatty acid production in vitro by washed suspensions of rumen protozoa and bacteria.