Early workers in the field of ruminant physiology were aware of the presence of formic, acetic, propionic and butyric acids (Tappeiner, 1884), and of smaller amounts of higher members of the saturated fatty acid series (Mangold, 1934), in the rumen fluid. Accurate data were not reported, however, until recently, when partition chromatography became available as an analytical procedure for the a...

The aim of the study was to evaluate the functional role of reticular contractions for digesta passage in sheep. Feed intake, mean retention time of fluid and plastic particles in the reticulo-rumen, rumen fluid volume, forestomach motility and particle size distribution in the faeces were determined in five rumen-fistulated sheep fed on hay ad libitum (Expt 1). The same variables were determin...

We studied in meroxenic lambs, i.e. in lambs with a simplified digestive microflora, the effect of the microflora on the quantities of solid feed intake and on the main digestive parameters in the rumen. Axenic lambs were inoculated with a more or less complex flora, obtained by diluting (10(-8), 10(-7), 10(-8) a pool of rumen fluid taken either from young conventional lambs before weaning from...

1. Three sheep fitted with rumen cannulas were fed hourly a daily ration of 1000 g pelleted-grass cubes, and during four successive 2-week periods were intraruminally infused (0.45 l/d) with solutions containing sodium chloride (0.47 mol/d), sodium bicarbonate (0.47 mol/d), .ammonium chloride (0.47 mol/d) and sodium butyrate (0.47 mol/d). Each solution, except that for NaHCO,, was adjusted to p...

The concentrations of holotrichs, reducing sugars and fermentation end-products, and the fluid dilution rates, in the cranial (CR), ventral (V) and caudal (CA) regions of the reticulo-rumen of cows were compared. Additionally, holotrich numbers in fluid and solid digesta samples taken from the dorsal (D) region were determined at different time-intervals. Holotrich numbers expressed per ml flui...

The concentrations of holotrichs, reducing sugars and fermentation end-products, and the fluid dilution rates, in the cranial (CR), ventral (V) and caudal (CA) regions of the reticulo-rumen of cows were compared. Additionally, holotrich numbers in fluid and solid digesta samples taken from the dorsal (D) region were determined at different time-intervals. Holotrich numbers expressed per ml flui...

Methods using dialysis or ultrafiltration are described for the collection of extracellular fluid in rumen contents for analysis of amino acids. Marked differences in the concentration of aspartic acid, glutamic acid, and alanine were found in samples of either diffusate or ultrafiltrate and in clarified acidified rumen liquor. Concentrations are given for aspartic acid, glutamic acid, alanine,...

Increasing awareness of hazards associated with the use of antibiotic and chemical feed additives has accelerated investigations into plants and their extracts as feed additives. The present review mainly discusses two classes of plant secondary compounds in this context, i.e. essential oils and saponins. The broader potential of plants and their extracts is illustrated by the progress of an EC...

Water intake, urine output and reticular motility were monitored after injecting 50 g NaCl into the rumen of sheep. Water consumption and urine output were restored to pre-injection levels after 11.5-15 h. Reticular motility was unaffected by ruminal NaCl injection or by NaCl infusions into the reticulum. These results are discussed in relation to food intake and the tonicity of rumen fluid and...

An investigation has been made to study the morphology of rumen ciliate protozoa from the subfamily Diplodiniinae. A total 814 rumen fluid samples of adult Indian cattle Bos indicus were collected. The present paper deals with the occurrence of Enoploplastron triloricatum. The body dimensions and variations of characters recorded from the specimen taken at random (n=50) from different slides an...