Hostname: page-component-76fb5796d-zzh7m Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-04-26T09:31:07.406Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Odd-chain fatty acids as markers of the microbial colonisation of freshly-ingested grass and microbial contamination of dacron bag residues

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  20 November 2017

E. J. Kim
Affiliation:
Institute of Grassland and Environmental Research, Plas Gogerddan, Aberystwyth SY23 3EB, U.K.
R. T. Evans
Affiliation:
Institute of Grassland and Environmental Research, Trawsgoed Research Farm, Aberystwyth ST23 4LL, U.K.
J. K. S. Tweed
Affiliation:
Institute of Grassland and Environmental Research, Plas Gogerddan, Aberystwyth SY23 3EB, U.K.
D. R. Davies
Affiliation:
Institute of Grassland and Environmental Research, Plas Gogerddan, Aberystwyth SY23 3EB, U.K.
R. J. Merry
Affiliation:
Institute of Grassland and Environmental Research, Plas Gogerddan, Aberystwyth SY23 3EB, U.K.
R. J. Dewhurst
Affiliation:
Institute of Grassland and Environmental Research, Plas Gogerddan, Aberystwyth SY23 3EB, U.K.
Get access

Extract

The overall objective of our work is to assess the relative contributions of plant enzymes and rumen microbes to rumen degradation of freshly-ingested herbage. In situ techniques have been used extensively to compare rumen degradation characteristics of feeds, though there remain technical problems associated with microbial contamination of residues after incubation. We hypothesised that techniques to study microbial contamination might also provide insights into microbial colonisation. Our earlier studies (Lee et al., 1999) identified distinctive odd-chain fatty acids that could be used as microbial markers. A dacron bag study was conducted to examine the influence of dacron bag rinsing techniques on DM disappearance and microbial contamination in residues from fresh grass, assessed using odd-chain fatty acids as markers.

Type
Theatre Presentations
Copyright
Copyright © The British Society of Animal Science 2002

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

Lee, S. S., Chang, M. B., Scollan, N. D., Merry, R. J., Dhanoa, M. S., Hobbs, P. J., Theobald, V. J., Maeng, W. J. and Dewhurst, R. J. 1999. The fatty acid composition of solid- and liquid-associated rumen bacteria isolated from cows. Proceedings of the British Society of Animal Science, p. 30.Google Scholar