Phenolic compounds, mainly tannins, depress the nutritive value of many feedstuffs. Tannins are hydrosoluble polymers which form complexes, essentially with proteins. These complexes are broken under conditions of high acidity (pH <3.5) or high alkalinity (pH =7.5). The aim of this work was to investigate the effects of different treatments on chemical composition and tannin bioassay of tanniniferous plants from the Northeast of Brazil.

Ionophores, consisting of monensin and lasalocid were reported to improve rumen fermentation and metabolism of ruminants when delivered in their respective proper dosage (Mass et al., 2001). However, the efficacy of ionophores in the manipulation of rumen fermentation has been shown to vary with diet. Ionophores may also inhibit ruminal amino acid deamination (Yang et al., 2003). The objective of this study was to determine of the effect of monensin and lasalocid on rumen fermentation characteristics.

Rumen is an area with high potential for growing of diverse living organisms including anaerobic fungi. The most studies on rumen fungi focused on anaerobic fungi classified as Chytridiomycetes, family Neocallimasticaceas, while few studies have done on determination of Zygomycetes that can be native in the rumen. The most fungi within the subkingdom Zygomycotina belong to the class Zygomycetes. Fungi in this class possess some distinctive properties that contain rapid growth, nonseptate mycelium, reproduction by sporangiospores (Pitt et al., 1985) and production of some hydrolytic enzymes (Vinogradova et al.,2003). The aim of this study was microscopic examination and molecular analysis of nuclear small subunit (SSU; 18S rDNA) of ruminal fungi, Zygomycete, and its reproductive manner in sheep.

Pistachio (pistachio vera) is from Anacardiaceae family. According to the FAO (2003) report, Iran is the largest pistachio producer in the world (more than 310,000 tons). The most three important exported pistachio nuts of Iran are Ohadi, Akbari and Kaleghuchi (Mohammadi, 2005). About 150,000 tons in DM of pistachio by-product (PB) is produced from dehulling process in Iran, annually. This by-product is mainly consisted of pistachio hulls (PH), and then peduncles, leaves and a little amount of mesocarp and kernels. In this experiment the chemical composition, Total Phenolic Content (TPC) and tannin amount of PB and PH of Ohadi, Kaleghuchi and white varieties were determined; also, In Vitro Dry Matter and Organic Matter Digestibility (IVDMD and IVOMD) were measured.

Iran is the greatest pistachio producer in the world. A large quantity of pistachio by-product (at least 150,000 tons in DM) is produced from pistachio dehulling process in Iran, annually. The results of some experiments show this by¬product can be used as a feedstuff for ruminants (Shakeri and Fazaeli, 2005; VAhmani et. al., 2005). However, more information about physical and chemical compositions of this by-product is needed. Pistachio by-product is mainly consists of epicarp, peduncle, leaf and a little amount of mesocarp and kernel. The aim of this study was to determine chemical composition and in situ dry matter disappearance of each part of pistachio by-product (Ohadi variety) after 0, 12 and 24 h incubation in the rumen.

Rice bran is the most important by-product obtained during the rice milling process. The chemical composition of rice bran varies widely that is related to the milling system and management (Ravindran and Blair, 1991). Therefore, the terminology concerning rice bran is not consistent due to the lack of well-based definitions. Rice bran contains a considerable amount of crude protein and fat which, in many countries, is now being extracted to obtain a high quality of oil. The high fat in rice bran may create rancidity problems during storage in tropical climates. The bran also contains a lipolytic enzyme that becomes active when it is separated from the rice and rapidly increase the free fatty acid content but, the storage life of solvent-extracted bran is considerably longer than the un-extracted one (Warren and Farrel, 1990). In Iran, annually about 200000 tons of this by-product is available which is used as an animal feed without any extraction process. This study was conducted to study the chemical composition and fatty acids profile of the oil fraction in rice bran during the different seasons.

In Iran, East Azerbaijan province is one of the most important farm animal production area and feedstuffs such as wheat grain (WG) and wheat bran (WB) together with alfalfa hay, barley grain, and wheat straw are the most common ingredients of animal rations. In recent years, production of WG and its main by-product, WB, have considerably been increased. Organic matter and mineral contents of WG in a given area can be influenced markedly by climate, soil and fertilizer treatments, growth stage and agronomic factors. Nutrient composition of WB also depends on variety of WG and mill processing conditions. Therefore, it is necessary to determine the nutrient composition of WG and WB to use in formulating balanced rations. The objective of present study was to determine nutrient composition of WG and WB in East Azerbaijan.

A reduction of the overall nitrogen (N) loss to the environment from intensive ruminant production systems remains a key policy and research objective. Such an outcome is essential for the development of sustainable ruminant farming systems that minimise their environmental footprints. Plant and microbial enzyme-mediated proteolysis during ensilage results in the extensively hydrolysed N fraction in grass silage (Givens and Rulquin, 2004). It is generally accepted that the highly soluble N fraction of grass silage is poorly utilised by ruminants, reflecting the low efficiency of capture of silage N in the rumen. An improvement in dietary N efficiency by ruminants is therefore a key concern. Plant tannins have in common their capacity to bind proteins and an improvement in N utilisation by ruminants has been reported for a number of tanniniferous feeds (Mueller-Harvey, 2006). Therefore, the aim of the present experiment was to study a by¬product from the wine industry, so-called ‘grape marc’, as a potential source of tannins to reduce proteolysis during ensilage.

Sustainable ruminant livestock systems must promote an efficient use of resources for food production and minimise their environmental impact. Intensive dairy cow production, based on grass silage, is a major contributor to nitrogen (N) loss to the environment, estimated as 18.2 t N/t milk for grass silage-based diets (Delaby et al., 1995). It is widely accepted that this low efficiency (milk N/dietary N) value reflects the low efficiency of capture in the rumen of the extensively degraded N fraction in grass silage (Givens and Rulquin, 2004). A common feature of plant tannins is their capacity to bind proteins and an improvement in N utilisation by ruminants has been reported for a number of tanniniferous feeds (Mueller-Harvey, 2006). Therefore, the aim of the present experiment was to study the potential of various commercial non-toxic tannin products to reduce proteolysis during ensilage.

Although Lucerne hay is common using method of Lucerne forage but weather condition always is not suitable to provide it. Besides Lucerne forage due to high buffering capacity because of the tubular and hollow stem structure, low soluble sugar content, high moisture and high protein content is the most difficult to ensile. Therefore, response to silage additives (such as urea and sulphuric acid) or preservatives may be great with legume forage. Experimental evidence indicates that there is main different about chemical composition of Lucerne silage before and after ensiling. This study was conducted to compare of Chemical composition of Lucerne silages treated without or by urea and sulphuric acid.

Forage quality is a key factor in dairy cattle nutrition. High moisture forages are so susceptible to loss their nutrients during ensiling. Canola is one of the oilseed plants that belong to Brassica species. Canola forage has high level of moisture in its tissues and must be wilted to 60 -65% moisture before ensiling. On the other hand, molasses and urea as two silage additives can be effective in improvement and preservation of canola forage quality. Molasses is commonly used to provide readily available energy for lactic acid fermentation. Addition of molasses can increase dry matter content of silage that related to relatively high dry matter content of molasses (Baytok and Aksu, 2005). Meanwhile, silage protein content can be increased and proteolysis decreased with the addition of urea. Application of urea to harvested forage before ensiling can restrict the fermentation processes and release ammonia to potentially enhance nutritive value of the ensiled crop and reduce deterioration during storage. The main objective of this study was to evaluate effects of different levels of urea and molasses on chemical composition and in vitro DM digestibility of whole crop canola silage.

The use of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) as microbial inoculants in order to increase bacterial fermentation and decrease the pH of silage which in turn inhibit the growth of undesirable microbes and provide stable ensiling conditions has been well documented (McDonald, 1991). Although corn silage is used as major forage for dairy cattle at most commercial farms in Iran no information is available regarding the suitability of LAB for their use as inoculants in preparing corn silage. The objective of this study was therefore to determine the effects of the addition of a bacterial inoculant on chemical composition and fermentation characteristics of corn forage ensiled in 2 kg laboratory silos.

fibrous materials such as sugarcane bagasse contain more than 600 g/kg of its dry matter in the form of cellulose and hemicellulose but its degradability is very poor. One of the main reasons for this depression in degradability is the presence of lignin which protects carbohydrates from being attacked by rumen microbes. The main effect of steam treatment is to increase feed intake, overall digestibility and gain which is achieved because of the extensive destruction of cell wall and hemicellulose hydrolysis which increases soluble sugars and makes cell wall more degradable (Karkoodi et al, 2006). The aim of this study was to assess the effect of acid hydrolysis steam pressure treatment on physico-chemical and bio-utilization of sugarcane bagasse.

In Iran, Javan (2001) has reported the digestibility some arid rangelands plants by bovine rumen liquor. The determination of in vivo digestibility of wheat straw implies that camel apparently digested poor quality roughages more than cattle and sheep (Cianci et al., 2004). Therefore, It is required to measure the in vitro digestibility of herbages by camel rumen liquor. In province of yazd, nutritive value of 11 different plant species for camel were determined (Towhidi, 2007). The objectives of the current study were to determine 1) the chemical composition, gross energy of the most consuming plant species from rangeland of Semnan province including Seidlitzia rosmarinu, Tamarix tetragyna, Tamarix strica, Halostachys spp, Saudea fruticosa., Alhagi camelorum, Haloxylon ammondendron., Salsola arbescola, Hammada salicornica and, 2) in vitro digestibility of the plants by camel rumen liquor.

The enzyme polyphenol oxidase (PPO) may be responsible for increases in both dietary-nitrogen utilisation and the concentration of polyunsaturated fatty acids in ruminant products when animals eat red clover (Lee et al., 2004). The enzymatic reaction requires the presence of oxygen and therefore is assumed to be inhibited in the anaerobic rumen. However, no information exists as to the concentration of oxygen in red clover-boluses and whether this could sustain the aerobic enzyme’s activity in the reticulo-rumen. This study investigated the concentration of oxygen in red clover-boluses measured in vitro or in vivo in the rumen of two rumen-fistulated cows.

Recent changes to beef production subsidy schemes in the UK has focussed attention on the fertility and reproductive output of suckler beef systems in an attempt to ensure future financial sustainability. Adoption of modern cattle breeding technologies may be more common in the future than they have been in the past as a result of this renewed focus on commercial profitability rather than subsidy reliance. However, relatively little information is available on the biological parameters encountered when modern breeding approaches are employed within commercial crossbred suckler beef management systems in the UK. Previous work (Penny, 2005) has detailed the development of either a triple or double synchronised artificial insemination (AI) programme suitable for use with both multiparous suckler cows and first calving heifers managed as a commercial spring calving suckler herd. The objective of the current report is to detail the effects of breed type and calf sex on average gestation length (GL) in first calving crossbred suckler replacement heifers when mated using a synchronised AI programme.

Since de-coupling of CAP subsidy schemes from actual animal production, lowering the costs of finishing cattle production systems is one of the key challenges facing the beef industry. One of the largest costs associated with finished cattle production from spring-born suckled calves is the costs of over-wintering the weaned steer calf once the suckling phase is over. The capital tied up in buildings is a major component of these costs in countries such as the UK where the relatively harsh winter environments have traditionally led to many weaned suckled calves being housed and fed conserved forages over the winter months to ensure adequate performance. Previous work (Hyslop et al, 2006) has shown that under appropriate field conditions, non-lactating, spring calving suckler cows can be out-wintered on both grazed kale or turnip based-systems with an acceptable degree of animal performance. The objective of the current study was to determine liveweight (LW) changes in weaned spring-born suckled calf steers when managed outdoors on kale-based grazing systems during a short winter feeding period and to assess the dirtiness of steers hides at the end of the kale grazing period.

Dietary supplements of a mixture of CLA isomers have been shown to reduce body fat accretion in mice and pigs with the trans-10, cis-12 isomer probably being responsible for the anti-lipogenic effects. The efficacy of calcium salts of a mixture of CLA methyl esters containing trans-10, cis-12, on milk fat synthesis, is relatively low (Bernal-Santos et al., 2003) and reported lack of effects on growth may be due to low efficacy and the short duration of CLA supplementation, during the last 32 or 60 days before slaughter, and the relatively low level of trans-10, cis-12 CLA fed. Shingfield et al (2004) demonstrated the potential of rumen protected supplements of a mixture of CLA isomers to reduce milk fat content and improve the energy status of dairy cows during early lactation. The current experiment used a lipid-encapsulated supplement containing equal amounts of cis-9, trans-11 and trans-10, cis-12 CLA methyl esters to study the effects on the performance and carcass characteristics of Limousin steers during a 100d finishing period.

An arterial or venous blood gas is a clinical tool for determining pulmonary and metabolic status. Arterial Blood Gas (ABG) or Venous Blood Gas (VBG) methods provide a direct measurement of partial blood pressures of carbon dioxide (PaCO2) and oxygen (PaO2), hydrogen ion activity (pH), total hemoglobin (Hbtotal), oxyhemoglobin saturation (HbO2) and bicarbonate ion concentration (HCO3-). Most blood tests are done on a sample of blood taken from a vein due to: 1-Collecting blood from an artery is more painful than collecting it from a vein because the arteries are deeper and have more nerves, 2-Artery may be inaccessible due to periarterial tissues (overlying muscle, connective tissue, or fat). In ruminants, feeding diets high in grain and other highly fermentable carbohydrates increases the risk of ruminal and blood acidosis. Although ruminal pH varies considerably within a day, cows possess a highly developed system to maintain ruminal pH within a physiological range. However, if the acid production from fermentation is more than the system can buffer, ruminal pH compensation fails and it may drop drastically (Marie Krause & Oetzel, 2005). The importance of arterial or venous blood gas measurements in the diagnosis of ruminal acidosis is prevented some health problems such as ruminal parakeratosis, erosion and ulceration of the ruminal epithelium (Garry, 2002), laminitis, sole abscesses and sole ulcer (Nocek, 1997). The objective of the present experiment was to investigate the effect of diets providing different concentrate: lucerne hay ratios on venous blood gas in Holstein steers.

Arian broiler is one of the most important strains in Iran. There are many fat sources in poultry nutrition at Iran and other countries. These fat sources have different effects on broiler performance. Various fatty acids absorbed separately and differently in chicken lumen. Fats, especially linoleic acid have main effects on microbial flora at chicken (Pesti et al., 2002). Meanwhile fat sources have important share in costs of diet formulation. The aim of current experiment was to evaluate the effects of different fat sources and their blend on broiler performance.