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Effect of dietary concentrate on fungal zoosporogenesis in sheep rumen |
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H. Matsui, K. Ushida, Y. Kojima |
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| Abstract |
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Fluctuation of fungal zoospores on agar strips were observed in the rumen of sheep fed three different levels of dietary concentrate, timothy hay: concentrate = 3:0 (AF diet), timothy hay: concentrate = 2:1 (MC diet), timothy hay : concentrate = 1:2 (HC diet) respectively. The number of zoospores on the strip was drastically decrease after morning feed with AF diet. The number was the highest at 0 h (1.34 횞 102/cm2), then declined to 2.0 횞 103/cm2 at 9 h after feeding. In the rumen of animals fed MC diet, the number of zoospores decreased with time after feeding, although the decrement was slower than that with AF diet. During 0-3 h after feeding, number of zoospores was 1.6 횞 104/cm2. Although the number slightly decreased at 6 and 9 h, relatively high levels were maintained. It seems that the inducers for zoospore-release were maintained at relatively high concentration throughout incubation period. The fluctuation pattern of number of germinated zoospores was different in the rumen of animals fed HC diet from those of AF and MC diets. The number of zoospores was constantly maintained at lower level (1.0 횞 103/cm2) than the other diets. For MC diet, continuous high number of germinated zoospores may be due to the continuous release of zoospores by hemes in timothy hay and concentrate feed, and by unknown mechanisms. Unlike AF diet which promoted relatively rapid decline of zoosporogenesis, supplementation of concentrate feed to the timothy hay did not promote such rapid decline of zoosporogenesis. It was suggested that release of inducers for zoosporogenesis from concentrate feed persisted longer time than from timothy hay. HC diet promoted the lowest zoospore production, suggested the lowest fungal population size in this experiment. These results show that an appropriate amount of concentrate may support fungal growth and stimulate zoosporogenesis in the rumen. |
| Keywords:
Anaerobic Rumen Fungi; Fungal Population Size; Dietary Concentrate; Agar Strip; Zoosporogenesis |
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