Rumen fermentation and epithelial gene expression responses to diet ingredients designed to differ in ruminally degradable protein and fiber supplies.

ABSTRACT: Although numerous studies exist relating ruminal volatile fatty acid (VFA) concentrations to diet composition and animal performance, minimal information is available describing how VFA dynamics respond to diets within the context of the whole rumen environment. The objective of this study was to characterize how protein and fiber sources affect dry matter intake, rumen pH, fluid dynamics, fermentation parameters, and epithelial gene expression. Four diet treatments (soybean meal or heat-treated soybean meal and beet pulp or timothy hay) were delivered to 10 wethers. The soybean meals served as crude protein (CP) sources while the beet pulp and timothy hay represented neutral detergent fiber (NDF) sources. Feed intake, rumen pH, fluid pool size, and fluid passage rate were unaffected by tr

SUBMITTER: Gleason CB 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8861106 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature