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1. FERMENTATION BIOTECHNOLOGY
DrKALAISELVIGOVINDAN
ANIMAL BIOTECHNOLOGY
TANUVAS, INDIA

2. Rumen Biotechnology
Application of knowledge of fore stomach
fermentation and the use and management
of both natural and recombinant
microorganisms to improve the efficiency
of digestion of fibrous feedstuffs by
ruminants.

3. Ruminants …?
A ruminant is any hooved animal that digests its
food in two steps-
a) By eating the raw material and regurgitating a
semi digested form known as cud
b) then eating the cud, a process called
ruminating
Ruminants share another common feature that
they all have an even number of toes.
Examples are: cattle, goat, sheep, camel, giraffe,
buffalo and dear etc.

4. RUMEN FERMENTATION
– Protein
• Digested to amino acids by rumen micro-organisms and resynthesized
into microbial protein.
• This is digested in the small intestine to amino acids which are absorbed
and used for growth (enzymes, immune proteins, muscle protein).
• Some amino acids can be used to make glucose for energy production in
specialized tissues such as brain and formation of rapid energy stores
(liver and muscle glycogen).
– Fibre (cellulose, hemicellulose, lignin).
• Only digested in the rumen by certain micro-organisms. What is
undigested is excreted in the faeces.
• Producing volatile fatty acids (VFAs) such as propionate and butyrate
which are absorbed in the small intestine and used for energy
production and fat synthesis.
– Starch, sugars
• Digested rapidly in the rumen to form lactate or acetate. Excess
fermentation of starch can cause acidosis, particularly in lotfed cattle
receiving grain.

5. RUMEN FERMENTATION
Urea Microbial Urease NH3 + CO2
Carbohydrates Microbial Enzymes FA + Keto Acids
Keto Acids + NH3 Microbial Enzymes Amino Acids
Amino Acids Microbial Enzymes Microbial Protein
Microbial Protein Small Intestine Enzyme Free Amino
Acids
Free Amino Acids Absorbed
Toxic dose generally regarded as 0.5grams/kg LWT in a single feeding
episode.

6. RUMEN FERMENTATION
 Sulphate of Ammonia (NH4)2SO4
 Supply N as with urea. Contains approx ½ the level of
N as urea
 Important source of Sulphur (S)
 Sulphur required as a precursor to the production
amino acids
 N:S ratio should be in the range of 12-15:1
 SO4 often used to control intake (more bitter than urea )
 More expensive source of N than urea

7. Digestive tract of Ruminants

8.  Honeycomb lining
 Formation of food bolus
 Regurgitation initiated here
 Collects hardware (nails, wire)
Reticulu
m

9. Digestion and fermentation vat
Contains anaerobic microbes
Papillae lining
Absorption of VFA
Rumen

10. Laminae/manyply lining
– muscular folds
Reduces particle size
Absorption of water
Absorption of VFA
www.vivo.colostate.edu
Omasum

13. True gastric stomach
Proteolytic enzymes
Gastric digestion
Decreased pH from 6 to 2.5
– Denatures proteins
– Kills bacteria and pathogens
– Dissolves minerals (e.g., Ca3(PO4)2)
www.vivo.colostate.edu
Abomasum

14.  Many Microbial Munchers
 The rumen is home to billions and billions of microbes, including
bacteria, protists, fungi, and viruses. These many different
rumen microbes form a complex community of organisms that
interact with one another, helping the animal digest its food.
Microbial Population

15. Fermentation in Ruminants
Rumen is a fermentation chamber filled with
microorganisms (Gregg, 1995).
Anaerobic process-thus host can absorb
energetic by-products from bacteria
fermentation.
Utilizes enzymes produced by rumen
microorganisms to digest the ingested material
.
Benefits two distinguished groups: host
(ruminant) and the microorganisms.
www.esl.ohio-state.edu

16. Rumen Microbes
Protozoa
– Large (20-200 microns) unicellular organisms
– Ingest bacteria and feed particles
– Engulf feed particles and digest carbohydrates,
proteins and fats
– Numbers affected by diet
(Yokoyama and Johnson, 1988)

17. Entodinium (Rumen Protozoa)

18.  Fungi
– Known only for about 20 years
– Numbers usually low
– Digest recalcitrant fiber
www.animsci.agrenv.mcgill.ca/feed
Rumen Microbes

19.  Cellulolytic bacteria (fiber digesters)
– digest cellulose
– require pH 6-7
– utilize N in form of NH3
– require S for synthesis of sulfur-containing amino
acids (cysteine and methionine)
– produce acetate, propionate, little butyrate, CO2
– predominate from roughage diets
Bacterial Populations

20. Amylolytic bacteria (starch, sugar digesters)
– digest starch
– require pH 5-6
– utilize N as NH3 or peptides
– produce propionate, butyrate and lactate
– predominate from grain diets
– rapid change to grain diet causes lactic acidosis
(rapidly decreases pH)
Contd….

21.  Methane-producing bacteria
– produce methane (CH4)
– utilized by microbes for energy
– represent loss of energy to animal
– released by eructation
Contd…..

22. Improvement of Forage Quality
Pre-ingestive Methods
Post-ingestive Methods

23. Pre-ingestive Methods
Reducing lignin content and increasing
fermentable carbohydrate. Increasing
available proteins.
Reducing concentration of secondary
compounds. (Ulyatt, 1993).
Use of exogenous fibrolytic enzymes to
improve feed utilisation.

24. Post-ingestive Methods
Increasing fibre digestion.
Improving efficiency of nitrogen
metabolism.
Modification of ruminal ecosystems.
Recombinant ruminal Microorganisms.
Hoover and Stokes, 1991; McSweeny et al., 1994.

25. GI Microbes in livestock
development.
Microbial degradation of antinutritional
factors.
Tannins Toxic Non-protein amino acids.
Oxalates
Fluoroacetate
Pyrrolizidine
(Allison et al., 1985; Nelson et al., 1995)

26. GI Microbial enzymes In
Industry
Tannase in food, beverages, in preparation of
instant tea and as clarifier in fruit juices and beer.
Phytase as feed additives in monogastric’s foods
to increase phosphate utilisation.
Source of restriction enzymes for e.g.. Sru I and
Sru4DI from ruminal selenomonades
 Lactobacillus species for disease treatment as
probiotics.
(Cheng, 1999).

27. Future Prospect and Conclusion
Provide a natural barrier for controlling the
entry of enteric pathogens into the human
food chain.
Intensive livestock production in the
future.
In various industries apart from the
Livestock production
Easy and economical way to enhance
economy of developing countries.

28. Thank you