In a completely randomized block design experiment, 16 ruminally cannulated male sheep with body weights of (40 ± 2.1) kg were fed twice daily (8:00 and 16:00) with concentrate and forage (50:50 on dry matter (DM) basis). Dietary treatments were supplemented with intraruminal doses of powdered Yucca schidigera extract (YSE) at the levels of 0 (control), 100, 200 and ruminal content was sampled at 0, 2, 4, 6 and 8 h after dosing (8:00), and blood samples were collected at the end of experiment (the days 18 and 19 after feeding). Results showed that the treatment groups' acidity was not affected (P = 0.13) by YSE. Comparing to the control, the ruminal propionate concentration was increased by YSE addition in a dose-dependent manner by up to 29.8% (P < 0.05), and the acetic concentration was decreased by up to 17.5% (P < 0.05). The ruminal ammonia concentration 2 hours after feeding was higher (P < 0.05) in sheep fed without NH3). Protozoal populations in the rumen were lower the control. The serum chemistries were not different among treatments (P 0.05) and were within the normal physiological ranges for sheep 19 days after feeding. The groups had particular suppressing effects on ruminal ammonia concentration, ammonia-N concentrations and protozoal populations. The effect of YSE on ruminal fer-mentation could be attributed to the selective inhibi-tory effect on rumen microbial species. High level impact on sheep in our tests.
展开▼
