IN VITRO FERMENTATION AND RUMEN MICROBIAL COUNT OF WEST AFRICAN DWARF GOATS FED GARLIC (ALLIUM SATIVUM) POWDER

摘要

:The experiment was carried out to evaluate the effect of garlic (A. Sativum) powder on in vitro fermentation kinetics and rumen microbial count of West African Dwarf (WAD) goats. Garlic cloves were oven dried, ground into powder and used to formulatefour experimental diets containing 0,0.5, 1.0 and 1.5% garlic powder (Control, GP0.5, GP 1.0, and GPI.5 respectively). Rumen fluid was collected from five goats prior to morning feeding from animals that were offered Panicum maximum and concentrate diet. The rumen fluid was put in a thermo flask pre-warmed to a temperature of 39°C.The substrate used was a mixture experimental diet and Panicum maximum at ratio of 30:70.The samples were incubated for 48 hours at 39°C after which 4 ml NaOH was introduced to estimate methane production. Rumen contents from animals which had been fed the experimental diets above with Panicum maximum as basal diet at ratio 30:70 for 84 days were collected for microbial count. Results obtained indicated that garlic powdersupplementation significantly (p<0.05) increased metabolizeable energy and short chain fatty acids while also decreasing significantly (p<0.05) methane production. In vitro dry matter digestibility (IDMD), organic matter, potential gas production (a), gas production rate constant (c) and time of incubation (t) were not significantly (p>0.05) affected by garlic powder supplementation.The protozoa counts significantly (p<0.05) decreased with increased garlic powder supplementation. Bacteria and fungi counts were not significantly (p>0.05) affected by garlic powder supplementation. The results of this study concluded that feeding of garlic powder to WAD goats at 1.5% reduced methane output by 64.9% under in vitro conditions.