The objective of the present study was to assess the chemical and bromatological composition and in situ degradability of elephant grass silages inoculated with Streptococcus bovis isolated from cattle rumen. A complete randomized design was used with four treatments and six replications: elephant grass silage, elephant grass silage inoculated with 10 6 CFU/g Streptococcus bovis JB1 strains; elephant grass silage inoculated with 10 6 CFU/g Streptococcus bovis HC5 strains; elephant grass silage inoculated with 10 6 CFU/g Enterococcus faecium with six replications each. The pH and ammoniacal nitrogen values were lower (P<0.05) for the silages inoculated with Streptococcus bovis JB1 and HC5, respectively. The silage inoculated with Streptococcus bovis had a higher crude protein content (P<0.05) and there were no differences for the fiber contents in the silage. The (a)soluble fraction degradability, especially in the silages inoculated with Streptococcus bovis JB1 and HC5, had higher values, 30.77 and 29.97%, for dry matter and 31.01 and 36.66% for crude protein, respectively. Inoculation with Streptococcus bovis improved the fermentation profile, protein value and rumen degradability of the nutrients.

This study aimed to evaluate the microbial populations, fermentation profile, dry matter recovery and chemical composition of elephant grass silage with ground maize (GM) and the fermented juice of epiphytic lactic acid bacteria (FJLB). A factorial design was used with four levels of GM (0 g/kg, 50 g/kg, 100 g/kg and 200 g/kg), untreated or treated with FJLB, in a completely randomized design with five replicates. A preexperiment was undertaken to determine the optimum level of sucrose to be added to fermented juice for the development of epiphytic microflora. In this pre-experiment, a completely randomized design with three replications was used. The treatments were represented by the levels of sucrose (0 g/kg, 5 g/kg, 10 g/kg, 20 g/kg, 40 g/kg, 60 g/kg and 80 g/kg, fresh matter basis). The microbial populations, dry matter recovery, and effluent losses were affected by the interaction between GM and FJLB. Dry matter (DM) and crude protein (CP) contents increased linearly with the inclusion of GM. The addition of GM enhanced the fermentation process via a reduction in losses, and improvements were identified in the nutritional value of elephant grass silages. The use of fermented juice increased dry matter recovery, and its effect was more pronounced when ground maize was added.

RESUMOAvaliaram-se o desempenho produtivo e a viabilidade econômica da utilização de diferentes dietas na terminação de ovinos. Foram utilizados 20 ovinos machos inteiros com sete meses de idade e peso vivo inicial de 25kg. O experimento teve duração de 60 dias, sendo que os animais tiveram sete dias de adaptação às dietas e 53 para o período de pesagens, coletas das sobras e dietas oferecidas. Utilizou-se o delineamento inteiramente ao acaso com quatro tratamentos e cinco repetições: milho + soja + feno de Tifton 85 (DR); milho + soja + caju + feno de Tifton 850 (DC); milho + soja + maracujá + feno de Tifton 85 (DM); milho desintegrado com palha e sabugo (MDPS) + feno de leucena + feno de Tifton 85 (DL). Observou-se efeito do tratamento (P<0,05) sobre consumo de matéria seca (CMS), consumo de proteína bruta (CPB) e consumo de fibra em detergente neutro (CFDN). Os ganhos médios diários de peso, em gramas, foram 171,60, 218,80, 217,20, 187,00 para os tratamentos DR, DC, DM e DL, respectivamente. Registrou-se menor CMS, CPB e CFDN para o tratamento DL. Não foi observada influência das dietas sobre o rendimento de carcaça quente e fria. A análise econômica revelou valores de benefício líquido de R$-20,40; R$44,77; R$31,41; 39,10 e taxa de retorno de -12,4%; 31,8%; 20,6%; 32,8% para os tratamentos DR, DC, DM e DL, respectivamente.Palavras-chave: ovino, consumo, ganho de peso, caju, maracujá ABSTRACT The performance and economical viability of using different diets in sheep termination were evaluated. Twenty rams aging seven-month old and averaging initial live body weight of 25kg were used. The experimental period lasted 60 days, with seven adaptation and 53 for body weight evaluation, and feed and leftover sampling. A completely randomized design with four treatments and five repetitions was used. The treatments included: corn + soybean + Tifton 85 hay (DR), corn + soybean + cashew + Tifton 85 hay (DC), corn + soybean + passion fruit + Tifton 85 hay (DM), and corn and cob meal (MDPS) + Tifton 85 hay + leucaena hay (DL). Treatment affected (P<0.05) intakes of dry matter (CMS), crude protein (CPB), and neutral detergent fiber (CFDN). Average body weight gains (g) were

The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of Cactus (Opuntia spp) levels in total mixed ration silages based on Cactus and Gliricidia (Gliricidia sepium (Jacq.) Steud) on the fermentation profile, microbial populations, aerobic stability and taxonomic diversity. The completely randomized design was used in a 4 × 4 factorial design with four replications, being four rations with different levels of Cactus (15, 30, 45, 60% based on the dry matter) and four opening periods (0, 15, 30 and 60 days of fermentation). An interaction effect (P < 0.050) was observed among the diets and opening times for mould and yeast populations. An interaction effect for the levels of acetic acid was observed, where the diets 15, 30, 45 and 60% showed higher values at 60 days (0.44, 0.41, 0.35 and 0.40 g/kg DM, respectively). A significant difference was observed for the richness and diversity index (Chao1 and Shannon). The most abundant bacterial phyla were Proteobacteria and Firmicutes and the genera Lactobacillus and Weissella. Cactus can be added in total mixed ration silages up to the level of 60% in a way that it positively affects the qualitative indicators of the silages, modulating the taxonomic communities and allowing the predominance of important groups for preservation of the ensiled mass.

Twenty-eight Boer × Saanen castrated male goats (21.6 ± 3.0 kg of initial body weigh) were distributed in a randomized complete block design to evaluate the effects of increasing levels (0, 100, 200 or 300 g/kg, in dry matter basis) of dietary babassu mesocarp flour (BMF) on performance, nutrient digestibility, carcass characteristics, and meat physical and chemical composition. When significant treatment effects were found, data were submitted to orthogonal polynomials for treatment responses. BMF did not change the intake and digestibility of dry matter and crude protein. However, it increased linearly the total carbohydrates intake (p = 0.013), neutral detergent fiber intake (p < 0.001) and digestibility (p = 0.027), while it decreased linearly the intake of non-fibrous carbohydrates (p < 0.001) and ether extract (p < 0.001), without changing their digestibility (p > 0.05). The dressing percentage (p = 0.003) and rib eye area (p = 0.024) had a quadratic effect with increasing levels of BMF. The total gastrointestinal weight (TGI) had an increased linear effect (p = 0.001), while the proportion of rumen (p = 0.010), omasum (p < 0.001) and abomasum (p = 0.001) increased linearly with BMF addition. The same effects were presented in leg weight (p = 0.045) and muscle weight (p = 0.049). Weight and yields of commercial cuts and meat physicochemical composition did not change (p > 0.05) with inclusion levels of BMF. The addition of babassu mesocarp flour up to 200 g/kg in the diet of male goat can improve the dressing percentage without major changes in meat physical and chemical traits, representing an attractive alternative feed.

RESUMO Avaliou

No abstract

Avaliaram-se os efeitos da fermentaçãode estirpes de Streptococcus bovis (HC5 e JB1) ede períodos de fermentação (dias após ensilagem)sobre o pH, a produção de amônia e o desenvolvimentode bactérias lácticas (BAL) e enterobactérias(ENT) em silagens de Panicum maximum cv.Mombaça. O delineamento experimental foi o inteiramentecasualizado, arranjado em um esquemafatorial 3 x 5 (controle e dois inoculantes e cincoperíodos de fermentação), com três repetições. Osvalores de NH3 aumentaram ao longo do período defermentação, enquanto pH diminuiu para todos ostratamentos, sendo que no último período de aberturaas concentrações de NH3 foram 10,69, 9,54 e8,93 mg/dl, e os valores de o pH foram 4,46, 4,27 e4,28, para os tratamentos controle, inoculado comHC5 e inoculado com JB1, respectivamente. O valormáximo de BAL na ausência de inoculante foiobservado no sétimo dia de fermentação (8,85 logUFC/g). As silagens inoculadas apresentaram valoresmáximos de BAL no décimo quarto dia, comvalores de 9,11 e 9,41 log UFC/g, para HC5 e JB1,respectivamente. Os valores de ENT, aos 28 diasde fermentação, foram 4,29, 3,60 e 3,57 log UFC/gpara as silagens controle, e inoculadas com HC5 eJB1, respectivamente. A inoculação aumentou, ainda,os teores de matéria seca e de proteína brutadas silagens, ao final do período de fermentação.A inoculação com Streptococcus bovis HC5 e JB1reduz o pH e diminui a concentração de amônia,além de favorecer o desenvolvimento de bactériaslácticas, em detrimento das enterobactérias, melhorandoo valor nutricional de silagens de capimmombaça.