Two experiments were conducted to investigate the effects of tea saponins (TS) on in vitro ruminal fermentation and growth performance in growing Boer goats. In Experiment 1, the Reading Pressure Technique (RPT) system was used to investigate the effect of addition of TS (0, 0.2, 0.4 and 0.8 mg/ml) on the ruminal fermentation in vitro. The 24h gas production and methane emission were significantly decreased when 0.4 or 0.8mg TS was included, suggesting that the TS could inhibit the release of methane. Compared to the control, the TS had little effect on pH values and the concentration of total volatile fatty acids in the ruminal fluids. However, the fermentation patterns were changed, with lower acetate and higher proportions of propionate when TS was added. Ammonia-N concentration and protozoal counts were significantly reduced, while microbial protein yield was increased by the TS addition, suggesting that the TS could modify the ruminal fermentation. In Experiment 2, 27 growing Boer goats were used to evaluate the effects of the TS addition on growth performance. The animals received the same basal diets, and added TS at levels of 0 (C), 3 g (T1) and 6 g (T2) per day. The experiment lasted for 60 days with the first 15 days for adaptation. Blood samples were obtained by jugular venipuncture before the morning feeding on the final day of the experiment. During the whole periods, dry matter intake, average daily gain and feed efficiency in T1 were higher than in the other two. Serum total protein, albumin, high density lipoprotein cholesterol, Ca and P and alkaline phosphatase levels were higher in group T1 than in C and T2, whereas the blood urea nitrogen, creatinine and total cholesterol were lower in the TS-added groups. The concentrations of glucose, glutamic-oxaloacetic transaminase and glutamic-pyruvic transaminase were not affected by the TS. From the results obtained in this study, it is inferred that the TS could modify the ruminal fermentation and that proper doses of TS may have potential in improving the animal growth performance, whereas at high doses, it may have adverse effects on animal production.
The effect of tea saponins (TS) on rumen fermentation and methane emission was examined using an in vitro gas production technique named Reading Pressure Technique. Three levels of TS addition (0, 0.2, 0.4 mg/ml) were evaluated in the faunated and defaunated rumen fluid. Compared to the control, TS addition decreased the 24 h gas production in the faunated rumen fluid, but had a minor effect on gas yield in the defaunated rumen fluid. The TS significantly reduced methane production in vitro. In the faunated rumen fluid, 0.2 or 0.4 mg/ml TS decreased the 24 h methane emission by 12.7% or 14.0%, respectively. Rumen fluid pH value was affected neither by TS addition nor by defaunation. The TS addition had only minor effects on volatile fatty acids, but the yield and pattern of volatile fatty acids were greatly affected by defaunation. While the molar proportion of acetate was not affected by defaunation, the propionate was significantly increased and the butyrate significantly decreased. Ammonia-N concentration and microbial protein yield were influenced by TS inclusion and defaunation. Inclusion of 0.4 mg/ml TS increased the microbial protein mass by 18.4% and 13.8% and decreased the ammonia-N concentration by 8.3% and 19.6% in the faunated and defaunated rumen fluid, respectively. Protozoa counts were significantly reduced by TS inclusion. The current study demonstrated the beneficial effect of TS on methane production and rumen fermentation, and indicated that this may be due to the effect of the associated depression on protozoa counts.
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