Effect of Feeding Chemically Treated Mustard (Brassica campestris) Straw on Rumen Fibre Degrading Enzymes in Sheep

Abstract

The aim of the experiment was to study the changes in the activities of various rumen fibre degrading enzymes due to the feeding of chemically treated mustard (Brassica campestris) straw in sheep. Mustard straw (MS) (<5 cm particle size) was treated either with urea (4% (w/w), or with 2% sodium hydroxide (NaOH), or with alkaline hydrogen peroxide (2% NaOH and 1.5% hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2 )) and/or supplemented with 2% (w/w) urea. Seven maintenance type rations were prepared using MS (70 parts) with molasses (5 parts) and concentrate (25 parts). They were untreated MS (CMS), urea treated MS (UMS), urea supplemented MS (MS-US), alkali treated MS (AMS), alkali treated and urea supplemented MS (AMS-US), alkali H 2 O 2 treated MS (AHMS) and alkali H 2 O 2 treated and urea supplemented MS (AHMS-US). They were then compressed into a complete feed block with the help of block making machine. Forty two male hoggets of Malpura breed sheep were equally distributed into each treatment group and (were) offered feed and water ad libitum. At the end of 21 days of feeding trial, rumen liquor was collected through stomach tube from three animals in each group at 0 h, 4 h, 8 h, 12 h of post feeding. Results showed that the level of enzyme varied from 8.52 to 11.12, 40.85 to 50.37, 3.22 to 3.78, 2.09 to 2.77 and 31.44 to 44.24 units/100 ml SRL respectively for carboxymethyl cellulase (CMCase), α-amylase, microcrystalline cellulase (MCCase), filter paper (FP) degrading enzyme and α-glucosidase. Processing of MS affected the enzyme activities, in a way, that NaOH and AHP treatment significantly reduced CMCase and FP degrading enzyme. The effect of urea treatment showed an increase in the activity of MCCase and α-glucosidase. But the supplementation of urea increased the activity of CMCase, FP degrading enzyme and α-glucosidase. The CMCase, α-amylase, α-glucosidase activities were highest at 4hr whereas MCCase and FP degrading enzyme had maximum activities at 12 h post feeding Results suggested that MS might need longer time in the rumen for its effective degradation.

Optimization of Solid State Fermentation of Mustard (Brassica campestris) Straw for Production of Animal Feed by White Rot Fungi (Ganoderma lucidum)

“…The MS contains very low amount of protein and large proportion of cell wall constituents (Mishra et al, 1996), which renders it unpalatable and poorly digestible to the ruminants (Mishra et al, 2004). The cellulose content in MS is about 45 percent (Vaithiyanathan et al, 2003), but this vast amount of energy source is locked in ligno-cellulosic complex and remains un-accessible to ruminal microbes for degradation (Chaudhry, 1998). In our laboratory, attempts to improve the nutritive value of MS have been made through various chemicals (Misra et al, 1995;Misra et al, 2000;Vaithiyanathan et al, 2003) and variable degree of success has been achieved.…”

“…The cellulose content in MS is about 45 percent (Vaithiyanathan et al, 2003), but this vast amount of energy source is locked in ligno-cellulosic complex and remains un-accessible to ruminal microbes for degradation (Chaudhry, 1998). In our laboratory, attempts to improve the nutritive value of MS have been made through various chemicals (Misra et al, 1995;Misra et al, 2000;Vaithiyanathan et al, 2003) and variable degree of success has been achieved. Apart from the chemicals, the biological method to improve the quality of straw and other low-grade roughages is drawing much attention due to its specificity and simplicity in improving the nutritive value without having many disadvantages of chemical pretreatment (Fahey et al, 1993).…”

Determination of Nutritive Value of Wild Mustard, Sinapsis arvensis Harvested at Different Maturity Stages Using In situ and In vitro Measurements

“…The nutritive value of mustard (Brassica campestris) straw has been evaluated by Mishra et al (2000), and Vaithiyanathan et al (2003). However there is no previous report on the nutritive value of wild mustard (Sinapsis arvensis) straw.…”