RESUMO Os efeitos da manipueira sobre a digestibilidade de nutrientes e protozoários ruminais foram avaliados utilizando-se 32 ovinos Santa Inês submetidos a dietas compostas por feno de Tifton, rolão de milho e concentrado, acrescidas de 0, 500, 1000 ou 1500 mL de manipueira. Foram utilizados ovinos não castrados com idade media de 167 dias e com peso médio e aproximadamente 25,3 kg. Foram alojados em gaiolas individuais e distribuídos em delineamento inteiramente casualizado com quatro tratamentos e oito repetições. O período experimental foi de 70 dias: 15 dias para adaptação às dietas e 60 dias para coleta dos ingredientes e rações. Antes desta fase, os animais foram adaptados ao consumo de manipueira em gaiolas coletivas durante um período de 7 dias. A digestibilidade aparente foi determinada pela coleta parcial de fezes e pelo uso do marcador externo LIPE® em cápsulas de 250 mg.A digestibilidade aparente dos nutrientes avaliados não diferiu (P>0,05) em relação aos níveis de manipueira estudados. Onze gêneros de protozoários foram identificados, compondo uma comunidade que à exceção de Ophryoscolex, não diferiu entre os tratamentos em sua composição. Entretanto, as espécies de Entodinium apresentaram maior densidade (P<0,05) em ovinos que receberam 1500 mL de manipueira. O uso da manipueira na dieta de ovinos não afeta a digestibilidade de nutrientes e composição de protozoários ruminais, entretanto, promove aumento significativo na densidade de Entodinium.

SUMMARY The effects of cassava wastewater on nutrient digestibility and rumen protozoa were evaluated in 32 Santa Inês sheep fed a diet with Tifton hay, ground corn cob, and concentrate, containing 0, 500, 1000, or 1500 mL cassava wastewater. Uncastrated sheep at an average age of 167 days and average weight of 25.3 kg were housed in individual stalls and distributed in a randomized complete design with four treatments and eight replicates. The experimental period was 70 days: 15 days for adaptation to the diets and 60 days to collect the ingredients and diets supplied. Prior to this stage, the animals were adapted to the consumption of cassava wastewater, in collective cages, for seven days. Apparent digestibility was determined by partial feces collection and by using the LIPE® external marker in 250-mg capsules. The apparent digestibility of nutrients did not differ (P>0.05) in relation to the cassava wastewater levels tested. Eleven genera of rumen protozoa were identified, and they formed a community that, except for Ophryoscolex, did not differ among the cassava wastewater treatments with respect to composition. However, Entodinium species were observed at a higher density (P<0.05) in sheep that received 1500 mL of cassava wastewater. The use of cassava wastewater in the sheep diet does not affect the digestibility of nutrients or composition of rumen protozoa; however, it causes a significant increase in Entodinium density.

Objetivou-se avaliar a degradação ruminal in situ da matéria seca (MS) e a digestibilidade in vitro de suplementos concentrados a base de farinha de batata diversa peletizada com ureia (0, 4, 8 e 12% da MS). Amostras de cada tratamento foram incubadas por 0, 2, 4, 8, 12, 24, 36 e 48 horas no rúmen de quatro ovinos fistulados. Não houve efeito (P>;0,05) do nível de inclusão de ureia sobre as frações solúvel ("a") e potencialmente degradável ("b") dos péletes, que variaram, respectivamente, de 2,1 a 12,1%, e de 72,9 a 87,5%. Foi observado efeito quadrático (P=0,03) para a taxa de degradação da fração "b", que variou de 4,75 a 7,39% h-1, sendo o valor máximo estimado em 7,4% h-1, obtido quando 5,9% de ureia foram incluídos no pélete. Foram observados efeitos quadráticos (P≤0,02) do nível de inclusão de ureia nos péletes sobre a degradabilidade efetiva (DE) da MS, considerando taxas de passagem no rúmen de 2, 5 e 8% h-1e os valores máximos de DE calculadas sob estas taxas de passagem no rúmen foram estimados com 6,3 a 7,3% de ureia nos péletes. A digestibilidade in vitro da MS dos péletes foi influenciada de forma quadrática (P=0,02) pelo nível de inclusão de ureia, com valor máximo de 96,9%, estimado quando 7,9% de ureia foram incluídos no pélete. A inclusão de 6 a 8% de ureia nos péletes promove incremento na digestibilidade in vitro e na degradabilidade efetiva da matéria seca

The aim of this study was to evaluate ruminal in situ degradability and in vitro digestibility of dry matter (DM) in concentrate supplements containing diverse potato flour pelletized with urea (0%, 4%, 8%, and 12% DM). Samples of feeds were incubated for 0, 2, 4, 8, 12, 24, 36, and 48h in the rumen of four fistulated sheep. Level of urea added had no significant effect (P>;0.05) on the soluble fraction (a) or potentially degradable fraction (b) of the pellets and ranged from 2.1% to 12.2% and 72.9% to 87.5%, respectively. Quadratic effects (P=0.03) of the rate of degradation of fraction "b" ranged from 4.75% h-1to 7.39% h-1; the estimated maximum value at 7.4% h-1was obtained when 5.9% urea was added to the pellet. Quadratic effects (P≤0.02) of the level of urea added to the pellets on the effective degradability (ED) of DM were evaluated after considering rumen passage rates of 2.5% h-1and 8% h-1; the maximum values of ED calculated under these rumen passage rates were estimated at 6.3% to 7.3% urea in the pellets. The in vitro digestibility of DM of the pellets showed a quadratic effect (P=0.02) at different levels of urea, with a maximum value of 96.9% achieved when 7.9% urea was added to the pellets. Our results suggest that the addition of 6-8% urea to pelleted feed promotes an increase in the in vitro digestibility and ED of DM.

The objective of this study was to evaluate changes in ruminal protozoa in lambs after partial replacement of feed concentrates in their diets with Gliricidia sepium silage. Twenty-four male Santa Ines lambs with an average initial weight of 14.5 kg were used. The experimental design was completely randomized, with four treatments and six replications. Treatments (given as a percentage of dry matter) were as follows: control - corn silage (600 g kg-1 as fed) + concentrate (400 g kg-1 as fed); GS133 - corn silage (600 g kg-1 as fed) + G. sepium silage (133 g kg-1as fed) + concentrate (267 g kg-1 as fed); GS267 - corn silage (600 g kg-1 as fed) + G. sepium silage (267g kg-1as fed) + concentrate (133 g kg-1 as fed); and GS400 - corn silage (600 g kg-1 as fed) + G. sepium silage (400 g kg-1as fed). Samples of rumen contents were obtained at slaughter, and analysis revealed the presence of nine genera of rumen protozoa that were present in all animals, with the exception of Enoploplastronand Eremoplastron. There were no significant differences in the average total numbers of rumen ciliates or in the composition of species between lambs. Inclusion of up to 400 g kg-1 (as fed) G. sepium silage in the diet of lambs does not affect the diversity or density of rumen protozoa.

The objective of this study was to assess whether the straining of rumen content samples influences the estimation of protozoal density. Ninety rumen samples were obtained from 30 cattle (three samples per animal). The samples were subjected to one of three treatments at the moment of collection: 1) fixation informalin without straining(control treatment), 2) straining before fixation informalin, or 3)straining after fixation informalin.To test the hypothesis of the variation in the protozoa composition in the samples, multivariate analyses with non-metric multidimensional scaling (NMDS) were carried out. The diversity and density of rumen protozoa were negatively affected by straining before fixation.In the pre-filtered sample, the number of ciliates from the genus Entodinium was reduced, and no individuals from the Diploplastron, Elytroplastron and Eudiplodinium genera were detected; these effects were not observed in the other two treatments. Straining after fixation did not interfere with the diversity of the ruminal community, but the abundance of protozoa was greater thanin the control treatment and significantly greater than in the samples filtered before fixation. These factors suggest that post-fixation straining is the recommended technique to analyze rumen protozoa.

O objetivo deste trabalho foi registrar ocorrências de predação e canibalismo em protozoários ciliados no rúmen de ovinos. Foram analisadas amostras de conteúdo ruminal de cinco ovinos mestiços Santa Inês, fistulados no rúmen, mantidos em pastagem natural de caatinga, no município de Sertânia, Pernambuco. Foram obtidas seis amostras de conteúdo ruminal de cada ovino, totalizando 30 amostras, as quais foram fixadas em formalina 18,5% (v/v). De cada amostra foi retirada uma alíquota de 1 ml de conteúdo ruminal ao qual se adicionaram três gotas de solução de lugol para a coloração e identificação dos protozoários ciliados. Estas alíquotas foram analisadas utilizando-se lâminas e lamínulas, em campos determinados randomicamente. Constatou-se a ocorrência de interações do tipo predador-presa entre ciliados de Ophryoscolecidae Stein, 1859, onde Elytroplastron bubali (Dogiel, 1928) apresentou comportamento predatório sobre Enoploplastron triloricatum (Dogiel, 1925) e sobre outras espécies de Epidinium Crawley, 1923 e de Entodinium Stein, 1859. Foram ainda observados casos de canibalismo entre espécimes de E. bubali, o que consiste no primeiro registro deste tipo de interação nesta espécie. Registra-se, ainda, pela primeira vez a ocorrência de E. bubali no rúmen de ovinos no Brasil.

The objective of the present study was to record the occurrence of predation and cannibalism among ciliate protozoans in the rumen of sheep. The analyzed samples consisted of ruminal contents of five fistulated Santa Inez crossbred sheep, maintained in a natural caatinga (scrubland) pasture in the municipality of Sertânia, Pernambuco. Six samples of ruminal content were obtained from each sheep (total of 30 samples) and fixed in formalin at 18.5% (v/v). One 1 ml aliquot was obtained from each sample of ruminal content and received tree drops of a lugol solution for staining and identification of protozoa ciliates. These aliquots were analyzed in slides and coverslips, at randomly determined fields. An instance of predator-prey interaction was observed among ciliates of Ophryoscolecidae Stein, 1859, where Elytroplastron bubali (Dogiel, 1928) preyed on Enoploplastron triloricatum (Dogiel, 1925) and on species of Epidinium Crawley, 1923 and Entodinium Stein, 1859. Cases of cannibalism were observed among specimens of E. bubali, which consist of the first record this type of interaction in this species. This is, moreover, the first record of occurrence of E. bubali in the rumen of sheep in Brazil.

Quatro vacas lactantes canuladas no rúmen, com 155 dias em lactação, foram dispostas em um quadrado latino 4 × 4 e alimentadas, duas vezes ao dia, com silagem de milho e concentrado (relação 55:45, base matéria seca), para se avaliarem os efeitos da monensina e do óleo de soja na dieta de vacas lactantes sobre a contagem de protozoários ciliados, além de estabelecer correlações entre os protozoários com alguns parâmetros da digestão e da fermentação ruminal. Os tratamentos consistiram da inclusão de 33 ppm de monensina sódica ou de 4% de óleo de soja na dieta, assim representados: dieta controle, sem óleo ou monensina - CT; dieta com monensina - MN; dieta com óleo - OL; combinação de 33 ppm de monensina e 4% de óleo de soja - OM. Verificou-se a ocorrência de 11 gêneros de ciliados, sendo Entodinium o predominante em todos os tratamentos. Não foi observada interação significativa óleo de soja × monensina sobre a contagem de protozoários e gêneros. Os gêneros Entodinium, Dasytricha, Eremoplastron e Isotricha foram reduzidos nas dietas com óleo, enquanto a monensina diminuiu a contagem de Dasytricha, Eremoplastron e Epidinium. O número total de protozoários e de ciliados celulolíticos foi reduzido pelos efeitos de óleo de soja e monensina, indicando efeito aditivo defaunatório quando combinados o óleo e a monensina. Os ciliados celulolíticos foram reduzidos pelo consumo de ácido linoléico e positivamente relacionados à digestibilidade ruminal da FDN e amônia ruminal. O número total de protozoários foi correlacionado à proporção de propionato no líquido ruminal, indicando que monensina e óleo de soja, pelo seu efeito defaunatório, podem reduzir a perda de metano no rúmen.

Four lactating dairy cows with ruminal cannula and 155 DIM were allotted to a 4 × 4 Latin square and fed twice daily corn silage and concentrate (55:45, %DM) to evaluate the effect of monensin and soybean oil in the diet of lactating cows on the counting of ciliate protozoa beyond establishing correlations between number of protozoa with some parameters of digestion and ruminal fermentation. The treatments consisted of the inclusion of 33 ppm of sodium monensin or soybean oil at 4% DM, as following: control diet, without oil or monensin - CT; diet with monensin - MN; diet with soybean oil - OL; diet with the combination of 33 ppm of monensin and 4% of soybean oil - OM. Occurrence of 11 ciliate genera was observed, being Entodinium the predominant in all treatments. No significant soybean oil × monensin interaction was observed on protozoa number and genera. The genera Entodinium, Dasytricha, Eremoplastron and Isotricha reduced in the diets with oil, while monensin reduced the counting of Dasytricha, Eremoplastron and Epidinium. The total number of ciliate protozoa and cellulolytics protozoa was reduced by soybean oil and monensin effects, showing a defaunatory additive effect when combined the oil and the monensin. The ciliate cellulolytics was reduced by linoleic acid intake and was related positively with NDF ruminal digestibility and ruminal ammonia. The total number of protozoa was correlated with the molar proportion of propionate in the ruminal liquid, suggesting that monensin and soybean oil, due their defaunatory effect, can reduce the loss of methane in the rumen.