title: Cecal microflora of turkeys fed low or high fiber diets: enumeration, identification, and determination of cellulolytic activity.
abstract: Examination of cecal contents or bacterial cultures thereof from turkeys fed either a high fiber (HF) or low fiber (LF) ration indicated that direct microscopic counts of microbes were significantly higher in HF-fed than in LF-fed birds. There was no significant difference in mean colony counts between the two groups of turkeys. In both LF and HF-fed birds, 77% of the microbes were Gram-positive rods, 14% Gram-negative rods, and 9% Gram-positive cocci. The predominant microorganism was Eubacterium, but Lactobacillus, Peptostreptococcus, Escherichia coli, Propionibacterium, and Bacteriodes were also isolated. Percentages of Peptostreptococcus were significantly greater in HF-fed turkeys and of E. coli were significantly greater in LF-fed turkeys. Yeasts were routinely found in both LF and HF-fed birds, but protozoa were not isolated. Turkeys fed the HF diet harbored significantly higher numbers of facultative microorganisms than did LF-fed birds. In pure cultures from turkeys preconditioned to a HF diet, there was a nonsignificant trend toward greater cellulolysis than in pure cultures from LF-fed turkeys. In contrast, cellulolysis by mixed cultures from HF-fed birds was significantly greater than that in mixed cultures from LF-fed turkeys.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001419:Bacteria / Q000145:classification / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000378:metabolism; D002432:Cecum / Q000382:microbiology*; D002482:Cellulose / Q000378:metabolism; D004043:Dietary Fiber / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D014422:Turkeys / Q000382:microbiology*
chemical_list: D004043:Dietary Fiber; D002482:Cellulose