title: Effect of replacing oat fodder with fresh and chopped oak leaves on in vitro rumen fermentation, digestibility and metabolizable energy.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  A study was conducted to evaluate the effect of replacing oat fodder (OF) with fresh oak leaves (FOL) or chopped oak leaves (COL) on rumen fermentation and digestibility through in vitro gas production technique (IVGPT).
  
  
  METHODS
  Nine different diets were prepared by mixing OF with oak leaves (either FOL or COL) in different ratios (100:0, 75:25, 50:50, 25:75, and 0:100). The rations were evaluated through Hohenheim IVGPT with 200 mg substrate and 30 ml of buffered rumen liquor. All the syringes were incubated at 39°C for 24 h in buffered rumen liquor of cattle. After 24 h, the total gas production was recorded, and the contents were analyzed for in vitro methane production, protozoa no. and ammonia-N.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Chopping (p<0.01) reduced the tannin fractions as well as non-tannin phenol. Increase in levels of oak decreased total gas production, methane, organic matter (OM) digestibility, and metabolizable energy (ME) values. The polyphenol content of the substrate did not show any significant difference on the protozoal count.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In vitro studies revealed that the addition of oak leaves reduced the methane production and ammonia nitrogen levels; however, it also decreased the OM digestibility and ME values linearly as the level of the oak leaves increased in the diet. Chopping was effective only at lower inclusion levels. Further studies, especially in vivo studies, are needed to explore the safe inclusion levels of oak leaves in the diet of ruminants.
authors.affiliation: Animal Nutrition Laboratory, Indian Veterinary Research Institute, Regional Station, Palampur, Himachal Pradesh, India.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Rajkumar
authors.affiliation: Animal Nutrition Laboratory, Indian Veterinary Research Institute, Regional Station, Palampur, Himachal Pradesh, India.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Bhar
authors.affiliation: Animal Nutrition Laboratory, Indian Veterinary Research Institute, Regional Station, Palampur, Himachal Pradesh, India.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kannan
authors.affiliation: Animal Nutrition Laboratory, Indian Veterinary Research Institute, Regional Station, Palampur, Himachal Pradesh, India.
authors.forename: R V
authors.initials: RV
authors.lastname: Jadhav
authors.affiliation: Animal Nutrition Laboratory, Indian Veterinary Research Institute, Regional Station, Palampur, Himachal Pradesh, India.
authors.forename: Birbal
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Singh
authors.affiliation: Animal Nutrition Laboratory, Indian Veterinary Research Institute, Regional Station, Palampur, Himachal Pradesh, India.
authors.forename: And G
authors.initials: AG
authors.lastname: Mal
keywords: chopping; in-vitro; methane; oak leaves; oat fodder