title: The effect of rumen ciliates on chitinolytic activity, chitin content and the number of fungal zoospores in the rumen fluid of sheep.
abstract: The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of selected protozoa on the degradation and concentration of chitin and the numbers of fungal zoospores in the rumen fluid of sheep. Three adult ewes were fed a hay-concentrate diet, defaunated, then monofaunated with Entodinium caudatum or Diploplastron affine alone and refaunated with natural rumen fauna. The average density of the protozoa population varied from 6.1 · 10(4) (D. affine) to 42.2 · 10(4) cells/ml rumen fluid (natural rumen fauna). The inoculation of protozoa in the rumen of defaunated sheep increased the total activity of chitinolytic enzymes from 2.9 to 3.6 μmol N-acetylglucosamine/g dry matter (DM) of rumen fluid per min, the chitin concentration from 6.3 to 7.2 mg/g DM of rumen fluid and the number of fungal zoospores from 8.1 to 10.9 · 10(5) cells/ml rumen fluid. All examined indices showed diurnal variations. Ciliate population density was highest immediately prior to feeding and lowest at 4 h thereafter. The opposite effects were observed for the numbers of fungal zoospores, the chitin concentration and chitinolytic activity. Furthermore, it was found that chitin from zoospores may account for up to 95% of total microbial chitin in the rumen fluid of sheep. In summary, the examined ciliate species showed the ability of chitin degradation as well as a positive influence on the development of the ruminal fungal population.
authors: a The Kielanowski Institute of Animal Physiology and Nutrition , Polish Academy of Sciences , Jabłonna , Poland.
authors: Renata
authors: R
authors: Miltko
authors: a The Kielanowski Institute of Animal Physiology and Nutrition , Polish Academy of Sciences , Jabłonna , Poland.
authors: Grzegorz
authors: G
authors: Bełżecki
authors: a The Kielanowski Institute of Animal Physiology and Nutrition , Polish Academy of Sciences , Jabłonna , Poland.
authors: Andrzej
authors: A
authors: Herman
authors: a The Kielanowski Institute of Animal Physiology and Nutrition , Polish Academy of Sciences , Jabłonna , Poland.
authors: Barbara
authors: B
authors: Kowalik
authors: a The Kielanowski Institute of Animal Physiology and Nutrition , Polish Academy of Sciences , Jabłonna , Poland.
authors: Jacek
authors: J
authors: Skomiał
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002686:Chitin / Q000378:metabolism*; D016798:Ciliophora / Q000378:metabolism*; D004063:Digestion; D005260:Female; D005658:Fungi / Q000502:physiology*; D012417:Rumen / Q000378:metabolism / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000469:parasitology*; D034561:Sheep, Domestic / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000469:parasitology / Q000502:physiology*; D013172:Spores, Fungal / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D002686:Chitin
keywords: Rumen protozoa; chitin; ciliates; digestion in rumen; sheep; zoospores