The present study investigated effects of antifungal and carboxylesterase inoculant on rumen fermentation with different rumen pH. Corn silage was treated without inoculant (CON) and with a mixed Lactobacillus brevis 5M2 and L. buchneri 6M1 (MIX). Rumen fluid was collected from two cannulated Hanwoo heifers before morning feeding (high rumen pH at 6.70) and 3 h after feeding (low rumen pH at 6.20). Dried corn silage was incubated in the rumen buffer (rumen fluid + anaerobic culture medium at 1:2 ratio) for 48 h at 39oC. Eight replications for each treatment were used along with two blanks. Both in a high and a low rumen pH, MIX silages presented higher (p<0.05) the immediately degradable fraction, the potentially degradable fraction, total degradable fraction, and total volatile fatty acid (VFA) than those of CON silages. Incubated corn silages in a low rumen pH presented lower (p<0.05) total degradable fraction, ammonia-N, total VFA (p=0.061), and other VFA profiles except acetate and propionate, than those in a high rumen pH. The present study concluded that application of antifungal and carboxylesterase inoculant on corn silage could improve degradation kinetics and fermentation indices in the rumen with high and low pH conditions.

This study was aimed to determine the effects of hybrid and inoculant on in vitro rumen digestibility and rumen fermentation indices of corn silage. Two corn hybrids(Kwangpyeongok (KW) vs. Pioneer 1543(PI)) were ensiled for 100 days with two inoculants(L. plantarum(LP) vs. L. buchneri(LB)) applied at 1.2 × 105 cfu/g of fresh forage. Silages were incubated in rumen fluid medium at 39℃ for 72 hours. Both of KW and PI had no difference(p>0.05) on in vitro digestibility of dry matter(IVDMD) and neutral detergent fiber(IVNDFD), while application of LB produced higher(p<0.05) IVDMD and IVNDFD than LP. Hybrid and inoculant applications did not affect(p>0.05) total gas volume, ammonia-N, total VFA, and acetate concentrations in the rumen. Applied LB was higher(p<0.05) propionate concentration than LP, while hybrids had no effect(p>0.05). Furthermore, the interaction effect(p<0.05) was occurred in propionate concentration. Butyrate concentration did not affected(p>0.05) by hybrid and inoculant applications, but there was an interaction effect between hybrid and inoculant(p<0.05). Applications of hybrid and inoculant had effects(p<0.05) on iso-butyrate and valerate, without any interaction effects(p>0.05). This study concluded that application of KW and PI has no effects on in vitro rumen digestibility and rumen fermentation indices of corn silage, while application of LB increase the rumen digestibility in both of corn hybrids.

This study aimed to estimate the effect of inoculant application level on chemical composition and bacterial count of fermented chestnut meal (FCM), and its rumen fermentation characteristics. The inoculant contained Lactobacillus acidophilus (1.2 x 1010 cfu/g), Bacillus subtilis (2.1 x 1010 cfu/g), and Saccharomyces cerevisiae (2.3 x 1010 cfu/g). The chestnut meal mixed with molasses, double distilled water, and inoculant at 1 kg, 3 g, 480 mL, and 20 mL ratio for the basal chestnut meal diet. The double distilled water from basal chestnut meal diet was substituted with bacterial inoculant at a level of 0 (Control), 20 (Medium), and 40 mL (High) in the experimental diets. The mixed experimental diets were incubated at 39°C for 7, 14, and 21 days, respectively. On 7 days of FCM incubation, the contents of crude protein (CP) (quadratic, P=0.043) and neutral detergent fiber (quadratic, P=0.071) decreased by increases of inoculant application levels, whereas bacterial count (quadratic, P=0.065) and rumen NH3-N (linear, P=0.063) increased. By increases of inoculant application levels on 14 days of FCM incubation, the increases were found on dry matter (DM) (quadratic, P=0.085), CP (quadratic, P=0.059), acid detergent fiber (quadratic, P=0.056), in vitro DM digestibility (linear, P=0.002), rumen total volatile fatty acid (VFA) (linear, P=0.057), and rumen iso-butyrate (linear, P=0.054). However, the decreases were found on bacterial count (linear, P=0.002), propionate (linear, P=0.099), and butyrate (quadratic, P=0.082). On 21 days of FCM incubation, in vitro DM digestibility (linear, P=0.002) and total VFA (linear, P=0.001) increased by increases of inoculant application levels, whereas the contents of CP (quadratic, P=0.034) and neutral detergent fiber (quadratic, P=0.047) decreased. These results indicate that the FCM with a medium level of inoculant application and 14 of fermentation had beneficial effects by increasing DM digestibility and rumen total VFA content, without altering bacterial count.

This study aimed to estimate the effects of replacing Mushroom By-Product (MBP) with Tofu By-Product (TBP) on the chemical composition, microbes, and rumen fermentation indices of Fermented Diets (FDs). The basal diet was formulated using MBP, TBP, rice bran, molasses, and inoculants. The MBP in the basal diet was replaced with TBP at 0, 5, and 10% on Dry Matter (DM) basis for the experimental diets. The experimental diets were fermented at 39°C for 144 h. Chemical composition, pH, microbes, and rumen fermentation indices of the FDs were analyzed. With increasing TBP replacement, crude protein content of FDs increased (L, P < 0.001), whereas crude ash content decreased (L, P = 0.002). Lactic acid bacteria and Bacillus subtilis contents in the TBP-replaced FDs were higher than those in the control (P < 0.05), whereas pH level and mold count were lower (P < 0.05). With increasing TBP replacement, in vitro rumen digestibility of DM (L, P = 0.053) and neutral detergent fiber (L, P = 0.024) increased, wheres rumen pH changed (P = 0.026) quadratically. Rumen total volatile fatty acid (L, P = 0.001) and iso-butyrate contents (Q, P = 0.003) increased with increasing TBP replacement. In conclusion, this study indicates that the replacement of MBP with TBP could improve the quality of FD.