MODULE-24: RUMEN MICROBES

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

 This session explores

o The microbial habitat in rumen
o Their types
o Their nature and number
o Their characteristics and benefits.

RUMEN FERMENTATION

 The unique feature of digestive physiology in the ruminants is the

fermentative digestion  known as microbial digestion which occurs  in the
rumen and reticulum. Microbial digestion of food also occurs in the three
chambered ruminats, camel, lama and in the stomach of marsupials and in
hippopotamus.
 Anaerobic ciliate protozoa and non-spore forming anaerobic bacteria and
anaerobic fungi are the major microbes in rumen.Some facultative bacteria
are also present. The microbes have a volume of 3.6 % of strained rumen
liquor of which 50% is contributed by cilitate protozoa and the remaining 50%
by the bacteria.The number of rumen fungi is negligible but their activity is of
great importance.
 The bacteria and protozoa grow on the substrates of the food in the fore
stomach of the ruminants.

Establishment of bacteria in young ruminants

  Development of bacterial flora in young ruminants occurs at a very early age.
 The nature and rate of development is affected by type of diet fed and degree
of isolation of young from adult animals. Under normal conditions, bacteria of
adult type establish at about 6th week of age in young animals.
 The ciliates may not become established in young animals unless they are
maintained in close contact with animals harbouring them or are inoculated.
 Rumen microbes digest all major carbohydrates of ruminant diet such as
cellulose, hemicellulose, pectin and xylose etc. These group of carbohydrates
are not digested by mammalian digestive enzymes. The fermentation of
cellulose is a slower process and is incomplete in rumen, but the digestion of
cellulose and hemi-cellulose is almost completed in the rumen.
 Microbes derive their energy for their growth by fermenting cellulose,
hemicellulose, pectin, soluble sugars, starch, the carbohydrates of major plant
constituents .
 Rumen microbes are responsible for the digestibility of about 70 to 85% dry
matter of the diet in ruminants, results in the production of volatile fatty
acids (Acetic, Butyric and propionic acids) gases like CO2, methane (CH4) ,
ammonia (NH3)with small amounts of N2, H2, and O2 and microbial cells.
 From carbohydrates, certain organic isoacids, NH3 and minerals, the
microorganisms can synthesise good quality microbial proteins and    B
complex vitamins required for their growth and metabolic activities.
 They also hydrolyses lipids, unsaturated fatty acids. Proteins and NPN
substances of dietary and salivary sources get degraded by the microbes and
the released amino acids, NH3 are utilized for microbial growth and microbial
protein synthesis. Thus the ruminant animal can be maintained on diets free
of essential amino acids.
 In animals maintained in green pasture, the number of bacteria is higher than
those fed dry rations. When ciliate protozoa are absent, viable bacterial count
increases. Rate and method of feeding also affects bacterial count.
 The pH of the rumen liquid ranges from 5.8 to 7.0, which get decreased after
feeding.

Rumen as microbial habitat

o Maintenance of constant temperature of 400C

o Maintenance of constant pH of 6 – 7 by the HCO3 & HPO4 buffers of
saliva
o Aqueous environment by continuous salivary secretion
o Continuous supply of substrates for microbial activity
o Mixing of the ruminal contents by rumino-reticular contractions
o Continuous removal of the fermentative end products.
 Abomasal secretions are dependent on volume of material flowing into it and
pyloric distension. A rise in abomasal pH, short chain fatty acid level stimulate
HCl and gastrin secretion. Parasympathetic nerves and gastrin also involved
in abomasal secretion.
 Microbes derive their energy for their growth by fermenting cellulose,
hemicellulose, pectin, soluble sugars, starch, the carbohydrates of major plant
constituents .They result in the production of acetic, butyric propionic and
lactic acids and gases like CO2, methane and H2.
  Abomasum receives a continuous flow of these materials and functions as a
true stomach by secreting gastric juice. More of gastric secretion is from the
fundic glands but the pyloric secretion is low. Gastric juice in the fundus
region contain pepsin and HCl, has a pH close to 1.0. Pyloric secretions are
slightly alkaline with little peptic activity.

RUMEN BACTERIA
1. Cellulolytic Species  Fibrobacter succinogenes
 Ruminococcus albus & R. flavifaciens
 Butyrivibrio fibrisolvens

2 Hemicellulolytic Species  Butyrivibrio fibrisolvens

 Ruminococcus sp. &
 Bacteroides ruminicola

3. Pectinolytic Species  Butyrivibrio fibrisolvens

 Bacteroides ruminicola
 Succinivibrio dextrinosolvens

4. Amylolytic Species  Bacteroides amylophilus

 Streptococcus bovis
 Succinomonas amylolytica

5. Ureolytic Species  Succinivibrio dextrisolvens

 Selenomonas sp.
 Butyrivibrio sp
 Bacteroides ruminicola

6. Methane producingSpecies  Methanobrevibacter ruminantium

 Methanobacterium formicicum
 Methanomicrobium mobile

7.  Sugar-Utilising Species  Treponema bryanti

 Lactobacillus sp.

8. Acid-Utilising Species  Megasphera elsdenii

 Selenomonas ruminantium

9. Proteolytic Species  Bacteroides amylophilus

 B. ruminicola
 Butyrivibrio fibrisolvens
 Streptococcus bovis

10. Ammonia Producing Species  Bacteroides ruminicola

  Megasphera elsdenii

11. Lipid-Utilising Species  Anaerovibrio lipolytica

 Butyrivibrio fibrisolvens
 Micrococcus sp.

Bacterial number is about 1010 to 1011 per ml rumen fluid

RUMEN PROTOZOA 

 Many species of protozoa are active in rumen.

 All protozoa are strictly anaerobes and found only in ruminants.
 Ciliates form the bulk of protozoa and flagellates are present to a very limited
extent.
 The ciliates belong to two families.

 Many species of micro-organisms are present in the rumen and variations

occur in number of certain species with time after feeding, dietary regime and
individual differences.
 Protozoal number is affected by pH (<5.5), type and composition of diet,
season and frequency of feeding. Highly digestible diets increase their
number.
 Protozoa store large quantities of reserve starch, which is used when
exogenous energy supply is exhausted. Some facultative bacteria are also
present.
 The microbes have a volume of 3.6% of strained rumen fluid and this volume
contains 50% ciliate protozoa and 50% bacteria.
 Metabolic activity of bacteria is far greater than protozoa though total volume
of small bacteria might be same as ciliate protozoa, which is due to greater
surface area provided by the bacteria.
 Protozoal number range between 105 and 106 per ml fluid. Most of the rumen
bacteria and protozoa are strict anaerobes.
Isotrichidae family

Ophyroscoledia family

Role of protozoa

 Increase in digestibility and weight gain is observed in faunated animal than

in defaunated animals. But the absence of protozoa does not affect the animal
performance.
 The protozoa help to stabilise the rumen fermentation, by ingesting feed
particles and storing reserve polysaccharides and they may control the
availability of substrates by sustaining uniform fermentation between
feedings.
 Mixed protozoal-bacterial protein is better in quality than bacterial protein
alone in contributing essential nutrients to ruminant animal.

RUMEN FUNGI

 Anaerobic fungal zoospores are found in rumen. Several are flagellate

organisms. Neocallimastix frontalis, Sphaeromonas communis and
Piromonas communis are identified in rumen. Presence of plant cellwall
carbohydrates facilitate increase inthe fungal population (Spores) and thus
further help in lignocellulosic digestion.
 The fungi are important in the digestion of plant cell wall, their number
ranges from 105 to 107 per gram of rumen contents.
 Feeding of high roughage diet increases their number as shown in animation
below.
 Fungi play a significant role in adhesion with plant cell wall.
 It is difficult to culture fungi in-vitro as they are strict anaerobes.

FUNCTIONS OF RUMEN MICRO-ORGANISMS

 Ferment the dietary carbohydrates including the cell wall constituents of

plants, which can not be enzymatically digested by the mammals.
 Produces short chain fatty acids like acetic, butyric, propionic and lactic acids
and gases such as CO2, Methane, and H2.
 The short chain fatty acids are absorbed from the rumen and are the major
energy source of the ruminants.
 By microbial enzymes the dietary proteins are broken down in to ammonia
and branched-chain VFAs.
 The short chain fatty acids and NH3 are utilised for  growth of microbes and
microbial protein synthesis.
 The microbial proteins are utilised by the host animal as a source of
quality protein.
 Triglycerides are hydrolysed to glycerol and fatty acids. The glycerol is
converted to propionic acid. The unsaturated fatty acids are hydrogenated .
 Microbes synthesize vitamin K and B complex vitamins.
 Preview Quiz
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
 Question 1
 Marks: 1
 All rumen microbes are free living in rumen
 Answer:
 True False
 Question 2
 Marks: 1
 Lignification impedes cellulose digestion
 Answer:
 True False
 Question 3
 Marks: 1
 Cellulose digestion is enhanced by protozoan population
 Answer:
 True False
 Question 4
 Marks: 1
 Extracellular digestion results in oligomers
 Answer:
 True False
 Question 5
 Marks: 1
 Rumen protozoa are purely flagellates
 Answer:
 True False
 Question 6
 Marks: 1
 Rumen protozoa and fungi are strict anerobes
 Answer:
 True False
 Question 7
 Marks: 1
 Lignin is broken down by neocallimastix frontalis
 Answer:
 True False
 Question 8
 Marks: 1
 True protein feeding can totally be replaced in ruminants
 Answer:
 True False
 Question 9
 Marks: 1
 Ruminococcus albus is a classical methanogen
 Answer:
 True False
 Question 10
 Marks: 1
 Methanogenesis is a wasteful process to host
 Answer:
 True False