THE EFFECTS OF SACCHAROMYCES CEREVISIAE AND LACTIC ACID PRODUCING BACTERIA ON DIGESTIBILITY, RUMEN AND BLOOD PARAMETERS OF SHEEP

Various probiotic products have been used in ruminant nutrition over the past decade. Some of them had positive effects on animal production. Present study was conducted to investigate the effects of Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Lactobacillus acidophilus, Lactobacillus casei, Enterococcus faecium, Bacillus subtilis mixture on digestibility, rumen and blood parameters of 4 fistulated varamini sheeps . Animals fed with 4 diets during 4 periods using a 2×2 factorial arrangement in a change-over design. First factor included two sources of forages (alfalfa hay and corn silage) and second factor included two levels of above probiotic mixture (0 and 5 gr/day/head). Digestibility of diets were measured by acid insoluble ash as marker. Blood samples were taken at 0 and 4 hours after feeding via jugular vein to determine concentration of CO2, pH, LDH and Glucose. Also ruminal liquor samples were taken at 0 and 4 hours after feeding to determine rumen pH and concentration of N-NH3 and volatile fatty acids. The results showed that digestibility of acid detergent fiber, neutral detergent fiber, organic matter and dry matter of diets were not significantly different among diets. However, digestibility of crude protein and ether extract in diets containing corn silage were lower and higher than alfalfa hay, respectively. There was no significant difference on blood metabolites of sheep fed various diets. Total volatile fatty acids in sheep fed microbial mixture were more than control group. Diets containing alfalfa hay had higher propionate and acetate concentrations than diets containing corn silage. Ruminal ammonia concentration decreased in sheep fed diets containing microbial mixture (P < 0.05). We concluded that present microbial mixture improved ruminal fermentation but could not significantly affect digestibility and blood metabolites of sheep.