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Effect of Increasing Dietary Cell Wall Content on the Digestibility of Hemicellulose and Cellulose in Swine and Rats¹

United States Department of Agriculture^,5 and University of Maryland

Abstract

Digestion trials were conducted with swine and rats to determine the digestibility of cell wall constituents—hemicellulose and cellulose, dry matter and protein when diets containing 20, 40 and 60% of orchardgrass hay were fed. The three diets were fed to swine at a restricted intake level and to rats on ad libitum and restricted intake bases. In addition, the restricted intake rats were inoculated with rumen microorganisms to test the effect of the microorganisms on the digestibility of the cell wall constituents.

Hemicellulose was more digestible than cellulose in all cases in the respective trials. Increasing fiber level in the diet decreased the digestibility of dry matter and crude protein. The differences in the cell wall and cellulose digestibilities were not significant among the three treatments. Increasing the dietary fiber level decreased the digestibility of hemicellulose. Restricting the intake level in the rats did not significantly alter the digestibilities of dry matter, cell walls and hemicellulose but did significantly decrease cellulose digestibility and significantly increase protein digestibility. Inoculating the caeca of rats did not significantly increase the digestibilities of dry matter, cellulose, hemicellulose and protein.

¹ This work was supported in part by Project C-35, Maryland Agricultural Experiment Station. Scientific Article #A1587 Contribution #4305 of the Maryland Agricultural Experiment Station.

² Data taken from a thesis submitted by the senior author in partial fulfillment of the requirements for a Master of Science Degree from the University of Maryland.

³ Present address: Department of Animal Science, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York.

⁴ Department of Animal Science, College Park, Maryland.

⁵ Agricultural Research Service, Animal Husbandry Research Division, Beltsville, Maryland 20705.