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In Vitro Digestibility of Chemically-Treated Feces

U.S.D.A.^,2, Beltsville, Maryland

Abstract

Chemical treatment is a means for enhancing the digestibility of the indigestible plant cell wall residues in ruminant feces. Enhanced digestibility as ascertained with detergent solubility methods and in vitro rumen fermentation were obtained through direct chemical degradation of hemicellulose, cellulose, and lignin and also through increasing the accessibility of the remaining cell wall for ruminal microbial fermentation.

Chemical treatment of indigestible alfalfa or sudax fecal cell walls resulted in greater than 90% digestion (Chemical degradation and microbial digestion). Alfalfa and sudax fecal cell walls responded to chemical treatments differently. Sudax lignin was more susceptible to chemical hydrolysis than alfalfa lignin. On the other hand sudax cellulose appears to be more resistent to hydrolysis than alfalfa cellulose. Greater than half of the total nutrients from alkaline treatments of alfalfa fecal cell walls were derived from chemical hydrolysis. Conversely, for sudax more nutrients were derived through microbial digestion. Choice of treatment, chemicals, source and final type of material isolated are pertinent considerations relative to re-use. Sodium hydroxide is by far the most economical for treatment of fecal cell walls even if the hydrolyzed fraction of the cell wall is not recovered or utilized in fermentation. Separation of the soluble fecal dry matter from cell walls prior to treatment with sodium hydroxide is not necessary to obtain significant responses. The same was not true for the sodium chlorite treatment.

¹ The authors wish to thank Bill Kramer, Elaine Bierman and John O'Connor for their assistance in analyses and calculations of data and Dr. Barbara J. Bell, Biometrical Services, for performing the statistical analysis.

² Animal Science Research Division.