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Sample Container Porosities for Rumen In Situ Studies¹

Texas Agricultural Experiment Station, Texas A&M University³ College Station 77843

Abstract

A number of materials of varying porosities were investigated as containers for determining digestion of neutral detergent fiber (NDF) by a rumen in situ procedure. Woven nylon fabrics having porosities of 75/µ, 100/µ, or lOOµ x 135µ allowed influx of NDF from digesta into the container and resulted in low and erratic digestibilities. A polypropylene filter fabric of 1Oµ porosity or controlled porosity membranes (Acropore) ranging in porosity from 5µ to .2µ prevented this influx. Inoculated and uninoculated containers having a porosity of 5µ resulted in similar NDF digestibilities as early as 3 hr after in situ placement, indicating rapid influx through this porosity of the agents responsible for NDF digestion. Similar digestibilities for NDF, hemicellulose and cellulose were obtained after 12, 24 or 48 hr in situ in containers having porosities of .2, .45, .8, 1.2 or 5 microns. These results indicate the importance of container porosity for in situ procedures and indicate rate of NDF digestion was not limited by containers whose porosities should limit influx of most, if not all, cellulolytic microbes.

¹ TA No. 12464.

² Present address: Department of Animal Science, University of Kentucky, Lexington 40506.

³ Department of Animal Science.