Effect of transferring lignocellulose-degrading bacteria from termite to rumen fluid of sheep on in vitro gas production, fermentation parameters, microbial populations and enzyme activity

The digestive tract of termite (Microcerotermes diversus) contains a variety of lignocellulose-degrading bacteria with exocellulases enzyme activity, not found in the rumen, which could potentially improve fiber degradation in the rumen. The objectives of the current study were to determine the effect of inoculation of rumen fluid (RF) with three species of bacteria isolated from termite digestive tract, Bacillus licheniformis, Ochrobactrum intermedium, and Microbacterium paludicola, on in vitro gas production (IVGP), fermentation parameters, nutrient disappearance, microbial populations, and hydrolytic enzyme activities with fibrous wheat straw (WS) and date leaf (DL) as incubation substrate. Inoculation of RF with either of three termite bacteria increased (P<0.05) ammonia-N concentration compared with the control group (free of termite gut bacteria). Termite bacteria inoculation had no effect (P>0.05) on gas production characteristics, dry matter, organic matter and neutral detergent fiber disappearance, pH, and concentration and composition of volatile fatty acids. Population of proteolytic bacteria and protozoa, but not cellulolytic bacteria, were increased (P<0.05) when RF was inoculated with termite bacteria with both WS and DL substrates. Inoculation of RF with termite bacteria increased protease activity, while activities of carboxymethyl-cellulase, microcrystalline-cellulase, α-amylase and filter paper degrading activity remained unchanged (P>0.05). Overall, the results of this study indicated that transferring lignocellulose-degrading bacteria, isolated from digestive tract of termite, to rumen liquid increased protozoa and proteolytic bacteria population and consequently increased protease activity and ammonia-N concentration in vitro, however, no effect on fermentation and fiber degradation parameters were detected. These results suggest that the termite bacteria might be rapidly lysed by the rumen microbes before beneficial effects on the rumen fermentation process could occur.