Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-t7fkt Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-25T03:50:27.214Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

The hydrolysis by rumen and caecal microbial enzymes of hemicellulose in plant and digesta particles

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  27 March 2009

R. W. Bailey
Affiliation:
Applied Biochemistry Division, Department of Scientific and Industrial Research, Palmerston North, New Zealand
J. C. Macrae
Affiliation:
Applied Biochemistry Division, Department of Scientific and Industrial Research, Palmerston North, New Zealand

Summary:

In sheep fed red clover hay nearly 40% of the feed hemicellulose left the rumen undigested and scarcely any of this hemicellulose was digested in the postruminal digestive tract. The caecal microflora from sheep fed the same diet did, however, yield enzyme extracts which readily hydrolysed isolated hemicellulose or xylan preparations. These caecal and rumen microbial extracts, were capable of hydrolysing the hemicellulose in undigested particulate plant material but were not capable of hydrolysing, to any extent, the hemicellulose in undelignified digesta particles from various parts of the postruminal digestive tract. The hemicellulose in delignified postruminal digesta and the hemicellulose polysaccharides isolated from the digesta were hydrolysed by both rumen and caecal hemicellulases. The results are discussed in the light of observations on the postruminal digestion of hemicellulosic material in roughage- and cerealfed animals.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1970

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

REFERENCES

Bailey, R. W. (1964). Pasture quality and ruminant nutrition. Carbohydrate composition of ryegrass varieties grown as sheep pastures. N. Z. Jl agric. Res. 7, 496.Google Scholar
Bailey, R. W. & Gaillard, B. D. E. (1965). Carbohydrases of the rumen ciliate Epidinium ecaudatum (Crawley). Hydrolysis of plant hemicellulose fractions and β-linked glucose polymers. Biochem. J. 95, 758.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Bruce, J., Goodall, E. D., Kay, R. N. B., Phillipson, A. T. & Vowles, L. E. (1966). The flow of organic and inorganic materials through the alimentary tract of the sheep. Proc. Roy. Soc. Lond. B 166, 46.Google Scholar
Gaillard, B. D. E. (1962). The relationship between cell-wall constituents of roughage and the digestibility of the organic matter. J. agric. Sci., Camb. 59, 369.Google Scholar
Gaillard, B. D. E. & Bailey, R. W. (1968). Distribution of galactose and mannose in cell-wall polysaccharides of red clover (Trifolium pratense) leaves and stems. Phytochem. 7, 2037.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Gaillard, B. D. E. & Van't Klooster, A. Th. (1969). The digestion of the cell-wall constituents of roughages. Meded. LandbHoogesch. Wageningen 69–11, 20.Google Scholar
Hirst, E. L., Jones, J. K. N. & Walder, W. O. (1947). Pectic substances. VII. The constitution of the galactan from Lupinus albus. J. chem. Soc. 1225.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Howard, B. H. (1957). Hydrolysis of the soluble pentosans of wheat flour and Rhodymenia palmata by ruminal micro-organisms. Biochem. J. 67, 643.Google Scholar
Hungate, R. E. (1950). The anaerobic mesophilic cellulolytic bacteria. Bact. Rev. 14, 1.Google Scholar
Hungate, R. E. (1966). The Rumen and its Microbes. New York: Academic Press.Google Scholar
Jarrige, R. & Minson, D. J. (1964). Digestibilite des constituants du ray-grass anglais S24 du dactyle S37. Annls Zootech. 13, 117.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
MacRae, J. C. & Armstrong, D. G. (1969). Studies on intestinal digestion in the sheep. 2. Digestion of some carbohydrate constituents in hay, cereal and hay-cereal rations. Br. J. Nutr. 23, 377.Google Scholar
Nelson, N. (1944). A photometric adaptation of the Somogyi method for the determination of glucose. J. biol. Chem. 153, 375.Google Scholar
Nossal, P. M. (1953). A mechanical cell disintegrator. Aust. J. exp. Biol. med. Sci. 31, 583.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Parrish, F. W., Perlin, A. S. & Reese, E. T. (1960). Selective enzymolysis of poly-β-D-glucans and the structure of the polymers. Can. J. Chem. 38, 2094.Google Scholar
Rogerson, A. (1958). Diet and partial digestion in sections of the alimentary tract of the sheep. Br. J. Nutr. 12, 164.Google Scholar
Van Soest, P. J. & Wine, R. H. (1967). Use of detergents in the analysis of fibrous feeds. IV. Determination of plant cell wall constituents. J. Ass. off. agric. Chem. 50, 50.Google Scholar
Whistler, R. L. & Bemiller, J. N. (1963). Holocellulose from annual plants. In Methods of Carbohydrate Chemistry III, 21.Google Scholar