Ruminal bacterial community changes during adaptation of goats to fresh alfalfa forage.

GRILLI D; MRAZEK J; FLIEGEROVA K; KOPECNY, J; PAEZ LAMA, S.; CERÓN, M.; SOSA, MA; ARENAS, GN

LIVESTOCK SCIENCE

ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV

Lugar: Amsterdam; Año: 2016

1871-1413

Using culture-independent molecular approaches, we studied the bacterialpopulation changes in the rumen of goats abruptly converted from alfalfa hay tofresh alfalfa diet. Administration of fresh forage with significantly increasedsoluble nitrogen and soluble protein nitrogen resulted in frothy bloat. Changesof the bacterial composition of rumen were monitored using DGGE analysis of16S rDNA gene amplicons and quantitative PCR method. As the diet changed,the bacterial population of Bacteroidetes and γ-Proteobacteria decreased, evenif animals have not shown signs of frothy bloat. The most severely bloatedanimals showed an increase of Bacteroidetes phylum.Lactobacillus/Streptococcus group belonging to Firmicutes phylum decreased inresponse to transferring the animals from hay to a fresh forage-based diet, anddid not achieve the values observed at the beginning of the experiment. Insummary, changes in the diet and subsequent frothy bloat occurrence producelong-lasting changes in the structure of the microbial community and may beassociated with a specific bacterial population belonging to the Bacteroidetesphylum.