Characterization of rumen bacteria isolated from the buffalo calves

Abstract

Apparently healthy rumen fistulated male buffalo calves (4) were sequentially kept on 2 different diets, viz. diets 1: wheat straw + green barseem, and diet 2: wheat straw + green barseem + concentrate mixture; for 21 days. The rumen liquor samples were collected at 0, 1, 3 and 6 hr post feeding for 3 consecutive days. Diet 2 sustained higher bacterial count as compared to diet 1. The majority of rumen isolates were gram negative, non-motile, capsulated cocci under diet 1, whereas gram positive, non-motile capsulated cocci to rod were predominant in the rumen of buffalo calves under diet 2. Most of rumen cultures obtained with diet I fermented D-arabinose. D-glucose, fructose, maltose, sucrose, cellulose and cellobiose, whereas rumen cultures isolated under diet 2 produced acid from D-arabinose, D-glucose. fructose, maltose, sucrose and starch. The rumen isolates were tentatively identified as strains of Rluminococcus albus Ruminococcus flavefaciens Fibrobacter succinogenes, Streptococcus bovis and Bacteroides ruminocola.