Get reliable rangeland science

The aims of this study were to examine bacterial communities in relation to the rumen digestion of rice straw and to understand how concentrate supplements affect gut bacteria involving the digestion of a rice straw-based diet. The substrates were rice straw (RS) alone (experiment 1) and RS with 25% concentrates (barley and kidney beans) (experiment 2). The genomic DNA was collected to determine bacterial diversity by conducting denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE). V6 –V8 region group-specific (Clostridium and Bacteroides) primers were employed in the analyses. The DGGE band pattern was subjected to cluster analysis to demonstrate the similarity and difference between dietary treatments and solid-liquid fractions. Fiber digestibility, gas production, and volatile f atty acid (VFA) concentration were increased with incubation time. The differences between solid and liquid fractions were significant in total bacteria, Clostridium, and Bacteroides communities. These results indicate a stable community structure of Clostridium and Bacteroides groups involved in the digestion of rice straw-based diets in the rumen.