Thesis (Ph. D.)--Oregon State University, 2009. / Printout. Includes bibliographical references. Also available on the World Wide Web.

CAPES / Objetivou-se avaliar o efeito da inclusão de diferentes níveis de óleos funcionais extraídos da mamona (Ricinus communis L.) e da casca da castanha do caju (Anacardium occidentale L.) sobre consumo e digestibilidade de nutrientes, parâmetros ruminais e síntese de proteína microbiana em ovinos. Foram utilizados quatro ovinos machos, castrados, sem raça definida, fistulados no rúmen, com peso vivo médio de 49,1 kg em um delineamento experimental quadrado latino 4 x 4, sendo os tratamentos a inclusão de 2, 4 e 6 g/animal/dia de óleos funcionais e o tratamento testemunha sem a inclusão do óleo. Após 21 dias para adaptação dos animais, o experimento foi conduzido em quatro períodos de 20 dias, sendo 15 para adaptação a dieta e cinco para coletas de amostras e dados. A digestibilidade aparente dos componentes da dieta, e os parâmetros ruminais: amônia, açúcares totais, peptídeos e aminoácidos não foram influenciados pelos tratamentos. O pH apresentou efeito cúbico com maiores valores observados com suplementação de 4,7g/dia e o menor valor com 1,4 g/dia de óleos funcionais. Ao longo do dia, a concentração de açúcares apresentou efeito quadrático aumentando nas primeiras horas após a alimentação. Houve efeito linear ao longo do tempo para as concentrações de peptídeos no fluido ruminal de ovinos recebendo 2g/dia de óleos funcionais, para as concentrações de aminoácidos nos ovinos não suplementados com óleos funcionais e para amônia, neste mesmo tratamento com variação de 9,85 mg/dL à 25,29mg/dL. Da mesma forma, o pH ruminal também variou em função do tempo de forma linear após alimentação para todos níveis de suplementação, com aumento nas duas horas após arraçoamento seguindo de decréscimo por pelo menos 6 horas, e evidenciando menor valor de pH de 5,78. Não foi verificado alterações no consumo e balanço de nitrogênio, com valores médios de nitrogênio retido de 24,5 g/dia, correspondendo a 65,07% do nitrogênio ingerido. Os derivados de purina excretados corresponderam a proporção de 51% de alantoína e 48% de ácido úrico, xantina e hipoxantina e não evidenciaram alterações na síntese microbiana. / The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of the inclusion of different levels of functional oils extracted from castor bean (Ricinus communis L.) and cashew nuts (Anacardium occidentale L.) on nutrient intake and digestibility, ruminal parameters and microbial protein synthesis in sheep. Four male, castrated, undefined, rumen fistulated sheep were used, with a mean live weight of 49,1 kg in a 4 x 4 Latin square experimental design, with treatments being included of 2, 4 and 6 g/animal/day of functional oils and the control treatment without the addition of the oil. After 21 days for adaptation of the animals, the experiment was conducted in four periods of 20 days, 15 for adaptation to diet and five for collection of samples and data. The apparent digestibility of dietary components and ruminal parameters: ammonia, total sugars, peptides and amino acids were not influenced by the treatments. The pH had a cubic effect with higher values observed with supplementation of 4,7 g/day and the lowest value with 1,4g/day of functional oils. Throughout the day, the concentration of sugars presented quadratic effect increasing in the first hours after the feeding. There was a linear effect over time for the concentrations of peptides in the ruminal fluid of sheep receiving 2g/day of functional oils, for amino acid concentrations in sheep not supplemented with functional oils and for ammonia, in this same treatment with a variation of 9,85mg/dL to 25,29mg/dL. In the same way, the ruminal pH also varied as a function of time in a linear way after feeding for all levels of supplementation, with increase in the two hours after feeding, followed by decreasing for at least 6 hours, and evidencing a lower pH value of 5,78. No changes were observed in nitrogen consumption and nitrogen balance, with mean values of nitrogen retained of 24,5g/day, corresponding to 65,07% of the ingested nitrogen. Excreted purine derivatives corresponded to the proportion of 51% allantoin and 48% uric acid, xanthine and hypoxanthine and did not show changes in microbial synthesis.

CAPES / Objetivou-se avaliar o efeito da inclusão de diferentes níveis de óleos funcionais extraídos da mamona (Ricinus communis L.) e da casca da castanha do caju (Anacardium occidentale L.) sobre consumo e digestibilidade de nutrientes, parâmetros ruminais e síntese de proteína microbiana em ovinos. Foram utilizados quatro ovinos machos, castrados, sem raça definida, fistulados no rúmen, com peso vivo médio de 49,1 kg em um delineamento experimental quadrado latino 4 x 4, sendo os tratamentos a inclusão de 2, 4 e 6 g/animal/dia de óleos funcionais e o tratamento testemunha sem a inclusão do óleo. Após 21 dias para adaptação dos animais, o experimento foi conduzido em quatro períodos de 20 dias, sendo 15 para adaptação a dieta e cinco para coletas de amostras e dados. A digestibilidade aparente dos componentes da dieta, e os parâmetros ruminais: amônia, açúcares totais, peptídeos e aminoácidos não foram influenciados pelos tratamentos. O pH apresentou efeito cúbico com maiores valores observados com suplementação de 4,7g/dia e o menor valor com 1,4 g/dia de óleos funcionais. Ao longo do dia, a concentração de açúcares apresentou efeito quadrático aumentando nas primeiras horas após a alimentação. Houve efeito linear ao longo do tempo para as concentrações de peptídeos no fluido ruminal de ovinos recebendo 2g/dia de óleos funcionais, para as concentrações de aminoácidos nos ovinos não suplementados com óleos funcionais e para amônia, neste mesmo tratamento com variação de 9,85 mg/dL à 25,29mg/dL. Da mesma forma, o pH ruminal também variou em função do tempo de forma linear após alimentação para todos níveis de suplementação, com aumento nas duas horas após arraçoamento seguindo de decréscimo por pelo menos 6 horas, e evidenciando menor valor de pH de 5,78. Não foi verificado alterações no consumo e balanço de nitrogênio, com valores médios de nitrogênio retido de 24,5 g/dia, correspondendo a 65,07% do nitrogênio ingerido. Os derivados de purina excretados corresponderam a proporção de 51% de alantoína e 48% de ácido úrico, xantina e hipoxantina e não evidenciaram alterações na síntese microbiana. / The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of the inclusion of different levels of functional oils extracted from castor bean (Ricinus communis L.) and cashew nuts (Anacardium occidentale L.) on nutrient intake and digestibility, ruminal parameters and microbial protein synthesis in sheep. Four male, castrated, undefined, rumen fistulated sheep were used, with a mean live weight of 49,1 kg in a 4 x 4 Latin square experimental design, with treatments being included of 2, 4 and 6 g/animal/day of functional oils and the control treatment without the addition of the oil. After 21 days for adaptation of the animals, the experiment was conducted in four periods of 20 days, 15 for adaptation to diet and five for collection of samples and data. The apparent digestibility of dietary components and ruminal parameters: ammonia, total sugars, peptides and amino acids were not influenced by the treatments. The pH had a cubic effect with higher values observed with supplementation of 4,7 g/day and the lowest value with 1,4g/day of functional oils. Throughout the day, the concentration of sugars presented quadratic effect increasing in the first hours after the feeding. There was a linear effect over time for the concentrations of peptides in the ruminal fluid of sheep receiving 2g/day of functional oils, for amino acid concentrations in sheep not supplemented with functional oils and for ammonia, in this same treatment with a variation of 9,85mg/dL to 25,29mg/dL. In the same way, the ruminal pH also varied as a function of time in a linear way after feeding for all levels of supplementation, with increase in the two hours after feeding, followed by decreasing for at least 6 hours, and evidencing a lower pH value of 5,78. No changes were observed in nitrogen consumption and nitrogen balance, with mean values of nitrogen retained of 24,5g/day, corresponding to 65,07% of the ingested nitrogen. Excreted purine derivatives corresponded to the proportion of 51% allantoin and 48% uric acid, xanthine and hypoxanthine and did not show changes in microbial synthesis.

No description available.

A aplicação de biossólidos em solos agrícolas e/ou florestais é uma prática aceitável, tanto como forma de disposição destes materiais, quanto de melhorar as características físicas, químicas e biológicas do solo. No entanto, pouco se sabe dos impactos decorrentes desta utilização e dos seus efeitos sobre a estrutura das comunidades microbianas dos solos e sua capacidade metabólica. Assim, o objetivo deste trabalho foi determinar alterações quanti-qualitativas na diversidade metabólica dos microrganismos do solo após a adição de biossólidos e identificar possíveis indicadores de alteração de qualidade do solo. O delineamento experimental constituiu-se de 4 doses de biossólidos da ETE-Franca, equivalentes à 6, 12, 24 e 48 Mg ha-1, mantendo-se um controle sem adição de biossólido. Foram utilizadas 4 repetições por tratamento, compreendendo 20 sub-parcelas. Estas sub-parcelas foram incubadas por 1, 2, 4, 8 e 16 semanas, perfazendo um total de 120 parcelas. Após o período de incubação, amostras de solo foram coletadas para as determinações de pH, C-biomassa, Respiração Basal (RB), Respiração Induzida pelo Substrato (RIS), Quociente Metabólico (qCO2) e Diversidade Metabólica. Houve um aumento transiente do pH nos tratamentos com as maiores doses de biossólido, em relação ao controle. Após 16 semanas de incubação os solos com biossólidos apresentaram pH mais baixo do que o controle sem biossólido. O C-biomassa apresentou comportamento semelhante, com os valores decrescendo e tendendo a estabilização, em relação ao controle sem biossólido. A atividade metabólica com base na RB, RIS e MHM indicou uma indução transiente no metabolismo da microbiota do solo nos tratamentos com as maiores doses de biossólido, tanto no início quanto no final do período de incubação. Os maiores valores de qCO2 nos solos com as maiores quantidades de biossólidos sugerem a ocorrência de condições estressantes para a microbiota e sucessão de populações microbianas. A utilização de substratos de C pela comunidade microbiana foi substancialmente influenciada pela quantidade de biossólido adicionado ao solo e pelo período de incubação. Os maiores valores de Riqueza de Substratos (S) e Diversidade Metabólica (H) observados nos tratamentos que receberam as maiores quantidades de biossólido, no início do período de incubação, são indicativos de um estímulo da microbiota nativa e da contribuição de novas células microbianas decorrentes da adição do biossólido. As similaridades entre os perfis de utilização de substratos C diminuíram com o aumento da concentração de biossólido no solo, em relação ao controle sem biossólido, e aumentaram em função do período de incubação, sugerindo uma indução transiente na diversidade metabólica do solo em função da aplicação de biossólido da ETE-Franca. Solos que receberam altas doses de biossólidos apresentaram atividades metabólicas não observadas no solo sem biossólidos, no início do período de incubação, e perderam algumas atividades no final do período de incubação, em relação ao controle sem biossólido. No geral, os resultados sugerem que a aplicação de biossólidos da ETE-Franca no solo argiloso utilizado provoca um distúrbio na fisiologia da microbiota do solo e que aplicações sucessivas de altas doses de biossólido podem ocasionar alterações significativas na capacidade metabólica dos solos. / The use of biosolids in agricultural and/or forestry soils has been an acceptable practice to dispose as well as to improve physical, chemical and biological soil properties. However, the impacts of biosolids application on microbial community structures and metabolic diversity in agricultural soils are relatively unknown. The aim of this work was to determine quantitative and qualitative alterations in the metabolic diversity of a clay soil upon treatment with biosolids. A clay soil was amended with the equivalent to 6, 12, 24 and 48 Mg ha-1 of biosolids from the City of Franca (SP) Sewage Treatment Plant. A control without biosolids was also used. Four repetitions per treatment were used, totalizing 20 sub-parcels. Sub-parcels were incubated for 1, 2, 4, 8 and 16 weeks, after incorporating the biosolids, totaling 120 microcosms. After the incubation period, soil samples were collected to determine pH, Basal Respiration (BR), Substrate Induced Respiration (SIR), C-biomass, Metabolic Quotient (qCO2) and Metabolic Diversity. A transient increase in soil pH was observed in the treatments with the higher concentrations of biosolids, compared to the control without biosolids. After 16 weeks of incubation, the pH of soils with biosolids was lower than in the control without biosolids. The C-biomass also showed a transient increase in soils with biosolids at early time points, and did not statistically differ from the control at late time points. Transient increases in metabolic activities, based on BR, SIR and AWCD (Average Well Color Development), were observed in soils with the higher concentrations of biosolids at early time points. Higher values of qCO2 in soils with higher concentrations of biosolids at the earliest and latest time points suggests stressing conditions to the microbial community and alterations in microbial community structure. The utilization of C-substrates by the soil microbial community was greatly affected by the concentration of biosolids added and by the incubation time. Higher values of Substrate Richness (S) and Metabolic Diversity (H) in the soils with the higher concentrations of biosolids at early time points indicate that biosolids stimulate the activity of soil microorganisms and contribute with new activities. The similarities between the C-sources utilization profiles in the soil amended with biosolids and the control were lower in soils with the higher concentrations of biosolids. The similarities of C-source utilization profiles in the soils with biosolids and the control increased during the incubation time. Soils amended with the higher concentrations of biosolids showed metabolic activities not observed in the control soil at the early time points. The ability to use several C-sources was lost at the latest time point. In general, the results suggest that the incorporation of biosolids to the clay soil disturbs soil microbial physiology and that the successive application of biosolids to the soil may significantly alter the soil metabolic activities.

A aplicação de biossólidos em solos agrícolas e/ou florestais é uma prática aceitável, tanto como forma de disposição destes materiais, quanto de melhorar as características físicas, químicas e biológicas do solo. No entanto, pouco se sabe dos impactos decorrentes desta utilização e dos seus efeitos sobre a estrutura das comunidades microbianas dos solos e sua capacidade metabólica. Assim, o objetivo deste trabalho foi determinar alterações quanti-qualitativas na diversidade metabólica dos microrganismos do solo após a adição de biossólidos e identificar possíveis indicadores de alteração de qualidade do solo. O delineamento experimental constituiu-se de 4 doses de biossólidos da ETE-Franca, equivalentes à 6, 12, 24 e 48 Mg ha-1, mantendo-se um controle sem adição de biossólido. Foram utilizadas 4 repetições por tratamento, compreendendo 20 sub-parcelas. Estas sub-parcelas foram incubadas por 1, 2, 4, 8 e 16 semanas, perfazendo um total de 120 parcelas. Após o período de incubação, amostras de solo foram coletadas para as determinações de pH, C-biomassa, Respiração Basal (RB), Respiração Induzida pelo Substrato (RIS), Quociente Metabólico (qCO2) e Diversidade Metabólica. Houve um aumento transiente do pH nos tratamentos com as maiores doses de biossólido, em relação ao controle. Após 16 semanas de incubação os solos com biossólidos apresentaram pH mais baixo do que o controle sem biossólido. O C-biomassa apresentou comportamento semelhante, com os valores decrescendo e tendendo a estabilização, em relação ao controle sem biossólido. A atividade metabólica com base na RB, RIS e MHM indicou uma indução transiente no metabolismo da microbiota do solo nos tratamentos com as maiores doses de biossólido, tanto no início quanto no final do período de incubação. Os maiores valores de qCO2 nos solos com as maiores quantidades de biossólidos sugerem a ocorrência de condições estressantes para a microbiota e sucessão de populações microbianas. A utilização de substratos de C pela comunidade microbiana foi substancialmente influenciada pela quantidade de biossólido adicionado ao solo e pelo período de incubação. Os maiores valores de Riqueza de Substratos (S) e Diversidade Metabólica (H) observados nos tratamentos que receberam as maiores quantidades de biossólido, no início do período de incubação, são indicativos de um estímulo da microbiota nativa e da contribuição de novas células microbianas decorrentes da adição do biossólido. As similaridades entre os perfis de utilização de substratos C diminuíram com o aumento da concentração de biossólido no solo, em relação ao controle sem biossólido, e aumentaram em função do período de incubação, sugerindo uma indução transiente na diversidade metabólica do solo em função da aplicação de biossólido da ETE-Franca. Solos que receberam altas doses de biossólidos apresentaram atividades metabólicas não observadas no solo sem biossólidos, no início do período de incubação, e perderam algumas atividades no final do período de incubação, em relação ao controle sem biossólido. No geral, os resultados sugerem que a aplicação de biossólidos da ETE-Franca no solo argiloso utilizado provoca um distúrbio na fisiologia da microbiota do solo e que aplicações sucessivas de altas doses de biossólido podem ocasionar alterações significativas na capacidade metabólica dos solos. / The use of biosolids in agricultural and/or forestry soils has been an acceptable practice to dispose as well as to improve physical, chemical and biological soil properties. However, the impacts of biosolids application on microbial community structures and metabolic diversity in agricultural soils are relatively unknown. The aim of this work was to determine quantitative and qualitative alterations in the metabolic diversity of a clay soil upon treatment with biosolids. A clay soil was amended with the equivalent to 6, 12, 24 and 48 Mg ha-1 of biosolids from the City of Franca (SP) Sewage Treatment Plant. A control without biosolids was also used. Four repetitions per treatment were used, totalizing 20 sub-parcels. Sub-parcels were incubated for 1, 2, 4, 8 and 16 weeks, after incorporating the biosolids, totaling 120 microcosms. After the incubation period, soil samples were collected to determine pH, Basal Respiration (BR), Substrate Induced Respiration (SIR), C-biomass, Metabolic Quotient (qCO2) and Metabolic Diversity. A transient increase in soil pH was observed in the treatments with the higher concentrations of biosolids, compared to the control without biosolids. After 16 weeks of incubation, the pH of soils with biosolids was lower than in the control without biosolids. The C-biomass also showed a transient increase in soils with biosolids at early time points, and did not statistically differ from the control at late time points. Transient increases in metabolic activities, based on BR, SIR and AWCD (Average Well Color Development), were observed in soils with the higher concentrations of biosolids at early time points. Higher values of qCO2 in soils with higher concentrations of biosolids at the earliest and latest time points suggests stressing conditions to the microbial community and alterations in microbial community structure. The utilization of C-substrates by the soil microbial community was greatly affected by the concentration of biosolids added and by the incubation time. Higher values of Substrate Richness (S) and Metabolic Diversity (H) in the soils with the higher concentrations of biosolids at early time points indicate that biosolids stimulate the activity of soil microorganisms and contribute with new activities. The similarities between the C-sources utilization profiles in the soil amended with biosolids and the control were lower in soils with the higher concentrations of biosolids. The similarities of C-source utilization profiles in the soils with biosolids and the control increased during the incubation time. Soils amended with the higher concentrations of biosolids showed metabolic activities not observed in the control soil at the early time points. The ability to use several C-sources was lost at the latest time point. In general, the results suggest that the incorporation of biosolids to the clay soil disturbs soil microbial physiology and that the successive application of biosolids to the soil may significantly alter the soil metabolic activities.

No description available.

The goal of this thesis was to examine submerged macrophoe biomass, distribution, and ecosystem effects at scales large enough to incorporate the littoral zone into models of whole lake structure and function. Submerged macrophyte biomass and distribution was shown to be highly variable between growing seasons and primarily dependant upon air temperature and the timing of the onset of the growing season. Within a growing season, a mass balance study showed an undisturbed macrophyte bed to markedly lower phytoplankton biomass: total phosphorus ratios, although the net effect of the bed on the growing season phosphorus budget was minimal. The weedbed preferentially retained phytoplankton biomass while being a source of bacterial production to the open water. These findings were mirrored at the among lake scale, as planktonic respiration and bacterial production were higher in macrophyte dominated lakes than would be expected based on phytoplankton biomass alone. Further, phytoplankton biomass was lower than would be expected based on epilimnetic phosphorus levels, showing that the classical view of pelagic interactions that proposes phosphorus determines phytoplankton abundance, which in turn determines bacterial abundance through the production of organic carbon, becomes less relevant as macrophyte cover increases. Long term phosphorus accumulation in the littoral zone was shown to be linked to macrophyte biomass, and on average almost an order of magnitude higher than calculated from the growing season (June--October) phosphorus budget, suggesting that the bulk of phosphorus accumulation in weedbeds occurs outside of the growing season. Finally, sediment core data showed that while submerged weedbeds accumulate up to four times as much bulk sediment compared to the profundal zone, phosphorus accumulation in weedbeds is much less than observed in the profundal zone. These results strongly indicating that submerged macrophyte beds play a central role in trapping ep

The growing demand for meat worldwide by the increasing human population (6.8 billion) calls for an increase in livestock production as well as attention to environmental sustainability. Production increases are critical especially in Africa with the highest annual population growth rate (2.5%), where most communities rely on livestock for protein supply. Attempts by intensive livestock farming to optimize production are limited by fibrous quality feeds (roughages) and their unavailability in both developed and developing countries. The overall objective of this study was to scan both domestic and wild herbivores in search for microbial ecosystems with superior fibrolytic potential that can be used as feed additives. It was hypothesized that microbes from wild herbivore can improve fibrous feed breakdown in domesticated ruminants. Experiment 1 evaluated the use of fresh or in vitro cultured faecal inoculum (FF) from two Jersey cows as a potential substitute for rumen fluid (RF). Cultured FF was a better substitute for fresh RF as demonstrated by percentage differences in exocellulase activity (0.4%) and true degradability (TD) (7%), compared to the differences observed between fresh RF and FF for exocellulase activity (33%) and TD (14%). It was applied in subsequent experimentation because it was cost effective (no surgery and reduced sample collection time). The second experiment compared the fibrolytic competence of cultured faecal inocula from three hindgut fermenters (miniature horse (mH), horse (H) and Zebra (ZB)) in summer and winter grazing in their natural environment. Both cellulase enzyme assays (exocellulase, endocellulase and hemicellulase) and in vitro maize stover digestibility study ranked the herbivores according to their fibrolytic competence as ZB > H > mH. The effect of cultured faecal inocula from H, ZB and wildebeest (WB) and its combined systems (N1=H+WB, N2=H+ZB, N3=WB+ZB and N4=H+WB+ZB) on the fermentation of maize stover were also evaluated in vitro. Both enzyme assays and MS degradability studies showed that the combined systems were higher (P<0.01) in fibrolytic activities compared to the individual systems. The microbial ecosystems were ranked as N1 > N2 > N4 > H > ZB > WB >N3; and N3 > N1 > N4 > WB > N2 > ZB >H by their exocellulase activity and degradability parameters, repetitively. The diversity of microbial ecosystems was confirmed by numerous active carboxymethyl cellulase bands present on a carboxymethy cellulose zymograms in experiment 4. The combined microbial ecosystems contain more active and variable bands of cellulases than in the individual microbial ecosystems. Systems N3 and N1 were considered as the best inocula for rumen transinoculation studies. Experiment 5 assessed the in vivo effect of direct-fed microbials from N1 and N3 on MS degradation, ruminal fermentation characteristics and cellulase enzyme profile in sheep. Feed dry matter intake increased (P<0.03) in N1 but tended to increase when inoculated with N3. The treatments, N1 and N3 increased (P<0.05) rumen exocellulase (9.4 and 33.2%, respectively) and endocellulase (82.1 and 47.1%, respectively) specific activities but not hemicellulase activity. Maize stover degradability parameters for N3 (TD, degradability of the insoluble fraction of MS, effective degradability, total SCFA and propionate) measured after 96 h of incubation tended (P>0.05) to be numerically different (1.1, 5.4, 7.1 and 7.9%, respectively). Increase in propionate for N3 was accompanied by higher total SCFA and lower CH4. A decrease in CH4 and no difference in CO2 allow both systems to be environmentally friendly since they have been associated with global warming. These studies showed that direct-fed microbials from N1 and N3 inocula have the potential of improving the utilization of maize stover feeds in ruminants, particularly in view of its simplicity and availability which allows it to be implemented at a relatively lower cost compared to other specific strains or microbial cultures. However, more research is required to identify, purify and classify the superior fibrolytic microbes in the most active ecosystems. / Thesis (Ph.D.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2012.

The aim of this study was to determine firstly if there exist variations in fibrolysis among herbivore microbial ecosystems and secondly, the effect on fibre hydrolysis of compositing the most active systems with ruminal microbial ecosystem harvested from a Jersey cow. A literature review pointed to the complexity of carbohydrate (fibre) and how the physical and chemical nature of the forage carbohydrate can present barriers that hinder digestion in the rumen, especially its association with hemicelluloses, pectin, lignin and tannins. Fresh rumen fluid was collected from fistulated herbivores (Jersey cow and sheep) and faecal samples from non-fistulated herbivores (buffalo, horse, impala, camel, elephant, llama, sheep, wildebeest and elephant). Crude protein samples were precipitated with 60% ammonium sulfate. Sample activities were monitored and optimised by incubating with carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) for 2 h at 39°C. The crude protein samples precipitated from the 11 herbivore microbial ecosystems were active. This was confirmed by an increase in enzyme specific activity with a decrease in total crude protein concentration. In vitro pH optimisation showed a broad range of activity for all ecosystems (4.5-8.0) but for the zebra, horse and elephant which peaked at pH 5. In experiment two (Chapter 4), seasonal variation of the enzymes (exocellulase, endocellulase, cellobiase and xylanase) were monitored through winter and summer. Enzyme specific activity of exocellulase, endocellulase, cellobiase and xylanase were determined by incubation with the specific substrates, crystalline cellulose, CMC, pNPG and xylan, respectively. The amount of reducing sugar released was used to determine the enzyme specific activity. Exocellulase analysis was suitable in winter while summer was preferred for carboxymethyl cellulase and xylanase due to their relative abundance. Cellobiase analysis did not depend on any particular season. Eleven herbivore microbial ecosystems were characterised according to their fibrolytic enzyme specific activities. Enzyme catalytic activities were calculated from kinetic parameters (Km and Vmax) obtained from Eisenthal and Cornish-Bowded plots (Chapter 5). Fibrolytic enzyme expression as well as their activities differed among the 11 ecosystems (P<O.OOOI). They were classified into three groups based on fibrolytic enzyme concentrations; group A with high enzyme concentrations (horse, impala, zebra, wildebeest and the elephant), group B with intermediate (cow, llama, camel, buffalo and giraffe) and group C with low enzyme concentrations (sheep). Exocellulase activity was reasonably correlated with endocellulase activity (r = 0.8978). Xylanase activity was also correlated with carboxymethyl cellulase actvity (r = 0.7104). Enzyme kinetic studies revealed that crude protein samples from the horse, zebra, wildebeest and elephant had the highest enzyme catalytic activities. Microbial or enzyme composite systems were created from the most active ecosystems (horse, wildebeest and zebra) in an attempt to improve the Jersey cow system. These systems were B (cow and horse), C (cow and wildebeest), D (cow and zebra) and E (cow, horse, zebra and wildebeest). The specific activities and enzyme efficiencies of these new systems were determined and compared with system A (cow). Microbial synergism of these systems was also investigated by measuring the amount of gas produced and true degradability (TD) after 72 h of incubation. The composite systems Band E were the most active fibrolytic enzyme systems while C and D were intermediate when compared to that of A. In vitro microbial synergism assays showed that systems B, D, and E had the highest potential of improving milky maize stover (MM) and nutral detergent fibre (NDF) fermentation and degradability in Jersey cows. It was concluded that: (i) fibrolytic and hemicellulolytic enzyme concentrations vary from one season to another with the changing forages; (ii) microbial fibrolytic activities vary among animals grazing on the same field or different geographical regions; and (iii) lastly microbial synergisms of active ecosystems have the potential of improving fibre hydrolysis. However, there is a need to conduct in vivo experimentation to determine the real potential of these in vitro observations. / Thesis (M.Sc.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2006.