Effect of Some Feed Additives on In Vitro Rumen Digestibility

Abstract

Researchers have recently focused on studies involving the improvement of feeds and their digestibility using different feed additives. These studies include feed additives such as probiotics, prebiotics, enzymes, organic acids, and phytobiotics. Feed additives added to feeds at appropriate levels increase the amount and quality of animal products, digestibility of feeds, feed consumption, and feed utilization. Various methods have been developed to determine digestibility, which is one of the determinants of the quality of feeds, accurately and reliably. Since chemical analyses do not reveal the actual value of feed or feed additives, various digestive experiments such as in vivo, in situ, and in vitro digestibility have been developed and used. In vivo experiments are reliable, but they have disadvantages of being cumbersome and expensive. Consequently, in vitro experiments have been preferred more recently due to easier execution in a short time span at cheaper costs, lesser requirement of feed material, and controlled experimental conditions. This review is aimed to highlight the available information regarding the use of feed additives in in vitro rumen digestion experiments.

Keywords: In vitro digestibility, Feed additive, Ruminant.

Special Issue of Health Sciences

DOI: 10.7176/JSTR/7-08-02