Abstract
The influences of raffinose administration in the duodenum of ruminants on fecal pH and the number of Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus of feces were investigated. Three Holstein steers fitted with cannula in the duodenum and ileum were examined. The steers were fed timothy hay (CP 7.0% DM, TDN 55.0% DM) and concentrate (CP 20.5% DM, TDN 70.0% DM) at 06.00 and 15.00 hours. The steers were administered 200mL of distilled water containing 50 g of raffinose in the duodenum at 06.00 hours for 4 weeks. Ileal digesta and feces were collected from each steer at 06.00 hours of 0 (W0), 1 (W1), 2 (W2), 3 (W3) and 4 (W4) weeks from the start of the experiment. On W0 and W4, ileal digesta and feces were collected at 0, 4, 8, 12, 16 and 20 h after administration of raffinose. Collected samples were analyzed for pH and the number of Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus. Weekly pH and the number of Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus of the ileal digesta and fecal samples were not different. The ileal digesta collected every four hours on W0 and W4 were not different in the same parameter. Eight hours after the administration of raffinose on W4, the number of Bifidobacterium of feces was significantly higher (P<0.05), and fecal pH was lower (P<0.05) than on W0, and at 12 and 16h on W4, the number of Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus of feces was significantly higher (P<0.05) than on W0. From these data, it was indicated that raffinose administration in the duodenum of the steers increases the number of Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus and decreases the pH of feces.
