Influencia del tipo de filtrado y tratamiento con Stomacher del fluido ruminal de ovejas en las poblaciones microbianas del inóculo

Four rumen-fistulated sheep fed a 66:34 alfalfa hay:concentrate diet were used as donors to investigate the effect of rumen contents’ treatment on microbial populations in the resulting fluid. Rumen contents were sampled from each individual sheep and subjected to the following treatments: SQ: squeezed through 4 layers of cheesecloth; FIL: SQ treatment and further filtration through a 100-μm nylon cloth; STO: reated with a Stomacher® for 3 min at 230 rev min-1 and followed by SQ. Microbial populations in the fluid were analysed by real-time PCR and bacterial diversity was assessed by the automated ribosomal intergenic spacer analysis (ARISA) of the 16S ribosomal DNA. Bacterial DNA concentrations and relative abundance of Ruminococcus flavefaciens, arqueal and fungal DNA did not differ (P>0.05) between treatments. In contrast, STO treatment decreased (P<0.05) protozoal DNA concentrations and increased (P<0.05) the relative abundance of Fibrobacter succinogenes compared with SQ method. There were no differences (P>0.05) between treatments either in the Shannon index or in the number of peaks in the ARISA electropherograms, indicating no effect on bacterial diversity. Studies analyzing the influence on the tested methods on fermentation characteristics of different substrates when the fluid is used as inoculum is required.