Herbal feed additives - impact on the rumen environment in buffaloes

The study was undertaken to assess the effect of herbal feed additives on the biochemical changes in the rumen of buffaloes. Nine herbs viz. Asparagus racemosus (Shatavari), Lepttdenia reticulata (Jiwanti), Eclipta alba (Bhringraj), Kutaki picorrhiza (Kutki), Foehieulim vulgare (Saunf), Plumbago zeylanica (Chitrak), Ancthum sowa (Soe), Cuminum cyminum (Jeera), Cyperus scariosus (Mustak) were used @ 0.4% of the substrate (wheat straw). The net gas production, true OM digestibility and ME availability were improved significantly (P<0.05) when wheat straw was supplemented with either Eclipta alba or Kutaki picorrhiza compared to other herbal feed additives.

Two trials were conducted on 6 rumen fistulated male buffaloes (441±12.9 kg BW). In the 1^st trial, all the animals were offered conventional control diet of concentrate mixture and wheat straw (35: 65) as total mixed ration (TMR) for 30 days. In the 2^nd trial, the animals, divided into 3 equal groups, were offered control diet supplemented with either Eclipta alba, Kutaki picorrhiza or mixture of Eclipta alba and Kutaki picorrhiza (50:50) at the rate of 0.4% of DM intake for 30 days. The activities of car-boxymethyl cellulase (CMCase), filter paper degrading activity (FPase) and xylanase improved significantly (P<0.05) when the diet was supplemented with Kutaki picorrhiza as compared to un-supple-mented diet or diet supplemented with other herbal feed additives. The significantly higher activity of most of the microbial enzymes in the rumen of the animals fed diet supplemented with Kutaki picorrhiza resulted in higher availability of the end products of digestion leading to significantly higher microbial protein synthesis in the rumen as compared to other feed additives or control diet. The dietary supplementation of herbal feed additives did not alter the rumen volume and outflow rate, though dilution rate was improved (P<0.05) in groups where Kutaki picorrhiza or combination of Kutaki picorrhiza and Eclipta alba were supplemented. The results conclusively revealed that herbal feed additives like Kutaki picorrhiza supplemented @0.4 of DM intake had highly favorable impact on the rumen environment in buffaloes.