In Vitro Rumen Fermentation and Nutrient Degradability on Addition of Vegetable Oils to a Fish Oil Supplemented Fibrous Diet

Effect of addition of vegetable oils to a fish oil supplemented diet was assessed on nutrient degradability and rumen fermentation pattern in a continuous culture system. A high fibrous diet having 1.5% fish oil (Control) was supplemented with oil of sunflower (SF), soybean (SB) and corn (CN) at 3.0% level. The pH, ammonia N concentration, total VFA/day and their molar proportions were not affected by the addition of vegetable oils to the control diet. Apparent degradability of dry matter, crude protein and acid detergent fibre were comparable among the treatment diets, while that of neutral detergent fiber and hemicellulose were higher (P<0.05) in treatment diets than in control diet. The addition of vegetable oils to control diet improved the degradability of neutral detergent fiber and hemicellulose compared to sole supplementation of fish oil to a fibrous diet.