Effect of Supplementation of Selenomonas ruminantium NDRI-PAPB 4 as Direct Fed Microbial on Rumen Microbial Population in Karan Fries Male Calves

Selenomonas ruminantium NDRI-PAPB 4, a propionic acid producing bacteria, was isolated from cattle rumen and used as direct fed microbial (DFM) to study its effect on rumen microbial population in Karan Fries male calves. Calves of treatment group were fed on basal diet plus the DFM @ 1 ml/litre of rumen liquor containing 10¹⁰ cfu/ml of bacterial culture while the calves of control group were fed on basal diet plus same amount of sterilized bacterial culture media every alternate day for 120 days. Rumen liquor was collected at 40 days interval for quantification of rumen microbial population (fold changes) using real-time PCR. Rumen total bacterial population significantly increased (p<0.05) in treatment group over control (3.67 ±1.02 vs1.51 ± 0.25 vs.) but no significant difference was observed for total rumen fungal population (1.71 ± 0.23 vs 1.29 ± 0.12) and total rumen protozoal population (1.01 ± 0.003 vs 1.00 ± 0.001) between treatment and control group. Hence, S. ruminantium NDRI-PAPB 4 could be use as DFM in ruminants to boost the rumen microbial population.