Fermentation Quality, In Vitro Digestibility, and Aerobic Stability of Total Mixed Ration Silage in Response to Varying Proportion Alfalfa Silage

Effects of kinds of additives on fermentation quality, nutrient content, aerobic stability, and microbial community of the mixed silage of king grass and rice straw

To investigate the effects of kinds of additives on silage quality, the mixture of king grass and rice straw was ensiled with addition of sucrose, citric acid and malic acid at the levels of 0, 1 and 2%, being blank control (CK), citric acid groups (CA1, CA2), malic acid groups (MA1, MA2), citric acid + malic acid groups (CM1, CM2), sucrose groups (SU1, SU2), mainly focusing on fermentation quality, nutrient content, aerobic stability and microbial community of the silages. The results showed that the addition of sucrose decreased (p < 0.05) pH and increased the content of water soluble carbohydrate (p < 0.05). The sucrose groups and mixed acid groups also had a lower (p < 0.01) neutral detergent fiber content. The addition of citric acid and the mixed acid increased (p < 0.01) the aerobic stability of the silage, reduced the abundance of Acinetobacter, and the addition of citric acid also increased the abundance of Lactiplantibacillus. It is inferred that citric acid and malic acid could influence fermentation quality by inhibiting harmful bacteria and improve aerobic stability, while sucrose influenced fermentation quality by by promoting the generation of lactic acid. It is suggested that the application of citric acid, malic acid and sucrose would achieve an improvement effect on fermentation quality of the mixed silage.

Study on screening of fermentation agents and optimization of the fermentation process for pharyngitis tablet residue

This study aimed to screen an appropriate starter and determine the optimal fermentation process parameters to optimize the fermentation process of nutrient components and bioactive contents in pharyngitis tablet residue. This study included two experiments. In experiment I, single-factor experimental design was used to study the effects of different biological starters (cellulase preparation; Lactobacillus Plantarum and Bacillus subtilis preparation; mixture of cellulase + Lactobacillus Plantarum and Bacillus subtilis) on the nutritional values and bioactive ingredient contents in pharyngitis tablet residue. In experiment II, orthogonal design experiment was adopted to study the effects of initial water content (45, 50, and 55%), fermentation temperature (35, 37, and 40°C), and fermentation time (24, 48, and 72 h) on the changes in nutrient components, biologically activity contents, and toxin contents of the residue after optimal fermentation agent treatment. Cellulase preparation was found to be the optimal starter. The optimal fermentation conditions were: initial water content, 55%; fermentation temperature, 37°C; and fermentation time, 72 h. The contents of aflatoxin B1 and vomit toxin were in line with Chinese feed hygiene production standards. The fermentation quality of pharyngitis tablet residue can be improved by using the optimal starter and fermentation conditions.

Effects of Adding Ethanol Extract of Propolis on the Fermentation Quality, Aerobic Stability, Fatty Acid Profile, and In Vitro Digestibility of Alfalfa Silages

This study was planned to determine the effects of ethanol extract of propolis on the fermentation quality, fatty acid profile, aerobic stability, and in vitro digestibility of alfalfa silages. The ethanol extract of propolis was added to alfalfa at levels of 1000 mg/kg (PROP1), 2000 mg/kg (PROP2), and 3000 mg/kg (PROP3); propolis was not added to the control (CON) group. After the propolis was added, the pH value of the alfalfa silage declined, and the crude protein content was effectively preserved (p < 0.05). Adding propolis to alfalfa silages caused crude fiber, neutral detergent fiber, and acid detergent fiber (p < 0.05) to decrease. The ethanol extract of propolis significantly improved the lactic acid content and reduced the NH3-N content (p < 0.05). Propolis significantly improved the unsaturated fatty acid content (p < 0.05) and reduced the saturated fatty acid content (p < 0.05). In addition, propolis significantly improved the relative feed value, the digestibility of the organic matter, and the in vitro metabolic energy content (p < 0.05). These results show that the ethanol extract of propolis improves the silage quality of last cutting alfalfa silages, and has potential as an antimicrobial silage additive.