Polyplastron

The hemicellulases of rumen micro-organisms have been isolated from pure culture isolates of (a) bacteria, for example, Bacillus firmus,148 Bacteroides amylogenes,38 Butyrivibrio fibrosolvens,38,40 and Ruminococcus flavefaciens41 and (b) protozoa, for example, Epidinium ecaudatum,43-44 an Entodinium sp.,44,216 Eudiplodinium medium,48 Eremoplastron bovis,44,45 and Polyplastron mul-tivesiculatum.47 They have also been found in cell-free preparations of mixed bacteria,40,42,215 protozoa,43 and mixtures of both organisms.42,217,218,254,255... 

The results of Abou Akkada et al. (1) indicated that extracts of Polyplastron multivesiculatum hydrolyzed cellulose slowly yielding glucose as the main product. The presence of cellodextrinases in the extracts of Eremoplastron bovis was shown by Bailey and Clark (5). 

Protozoa hydrolysed carbohydrate to produce hydrogai which then be used directly by associated methanogens to produce methane. Ushida et al. (1997) showed the occurrence of interspecies hydrogen transfer between the rumen ciUate Polyplastron multivesiculatum and the methanogenic archebacterium, Methanosarcina barkeri. Therefore, reducing protozoa will also reduce ruminal methanogens, thus reducing methane production. Tables 11.1 and 11.2 show that the studies mostly reported the... 

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