The In Vitro Digestion and Fermentation Characteristics of Feedstuffs Inoculated With Cecal or Colic Fluid of Dezhou Donkey.
Authors: Zhang Zhenwei, Wang Yonghui, Zhu Mingxia, Wang Changfa
Journal: Journal of equine veterinary science
Summary
# Editorial Summary Researchers compared how six fibrous feedstuffs commonly fed to donkeys in China—corn straw, wheat straw, peanut vine, peanut shell, wheat shell and wheat bran—were broken down and fermented by microorganisms from donkey caeca and colons in a controlled laboratory setting. After 48 hours of fermentation, wheat bran demonstrated markedly superior digestibility and volatile fatty acid production compared to other feeds, whilst peanut shell showed the poorest degradation; digestibility correlated strongly with crude protein content (R = 0.76) and inversely with fibre fractions (NDF and ADF both R > 0.75). Notably, fermentation patterns differed between caecal and colonic microorganisms, with colonic fluid producing proportionally more acetate but less propionate, altering the acetate-to-propionate ratio—a shift with potential implications for hindgut stability and energy metabolism. For practitioners formulating donkey rations, these results suggest wheat bran offers superior nutritional value and fermentation characteristics amongst these readily available feedstuffs, though the authors acknowledge that in vitro findings require validation through in vivo digestibility trials before definitive feeding recommendations can be made. This work highlights the importance of understanding species-specific microbial fermentation patterns, particularly since donkey hindgut physiology differs from horses and warrants tailored nutritional research.
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Practical Takeaways
- •Wheat bran is the most digestible and fermentable feedstuff among common fibrous feeds used in donkey farms, making it the preferred choice for optimizing hindgut fermentation and VFA production
- •When selecting fibrous feeds for donkeys, prioritize feedstuffs with lower fiber content (NDF/ADF) and higher protein content to maximize nutrient availability and fermentation efficiency
- •In vitro results suggest wheat bran provides superior nutritional value, but in vivo validation studies are needed before changing feeding practices at scale
Key Findings
- •Wheat bran showed highest in vitro dry matter disappearance (IVDMD) and net volatile fatty acid (VFA) production compared to corn straw, wheat straw, peanut vine, peanut shell, and wheat shell after 48 hours fermentation
- •IVDMD was positively correlated with crude protein (R=0.76, P<0.01) and ether extract (R=0.56, P<0.01), but negatively correlated with NDF (R=0.75, P<0.01) and ADF (R=0.79, P<0.01)
- •Cecal and colic microorganisms produced different VFA profiles, with colon culture showing higher acetate and branched-chain VFA proportions but lower propionate proportions than cecum
- •Feed degradation and fermentation characteristics depended primarily on the nature of the feedstuff rather than the source of inoculum