Ensiling and in vitro digestibility characteristics of <i>Ceratoides arborescens</i> treated with lactic acid bacteria inoculants and cellulase

Abstract

The effects of different additives, including lactic acid bacteria inoculants, acremonium cellulase and mixtures of lactic acid bacteria inoculants and acremonium cellulase on changes of nutritive components and in vitro digestibility of Ceratoides arborescens during ensiling were investigated. The silages of each treatment were prepared in plastic film bags, kept in an incubator at 30°C and bags were opened after 1, 3, 5, 10, 30 and 45 days at room temperature. The results show that addition of additives and ensiling time did not affect acid detergent lignin content during ensiling (P>0.05). With ensiling time, pH value decreased (P<0.05), whereas the concentrations of lactic acids, acetic acid, propionic acid, butyric acid and ammonia nitrogen increased (P<0.05). At 45 days of fermentation, the silages treated with the mixture of 50 mg lactic acid bacteria and 200 mg acremonium cellulase showed the lowest (P<0.05) pH value, neutral detergent fiber and acid detergent fiber contents, and the highest (P<0.05) in vitro digestibility of neutral detergent fiber and acid detergent fiber, water soluble carbohydrate and lactic acids concentrations compared to other treatments. Lactic acid bacteria can improve C. arborescens silage fermentation quality; cellulase had a positive effect on in vitro digestible of neutral detergent fiber. There was favorable interaction between the addition of lactic acid bacteria and cellulase on the silage fermentation quality and chemical composition of C. arborescens.

Key words: Ceratoides arborescens, additives, silage fermentation quality, in vitro NDF digestibility.