Preliminary Study on the Impact of Ruminal Ciliate Inoculation in Fauna-Free Conditions on the Ruminal Fermentation and Ciliate–Prokaryote Association In Vitro
Ruminants rely on the rumen for the anaerobic fermentation of fibrous plant materials, facilitated by a complex microbial community of bacteria, archaea, fungi, and ciliates. Among them, ruminal ciliates significantly influence ruminal fermentation, methane production, nitrogen utilization efficienc...
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2025-01-01
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| Series: | Fermentation |
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| author | Geonwoo Kim Woohyung Lee Tansol Park |
| author_facet | Geonwoo Kim Woohyung Lee Tansol Park |
| author_sort | Geonwoo Kim |
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| description | Ruminants rely on the rumen for the anaerobic fermentation of fibrous plant materials, facilitated by a complex microbial community of bacteria, archaea, fungi, and ciliates. Among them, ruminal ciliates significantly influence ruminal fermentation, methane production, nitrogen utilization efficiency, and microbial interactions. This study examined the impact of ciliate inoculation on ruminal fermentation, microbial composition, and functional profiles in fauna-free conditions. Six treatments were tested: control (no ciliates), small entodinia, <i>Epidinium</i> spp., isotrichids, <i>Ophryoscolex</i> spp., and a mixed inoculum. Using QIIME2 to analyze 16S rRNA gene sequences, the study revealed group-specific effects on methane production, volatile fatty acids (VFAs), and microbial diversity. Small entodinia inoculation increased <i>Streptococcus</i> abundance, while isotrichids enriched <i>Megasphaera</i>, enhancing butyrate production. Alpha diversity indices indicated reduced richness in the ciliate-inoculated groups, reflecting predation on prokaryotes. Beta diversity showed distinct microbial and functional profiles among the treatments. Functional analysis highlighted elevated glycerolipid metabolism in isotrichid groups, associated with <i>Bacteroides</i> and <i>Megasphaera</i>, suggesting roles in lipid metabolism and oxidative stress resistance. Despite limited ciliate cell counts, the study emphasizes ciliate-specific interactions and the role of lactic acid-associated bacteria in shaping ruminal fermentation. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-36eadbcea26c4e4c8d51f9c4cb7f1d19 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2311-5637 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-01-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
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| series | Fermentation |
| spelling | doaj-art-36eadbcea26c4e4c8d51f9c4cb7f1d192025-01-24T13:32:06ZengMDPI AGFermentation2311-56372025-01-011112810.3390/fermentation11010028Preliminary Study on the Impact of Ruminal Ciliate Inoculation in Fauna-Free Conditions on the Ruminal Fermentation and Ciliate–Prokaryote Association In VitroGeonwoo Kim0Woohyung Lee1Tansol Park2Department of Animal Science and Technology, Chung-Ang University, Anseong 17546, Republic of KoreaDepartment of Animal Science and Technology, Chung-Ang University, Anseong 17546, Republic of KoreaDepartment of Animal Science and Technology, Chung-Ang University, Anseong 17546, Republic of KoreaRuminants rely on the rumen for the anaerobic fermentation of fibrous plant materials, facilitated by a complex microbial community of bacteria, archaea, fungi, and ciliates. Among them, ruminal ciliates significantly influence ruminal fermentation, methane production, nitrogen utilization efficiency, and microbial interactions. This study examined the impact of ciliate inoculation on ruminal fermentation, microbial composition, and functional profiles in fauna-free conditions. Six treatments were tested: control (no ciliates), small entodinia, <i>Epidinium</i> spp., isotrichids, <i>Ophryoscolex</i> spp., and a mixed inoculum. Using QIIME2 to analyze 16S rRNA gene sequences, the study revealed group-specific effects on methane production, volatile fatty acids (VFAs), and microbial diversity. Small entodinia inoculation increased <i>Streptococcus</i> abundance, while isotrichids enriched <i>Megasphaera</i>, enhancing butyrate production. Alpha diversity indices indicated reduced richness in the ciliate-inoculated groups, reflecting predation on prokaryotes. Beta diversity showed distinct microbial and functional profiles among the treatments. Functional analysis highlighted elevated glycerolipid metabolism in isotrichid groups, associated with <i>Bacteroides</i> and <i>Megasphaera</i>, suggesting roles in lipid metabolism and oxidative stress resistance. Despite limited ciliate cell counts, the study emphasizes ciliate-specific interactions and the role of lactic acid-associated bacteria in shaping ruminal fermentation.https://www.mdpi.com/2311-5637/11/1/28ruminal ciliatesruminal microbiomeciliate–prokaryote associationfauna-free |
| spellingShingle | Geonwoo Kim Woohyung Lee Tansol Park Preliminary Study on the Impact of Ruminal Ciliate Inoculation in Fauna-Free Conditions on the Ruminal Fermentation and Ciliate–Prokaryote Association In Vitro Fermentation ruminal ciliates ruminal microbiome ciliate–prokaryote association fauna-free |
| title | Preliminary Study on the Impact of Ruminal Ciliate Inoculation in Fauna-Free Conditions on the Ruminal Fermentation and Ciliate–Prokaryote Association In Vitro |
| title_full | Preliminary Study on the Impact of Ruminal Ciliate Inoculation in Fauna-Free Conditions on the Ruminal Fermentation and Ciliate–Prokaryote Association In Vitro |
| title_fullStr | Preliminary Study on the Impact of Ruminal Ciliate Inoculation in Fauna-Free Conditions on the Ruminal Fermentation and Ciliate–Prokaryote Association In Vitro |
| title_full_unstemmed | Preliminary Study on the Impact of Ruminal Ciliate Inoculation in Fauna-Free Conditions on the Ruminal Fermentation and Ciliate–Prokaryote Association In Vitro |
| title_short | Preliminary Study on the Impact of Ruminal Ciliate Inoculation in Fauna-Free Conditions on the Ruminal Fermentation and Ciliate–Prokaryote Association In Vitro |
| title_sort | preliminary study on the impact of ruminal ciliate inoculation in fauna free conditions on the ruminal fermentation and ciliate prokaryote association in vitro |
| topic | ruminal ciliates ruminal microbiome ciliate–prokaryote association fauna-free |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2311-5637/11/1/28 |
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