Evaluation of fibrolytic enzymes and microbial additive in the nutritive value of corn silage

• Grant number: 12/14626-6
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships abroad - Research Internship - Master's degree
• Start date: October 20, 2012
• End date: February 19, 2013
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Animal Husbandry - Animal Nutrition and Feeding
• Principal Investigator: Ricardo Andrade Reis
• Grantee: Erika Christina Lara
• Supervisor: Karen Ann Beauchemin
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Ciências Agrárias e Veterinárias (FCAV). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de Jaboticabal. Jaboticabal , SP, Brazil
• Institution abroad: Lethbridge Research Centre (LRC), Canada
• Associated to the scholarship: 11/04676-3 - Evaluation of fibrolytic enzymes and microbial additive in the nutritive value of corn silage, BP.MS

Abstract

The addition of fibrolytic enzymes in ruminant diets aims to increase the digestibility of fibrous feed. In ensilage, the association of fibrolytic enzyme with microbial additives, mainly composed of heterofermentative bacteria is promising, since it can promote a more preserved silage and with greater nutritional value and aerobic stability. However, few studies have tested the direct addition of these enzymes in the diets and the association with bacterial additives in ensilage are available, and found a great variability of results, difficult the comparison between studies and validation of the effectiveness of the product. This paper aims to present the master project nº 2011/04676-3 approved by FAPESP in which two experiments were evaluated the production and application of exogenous fibrolytic enzymes in ruminant feed. In the first experiment were isolated and evaluated filamentous fungi for the production and characterization of fibrolytic enzymes. The second experiment studied the effect of fibrolytic enzymes (produced in the first experiment) and inoculant (Lactobacillus buchneiri) on the nutritive value of corn silage. The purpose of the internship abroad with Profª. Drª. Karen A. Beauchemin, in the Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada Research Centre is to enhance knowledge in the field of production and evaluation of fibrolytic enzymes. Intended to compare and discuss methods used to analyze the results and consistently seeking to understand the limitations in the production and use of enzymes as well as the divergent results found in the literature. (AU)