Table 1.
Feeds and chemical composition of experimental diets.
Table 2.
PCR primers for detection of target populations.
Table 3.
Effect of ingredients and processing methods on organic matter (OM) intake and digestibility in Nellore bulls.
Table 4.
Effect of ingredients and processing methods on pH, and total and individual volatile fatty acids (VFA), in rumen fluid of Nellore bulls.
Table 5.
Effect of ingredients and processing methods on relative mRNA expressions of genes involved in volatile fatty acids transport in rumen epithelium of Nellore bulls.
Fig 1.
A—Effect of ingredients and processing methods on keratinization in rumen epithelium of Nellore bulls. B—Longitudinal section from rumen tissue of Nellore bulls fed dry ground corn, dry ground sorghum, reconstituted corn, and reconstituted sorghum, showing the normal histology of these animals. Standard error of the mean, 4.37; Ingredient P-value, 0.45; Processing method P-value, 0.83; Ingredient x Processing method P-value, 0.47 (Fisher’s least significant difference test).
Fig 2.
Mechanisms of volatile fatty acid transport through rumen and proteins involved in pH control of rumen epithelium [Adapted from Stevens and Hume [30] and Connor et al. [5]].
Genes with lower expression in the rumen epithelium of animals fed reconstituted corn are presented in orange [DRA (P = 0.03), and NHE2 (trend; P = 0.09)]. Genes that tended to have lower mRNA expression in the rumen epithelium of animals fed reconstituted grains are presented in green [NHE1 (P = 0.10), and PAT1 (P = 0.06)]. AE2 = anion exchanger 2; DRA = downregulated in adenoma; MCT1 = monocarboxylate transporter 1; MCT4 = monocarboxylate transporter 4; NHE1 = Na+/H+ exchanger 1; NHE2 = Na+/H+ exchanger 2; NHE3 = Na+/H+ exchanger 3; PAT1 = putative anion transporter; H+ATPase = vacuolar-type ATPase.