Investigation of in vitro digestibility, fermentation and enzyme activity of rumen anaerobic fungi of dromedary camels fed by cultivated and pasture forages

The aim of this study was to investigate the fermentation characteristics and cellulolytic enzymes activities of dromedary camels rumen anaerobic fungi in fed with cultivated and pasture forages. Hence, the inoculant of rumen anaerobic fungi was prepared by using specific medium and the gas production, digestibility and enzyme activity of rumen fungi were determined on the basis of a 2 × 2 factorial design. The results showed that gas production potential was higher in treatments containing atriplex substrate, but the rate of gas production was higher in wheat straw treatments. Also the total gas production (50.71 ml) in treatment with rumen fluid of camel fed pasture forage and atriplex substrate was the highest (P≤0.01). The medium's ammonia nitrogen at different times of incubation was affected by the type of feed and substrate (P≤0.01). The results showed that the organic matter digestibility was not affected by the type of feed but was decreased in atriplex treatments by changing substrate. Also digestibility of DM and NDF in atriplex treatment showed increasing trend at the end of experiment. Endo and exoglucanas activity of rumen fungus in treatment with rumen fluid of camel fed with pasture forage and atriplex substrate had the highest increase (P≤0.01) in the final hours of incubation. It seems that for in vitro evaluating fermentation of halophilic forages, it is better to use a rumen fluid accordance with substrate.