The ciliate, Troglodytella abrassarti, contributes to polysaccharide hydrolytic activities in the chimpanzee colon.

Entodiniomorphid ciliates are intestinal protists inhabiting the colons of African great apes. The participation of intestinal entodiniomorphid ciliates in ape hindgut digestion has been proposed, but little data have been available to support the hypothesis. We measured the specific activities of carboxymethyl cellulase, xylanase, inulinase, and α-amylase against different polysaccharides in the feces of captive chimpanzees and evaluated the participation of the entodiniomorphid ciliate, Troglodytella abrassarti, in these activities. T. abrassarti contributed to the total fecal hydrolytic activities of CM-cellulase by 16.2%, α-amylase by 5.95%, and xylanase by 0.66%. Inulinase activity in T. abrassarti samples was not measurable at reaction conditions used. The ciliates, T. abrassarti, actively participate in the chimpanzee hindgut fermentation of fiber and starch.

Effects of prefermented cereal-derived substrates (ground barley and rye bran) enriched with fungal γ-linolenic acid on rumen fermentation parameters and lipid metabolism in vitro.

AIMS: To increase rumen output of γ-linolenic acid (GLA), we used two cereal-derived substrates, ground barley (GB) and rye bran (RB), enriched with fungal GLA as components of feed rations. We examined their effects on rumen fermentation patterns, lipid metabolism and the ciliated protozoan population in an artificial rumen. METHODS AND RESULTS: Four diets consisting of meadow hay (MH) plus unfermented (GB or RB) or prefermented (GB - TE or RB - TE) cereal-derived substrates were fermented in an artificial rumen with ovine rumen inoculum. The cereal-derived substrates were prefermented with the fungus Thamnidium elegans (TE) by fungal solid-state fermentation. The diets with TE increased the rumen input of dietary GLA (mg day(-1)) from 0 to 21 (GB - TE) or 26 (RB - TE). Both experimental diets increased the rumen output of GLA (P < 0.001). Adverse effects on the ciliate population were observed. Both diets also had an effect on the fatty acids profile. Fermentation patterns were also affected with MH + RB - TE. CONCLUSION: Cereal-derived substrates enriched with GLA effectively enhanced the output of GLA in artificial rumen. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY: The ability of the fungal strain T. elegans to grow and utilize various agro-industrial substrates might be useful in developing potential new animal diets enriched in GLA.