Quantificação de protozoários presentes no rúmen de búfalo (Bubalus bubalis) - estudo de caso

Abstract

The current buffalo is stading out in livestock as a promising activity. The buffalo (Bubalus bubalis) is a ruminant with high productive potential of meat and milk, adaptable in different regions. However, there is a need for greater knowledge of their nutritional characteristics, including dietary habits, digestive tract capacity, rumen microorganisms. Currently there are few studies related to the protozoology of buffalo rumen and the relationship of these microorganisms with digestibility. The present work had the objective of quantifying the number of ciliate protozoa present in the ruminal liquid of buffalos submitted to grazing of missional grass. The ruminal liquid samples were collected immediately after slaughter of animals, and the sample collection period was from september 2015 and July 2016. The samples were fixed in formalin 30% solution and quantified in sedgwick rafter counting chamber with 1mL of the diluted sample. There were bromatological analyzes of the pasture missionary grass epecies of the family Gramineae, genus Axonopus in which the animals were submitted to grazing. The results obtained showed a higher amount of protozoa in the samples of september 2015 (5.22x105 and 4.45x10), and this is due to factors related to the lower proportion of fiber particles in the samples of July 2016. From the quantification of the buffalo protozoa, it is concluded that even under diets of low nutritional qualities, they have a significant population of ciliate protozoa in their ruminal fluid, which have important functions in fiber degradation and digestion processes.