Cj. Newbold et al., THE IMPORTANCE OF METHANOGENS ASSOCIATED WITH CILIATE PROTOZOA IN RUMINAL METHANE PRODUCTION IN-VITRO, Letters in applied microbiology, 21(4), 1995, pp. 230-234
The importance of methanogenic bacteria associated with ciliate protoz
oa was estimated either by removing protozoa from whole rumen fluid (u
sing defaunated rumen fluid to correct for the effects of centrifugati
on on bacteria) or by isolating the protozoa. Rumen fluid was withdraw
n from sheep inoculated with either Polyplastron multivesiculatum, a c
o-culture of Isotricha prostoma plus Entodinium spp. or a mixed type B
fauna of Entodinium, Eudiplodinium and Epidinium spp. Methanogenesis
was highest in rumen fluid containing a mixed protozoal population of
the following genera: Entodinium, Eudiplodinium and Epidinium, was low
er in defaunated rumen fluid and lowest in rumen fluid containing eith
er I, prostoma plus Entodinium or P. multivesiculatum. Methanogenic ba
cteria associated with rumen ciliates were apparently responsible for
between 9 and 25% of methanogenesis in rumen fluid.