A. Chhabra et al., Isolation and characterization of ruminal bacteria degrading DHP, the toxic metabolite of mimosine, I J ANIM SC, 68(12), 1998, pp. 1270-1273
Presence of 3.4 DHP (3-hydroxy-4 (IH)-pyridone), a toxic metabolite of the
nonprotein amino acid mimosine, in Leucaena leucocephaia, a shrub legume wi
th a high protein content and good potential for animal feed, limits its us
e. However, animals harbouring 3.4 DHP-degrading ruminal bacteria are able
to utilize leucaena as a forage. DHP degrading bacteria were isolated from
rumen fluid of a goat fed on leucaena using 3.4A medium containing 0.006% F
eCl. After 48 hr of incubation, black colonies were isolated that degraded
80 to 90% of 3.4 DHP and 2.3 DHP. Out of 6 selected isolates, 4 were obliga
tory anaerobic gram-positive cocci (1.2-1.8 mm), while 2 isolates were obli
gatory anaerobic gram-negative rods. Isolate P-15 degraded 3.4 DHP complete
ly in a medium containing glucose and peptone. Its morphological and cultur
al characteristics showed that it belongs to the rumen Streptococci group.
Establishing this strain into the rumen of DHP susceptible animals might be
a remedy to the toxicity problem in leucaena fed animals.