ACTIVITY OF CELLULOLYTIC ENZYMES IN THE CONTENTS OF RETICULORUMEN ANDCAECOCOLON OF ROE DEER (CAPREOLUS-CAPREOLUS)

Selective ruminants, which prefer easily digestible plants, cannot dig est fibrous forage as well as grass eaters. Low enzyme activity or sho rt retention time of ingesta particles in fermentation chambers appear ed to be responsible for reduced cellulose breakdown. Seasonal activit y of cellulolytic enzymes, cellulose concentration and protozoa popula tion in reticulorumen (RR) and caecocolon (CC) of roe deer as a typica l concentrate selector were investigated. Cellulase activities were lo west in winter when cellulose concentration in RR contents were highes t. Highest enzyme activities and lowest cellulose concentration were m easured in early spring. Cellulolytic activities were significantly co rrelated with the number of protozoa in RR. Only one entodinomorphic g enus was identified in the RR. The enzyme activities in CC were far lo wer compared with those in RR. Low cellulose digestion in the RR canno t be compensated for by cellulose breakdown in the CC. The reduced cel lulose digestion of roe deer may be attributed to the short retention time of food particles in spring and summer, whereas decreased colonis ation of microorganisms in the rumen may be the main reason for low ce llulose breakdown in winter. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science Inc. All rights reserved.