Type of supplement on purine bases of rumen bacteria associated with the liquid phase

Four 5/8 Holstein - 3/8 Zebu crossbred cows with a liveweight of 348 +/- 48 .5 kg and fitted with a simple ruminal cannula (12 cm circle divide were us ed to determine nitro en concentration and bases in samples of rumen bacter ia associated with the liquid phase using a 4 x 4 Latin square design. Anim als were fed Digitaria decumbens hay (10.3% CP, 83.9% NDF), as the only sou rce of feed or as part of a ration supplemented with 20% of maize bran, soy bean husks or dehydrated foliage of Gliricidia sepium. After 15 days of ada ptation, six hours after supplying the feed a sample of bacterium extracts was obtained. There was no effect of the type of supplement on nitrogen con centration (79 +/- 10.1 g/kg OM) or on purine bases (1.56 +/- 0.08 mu mol/m g N). Results indicate that in programes where the supplement does not exce ed 20% of the ration, no changes in nitrogen concentration and purine bases of rumen bacteria isolated from the liquid phase were shown.