EFFECT OF MULTIPURPOSE TREE (MPT) SUPPLEMENTS ON RUMINAL CILIATE PROTOZOA

The effect of five multipurpose trees (MPTs), Acacia angustissima, Aca cia saligna, Chamaecytisus palmensis, Leucaena pallida and Sesbania se sban on ciliate protozoa was investigated in rumen cannulated Ethiopia n sheep. Both entodiniomorphs and holotrichs were counted. The protozo a counts from S. sesban supplemented diet were significantly (P < 0.04 ) higher than from other diets. Maize stover alone and maize stover su pplemented with C. palmensis or L. pallida did not have any significan t (P > 0.05) effect on the numbers of ciliate protozoa. A. saligna sup plemented diet reduced the numbers of protozoa from 1.60 X 10(5) to 0. 62 x 10(5) cells ml(-1) rumen fluid. Differences in ciliate numbers am ong other MPT supplements barely failed to reach significance (P < 0.0 6). Entodiniomorphs dominated (93.3%) the protozoa population in all d iets, with Entodinium species being the most predominant (80.7%). None of the MPTs tested eliminated protozoa. Effect of eating S. sesban an d placing it in the rumen on protozoa was tested. Protozoa numbers dec reased in the sheep in which S. sesban was placed in the rumen while t hey remained high in the sheep that were allowed to eat the supplement . Relationships between protozoal numbers and in sacco fibre degradati on and neutral detergent fibre (NDF) digestibility were also examined. Degradation rate (c) increased with increase in protozoa numbers. NDF digestibility was significantly (P<0.01) lower in A. saligna suppleme nted diet than in others. No significant relationship was observed bet ween ruminal pH and protozoal numbers with all diets. The animals on A . angustissima died after 9 and 21 days of the experiment. (C) 1997 El sevier Science B.V.