Biomedical subjects

C Van Nevel

Publications and source records attributed to C Van Nevel.

14 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2001

PCR-TGGE: a method for fingerprinting the microbial flora in the small intestine of pigs.

The bacterial flora of the small intestine is still not fully understood. This is also due to the fact that a lot of these gut inhabitants aren't cultivable. PCR-TGGE (Temperature Gradient Gel Electrophoresis) is a molecular tool by which the 16S ribosomal DNA of a bacterial community can be studied for its diversity. Based on sequence differences in the variable region V6-V8, 16S ribosomal DNA fragments are separated during a TGGE run. This study shows that PCR-TGGE is a valuable tool as it gives additional information about the flora composition that could not be found with classical bacteriological techniques.

Animal Feed↗

PubMed1996

Attempts to induce reductive acetogenesis into a sheep rumen.

A rumen fistulated wether was used for continuous infusion of a 2-bromoethanesulfonic acid (BES) solution (2 g/d in 50 ml of water). The infusion was started after introduction of a pulse dose of BES (2 g) into the rumen. Immediately after introduction of the pulse dose, methane concentration in rumen gases was lowered from about 40 to less than 1%, with concomittant decreases and increases in the molar proportions of acetic and propionic acids respectively in the rumen volatile fatty acids. After 4 days of infusion however, and despite repeated pulse dosage of BES, methanogenesis adapted to BES and methane concentration in rumen gases reached 20%. Addition of BES to incubations of rumen contents with hay resulted in considerable inhibition of methanogenesis. Extra addition of methanol in such incubations increased both acetate and methane production, whereas addition of formate had no effect. In a second experiment using a second rumen fistulated whether, a 4 day control period was followed by 10 days of daily introduction of 11 of cattle cecal contents into the rumen. The cattle cecal contents were collected from slaughterhouse cattle, filtered and kept at -20 degrees C until use. Comparison of in vitro fermentation of thawed with fresh contents showed absence of methanogenesis but not of reductive acetogenesis after freezing and thawing. Evidence for the latter was sought by calculation of metabolic hydrogen recoveries from amounts of end products formed in incubations. In a similar way, evidence for induction of reductive acetogenesis was sought from incubations in vitro, carried out with rumen contents obtained before, during and after introduction of cecal contents into the rumen. No such evidence was obtained.

Acetates↗

PubMed1995

Lipolysis and biohydrogenation of soybean oil in the rumen in vitro: inhibition by antimicrobials.

This experiment attempted to lower rumen lipolytic activity, biohydrogenating activity, or both using antimicrobial compounds. In vitro incubations were carried out with rumen fluid, 80 mg of soybean oil, and .5 g of commercial concentrates as substrate. Unless stated otherwise, the final concentrations of the additives in the incubation was 20 ppm. Lipolysis and biohydrogenation were determined by separation of triacylglycerols and FFA by TLC; the fatty acid composition of each was determined by GLC before and after incubation and with or without additive. With some of the antibiotics, lipolysis was inhibited 10 to 20%, and the most potent inhibitors were ionophores and amoxicillin. Biohydrogenation (including C18:1) decreased only for lasalocid, but no additive could prevent hydrogenation of linolenic acid liberated from triacylglycerols. Some additives decreased hydrogenation of linoleic acid, but only slightly. Lipolytic activity decreased VFA production more than the other potent additives (amoxicillin, avoparcin, lasalocid sodium, monensin, and salinomycin sodium). This result could indicate a more specific toxic effect on lipolytic microbes. Finally, different antimicrobials influenced fermentation patterns differently (VFA proportions and CH4 production), but shifts were always in accordance with stoichiometric principles.

Animals↗

PubMed1986

Influence of substrate and microbial interaction on efficiency of rumen microbial growth.

Microbial N produced in the rumen and flowing to the duodenum (Ni) is related to the total amount of OM fermented or apparently digested in the rumen (OMf). This relationship, best expressed as microbial N yield (gNi/kgOMf), is affected mainly by the physical and chemical properties of feed carbohydrates and the amounts ingested. These factors influence yields at three levels of increasing complexity: Bacterial fermentation within one compartment following the continuous culture model. Fermentation pattern as such does not seem to affect yields. High fermentation rates are associated with lactate production, low methane production and transient polysaccharide synthesis. These effects induce acidification and lower yields, partly compensated by faster growth. Protozoal action, determined by the presence of sequestration spaces provided mainly by roughage diets. The presence of protozoa depresses microbial N yield but allows more complete fibre digestion. Compartmentation and differential passage. With roughage diets, optimal microbial N yield seems to require well developed microbial compartmentation, involving a large proportion of microbes in a large-particle pool with a slow turnover, balanced by a small proportion in liquid, small-particle pools with a fast turnover. Such a situation is associated with long roughage feeding. It is hypothesized that microbial N yields in the rumen may vary between two extremes which are associated with the feeding of long roughage on the one hand or with concentrate (starch) feeding on the other.

Adenosine Triphosphate↗

PubMed1979