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Anthocyanin in purple corn (Zea mays L.) has been reported to show several functional and biological attributes, displaying antioxidant, antiobesity and antidiabetic effects in monogastric animals. The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of feeding anthocyanin-rich corn (Zea mays L., Choko C922) silage on digestibility, milk production and plasma enzyme activities in lactating dairy cows. The cows were fed diets based on the control corn or the anthocyanin-rich corn silage (AR treatment) in a crossover design. The anthocyanin-rich corn silage-based diet had a lower starch content, nutrient digestibility and total digestible nutrients content when compared to the control diet. The milk yield, lactose and solids-not-fat contents in the AR-treatment cows were lower than in the control cows. The feeding of the anthocyanin-rich corn silage led to a reduction in aspartate aminotransferase (AST) activity and an increase in superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity in the plasma. These data suggest that the anthocyanin-rich corn has a lowering effect on AST activity with concomitant enhancement of SOD activity in lactating dairy cows. However, a new variety of anthocyanin-rich corn with good nutritional value is needed for practical use as a ruminant feed.

The fermentative quality and quantitative change in anthocyanin of anthocyanin-rich corn (Zea mays L.) during storage and in vitro ruminal fermentation were studied. The anthocyanin-rich corn silages in bag silo, drum silo and round bale had good fermentative qualities, such as low pH ( 5% DM) and butyric acid-free, and its quality was maintained for more than 370 d. The amount of anthocyanin in the anthocyanin-rich corn decreased after ensiling by about 45% (from 3.34 to 1.88 mg/g DM), but stayed constant after day 60. The in vitro incubation of the anthocyanin-rich corn with ruminal fluid revealed little degradation of anthocyanin. These results indicate that the anthocyanin had no negative effect on silage fermentation, and the anthocyanin-rich corn silage is utilizable for practical use as a feedstuff. Our results also demonstrate alteration of the anthocyanin content during storage, and show that anthocyanin-rich corn is a suitable antioxidant source for ruminants because of the high stability of the anthocyanin in ruminal fluid.

An experiment was conducted to examine feed intake, apparent digestibility, nitrogen balance, ruminal fermentation and blood components of wethers fed diets containing increasing levels of wet green tea grounds (WGTG). The experimental design was a 4 x 4 Latin square with four wethers in four 15-day periods. Wethers were allowed access to diets ad libitum, and allotted to one of four treatments in which WGTG replaced 0% (no WGTG added, CTG), 5% (low level, LBG), 10% (medium level, MTG), and 15% (high level, HTG) of total mixed ration (TMR) dry matter (DM) as wet brewers grains (WBG). All TMR silages were ensiled for 120 days and, irrespective of the WGTG addition, they were well preserved with a high lactic acid content, low pH and ammonia-N contents. There were no differences among treatments in feed intake, with the exception of ether extract intake (P = 0.032). Digestibilities for LTG and MTG treatments were not different from CTG. However, the organic matter, crude protein, acid detergent fiber and energy digestibilities for HTG treatment were lower than the CTG (P < 0.05). As the level of WGTG increased, nitrogen intake did not differ, but fecal nitrogen increased (P = 0.002), while urinary nitrogen decreased (P < 0.001). No differences among treatments were found in pH level and volatile fatty acids concentrations. However, the ruminal ammonia-N of the HTG silage was lower than for the CTG silage at all times (P < 0.05). Increasing concentrations of WGTG in the TMR silage decreased (P = 0.019) plasma urea nitrogen content. Therefore, the possible mixing proportion of WGTG for TMR silages can be 10% of the diet DM.

The effects of the lengths of growth of round bale whole-crop corn silage on its nutritive value, the methane production, chewing time, and ruminal fermentation were evaluated in three Holstein steers (599.3 ± 31.5 kg). Corn forages were harvested, baled and wrapped on the same day at 129 (D129), 118 (D118) and 107 (D107) days from planting. All steers were fed the three corn silages along with urea at maintenance energy requirements during three 14-day periods in a 3 × 3 Latin square design. A balance trial was conducted to investigate whole tract digestibility by the collection of total feces and urine over a 7-day test period. For 2 days of the test period, a head hood-type respiration chamber was used to measure methane production. Ruminal fluid was collected immediately before and 3 h after, the morning feeding on the last day of the test period. There was no spoilage in any of the silages (n = 9). The average fresh weight of the bales was 326.4 ± 10.7 kg. The DM content of the corn silage was highest in D118 and lowest in D129 (P

The effects of green tea (Camellia sinensis) waste silage and supplemental polyethylene glycol (PEG) on rumen fermentation and blood components were studied in cattle. Six Holstein steers were fed three diets in a 3x3 Latin square design, replicated twice. One diet was a control with no added silage, and the other two diets were supplemented (20% of the dry matter) with green tea waste silage either with (PEG) or without PEG (tea). Most of the fermentation parameters including major volatile fatty acids (VFA) were not affected by the diet treatments. The concentrations of high density lipoprotein cholesterol in the PEG group and urea nitrogen in the tea and PEG groups were greater than those in the control before morning feeding. The plasma 6-hydroxy-2,5,7,8-tetramethylchroman-2-carboxylic acid equivalent concentration was not different before morning feeding, but 3 h after morning feeding, its concentrations in both the tea and PEG groups were higher than in the control. Although the concentration of plasma vitamin A in the animals was not affected by feeding green tea waste silage, the concentrations of plasma vitamin E were significantly higher in the tea and PEG groups than in the control, both before and 3 h after morning feeding. The results from the present study suggest that feeding diets containing 20% of the dietary dry matter as green tea waste silage to Holstein steers has no negative impact on their ruminal fermentation, and increases their plasma antioxidative activity and concentration of vitamin E.

茶系飲料製造残渣の飼料特性を明らかにする研究の一環として，乳酸菌および繊維分解酵素添加緑茶飲料製造残渣サイレージの乾物（DM）および粗タンパク質（CP）のウシのルーメン内における分解性を，数種飼料と比較検討した．緑茶飲料製造残渣サイレージのルーメン内における消失率は高く，DMおよびCPの消失率は浸漬24時間でそれぞれ82.0％と91.7％であった．また，DMおよびCPのルーメン内分解パラメータでは，易分解性区分割合a（％）が31.5と21.5，難分解性区分割合b（％）が55.0と75.7，b区分の分解速度定数c（/h）が0.089と0.092と推定された．ルーメン内通過速度定数（/h）を0.05と仮定し，ルーメン内分解パラメータから計算されたDMの有効分解率は66.8％であり，大豆粕，豆腐粕およびアルファルファヘイキューブと差がなかった．また，CPの有効分解率は70.6％であり，大豆粕と差が認められなかった．さらに，両分解率ともビール粕とビートパルプより有意に高かった（P＜0.01）．これらの結果から，緑茶飲料製造残渣を乳酸菌および繊維分解酵素添加サイレージに調製した場合，そのルーメン内における消失速度は速く，CPの有効分解率は大豆粕並みであると考えられた．

The characteristic smell of cow milk was suppressed when herbs were consumed by lactating dairy cows. But it is unclear whether or not peppermint ingestion affects the nutritional and milk production parameters in lactating dairy cows. The objective of this study was to examine the effect of peppermint feeding to lactating dairy cows on nutrient digestibility, energy metabolism, ruminal fermentation and milk production. Eight Holstein cows were given a diet supplemented with or without 5% of dried peppermint per diet on a dry matter basis. The digestion of nutrients from cows fed the diet with peppermint was significantly lower than that of the control group. Energy loss as methane and methane released from cows receiving the peppermint treatment was significantly lower than that in the control cows. Peppermint feeding to cows resulted in the promotion of thermogenesis. However, ruminal fermentation and milk production were not affected by peppermint feeding. In conclusion, peppermint ingestion by lactating dairy cows reduces the nutrient digestibility and methanogenesis, and changes energy metabolism.

混合飼料（TMR）中の緑茶飲料製造残渣サイレージ（TGS）配合割合の違いが泌乳牛の飼料摂取量，ルーメン発酵および乳生産に及ぼす影響を調べた．ホルスタイン種泌乳牛4頭を用い，TMR中TGSを乾物比で0，5，10および15％配合とするTGS0，TGS5，TGS10およびTGS15の4区を設け，4×4ラテン方格法による飼養試験を実施した．乾物摂取量は，TGS0に比べTGS5で変化がなかったものの，TGS10で減少する傾向にあり，TGS15で有意に減少した（P＜0.05）．乳量は，TGS0とTGS5に比べTGS15で有意に低下した（P＜0.01）．乳タンパク質率と乳脂率は，4区間に差はなかったが，乳糖率は，TGS15で有意に低かった（P＜0.05）．ルーメン内容液のpHおよび総VFA濃度に区間差はなかったが，プロピオン酸のモル比率はTGS15で，アンモニア態窒素濃度はTGS10とTGS15でそれぞれ有意に低かった（P＜0.05）．以上の結果から，TGSは，乳量30kg程度の泌乳牛用TMRの素材として利用でき，乾物比5％程度の配合であれば乳量，乳成分に影響しないと考えられた．

ウシにおける緑茶飲料製造残渣サイレージの栄養価を求めると共に窒素およびエネルギー出納に及ぼすポリエチレングルコール（PEG）の影響を調べた．チモシー乾草，圧ぺんトウモロコシと大豆粕を組成とした基礎飼料のみを給与（対照区），乾物（DM）比で基礎飼料の20％を緑茶飲料製造残渣サイレージに置換（茶殻区）およびPEGを茶殻区の飼料中タンパク質量の1/5となるように添加（PEG区）する3試験区を設けた．各区にホルスタイン種去勢ウシ2頭ずつを割り当て，3×3のラテン方格法による消化試験を実施した．間接方法により求められた緑茶飲料製造残渣サイレージのDM中可消化養分総量（TDN），可消化エネルギー（DE）および代謝エネルギー（ME）は，それぞれ69.8％，13.0MJ/kgと10.5MJ/kgであった．PEG区では，茶殻区に比べ粗脂肪（EE）の消化率が有意に減少した（P＜0.01）ものの，粗タンパク質（CP）の消化率が有意に上昇した（P＜0.05）．PEGに添加により，糞への窒素排出量は有意に減少した（P＜0.05）が，尿中への窒素排出量が増加したため，体内窒素蓄積量は増加しなかった．以上の結果から，緑茶飲料製造残渣サイレージのウシでの栄養価が明らかとなり，PEGの添加により緑茶飲料製造残渣サイレージに由来するタンニンとタンパク質の結合が解離する可能性が示唆された．

緑茶飲料製造残渣サイレージの給与が泌乳牛の採食量，飼料消化率，ルーメン発酵，血液性状および乳生産に及ぼす影響について検討した．緑茶飲料製造残渣サイレージを飼料乾物中に10％含む飼料（茶殻区）または含まない飼料（対照区）を給与する2試験区を設け，各区に乾乳直前のホルスタイン種乳牛4頭ずつを割り当て，馴致期を7日間，予備期を7日間および本試験期を8日間とする消化試験を実施した．採食量および乾物消化率に両区間で有意差を認めなかったが，粗タンパク質（CP）の消化率は茶殻区で低い傾向を示した．ルーメン内容液のpH，プロトゾア数および総揮発性脂肪酸（VFA）濃度に区間差はなかったが，酪酸のモル比率とアンモニア態窒素濃度は茶殻区で有意に低かった（P＜0.05）．血漿中のグルコースとコレステロール濃度に区間差はみられなかったが，茶殻区で尿素態窒素濃度が有意に低く（P＜0.05），トリグリセリド濃度が高い傾向を示した．乳量（対照区25.1kg ; 茶殻区24.5kg），乳脂率（対照区4.2％ ; 茶殻区4.1％）および乳タンパク質率（対照区3.6％ ; 茶殻区3.5％）に区間差はなかったが，乳糖率（対照区4.4％ ; 茶殻区3.9％）は茶殻区で有意に低かった（P＜0.05）．以上の結果から，緑茶飲料製造残渣サイレージは，乳量25kg前後の泌乳牛に対し飼料乾物中に10％程度の給与ならば，ルーメン発酵，血液性状，乳量および乳成分に大きな影響を与えずに利用できる可能性が示唆された．

Anthocyanin in purple corn (Zea mays L.) has been reported to show several functional and biological attributes, displaying antioxidant, antiobesity and antidiabetic effects in monogastric animals. The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of feeding anthocyanin-rich corn (Zea mays L., Choko C922) silage on digestibility, milk production and plasma enzyme activities in lactating dairy cows. The cows were fed diets based on the control corn or the anthocyanin-rich corn silage (AR treatment) in a crossover design. The anthocyanin-rich corn silage-based diet had a lower starch content, nutrient digestibility and total digestible nutrients content when compared to the control diet. The milk yield, lactose and solids-not-fat contents in the AR-treatment cows were lower than in the control cows. The feeding of the anthocyanin-rich corn silage led to a reduction in aspartate aminotransferase (AST) activity and an increase in superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity in the plasma. These data suggest that the anthocyanin-rich corn has a lowering effect on AST activity with concomitant enhancement of SOD activity in lactating dairy cows. However, a new variety of anthocyanin-rich corn with good nutritional value is needed for practical use as a ruminant feed.