Effect of thermo-tolerant yeast on intake and nutrient digestibility's in Murrah buffalo steers (Bubalus bubalis) fed straw based complete diet.

Aim: In the present study, we determined the effect and optimum level of inclusion of a thermo tolerant probiotic Saccharomyces cerevisiae OBV9 on nutrient intake and digestibilities in Murrah buffaloes (Bubalus bubalis). Materials and Methods: A straw based complete diet (crude protein; CP 12 %) with 0.1, 0.2 and 0.3 % of lyophilized yeast was evaluated in a 4X4 Latin Square metabolism trial in fistulated Murrah buffalo steers (223.81 kg ± 2.91). Diet with no yeast was taken as control. Results: Dry matter intake (DMI) was not significantly (P>0.05) influenced by any level (%) of yeast in complete diet. The digestibilities (%) of dry matter (DM) and crude fibre (CF) were significantly (P<0.05) higher in 0.1% yeast supplemented diet compared to control, whereas organic matter, CP, ether extract and nitrogen free extract were not influenced by yeast treatments. The digestibilities of neutral detergent fibre (NDF), acid detergent fibre (ADF), hemicellulose, cellulose, total digestible nutrients (TDN in %) and metabolizable energy (ME as MJ/kg DM) were significantly (P<0.05) higher in yeast supplemented diets compared to control. However, among the yeast supplemented diets the values were not (P>0.05) different from each other. Intake of DCP (g/d or g/kg w0.75), TDN (kg/d or g/kg w0.75), ME (MJ/d or MJ/kg w0.75) and N balance (g/d) were not (P>0.05) affected by the level of yeast in the diet. Conclusion: It was concluded that, 0.1% thermo tolerant yeast had greater influence on majority of the nutrients in the straw based complete diets of Murrah buffaloes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]