Microbial Diversity and Rumen Ecology of Swamp Buffalo Fed Rice Straw or Fresh Para Grass

Abstract

The diversity and population of ruminal bacteria present in the rumen of swamp buffaloes fed rice straw or para grass (Brachiaria mutica). Total DNA were extracted from the rumen digesta of 4 swamp buffaloes fed rice straw or para grass. The diversity of bacteria was analyzed by PCR amplification and 16S rDNA clone library sequences. The bacteria population was determined by real-time PCR technique. The 16S rDNA sequences (1,500 bp) of clones were completely sequenced and subjected to a BLAST. In buffaloes fed rice straw, the 102 clones, 49.02% (50 clones) of the clone showed >97% sequence similarity with known isolates, for the remaining 50.98% (52 clones) had <97% similarity. The majority of clones fell into Low G+C Gram-Positive Bacteria (LGCGPB) and Cytophaga-Flexibacter-Bacteroides (CFB) (71.57 and 10.25%, respectively). In buffaloes fed fresh para grass, the 109 clones, 40.37% (44 clones) of the clone showed >97 % sequence similarity with known isolates, for the remaining 59.63% (65 clones) had similarity <97%. The majority of clones fell into LGCGPB and CFB (56.88 and 31.19%, respectively). The population of major groups of known bacteria in the rumina of buffalo fed rice straw or fresh para grass were similar.