Effects Of Copper Sulfate And Nano-copper On Rumen Fermentation Of Sheep In Vitro

The rumen fermentation in vitro was used to study the effect of different copper sulfate and Nano-copper supplement levels (0、50、100、150、200、400、800、1200、2400、4800μg/L) using wheat straw, yellow bluestem or alfalfa hay as substrates on culture fluid total gas production, cellulose degradation enzyme and VFA of sheep. The results showed as follow:①The total gas production was more than that of the control group and other treatment groups when the copper sulfate and Nano-copper were added with100μg/L (P<0.05).②Adding100μg Cu/L with copper sulfate, dry matter degradation rates of yellow bluestem and alfalfa hay were higher than that of the other treatment groups and the control group (p<0.05), and dry matter degradation rate of wheat straw had rising trend, but no significant (P=0.082); with Nano-copper, dry matter degradation rates of yellow bluestem and wheat straw were higher than that of the other treatment groups and the control group (P<0.05), and there were no differences among the other treatments (P>0.05).③100～400μg Cu/L with Nano-copper decreased the culture fluid pH significantly(p<0.05) compared with the control and other groups. There was no significant influence (P>0.05) on pH with copper sulfate.④Adding100μg Cu/L with copper sulfate and Nano-copper, culture fluid filter paper enzyme activity were higher than that of the control group and the other experimental groups (p<0.05), but other experimental groups were not significant (P>0.05).⑤Adding100～400μg Cu/L with Nano-copper, the concentrations of culture fluid Acetic acid and TVFA were significant higher than that of the other groups and the control group(P>0.05), but with copper sulfate, there were no significant effects.⑥Both copper sulfate and Nano-copper had no significant effects on culture fluid pectinase activity, xylanase activity, and the concentrations of NH3-N, propionic acid, butyric acid, pentanoic acid, isobutyric acid and isovaleric acid (P>0.05). In conclusion, optimal concentration of copper sulfate and the Nano-copper for rumen fermentation in vitro is100μg Cu/L.