[In vitro simulation of rabbit cecal fermentation in a semi- continuous flow fermentor. II. Effect of inoculum type]

Two Rusitec fermentors were operated under identical conditions. One was seeded with an inoculum of rabbit caecal contents, and the other with bovine rumen contents. The fermentation substrate was rabbit feed that had been digested with amylase and pepsin. The substrate constituents (organic matter, OM and NDF) were lost in 48 h at a significantly higher rate in the presence of rumen inoculum (OM: +10%, NDF: +15%). The pHs of the 2 fermentors were similar at pH 6.6. The fermentors produced similar amounts of protein nitrogen per 24 h, after 6 d of adaptation. Volatile fatty acid production was slightly higher in the presence of rumen inoculum. The fermentor inoculated with rumen contents produced a higher percentage of propionic acid (25%) than of butyric acid (7%), while fermentation with rabbit caecal contents gave the opposite ratio (C3/C4 = 0.81). Consequently, only the rabbit caecal inoculum provided the fermentation profile characteristic of the species.