The fermentation of glucose in small artificial rumen

The fermentation of glucose (in concentrations 0-25-50-75-100 mg/ml of rumen contents of cow and sheep) was studied after 3 hour incubation in small scale artificial rumen. High values of total gas production was observed in 1st and 2nd hour of incubation. The increasing glucose concentration (0-25-50 mg/ml) had very small effect on total gas produced in 3rd hour of incubation. Methane production was correlated with total gas production (r = 0,902 in cow and r = 0,665 in sheep), and also with VFA production. Coefficients were higher for cow than sheep. The response to the increasing glucose concentration was the increase of propionate and butyrate. When glucose in concentration of 100 mg/ml was used, the production of propionic acid increased more than by 34,3% in cow and 29% in sheep. The increase of butyrate was 36,8% and 21,7% in cow and sheep, resp. Possibilities of the use of small scale simple artificial rumen in fermentation studies are discussed.