A Comparison of Cellulose Digestion In Vitro and In Vivo

Abstract

Digestibility of cellulose in 22 rations was determined by in vivo (conventional digestion trial) and in vitro methods. The 48-hour in vitro fermentations yielded cellulose digestion coefficients similar to the values obtained in vivo, the correlation coefficient for all rations being 0.397 and for 16 of them, 0.841. Cellulose digestion in 24-hour fermentations was below that obtained in vivo (digestion trial). Cellulose digestion coefficients obtained in vitro with sheep and cattle rumen fluid as inoculum were similar. These coefficients were lower for rations containing 25% roughage than for those containing 75%. A similar effect of roughage percentage in relation to concentrate was shown in digestion trials with sheep. Copyright © . .