Effect of dolomite, magnesium oxide (MgO) and chalk (CaCO3) on in vitro fermentation of amorphous and crystalline cellulose and meadow hay using inoculum from sheep.

Some minerals can influence some biochemical parameters of rumen fermentation. The objective of this experiment was to determine the effect of different amounts (0.1, 0.25 and 0.5 g) of dolomite and to compare the effect of dolomite, magnesium oxide (MgO) and chalk (CaCO3) upon the end products of rumen fermentation in vitro. Amorphous and crystalline cellulose as well as meadow hay were used as substrates and incubated with buffered rumen fluid in sealed fermentation bottles. In dependence on the amount of dolomite and the kind of substrate an inhibitory effect of dolomite on methane production was evident. Significant differences of methane production were found between the controls, crystalline cellulose and meadow hay with 0.5 g of dolomite. An increase of total gas production was observed for cellulose with both 0.25 and 0.5 g of dolomite and also for meadow hay with 0.5 g of dolomite. It can be concluded that there was a remarkable effect of dolomite on methane production and also a slight effect of magnesium oxide and chalk as compared to the effect of dolomite on the fermentation parameters of incubated substrates.