News & notes: paper digestion by the cellulolytic ruminal bacterium Fibrobacter succinogenes.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the ability of the predominant cellulolytic ruminal bacterium Fibrobacter succinogenes S85 to digest filter paper, office paper, newspaper, and magazine paper. When F. succinogenes S85 was incubated with all four paper sources, little digestion of any paper occurred between 0 and 48 h. However, digestion of filter paper increased from 12% at 48 h to 80% at 120 h. No significant digestion of office paper, newspaper, or magazine paper occurred between 48 and 120 h. These results suggest that F. succinogenes S85 is unable to digest office paper, newspaper, or magazine paper.