Research Reviews—Fiber Digestion

Rate

Fondevila et al., 1990

Amaferm^® addition to sheep diets has been shown to increase the initial rate of straw degradation.  (Fondevila, M., C.J. Newbold, P.M. Hotten and E.R. Orskov, 1990. “A Note on the Effect of Aspergillus oryzae Fermentation Extract on the Rumen Fermentation of Sheep Given Straw.” Anim. Prod. 51:422-425).

Newbold et al., 1991

Amaferm resulted in a 14.9% increase in dry matter digestibility at 24 hours following feeding, and was reported to stimulate both bacterial growth and activity.  (Newbold, C.J., R. Brock and R.J. Wallace. 1991.  “Influence of Autoclaved or Irradiated Aspergillus oryzae Fermentation Extract on Fermentation in the Rumen Simulation Technique (Rusitec).” J. Agric. Sci. (Camb.) 116:159-162).

Varel et al., 1993

Amaferm has been shown to increase the rate of degradation of brome grass NDF by increasing the rate of degradation of both the cellulose and hemicellulose fractions.  (Varel, V.H., K.K. Kreikemeier, H.G. Jung, R.D. Hatfield. 1993 “In-vitro stimulation of forage fiber degradation by ruminal microorganisms with Aspergillus oryzae fermentation extract. J. Applies and Environmental Microbiology, pg. 3171-3176).

Chang et al., 1999

Amaferm has been shown to accelerate both the rate and extent of fiber digestion through increased growth of the rumen fungus Neocallimastix frontalis EB188, thus functioning like a prebiotic in stimulating the activity of fungi that break lingo-cellulose bonds leading to enhanced bacterial digestion.  (Chang, J.S., E.M. Harper and R.E. Calza. 1999. "Fermentation extract effects on the morphology and metabolism of the rumen fungus Neocallimastix frontalis EB 188".  J.of Appl Microbiology 86:389-398).

Chiou et al., 2000

Amaferm resulted in an increase in dry matter, organic matter, and NDF digestion of rice distillers grains within 12 hours in situ.  (Chiou, P.W.S.; Chen, C.R.; Yu, B.  2000.  Effects of Aspergillus oryzae fermentation extract on In Situ degradation of feedstuffs.  Asian-Australasian journal of animal sciences. 13:1076-1083).

Extent

Van Horn et al., 1984

Amaferm resulted in a 4.6% increase in total tract dry matter digestibility, and a 10.5% increase in total tract ADF digestibility in mid-lactation Holstein cows fed a variety of byproduct roughage sources.  (Van Horn, H.H., B. Harris, Jr., M.J. Taylor, K.C. Bachman, and C.J. Wilcox. 1984.  By-Product Feeds for Lactating Cows: Effects of Cottonseed Hulls, Sunflower Hulls, Corrugated Paper, Peanut Hulls, Sugarcane Bagasse, and Whole Cottonseed with Additives of Fat, Sodium Bicarbonate, and Aspergillus oryzae Product on Milk Production.  J. Dairy Sci. 67:2922-2938).

Wiedmeier et al., 1987

Amaferm has been shown to increase dry matter, crude protein, and hemicellulose digestibility when added to a 50% concentrate diet fed to Holstein cows.  (Wiedmeier, R. D., M. J. Arambel, and J. L. Walters.  1987.  Effect of yeast culture and Aspergillus oryzae fermentation extract on ruminal characteristics and nutrient digestibility.  J. Dairy Sci. 70:2063-2068).

Gomez-Alarcon et al., 1990

Amaferm supplementation resulted in a 36% improvement in NDF digestibility and a 41% improvement in ADF digestibility in Holstein cows.  (Gomez-Alarcon, R. A., C. Dudas and J. T. Huber.  1990.  Influence of cultures of Aspergillus oryzae on rumen and total tract digestibility of dietary components.  J. Dairy Sci. 73:703-710).

Westvig et al., 1991

Amaferm has been shown to result in higher dry matter, NDF, and crude protein digestibilities at 16 hours post-feeding in steers fed a low-protein hay diet, with or without barley supplementation fed at the rate of six pounds per animal per day.  (Westvig, R.M., J.S. Caton and D.O. Erickson. 1991. “Influence of Aspergillus oryzae Fermentation Extract (Amaferm) and Barley Supplementation on In-Situ Nutrient Degradability and Ruminal pH in Steers Fed Low-Quality Hay.” J. Anim. Sci.  Western Sec. Proc. 42:247-251).

Beharka and Nagaraja, 1993

In vitro studies have shown the addition of Amaferm^® to increase NDF and ADF degradation of certain feedstuffs (Beharka, A. A. and T. G. Nagaraja.  1993.  Effect of Aspergillus oryzae fermentation extract (Amaferm) on in vitro fiber degradation.  J. Dairy Sci.  76:812-818).

Chen et al., 2004

Amaferm addition to in-vitro fermentations increased the NDF degradability of Alfalfa hay.  (Chen, C.R.; Yu, B.; Chiou, P.W.S.  2004.  Roughage energy and degradability estimation with Aspergillus oryzae inclusion using Daisy in vitro fermentation.  Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences. 17:53-62).

Research Reviews—Energy (Volatile Fatty Acids)

Frumholtz et al., 1989

Amaferm resulted in a 10.6% increase in total VFA production, with an increase in the acetate:propionate ratio, and butyrate production in one fermentation study.  (Frumholtz, P.P., C.J. Newbold and R.J. Wallace.  1989.  Influence of Aspergillus oryzae Fermentation Extract on the Fermentation of a Basal Ration in the Rumen Simulation Technique (Rusitec).  J. Agric. Sci (Camb.).  113:169-172).

Harper et al., 1996

Amaferm has been shown to increase growth rates, protein and cellulase secretion, and fungal mass in three rumen fungi species, as well as increasing total VFA production by 19 to 23%, depending on species (Harper, E. G., R. P. Welch, D. Contreras Lara, J. S. Chang, R. E. Calza.  1996.  The effect of Aspergillus oryzae fermentation extract on the anaerobic fungi Neocallimastix frontalis, EB 188, Piromyces communis DC 193 and Orpinomyces spp. RW 206: generalized effects and component analysis.  Appl. Microbiol. Biotechnol.  45:817-821).

Research Reviews—Microbial Protein Synthesis

Caton et al., 1993

Amaferm supplementation has been shown to increase forage intake and increase total, essential, and nonessential amino acid flows to the duodenum in steers grazing cool-season pasture, primarily smooth brome, from June through August.  (Caton J.S., D.O. Erickson, D.A, Carey and D.L. Ulmer. 1993. “Influence of Aspergillus oryzae Fermentation Extract on Forage Intake, Site of Digestion, In-Situ Degradability, and Duodenal Amino Acid Flow in Steers Grazing Cool-Season Pasture.” J. Anim. Science. 71:779-787).

Campos-Montiel and Viniegra-Gonzalez, 1995

Amaferm has been found to result in a 17.4% increase in cellulolytic bacteria protein biomass, showing an increase in both growth rate and metabolic activity.  (Campos-Montiel, R. G. and G. Viniegra-Gonzalez.  1995.  Microbial bioassay of fungal compounds that stimulate the growth of a consortium of anaerobic cellulolytic bacteria.  Biotechnology Techniques. 9:65-68).

Beharka and Nagaraja, 1998

Amaferm has been shown to increase the growth rate of the fiber digesting bacteria in the rumen, Fibrobacter succinogenes S85 and Ruminococcus albus 7 as well as several strains of the lactate utilizing bacteria Megasphaera elsdenii, Selenemonas ruminantium, and  Selenomonas lactilytica.  (Beharka, A. A. and T. G. Nagaraja.  1998.  Effect of Aspergillus oryzae extract alone or in combination with antimicrobial compounds on ruminal bacteria.  J. Dairy Sci. 81:1591-1598).

Research Reviews—Stable Gut Environment (pH)

Frumholtz et al., 1989

Amaferm resulted in a 30% increase in ammonia concentration with a 52% reduction in methane production in one fermentation study, representing an improvement in the efficiency of fermentation.  (Frumholtz, P.P., C.J. Newbold and R.J. Wallace.  1989.  Influence of Aspergillus oryzae Fermentation Extract on the Fermentation of a Basal Ration in the Rumen Simulation Technique (Rusitec).  J. Agric. Sci (Camb.).  113:169-172).

Martin and Nisbet, 1990

Amaferm has been shown to increase the products of most fermentation end-products in a mixed microbial fermentation, suggesting that it provided growth factors to the ruminal microorganisms.  (Martin, S.A. and D.J. Nisbet, 1990.  Effects of Aspergillus oryzae Fermentation Extract on Fermentation of Amino Acids, Bermuda grass and Starch by Mixed Ruminal Microorganisms in Vitro.  J. Anim. Sci. 68:2142-2149).

Nisbet and Martin, 1990

Amaferm addition increased lactate uptake over 700% by the rumnal bacteria Selenomonas ruminantium.  (Nisbet, D.J. and S.A. Martin. 1990.  Effect of Dicarboxylic Acids and Aspergillus oryzae Fermentation Extract on Lactate Uptake by the Ruminal Bacterium Selenomonas Ruminatium.  Appl. and Envir. Microbiology 56:3515-3518).

Westvig et al., 1991

Amaferm supplementation has been shown to result in increased ruminal pH at 1 and 24 hours post-feeding compared with non-Amaferm supplemented steers that were fed a low-protein hay diet, with or without barley supplementation fed at the rate of six pounds per animal per day.  (Westvig, R.M., J.S. Caton and D.O. Erickson. 1991. “Influence of Aspergillus oryzae Fermentation Extract (Amaferm) and Barley Supplementation on In-Situ Nutrient Degradability and Ruminal pH in Steers Fed Low-Quality Hay.” J. Anim. Sci.  Western Sec. Proc. 42:247-251).

Waldrip and Martin, 1993

Amaferm has been shown to stimulate the growth of, and lactate uptake by,  Megasphaera elsdenii, the predominant lactate utilizing ruminal bacteria, potentially providing a means to reduce the economic losses associated with feeding high-concentrate diets that are caused by lactic acidosis.  (Waldrip, H.M. and S.A. Martin. 1993.  Effects of Aspergillus oryzae Fermentation Extract and Other Factors on Lactate Utilization by the Ruminal Bacterium Megasphaera elsdenii.  J. Anim. Sci. 71:2770-2776).

Research Reviews—Heat Stress Tolerance

Marcus et al.,  1986

Amaferm reduced mean rectal temperatures, taken in the p.m., by .4 degrees Fahrenheit in Holstein cows that were in a lactation study that went from June to November in Arizona.  (Marcus, K.M., J.T. Huber, and S. Cramer, 1986.  Influence of Feeding Vita Ferm During Hot Weather on Performance of Lactating Cows in a Large Dairy Herd.  J. Dairy Sci. 69 (Suppl 1):188. (Abstr.)

Gomez-Alarcon et al., 1991

Amaferm has been shown to reduce rectal temperatures in 40% of the readings taken on mid-lactation Holstein cows during the summer in Arizona.  (Gomez-Alarcon, R.A., J.T. Huber, G.E. Higginbotham, F. Wiersma, D. Ammon and B. Taylor. 1991. “Influence of feeding Aspergillus oryzae Fermentation Extract on the Milk Yields, Eating Patterns and Body Temperatures of Lactating Cows.” J. Anim. Sci. 69:1733-1740).

Caton et al., 1993

Steers grazing cool-season pastures had increased dry matter intake and fiber digestibility during July and August when pastures were dormant, when supplemented with Amaferm. (Caton, J. S., D. O. Erickson, D. A. Carey, and D. L. Ulmer.  1993. Influence of Aspergillus oryzae fermentation extract on forage intake, site of digestion, in situ degradability, and duodenal amino acid flow in steers grazing cool-season pasture.  J. Anim. Sci. 71:779-787).