Anaerobic gut fungi

Abstract

The ruminants are fed on fibrous roughage feeds like straws and stovers, which can be rarely consumed by monogastric animals and human beings. The complex microbiome of the gastrointestinal tract of ruminants and non-ruminant herbivores serves as an exceptionally effective system for saccharification and fermentation of ingested plant biomass and converting it into microbial proteins, ammonia, short chain volatile organic acids and gases such as CO2, H2 and CH4. The anaerobic rumen fungi play a vital role for making the lignocellulosic feed ready for hydrolysis by bacteria and protozoa. These three rumen microbes, which are directly involved in fibre degradation, do not compete with each other for the feed, rather they help each other and synergistically degrade the feed. The fourth microbial group (archaea) helps indirectly by using the end product of fermentation for reducing oxidized compounds like CO2, SO4, NO3 and organic compounds with double/triple covalent bonds and does not allow end product inhibition. The inoculation of the rumen of domesticated animals with superior strains of anaerobic rumen fungi results in a significant increase in fibrous feed components and elimination of fungi from the rumen that results in a significant depression in fibre degradation.