Effects of Sodium Silicate Added to Rumen Cultures on Forage Digestion, with Interactions of Glucose, Urea and Minerals

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Abstract
Digestibility of organic matter in alfalfa hay, rangeland forages and purified cellulose (alphacellulose) was depressed by “soluble-silica” added to rumen cultures in the form of aqueous sodium silicate. In general, depression amounted to about one percentage unit of organic matter digestibility for each increase of 100 mg per liter (ppm) in “soluble silica” concentration for alfalfa hay, blue grama grass (cut green) and alpha-cellulose (plus glucose and urea); but the depression was greater when tobosa grass, a siliceous forage, was used as substrate. The effect of added silicate was modified by adding glucose, urea and/or a mixture of minerals (Mg, Mn, Zn, Co and Cu). The depression in digestibility due to silicate treatment involved mainly the degradation of fibrous materials in substrates rather than decreasing solubility of soluble organic matter. Availability of minerals to sustain cellulolytic microbial activity would appear to be a major factor influencing the effect of soluble silica on forage digestion by ruminants. Copyright © 1975. American Society of Animal Science. Copyright 1975 by American Society of Animal Science.

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