Profile of fibre composition in lucerne (Medicago sativa) hay and rumen digesta as influenced by particle size and time after feeding

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Abstract
The chemical composition of fibre from lucerne (Medicago sativa L) hay and rumen digesta from a cow fed the hay, as well as the variation in fibre composition due to particle size and time post‐feeding for the digesta, was examined. Neutral sugar residues accounted for the greatest proportion of the fibre in all samples. The feed contained equal amounts of uronic acid residues and Klason liynin, while in the digesta uronic acid residue contents were decreased and Klason lignin levels were increased. Esterified phenolics accounted for less than 0.5 % of the fibre in all samples. Glucose was the primary sugar residue in the fibre, but xylose levels increased substantially in the digesta. The levels of other sugar residues declined in the digesta relative to the feed. p‐Coumaric and ferulic acids were the major esterified phenolics, and ferulic acid levels declined relative to the total phenolic acids in the digesta. The degree of variation in composition among particle size fractions or in digesta samples with time afer feeding were small relative to those observed between the feed and digesta. Invitro degradability reflected differences in fibre composition, with a large difference between lucerne hay and rumen digesta, but only minor differences among digesta samples collected from different times after feeding.