VPB 121: Veterinary Physiology - II (2+1)

RUMEN FUNGI

• Anaerobic fungal zoospores are found in rumen. Several are flagellate organisms. Neocallimastix frontalis, Sphaeromonas communis and Piromonas communis are identified in rumen. Presence of plant cellwall carbohydrates facilitate increase inthe fungal population (Spores) and thus further help in lignocellulosic digestion.
• The fungi are important in the digestion of plant cell wall, their number ranges from 10⁵ to 10⁷ per gram of rumen contents.
• Feeding of high roughage diet increases their number as shown in animation below.

• Fungi play a significant role in adhesion with plant cell wall.
• It is difficult to culture fungi in-vitro as they are strict anaerobes.