| description |
This study aims to investigate the effect of monensin (Rumensin, Elanco-Eli Lilly Co.) on the microbial community structure of the cow hindgut. Monensin is an ionophore antibiotic administered to cattle and dairy cows to increase their feed efficiency by altering rumen fermentation. Monensin acts by changing the activity of specific metabolic pathways, leading to an increase in propionate concentrations and a decrease in acetate and butyrate concentrations in the cow rumen. Previous studies conducted on the effect of monensin on rumen microbial community structure have led to differing conclusions. In addition, few studies have been conducted to assess the effect of monensin on the microbial community structure elsewhere in the cow digestive tract, such as in the cow hindgut. For the current study, manure was collected, over a period of three months, from eight dairy cows housed at the Teaching and Research Center at Cornell University. Four of the cows were fed a control diet containing no monensin. The other four cows were fed a diet with measured incrementally increasing amounts of monensin. To investigate the effect of monensin on the microbial community composition of the cow hindgut, a total of 184 rectal grab samples were collected from the eight cows over the three month period. Once collected, the samples were processed and stored in a -80degreeC freezer for later microbial community composition analysis. The samples were then extracted using the MO BIO Powersoil-htp 96 Well Soil DNA Isolation Kit and frozen at -80degreeC until they could be sent for further processing and sequencing. |