Table 4 In vitro gas production culture of adult C. daubneyi. Average concentrations of ammonia, VFAs and protozoan counts observed in batch culture vessels for each treatment group after 6 and 24 h in vitro culturing time points, along with 24 h average gas production volume data

Total gas volume (ml)

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

7.46

7.05

4.17

4.01

1.62

0.237

1.444

Ammonia (mmol/l)

8.09

8.18

8.56

9.74

0.5

0.691

1.081

16.65

17.23

17.56

18.25

1.68

0.224

0.515

Total VFAs (mmol/l)

82.95^a

85.79^a

67.55^b

66.05^b

32.87

<0.001

1.784

103.95^a

111.82^b

81.92^c

77.31^c

109.3

<0.001

1.601

Acetate (mmol/l)

53.11 ^a

54.75 ^a

44.43 ^b

43.68 ^b

72.24

<0.001

0.676

65.23 ^a

69.19 ^a

51.07 ^b

49.12 ^b

87.01

<0.001

1.077

Proprionate (mmol/l)

14.91 ^a

15.65 ^a

11.83 ^b

11.07 ^b

17.59

<0.001

0.538

18.44 ^a

21.21 ^b

14.90 ^c

12.76 ^d

140.77

<0.001

0.316

Butyrate (mmol/l)

10.77 ^ab

11.11 ^b

8.35 ^c

8.41 ^ac

7.53

0.004

0.541

13.68 ^a

14.66 ^a

10.80 ^b

10.52 ^b

51.98

<0.001

0.287

Others (mmol/l)

4.17 ^a

4.27 ^a

2.95 ^b

2.89 ^b

11.81

<0.001

0.219

6.60 ^a

6.75 ^a

5.14 ^b

4.91 ^b

28.48

<0.001

0.1796

Protozoans (×10⁵/ml)

2.75

2.60

1.97

2.06

2.20

0.165

2.72 × 10⁴

2.54^a

2.26^ab

1.85^ab

1.60^b

4.98

0.018

1.86 × 10⁴