Fibrolytic bacteria isolated from the rumen of alpaca, sheep and cattle with cellulose biodegrading capacity

Cellulolytic ruminal bacteria are used in ruminant feeding due to their biodegradable capacity in fibrous forages. However, there are few studies in alpaca, sheep and cattle whether they constitute sources of cellulose degrading microorganisms for applications in food biotechnology. In this research, the in vitro degradation potential of cellulose of alpaca, sheep and cattle cellulite ruminal bacteria was isolated and evaluated. Ruminal fluid samples were collected from eight alpacas, cattle and sheep specimens from the Municipal slaughterhouse in the town of Huancavelica - Peru, located at 3820 meters above sea level in Peru. Ruminal samples were cultured in media with carboxymethylcellulose, enriched with brain heart infusion broth under aerobic and anaerobic conditions until the development of bacterial colonies was achieved. Then the microbiological, biochemical characterization and cellulase production analysis of each bacterial isolate was performed using the Congo red staining method and the diameter of the halos (greater than 10-14 millimeters (mm)) of cellulose degradability was evaluated. Cellulolytic bacteria Ruminococcus flavefaciens, Ruminococcus albus and Fibrobacter succinogenes with high capacity for cellulose degradability (halo greater than 14 mm) were found. This finding indicates that alpaca, cattle and sheep ruminal fluids are excellent sources of cellulase-producing bacteria with high cellulose degrading capacity.