Effects of Thyme methanolic Extract on Ruminal Protein Degradation of Soybean Meal using Nylon Bag Technique

This study was conducted to evaluate effects of Thyme methanolic extract (0 and 0.15 mL/30 mL buffered rumen fluid) on ruminal Crude Protein (CP) degradation parameters of Soybean Meal (SBM). Nylon bags filled with 5 g of each of untreated or Thyme methanolic extract treated soybean meal, were suspended in the rumen of three fistulated Gezel rams for 0, 2, 4, 8, 16, 24 and 48 h, and obtained data were fitted to a non- linear degradation model to calculate ruminal degradation characteristics. Thyme methanolic extract treatments significantly decreased protein degradability of soybean meal on different incubation times. Effective rumen degradable crude protein at a rate of 0.02/h, for untreated and Thyme methanolic extract treated soybean meal, 82.43 and 77.80%, respectively were estimated. Although Thyme methanolic extract decreased (p<0.05) the water soluble fraction (a), constant rate of degradation (c) and total degradability (a+b) of CP degradation but potentially degradable fraction (b), were not significantly affected by Thyme methanolic extract.