Numbers of nitrate-reducing bacteria in the rumen as estimated by competitive polymerase chain reaction

Cell numbers of known species of nitrate- and nitrite-reducing bacteria, Selenomonas ruminantium, Veillonella parvula and Wollinella succinogenes , in the rumen of goats (25–30 kg) were estimated by competitive polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The number of S. ruminantium was the largest of the three species examined, and tended to be greater in goats fed a high-concentrate diet (5.6 × 10⁷ cells/mL rumen fluid) than in goats fed a high-roughage diet (1.3 × 10⁷ cells/mL). The number of V. parvula tended to be greater when goats were fed a high-roughage diet (6.7 × 10³/mL) than when fed a high-concentrate diet (3.2 × 10³/mL). The number of W. succinogenes was below the detectable level (< 1.0 × 10²/mL) when a high-concentrate diet was fed, but was significantly increased by feeding a high-roughage diet (1.6 × 10³/mL). Addition of potassium nitrate (6 g/day) to the high-concentrate diet tended to increase V. parvula , and significantly increased W. succinogenes , indicating that these two bacteria can be increased by feeding a diet containing nitrate.