The present study was undertaken to quantify major rumen microbes in Indian cattle and buffalo fed on standard wheat straw based diet by using real time PCR based approach. The results indicated wide differences in the population of some groups of microbes between cattle and buffalo, whereas the population of others found almost equal in copy numbers. In cattle, total anaerobic fungi and Ruminococcus flavefaciens copy number was significantly higher than buffalo, whereas, the cellulolytic bacteria Fibrobacter succinogenes and Ruminococcus albus were significantly higher in buffalo. The number of total bacteria, total methanogens, two most dominant orders of methanogens, that is, Methanobacteriales and Methanomicrobiales, total protozoa and Butyrivibrio fibrosolvens remained similar in both the ruminants. These results indicated the variations in the proportion of different microbial groups between two species of ruminants and represents first report for the absolute quantification of different rumen microbes in cattle and buffalo fed on the same diet by using real time PCR method, to the best of our knowledge.

Key words: Indian cattle, buffalo, Fibrobacter succinogenes, Ruminococcus flavefaciens and Ruminococcus albus.

 

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