Abstract

Surfactant, including chemical surface active agent and biosurfactants, as a new type offeed additive applied in ruminant production, can effectively improve the degradability of roughages in the rumen and productivity of ruminants by increasing the emulsification of ruminal liquid, the number of ruminal microorganisms and the activity of ruminal endogenous enzymes secreted by ruminal microbes; and changing the contents and proportion of volatile fatty acids. In future, the preparation, purification, industrial production and nutritional mechanism of biosurfactants should be the focuses in the fields of ruminant nutrition.

Key words: Surfactant, ruminal microorganisms, nutritional manipulation.