The Importance of NDF and ADF in Ruminant Nutrition

Roughages used in animal nutrition consists of structural (cellulose, lignin and hemicellulose) non-structural (organic acids, sugars) carbohydrates. While monogastric animals cannot digest the structural carbohydrates in forages, ruminants can digested the structural carbohydrates becoming of cellulotic microorganisms in their reticulo-rumens. Structural carbohydrates in the roughage feeds are divided into two groups as NDF (cellulose, hemiselulose, lignin) and ADF (cellulose, hemicellulose). The use of structural carbohydrates in animal nutrition is important for the protection rumen health and improving of feed conversion ratio in ruminants. In fact, NDF and ADF in ruminants couse the remaining of rumen pH within the appropriate limits by promoting of the increase saliva and provide appropriate environment for cellulotic and amylolytic bacterias involved in microbial digestion and protozoa and yeast. The amount of NDF and ADF in ration or diet is important for some physiologic periods of ruminants in terms of preventing various the metabolic diseases such as acidosis, laminitis and rumen parakeratosis. The aim of this review is to summarize the importance of structural carbohydrates such as NDF and ADF in animal nutrition and to avoid economic losses resulting from all these reasons and to ensure a healthy nutrition of animals.