Rumen micro-organisms can hydrolyse lipids such as olive oil, linseerl oil, tributyrin, monostearin, Tween 80, and trihexanoin at varying rates. The addition of penicillin or terramycin to rumen liquor considerably reduces this lipolytic activity. This suggests that the bacteria rather than other micro-organisms are responsible for most of the lipolysis occurring. These results support the hypothesis that part of the effectiveness of penicillin in controlling bloat may be due to a decrease in bacterial degradation of plant lipids, which are thought to act as antifoaming agentsin vivo.
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