The objective of this study was to collect and to quantify the ciliate genera present in the rumen, reticulum, omasum and abomasum in 30 slaughtered bovines. Rumen, reticulum, omasum and abomasum were sampled and their contents (45ml) were collected and evaluated for temperature, pH and ciliates population. The results showed that the rumen and reticulum environments are quite stable with average temperature between 36 and 37ºC and pH 6.5. The ciliate population in the rumen was Entodinium (65.0%), Isotricha (7.0%), Diplodinium (5.7%), Ostracodinium (5.1%), Eremoplastron (4.5%), Dasytricha (3.8%) and seven other genera which made 8.7%. In the reticulum, the population was Entodinium (35.2%), Isotricha (23.4%), Dasytricha (15.4%) Eodinium (7.2%), Eremoplastron (5.0%), Diplodinium (4.3%), Ostracodinium (3.8%) plus 5.6% of other five genera. The same genera were found in the omasum but in a smaller percentage than in the rumen and reticulum. No ciliates were found in the abomasum. The population profile analysis of the rumen samples has showed the predominance of type O (87%) followed by type B (13%).
Cattle; ciliate; gastric cavities
