Defaunation is the selective removal of protozoa from the rumen of ruminant animals. Defaunation’s effects on rumen ecology and ruminant bodyweight gain are still up for debate. The objective of the study was to evaluate the effects of two defaunating agents, sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS) and dioctyl sodium sulphosuccinate (DOSS), on physical examination, feed intake, bodyweight, and the protozoal, biochemical, and histo-anatomical compositions of the rumen in native-bred goats. Fifteen healthy female goats were used; five of them were kept as control group, while the remaining ten goats were divided randomly into two groups each one contained five goats. The first group was given sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS) in an 8% solution and the second group was administered dioctyl sodium sulphosuccinate (DOSS) in a 98% solution. The results demonstrated that both defaunating agents had a detrimental effect on rumen motility, feed intake, bodyweight gain, as well as rumen total and differential protozoal counts, rumen ammonia nitrogen, and rumen enzymatic activities. Despite the fact that SLS and DOSS have practical applications in industries ranging from environmental cleanup to personal care, ongoing research is essential to optimize their use, understand their environmental impact, and explore alternatives and new applications in biomedical and advanced materials fields. SLS revealed more harmful effects than DOSS, causing the ruminal mucosa and ruminal papillae to shorten, degenerate, and burn, especially at ruminal pillars. Due to their dramatic drawbacks, it is not recommended to administer DOSS as a surfactant for treating bloat or to apply defaunation using SLS in fattening ruminants, to maintain sustainable production in goat’s flocks.
Keywords | Goats, Rumen ciliates, Rumen papillae, Bodyweight, Defaunation, Dioctyl sodium sulphosuccinate, Sodium lauryl sulphate