The impact of dietary2-hydroxy-4-(methylthio) butyric acid isopropyl ester (HMBi) on rumen fermentationin cashmere goats was investigated to determine the effect of this ester oncashmere production. Four healthy castrated Liaoning cashmere goats with permanentrumen cannulas were assayed for four periods. In each period, goats were feda different diet: control diet (containing 0% MetaSmart (an HMBi product)),diet I (containing 0.85% MetaSmart), diet II (containing 1.27% MetaSmart) ordiet III (containing 1.70% MetaSmart). Rumen pH, ammonia-N concentration, volatilefatty acid (VFA) concentrations and total protein concentration were determinedafter feeding in each period. Results showed that rumen pH significantly increasedand rumen ammonia-N concentration significantly decreased when the diet wassupplemented with 0.85%, 1.27% and 1.70% MetaSmart. Diets with 1.27% and 1.70%MetaSmart increased rumen total VFA concentration, and 3 hours post feedingall three HMBi diets increased acetic acid concentration. Rumen total proteinconcentration significantly increased in the goats fed 1.27% or 1.70% MetaSmart.Thus, diets supplemented with HMBi significantly affected rumen pH, ammonia-Nconcentration, VFA concentrations and total protein content. Dietary HMBi canpromote rumen fermentation in cashmere goats.
