Table 5.

Counts of protozoa and absolute and relative qPCR quantification results^a

Parameter	Value for indicated dietb				SEM	P valuec
	Wheat		Corn
	Rumen	Cecum	Rumen	Cecum		D	FC	D × FC
Total protozoa (log cells/ml)	5.89	/d	5.55	/	0.108	0.06	/	/
Small (<100-μm) entodiniomorphs (log cells/ml)	5.89	/	5.54	/	0.102	<0.05	/	/
Large (>100-μm) entodiniomorphs (log cells/ml)	3.84	/	3.44	/	0.263	NS	/	/
Dasytricha (log cells/ml)	3.93	/	2.72	/	0.146	<0.01	/	/
Isotricha (log cells/ml)	4.25	/	2.81	/	0.187	<0.01	/	/
Gene quantification
mcrA (log copies/g DM)	8.81	8.34	8.46	7.66	0.088	<0.01	<0.01	0.08
rrs (log copies/g DM)	12.10a	12.18a	12.04a	11.77b	0.078	<0.05	NS	<0.05
mcrA (log total no.)	11.41a	10.20b	11.26a	9.40c	0.095	<0.01	<0.01	<0.05
rrs (log total no.)	14.70a	14.06b	14.82a	13.51c	0.074	<0.05	<0.01	<0.01
mcrA/rrs (× 10−2)	5.16a	1.42b	2.89c	0.80b	2.3	<0.01	<0.01	<0.05
mcrA gene expression
ΔCT	10.45	12.79	11.21	12.01	0.874	NS	<0.05	NS
2−ΔCT (× 10−5)	11.1	4.40	17.1	9.30	5.55	NS	NS	NS

^aValues represent the means of the results determined with 6 lambs.

^bValues with different letters (a, b, and c) in the same row are significantly different.

^cD, diet; FC, fermentative compartment; D × FC, interaction between diet and fermentative compartment; NS, not significant.

^d/, the population of protozoa was not counted in the cecal contents.