Fig 1. qPCR of 16S and 18S rRNA genes in buccal swabs, regurgitated digesta (bolus), ruminal digesta and faeces.

Samples collected from lactating cows fed a grass silage based diet containing no additional fat (CO) or supplemented with 50 g/kg diet dry matter of methyl myristate (MA), rapeseed oil (RO), linseed oil (LO) or safflower oil (SO). Results are expressed as copy number per ng of extracted DNA. Error bars represent SD, n = 4 per treatment, except for four buccal samples, one each from CO, RO, LO and SO, from which satisfactory amplification was not obtained.