. 2019 Aug 5;7:e7462. doi: 10.7717/peerj.7462

Table 3. The effects of different dietary C: F ratios on the rumen fermentation parameters of Tibetan sheep.

Parameters	Groups^a					P^b
	HS1	HS2	HS3	HS4	HS5
Ammonia nitrogen (mg/L)	46.20 ± 12.37^c	46.20 ± 12.37^c	64.00 ± 3.88^b	67.10 ± 8.21^b	107.06 ± 15.07^a	<0.05
Acetate (%)	77.82^a	71.70^b	64.10^b	60.14 ± 8.55^b	64.55 ± 2.15^b	0.32
Propionate (%)	12.60 ± 0.71^b	16.02 ± 0.18^b	22.79 ± 1.13^a	26.81 ± 3.60^a	29.38 ± 0.95^a	<0.05
Butyrate (%)	8.25 ± 0.38	10.66 ± 1.73	11.30 ± 0.40	11.51 ± 2.20	12.02 ± 0.40	0.23
Isovalerate (%)	0.79 ± 0.10^a	0.92 ± 0.07^a	0.83 ± 0.02^a	0.58 ± 0.03^b	0.72 ± 0.09^b	0.23
Valerate (%)	0.52 ± 0.02^b	0.70 ± 0.04^b	0.98 ± 0.03^b	1.11 ± 0.04^a	1.50 ± 0.12^a	<0.05
Total volatile fatty acids (mmol/L)	74.94 ± 10.76	66.12 ± 2.95	65.21 ± 1.00	67.44 ± 1.56	61.24 ± 7.67	0.11
Acetate to propionate ratio (A:P)	6.38 ± 1.55^a	4.47 ± 0.16^a	2.85 ± 0.24^b	2.24 ± 0.39^b	2.19 ± 0.69^b	<0.05
pH	6.86 ± 0.01	6.83 ± 0.03	6.83 ± 0.04	6.63 ± 0.06	6.42 ± 0.10	0.41

Notes.

The treatments HS1, HS2, HS3, HS4 and HS5 refer to concentrate to forage ratios of 0:100, 15:85, 30:70, 45:55 and 60:40, respectively.

Values in the same row with different superscripts are significantly different (P < 0.05).