ENZYME ACTIVITIES
Cellulases and Hemicellulases
The focus of most enzyme-related research for ruminants has
been on polysaccharidases that degrade plant cell wall.
Cellulose and hemicellulose, the major structural polysaccharides
in plants (Van Soest 1994), are converted to soluble sugars
by enzymes collectively referred to as cellulases and
hemicellulases (White et al. 1993; Béguin and Aubert 1994;
Bhat and Hazlewood 2001). The types of cellulases and hemicellulases
can differ substantially among commercial enzyme
products, and differences in the relative proportions and activities
of these individual enzymes may have an impact on the
efficacy of cell wall degradation by these products. In addition
to fibre-degrading enzymes, enzyme products also contain secondary
enzyme activities such as amylases and proteases.