104 J. Eukaryot. Microbiol., 50(2), 2003 pp. 104–108  2003 by the Society of Protozoologists Ciliated Protozoa in the Rumen of Turkish Domestic Cattle (Bos taurus L.) BAYRAM GO ¨ C ¸ MEN, a BURK A. DEHORITY b and SAMIYE RASTGELDI a a Department of Biology and Protozoology-Parasitology Research Laboratory, Ege University, 35100 Bornova-Izmir, Turkey, and b Department of Animal Sciences, Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center, The Ohio State University, Wooster, Ohio 44691, USA ABSTRACT. Rumen contents obtained from 28 domesticated cattle (Bos taurus L.) slaughtered at abatoirs near Izmir, Turkey were surveyed for ciliate protozoa. Protozoa are known to make an appreciable contribution to ruminal fiber digestion in many different geographical areas; however, little if any information is available on their occurrence in Turkish cattle. As a result of our survey, 13 genera including 52 species were identified. Nine of the species were further divided into 36 forma. The average ciliate density in our cattle (52.44  10 4 /ml) was higher than that of Turkish domestic sheep and other domestic cattle reported previously from different geographical areas. Entodinium basoglui, Entodinium williamsi f. williamsi, E. williamsi f. turcicum, E. dalli f. rudidorsospinatum, Entodinium imai, Entodinium oektemae, Eudiplodinium dehorityi, Epidinium graini, Ophryoscolex purkynjei f. bifidobicinctus, and Ophryoscolex purkynjei f. bifidoquadricinctus have previously been reported from Turkey and appear to be endemic. All of the remaining species represent a new host record for domestic Turkish cattle. This study also reports for the second time the presence of Entodinium constrictum in herbivorous mammals, and is the first record of its occurrence in domesticated cattle. Key Words. Ciliate protozoa, fauna, microorganisms, Turkey. R UMEN protozoa, which can play an important role by con- tributing nutrients to the host animal (Hungate 1955; Ogi- moto, and Imai 1981), also play a role in the digestion of car- bohydrate and protein-containing feedstuffs by secreting sac- charolytic and proteolytic enzymes (Coleman and Laurie 1974; Nagasawa, Uchida, and Onodera 1992; Shinchi, and Abe 1987a, b; Shinchi et al. 1986; Williams 1979). Although inves- tigations have been conducted in various geographical areas on the ciliate population occurring in ruminants, our knowledge about the overall distribution of protozoa in different animal hosts in different countries around the world is limited. There have been several studies on the rumen fauna of domestic cattle and sheep in Turkey (Go ¨c ¸men 1993, 1999a, b, c; Go ¨c ¸men and O ¨ ktem 1996; Go ¨c ¸men, Falakali-Mutaf, and Tosunoglu 2001; Go ¨c ¸men, Torun, and O ¨ ktem 1999; Go ¨c ¸men Tosunoglu, and Fa- lakali 2001; O ¨ ktem and Go ¨c ¸men 1996; O ¨ ktem, Go ¨c ¸men, and Torun 1997). However, no compilation has been published on the protozoal populations occurring in Turkish domestic cattle. The purpose of the present study was to determine the rumen ciliates in a larger number of Turkish domestic cattle and to compare this information with data from previous studies con- ducted both in Turkey and other geographical areas. MATERIALS AND METHODS Samples of rumen contents were obtained from 28 domestic cattle (Bos taurus L.) at the slaughterhouses around Izmir, Tur- key (Manavkuyu, Buca, and Kemalpasa), between March 21, 1990 and July 10, 1995. The animals were fed twice a day (0800 h and 1600 h) with about 4 kg of oat straw, clover, and sugar beet rubble. The animals were generally slaughtered 1–2 h after feeding time and samples taken immediately thereafter. Collection, fixation, storage, and counting of samples have been described in previous publications (Go ¨c ¸men 1993,1999a, b; Go ¨c ¸men and Budak 2000; Go ¨c ¸men et al. 2001). Specimens were examined with a Jena ‘‘NF-binocular’’ microscope and ‘‘MF’’ photomicrography accessory. Classification and identification of species were based on pre- viously published species descriptions and taxonomic lists (De- hority 1986a, b; Dogiel 1927; Go ¨c ¸men 1999a, b, c; Go ¨c ¸men, Falakali-Mutaf, and Tosunoglu 2001; Go ¨c ¸men, Tosunoglu, and Falakali 2001; Go ¨c ¸men et al. 2001; Grain 1994; Hsiung 1932; Imai 1981,1984; Kofoid and MacLennan 1930, 1932, 1933; Corresponding Author: B. Dehority—Telephone number: 330-263- 3909; FAX number: 330-263-3949; E-mail: dehority.1@osu.edu Latteur 1966; Levine et al. 1980; Lubinsky 1957, 1958; Ogi- moto and Imai 1981; Williams and Coleman 1992). RESULTS AND DISCUSSION The mean number ( SD) of ciliates in rumen contents from the 28 Turkish cattle examined was 52.44  20.73  10 4 per ml (CV = 39.52%) (Table 1). The geometric mean is 47.49  10 4 cells per ml. Values ranged from 16.00  10 4 to 87.50  10 4 . When compared with ciliate surveys from cattle in other countries (Imai 1986, 1988; Ito and Imai 1990; Imai and Ogimoto 1984; Ito, Imai, and Ogimoto 1994; Imai et al. 1989), the overall mean concentration of ciliates in Turkish domestic cattle was considerably higher, with the exception of Japan (40.3  10 4 ) (Table 1). The concentration of ciliates found in Turkish domestic cattle is almost iden- tical with the number previously reported from Turkish do- mestic sheep (53.90  10 4 ), suggesting that differences be- tween the number of rumen ciliates from different locations may be related with the kind and type of nutrition and geo- graphical location. Thirteen genera; Charonina, Isotricha, Dasytricha, Entodinium, Diplodinium, Eodinium, Eudiplo- dinium, Metadinium, Ostracodinium, Polyplastron, Enoplo- plastron, Epidinium, and Ophryoscolex were observed (Table 2). The number of species included in these genera was 53, with a total of 36 forma observed in nine of the species. The number of species and formae living in the rumen of Turkish cattle is similar to those in Japanese cattle (Ito and Imai 1990; Ito, Imai, and Ogimoto 1994). However, Oligoisotricha and Microcetus were not detected in this study. It is unclear at this time as to why the genus Oligoisotricha has been detected in Russia (Dogiel 1927), the Far East (Imai 1985; Ito and Imai 1990; Ito, Imai, and Ogimoto 1994), and USA (Dehority, Dam- ron, and McLaren 1983), but not in Europe. Entodinium constrictum, originally described from Alaskan Dall mountain sheep (Ovis dalli) (Dehority 1974), and not sub- sequently observed, was detected in the rumen of Turkish cattle. This study is the first report of the occurrence of E. constrictum in the rumen of cattle. Another species also originally described from Alaskan Dall sheep, Entodinium dalli, was also observed, but had previously been reported from Turkish cattle (Bos tau- rus) (Go ¨c ¸men and O ¨ ktem 1996). Almost all of the species detected in this survey represent the first report for their occurrence in Turkey, excluding several species that were observed previously: Entodinium basoglui, E. williamsi f. williamsi, E. williamsi f. turcicum, E. dalli f. rud-