Table 4 Supplementation effects of unmodified montmorillonite (UM) and modified nano-montmorillonite by sodium dodecyl sulfate (MNM) on ruminal pH, ammonia concentrations, total short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) concentration, and molar proportions of individual SCFAs (% of total SCFA)

Ruminal pH

5.92

5.94

5.84

5.87

5.85

5.91

5.87

5.90

0.01

0.002

0.013

0.015

0.676

0.010

0.086

Ammonia (mg /100 ml)

18.4

27.5

19.6

22.5

15.9

19.3

19.3

25.6

2.53

0.002

< 0.001

< 0.001

0.188

0.633

< 0.001

Protozoa (10⁵/ ml)

5.90

6.05

5.80

6.40

4.40

5.80

6.30

7.00

0.06

0.471

0.164

0.248

0.716

0.390

0.089

 Total (mmol)

63.4

63.1

64.9

65.4

68.59

70.8

61.8

63.9

1.99

0.199

0.014

0.457

0.814

0.08

0.012

 Acetate (% of total)

59.7

60.1

58.4

58.9

59.3

59.8

58.9

58.8

0.26

0.006

0.010

0.295

0.553

0.003

0.552

 Propionate (% of total)

19.5

19.7

19.7

20.1

20.1

20.0

19.8

19.0

0.14

0.007

0.011

0.208

0.053

0.229

0.004

 Butyrate (% of total)

12.0

11.88

12.9

12.4

12.4

12.4

12.6

12.5

0.20

0.044

0.029

0.604

0.862

0.011

0.438

 Isobutyrate (% of total)

1.93

1.73

2.00

1.77

1.72

1.74

1.86

2.10

0.04

0.007

0.020

0.771

0.041

0.079

0.020

 Valerate (% of total)

1.58

1.51

1.627

1.52

1.45

1.35

1.62

1.68

0.03

0.003

<.0001

0.251

0.119

0.017

<.0001

 Isovalerate (% of total)

2.17

2.14

2.24

2.22

2.12

1.97

2.20

2.47

0.02

<.0001

<.0001

0.191

<.0001

<.0001

<.0001

 Acetate: propionate

3.05

3.04

2.95

2.93

2.94

2.97

2.97

3.08

0.02

0.401

0.090

0.164

0.255

0.661

0.034