18 To keep the concept of a safe food supply to the consumers, animal feed industries world over are 19 showing an increasing interest in the direct fed microbials (DFM) for improved animal performance 20 in terms of growth or productivity. This becomes all the more essential in a situation, where a 21 number of the residues of antibiotics and/or other growth stimulants reach in milk and meat with a 22 number of associated potential risks for the consumers. Hence, in the absence of growth

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... ants, 23 a positive manipulation of the rumen microbial ecosystem to enhance the feedstuff utilization for 24 improved production efficiency by ruminants has become of much interest to the researchers and 25 entrepreneurs. A few genera of live microbes (i.e., bacteria, fungi and yeasts in different types of 26 formulations from paste to powder) are infrequently used as DFM for the domestic ruminants. 27 These DFM products are live microbial feed supplements containing naturally occurring microbes 28 in the rumen. Among different DFM possibilities, anaerobic rumen fungi (ARF) based additives 29