In vitro-in vivo study on the effects of plant compounds on rumen fermentation, microbial abundances and methane emissions in goats

Abstract

Martinez-Fernandez, G., Abecia, L., Martin-Garcia, A. I., Ramos Morales, E., Hervas, G., Molina-Alcaide, E., Yanez-Ruiz, D. R. (2013). In vitro-in vivo study on the effects of plant compounds on rumen fermentation, microbial abundances and methane emissions in goats. Animal, 7 (12), 1925-1934

Two in vitro and one in vivo experiments were conducted to investigate the effects of a selection of plant compounds on rumen fermentation, microbial concentration and methane emissions in goats. Treatments were: control (no additive), carvacrol (CAR), cinnamaldehyde (CIN), eugenol (EUG), propyl propane thiosulfinate (PTS), propyl propane thiosulfonate (PTSO), diallyl disulfide (DDS), a mixture (40 : 60) of PTS and PTSO (PTS + PTSO), and bromochloromethane (BCM) as positive control with proven antimethanogenic effectiveness. Four doses (40, 80, 160 and 320 mu l/l) of the different compounds were incubated in vitro for 24 h in diluted rumen fluid from goats using two diets differing in starch and protein source within the concentrate (Experiment 1). The total gas production was linearly decreased (P= 0.366). Total volatile fatty-acid (VFA) concentration decreased (P

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