The Reduction of Methane Production in the In Vitro Ruminal Fermentation of Different Substrates is Linked with the Chemical Composition of the Essential Oil.

There is interest in identifying natural products capable of manipulating rumen microbial activity to develop new feed additives for ruminant nutrition as a strategy to reduce methane. Two trials were performed using the in vitro gas production technique to evaluate the interaction of substrate (n = 5) and additive (n = 6, increasing doses: 0, 0.3, 3, 30, and 300 µL/L of essential oils-EO-of Lippia turbinata or Tagetes minuta, and monensin at 1.87 mg/L). The two EO utilized were selected because they differ markedly in their chemical composition, especially in the proportion of oxygenated compounds. For both EO, the interaction between the substrate and additive was significant for all variables; however, the interaction behaved differently for the two EO. Within each substrate, the response was dose-dependent, without effects at a low level of EO and a negative outcome at the highest dose. The intermediate dose (30 µL/L) inhibited methane with a slight reduction on substrate digestibility, with L. turbinata being more effective than T. minuta. It is concluded that the effectiveness of the EO to reduce methane production depends on interactions between the substrate that is fermented and the additive dose that generates different characteristics within the incubation medium (e.g., pH); and thus, the chemical nature of the compounds of the EO modulates the magnitude of this response.

Pre-incubation of ruminal inocula to assess in vitro gas production and digestibility / Pré-incubação de inóculo ruminal para avaliação da produção de gases e digestibilidade in vitro

ABSTRACT: In vitro gas production techniques represent a valuable tool to describe the kinetics of ruminal degradation of food. However, the ruminal liquor used as a microbial inoculum has been a great source of variation and error. A standardization of this factor should contribute to assure the independence of food fermentation parameters from those of the inocula. In this research it was hypothesized that a controlled pre-incubation treatment of ruminal liquor could contribute to stabilize and homogenize the undigested residues of blanks and as a consequence, of the production of residual cumulative gas production (CGP). A pre-incubation (i.e. previous real incubation) of rumen inocula was developed with a simple substrate similar to the diet offered to donors at 1% w/v for 0, 1, 2 and 4 h (Control, Prei-1, Prei-2 and Prei-4 treatments respectively). Once the pre-incubation hours were completed, they were incubated with contrasting substrates and without substrate (i.e. blanks) in order to evaluate the CGP, in vitro digestibility of the DM and fermentation products. Although, the fermentative activity of the pre-incubated inoculums worked satisfactorily in the in vitro system, contrary to what was speculated, residues of the pre-incubation increased the variability and heterogeneity of variances among blanks. Consequently, it was concluded that the pre-incubations did not work to generate more homogeneous and less variable ruminal liquor for the in vitro gas production system.

RESUMO: Técnicas de produção de gás in vitro representam uma ferramenta valiosa para descrever a cinética de degradação ruminal dos alimentos. No entanto, o líquido ruminal utilizado como inóculo microbiano tem sido uma grande fonte de variação e erro. A padronização deste fator deve contribuir para garantir a independência dos parâmetros de fermentação dos alimentos a partir dos inóculos. Neste trabalho, hipotetizou-se que um tratamento controlado de pré-incubação do líquido ruminal poderia contribuir para estabilizar e homogeneizar os resíduos não digeridos dos brancos e, como conseqüência, da produção de produção cumulativa de gás residual (CGP). Uma pré-incubação (ou seja, incubação real prévia) dos inóculos do rúmen foi desenvolvida com um substrato simples semelhante à dieta oferecida aos doadores a 1% p/v por 0, 1, 2 e 4 h (Controle, Prei-1, Pré- 2 e Prei-4 tratamentos respectivamente). Uma vez completadas as horas de pré-incubação, elas foram incubadas com substratos contrastantes e sem substrato (ou seja, brancos) para avaliar o CGP, a digestibilidade in vitro da MS e os produtos de fermentação. Embora a atividade fermentativa dos inóculos pré-incubados tenha funcionado satisfatoriamente no sistema in vitro, ao contrário do que foi especulado, os resíduos da pré-incubação aumentaram a variabilidade e heterogeneidade das variâncias entre os brancos. Consequentemente, concluiu-se que as pré-incubações não funcionaram para gerar um líquido ruminal mais homogêneo e menos variável para o sistema de produção de gás in vitro.

Anatomy, nutritional value and cell wall chemical analysis of foliage leaves of Guadua chacoensis (Poaceae, Bambusoideae, Bambuseae), a promising source of forage.

BACKGROUND: The present study combines morphological and anatomical studies, cell wall chemical composition analysis, as well as assessment of the nutritional value of Guadua chacoensis foliage leaves. RESULTS: Foliage leaves of G. chacoensis are a promising source of forage because: (a) as a native woody bamboo, it is adapted to and helps maintain environmental conditions in America; (b) leaf anatomical studies exhibit discontinuous sclerenchyma, scarcely developed, while pilose indumentum, silica cells, prickles and hooks are also scarce; (c) it has a high protein content, similar to that of Medicago sativa, while other nutritional parameters are similar to those of common forages; and (d) glucuronoarabinoxylan, the major extracted polysaccharide, has one-third of the 4-linked ß-d-xylopyranosyl units of the backbone substituted mainly with α-l-arabinofuranose as single stubs or non-reducing end of short chains, but also 5-linked α-l-arabinofuranose units, terminal ß-d-xylopyranose and d-galactopyranose units, as well as α-d-glucuronic acid residues and small amounts of its 4-O-methylated derivative. CONCLUSION: These results constitute the first report on this species, and as culms are utilized in constructions and crafts, the remaining leaves, when used as forage, constitute a byproduct that allows an additional income opportunity. © 2016 Society of Chemical Industry.

Impact of Chestnut and Quebracho Tannins on Rumen Microbiota of Bovines.

The use of phytogenic dietary additives is being evaluated as a means to improve animal productivity. The effect of tannins seems to be the influence not only directly on the digestive process through binding of dietary proteins but also indirectly over their effects on gastrointestinal microbiota. High-throughput sequencing of 16S rRNA gene was used to analyze the impact of dietary supplementation with a blend of chestnut and quebracho tannins on the rumen microbiota of Holstein steers. Bacterial richness was lower in tannins treated animals, while the overall population structure of rumen microbiota was not significantly disturbed by tannins. The ratio of the phyla Firmicutes and Bacteroidetes, a parameter associated with energy harvesting function, was increased in tannins supplemented animals, essentially due to the selective growth of Ruminococcaceae over members of genus Prevotella. Fibrolytic, amylolytic, and ureolytic bacterial communities in the rumen were altered by tannins, while methanogenic archaea were reduced. Furthermore, ruminal pH was significantly higher in animals supplemented with tannins than in the control group, while urease activity exhibited the opposite pattern. Further work is necessary to assess the relation between tannins impact on rumen microbiota and alteration of rumen fermentation parameters associated with bovine performance.

Nutritional and eating quality of Argentinean beef: A review.

This review deals with distinctive aspects of quality of Argentinean beef in terms of tenderness, flavour, colour, juiciness, taste, acceptability, lipid content and composition and its resultant nutraceutical characteristics. Differences are due to beef production systems based on temperate or tropical grasslands aimed at shortening the fattening phase as far as possible, with limited or null use of concentrates. However, the effect of limited supplemental feeding is also discussed as well as the responses arising from the use of beef cattle genotypes, including British, Continental, Dairy, Zebu breeds and their crosses, adapted to the various environments and systems found in the country.