Plant Extracts Affect In Vitro Rumen Microbial Fermentation

• Published in: Journal of dairy science Vol. 89; no. 2; pp. 761 - 771
• Main Authors: Busquet, M, Calsamiglia, S, Ferret, A, Kamel, C
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Savoy, IL Elsevier Inc 01.02.2006; Am Dairy Sci Assoc; American Dairy Science Association
• Subjects: Allium sativum; Ammonia - analysis; ammonium nitrogen; Animal productions; Animals; benzyl salicylate; Biological and medical sciences; Body Fluids - microbiology; Capsicum; Cattle; dose response; Eugenia; Fatty Acids, Volatile - analysis; Fermentation; Fermentation - drug effects; Food industries; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; garlic; garlic oil; Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; in vitro studies; Melaleuca; methane production; Milk and cheese industries. Ice creams; Nitrogen - analysis; Origanum; plant extract; Plant extracts; Plant Extracts - pharmacology; Plant Oils - pharmacology; Rumen - microbiology; rumen fermentation; rumen fluids; salicylates; secondary metabolites; Terrestrial animal productions; Vertebrates; Yucca; rumen fermentation; plant extract; Digestive system; Dairy industry; Rumen; Extract; Fermentation; In vitro
• ISSN: 0022-0302; 1525-3198
• DOI: 10.3168/jds.S0022-0302(06)72137-3

Different doses of 12 plant extracts and 6 secondary plant metabolites were incubated for 24h in diluted ruminal fluid with a 50:50 forage:concentrate diet. Treatments were: control (no additive), plant extracts (anise oil, cade oil, capsicum oil, cinnamon oil, clove bud oil, dill oil, fenugreek, garlic oil, ginger oil, oregano oil, tea tree oil, and yucca), and secondary plant metabolites (anethol, benzyl salicylate, carvacrol, carvone, cinnamaldehyde, and eugenol). Each treatment was supplied at 3, 30, 300, and 3,000mg/L of culture fluid. At 3,000mg/L, most treatments decreased total volatile fatty acid concentration, but cade oil, capsicum oil, dill oil, fenugreek, ginger oil, and yucca had no effect. Different doses of anethol, anise oil, carvone, and tea tree oil decreased the proportion of acetate and propionate, which suggests that these compounds may not be nutritionally beneficial to dairy cattle. Garlic oil (300 and 3,000mg/L) and benzyl salicylate (300 and 3,000mg/L) reduced acetate and increased propionate and butyrate proportions, suggesting that methane production was inhibited. At 3,000mg/L, capsicum oil, carvacrol, carvone, cinnamaldehyde, cinnamon oil, clove bud oil, eugenol, fenugreek, and oregano oil resulted in a 30 to 50% reduction in ammonia N concentration. Careful selection and combination of these extracts may allow the manipulation of rumen microbial fermentation.