Advances in Nutritional Manipulation of Rumen Fermentation

A special issue of Animals (ISSN 2076-2615). This special issue belongs to the section "Animal Nutrition".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 28 February 2025 | Viewed by 5323

Special Issue Editor


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Guest Editor
Institute of Animal Nutrition, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, China
Interests: ruminant; ruminant nutrition; rumen fermentation; ruminal microbiota; rumen bloat; rumen acidosis; methane emission; nutritional manipulation

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The rumen is an essential digestive organ in ruminants, containing complicated and numerous microorganisms for fermentation. The rumen fermentation process not only affects the utilization efficiency of animal feed, but is also a crucial factor affecting animal production efficiency. It is worth noting that aberrant rumen fermentation can cause rumen acidosis, rumen bloat, and other diseases, and even animal death in severe circumstances. Nutritional manipulation is an important method employed in order to affect rumen fermentation. Scientific and reasonable nutrition manipulation can improve feed utilization efficiency in ruminants by regulating rumen fermentation, lower the occurrence of rumen disorders, and reduce the cost and enhancing the efficiency of ruminant breeding.

In this Special Issue, we welcome original research and review papers that address the latest nutrition manipulation theories, methods, and technologies affecting rumen fermentation, including effects on the rumen microbial structure, improving the efficiency of rumen microbial synthesis and nutrient degradation, preventing rumen acidosis and bloating, promoting rumen tissue development and repair, and reducing rumen methane emission via nutrition manipulation methods. Other topics related to the nutritional manipulation of rumen fermentation are also welcome.

Dr. Lizhi Wang
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • ruminant
  • nutritional manipulation
  • ruminal microbiota
  • rumen fermentation
  • rumen bloat
  • rumen acidosis
  • methane emission
  • rumen degradation

Published Papers (6 papers)

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Research

16 pages, 3095 KiB  
Article
Sargassum mcclurei Mitigating Methane Emissions and Affecting Rumen Microbial Community in In Vitro Rumen Fermentation
by Shuai Li, Yi Sun, Tongjun Guo, Wenyou Liu, Xiong Tong, Zhifei Zhang, Jiajie Sun, Yufeng Yang, Shuli Yang, Dagang Li and Li Min
Animals 2024, 14(14), 2057; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani14142057 - 13 Jul 2024
Viewed by 231
Abstract
Methane emissions from ruminants significantly contribute to greenhouse gases. This study explores the methane mitigation effect and mechanism of S. mcclurei through in vitro rumen fermentation, aiming to establish its potential as a feed additive. We investigated the effects of freeze-dried and dried [...] Read more.
Methane emissions from ruminants significantly contribute to greenhouse gases. This study explores the methane mitigation effect and mechanism of S. mcclurei through in vitro rumen fermentation, aiming to establish its potential as a feed additive. We investigated the effects of freeze-dried and dried S. mcclurei at supplementation levels of 2%, 5%, and 10% of dry matter on nutrient degradation, ruminal fermentation, methane inhibition, and microbial community structure in in vitro rumen fermentation. The freeze-dried S. mcclurei at 2% supplementation significantly reduced CH4 emissions by 18.85% and enhanced crude protein degradability. However, total VFA and acetate concentrations were lower in both treatments compared to the control. The microbial shifts included a decrease in Lachnospiraceae_NK3A20_group and Ruminococcus and an increase in Selenomonas, Succinivibrio, and Saccharofermentans, promoting propionate production. Additionally, a significant reduction in Methanomicrobium was observed, indicating direct methane mitigation. Freeze-dried S. mcclurei at a 2% supplementation level shows potential as an effective methane mitigation strategy with minimal impact on rumen fermentation, supported by detailed insights into microbial community changes. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Nutritional Manipulation of Rumen Fermentation)
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17 pages, 3682 KiB  
Article
Effect of Adding Yeast Cultures to High-Grain Conditions on Production Performance, Rumen Fermentation Profile, Microbial Abundance, and Immunity in Goats
by Pei Qi and Lizhi Wang
Animals 2024, 14(12), 1799; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani14121799 - 16 Jun 2024
Viewed by 480
Abstract
It is a common practice among farmers to utilize high-grain diets with the intention of promoting ruminant growth. However, this approach bears the risk of inducing rumen disorders and nutrient metabolism diseases. Yeast culture (YC) showed advantages in ruminant applications. The objective of [...] Read more.
It is a common practice among farmers to utilize high-grain diets with the intention of promoting ruminant growth. However, this approach bears the risk of inducing rumen disorders and nutrient metabolism diseases. Yeast culture (YC) showed advantages in ruminant applications. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of adding two different types of YC to high-grain conditions on production performance, rumen fermentation profile, microbial abundance, and immunity in goats. A total of 30 male goats with similar body condition were randomly distributed into 3 dietary treatments with 10 replicates per treatment as follows: basic diet group (CON); basic diet + 0.5% yeast culture 1 (YC1) group; basic diet + 0.5% yeast culture 2 (YC2) group. The trial lasted for 36 days. The results demonstrated that dietary YC supplementation led to an increase in the average daily gain and a reduction in feed intake and weight gain ratio in goats. It increased the apparent digestibility of crude protein, NDF, and ADF (p < 0.05). The serum concentrations of interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-6, and Tumor Necrosis Factor-α in the control group were significantly higher than those of the YC groups (p < 0.05). The serum concentrations of Immunoglobulin (Ig)A and IgG in the control group were significantly lower than those in the YC groups (p < 0.05). The rumen concentration of microbial protein (MCP) in the control group was significantly lower than that in the YC groups (p < 0.05). There was a negative correlation between the concentration of IL-10 and Bacteroidota, Spirochaetota, and Succinivibrio, while there was a positive correlation between concentrations of IL-10 and Firmicutes. Nevertheless, discrepancies were observed in the impact of the two different types of YC on the physiological and biochemical indicators of the animals. The concentration of triglyceride in the YC1 group was significantly higher than that of the CON and YC2 groups, while the concentration of urea in the YC2 group was significantly higher than that of the CON and YC1 groups (p < 0.05). At the phylum level, the addition of YC2 to the diet significantly increased the relative abundance of Bacteroidota and Fibrobacterota and significantly decreased Firmicutes compared to the control. At the genus level, the addition of YC1 to the HGD significantly reduced the relative abundance of Rikenellaceae_RC9_gut_group, while the addition of YC2 to the HGD significantly increased the relative abundance of Prevotellace-ae_UCG-001, Fibrobacter, and Prevotellaceae_UCG-003 (p < 0.05). The addition of YC significantly improved growth performance, increased nutrient digestibility, beneficially manipulated ruminal fermentation and microbial diversity, and improved immune function. The choice of yeast cultures can be customized according to specific production conditions. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Nutritional Manipulation of Rumen Fermentation)
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24 pages, 1233 KiB  
Article
Saponin Extracts Utilization as Dietary Additive in Ruminant Nutrition: A Meta-Analysis of In Vivo Studies
by Yulianri Rizki Yanza, Agung Irawan, Anuraga Jayanegara, Fitri Ramadhani, Adib Norma Respati, Ainissya Fitri, Cecep Hidayat, Vincent Niderkorn, Adam Cieslak, Malgorzata Szumacher-Strabel, Rahmat Hidayat and Ujang Hidayat Tanuwiria
Animals 2024, 14(8), 1231; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani14081231 - 19 Apr 2024
Viewed by 980
Abstract
The present meta-analysis aimed to determine the underlying effects of different saponins extracted from different sources on the production performance, milk yield, digestibility, rumen fermentation, blood metabolites, and nitrogen utilization of ruminants. A total of 26 papers comprising 66 in vivo studies (148 [...] Read more.
The present meta-analysis aimed to determine the underlying effects of different saponins extracted from different sources on the production performance, milk yield, digestibility, rumen fermentation, blood metabolites, and nitrogen utilization of ruminants. A total of 26 papers comprising 66 in vivo studies (148 data points of dietary treatments) were evaluated in the present study. The databases were statistically analyzed using the mixed model procedure of SAS, where experiments considered random effects and tannin-related factors were treated as fixed effects. Statistical procedures were then continued in comparing different sources of saponin extract through Mixed Model analysis, where experiments were also random factors and sources of saponin extract were fixed factors. The evidence revealed in the present meta-analysis that saponin supplementation of up to 40 g/kg DM appears to have no detrimental impact on feed intake across ruminant types, suggesting that it does not significantly affect diet palatability. However, the results indicated that there are species-specific responses to saponin supplementation, particularly in relation to palatability and nutrient absorption efficiency, with larger ruminants being better able to tolerate the bitterness induced by saponin extracts. Furthermore, the study found that saponin extracts can influence nutrient digestibility and rumen fermentation dynamics, with different effects observed in large and small ruminants. While some saponin extracts can enhance average daily weight gain and milk yield, others can have adverse effects, highlighting the importance of considering both saponin sources and animal physiological condition when developing nutritional strategies. Additionally, optimization of ruminant production by utilizing saponin extracts is necessary to avoid negative health implications, such as increased blood creatinine levels. Different saponin extracts utilization in ruminant nutrition and environmental management, have a distinct understanding associated to their various bioactive properties. However, among the saponin sources, saponin extracted from Quilaja saponaria is more likely to improve large ruminant production performance while maintaining ruminant health and metabolism, but negatively affect small ruminants. Further research is needed to unravel the intricate effects of different saponin sources on ruminant health and productivity, emphasizing the importance of tailored dietary strategies that consider the unique physiological and metabolic characteristics of the target livestock. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Nutritional Manipulation of Rumen Fermentation)
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13 pages, 333 KiB  
Article
Effect of Brosimum alicastrum Foliage on Intake, Kinetics of Fermentation and Passage and Microbial N Supply in Sheep Fed Megathyrsus maximus Hay
by Vicente Valdivia-Salgado, Ever del Jesús Flores-Santiago, Luis Ramírez-Avilés, José Candelario Segura-Correa, Jesús Miguel Calzada-Marín and Juan Carlos Ku-Vera
Animals 2024, 14(8), 1144; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani14081144 - 9 Apr 2024
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Abstract
An experiment was carried out to assess the effect of the incorporation of sun-dried foliage of Brosimum alicastrum into rations based on hay of Megathyrsus maximus on intake, rumen fermentation, kinetics of passage, microbial nitrogen supply to the small intestine, apparent digestibility in Pelibuey [...] Read more.
An experiment was carried out to assess the effect of the incorporation of sun-dried foliage of Brosimum alicastrum into rations based on hay of Megathyrsus maximus on intake, rumen fermentation, kinetics of passage, microbial nitrogen supply to the small intestine, apparent digestibility in Pelibuey hair sheep. Four rations were randomly allotted to four rumen-cannulated lambs (BW = 37.4 ± 4.9 kg) using a 4 × 4 Latin square design to assess the effect of increasing levels (0, 15, 30 and 45% DM basis) of foliage of Brosimum alicastrum on a basal ration of M. maximus. Organic matter intake and water consumption increased linearly (p < 0.01) with increasing levels of B. alicastrum in the ration. The rate and potential extent of rumen fermentation of OM and CP of B. alicastrum were 10.6%/h and 86.6% and 11.4%/h and 95.2%, respectively, but no effect (p > 0.05) was found on the potential rumen degradation of DM (40.2%) or on the rate of degradation of DM (0.033%/h) of M. maximus, although a positive effect was found in the rumen degradation rate of NDF (p < 0.05). VFA and ammonia concentration in the rumen and the rate of passage of solids and liquids through the rumen (k1) increased linearly (p < 0.01) with increasing levels of B. alicastrum. Rumen pH was not affected by the incorporation of B. alicastrum (p > 0.05). Microbial nitrogen supply to the small intestine (p < 0.001), apparent digestibility of dry matter (p < 0.01) and NDF (p < 0.05) of the rations were also significantly increased as a result of the incorporation of B. alicastrum foliage. Results from this experiment suggest that the foliage of Brosimum alicastrum can be readily incorporated at around 30% of the ration of dry matter in hair sheep with beneficial effects on feed intake, rate of passage and microbial N supply to the lower tract. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Nutritional Manipulation of Rumen Fermentation)
16 pages, 3984 KiB  
Article
Effects of Isochlorogenic Acid on Ewes Rumen Fermentation, Microbial Diversity and Ewes Immunity of Different Physiological Stages
by Shuyan Li, Xiongxiong Li, Yuzhu Sha, Shuai Qi, Xia Zhang, Huning Wang, Zhengwen Wang, Shengguo Zhao and Ting Jiao
Animals 2024, 14(5), 715; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani14050715 - 24 Feb 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 965
Abstract
The effects of isochlorogenic acid (ICGA) on ewes rumen environment, microbial diversity, and immunity at different physiological stages (estrus, pregnancy and lactation) were studied in this experiment. Twenty healthy female Hu lambs of 1.5 months with similar body weight (17.82 ± 0.98 kg) [...] Read more.
The effects of isochlorogenic acid (ICGA) on ewes rumen environment, microbial diversity, and immunity at different physiological stages (estrus, pregnancy and lactation) were studied in this experiment. Twenty healthy female Hu lambs of 1.5 months with similar body weight (17.82 ± 0.98 kg) and body condition were selected and randomly divided into two groups: the control group (CON) and the ICGA group (ICGA). The lambs of CON were fed a basal diet, while the lambs of ICGA were supplemented with 0.1% ICGA based on the basal diet. Lambs rumen fermentation characteristics, microbial diversity and immunity at estrus, pregnancy, and lactation stages were determined and analyzed, respectively. The results showed that the rumen pH in CON increased first and then decreased as lambs grew (p < 0.05). However, it showed the opposite change in ICGA. The content of ammonia nitrogen (NH3-N) showed the highest at estrus stage in both groups, but it was significantly higher in ICGA than that in CON (p < 0.05). The Acetic acid/propionic acid (A/P) ratio at estrus stage and the volatile fatty acids (VFAs) at pregnancy stage in ICGA were significantly higher than those of the CON (p < 0.05). The 16S rDNA sequencing analysis showed that the Shannon, Chao 1 and ACE indexes of the ICGA were significantly higher than those of the CON both at estrus and lactation stages (p < 0.05), while they showed higher at the pregnancy stage in CON (p > 0.05). Principal component analysis (PCA) showed that there were significant differences in rumen microorganism structure between CON and ICGA at all physiological stages (p < 0.01). At the phylum level, compared with the CON, Firmicutes relative abundance of three physiological stages decreased (p > 0.05) while Bacteroidota increased (p > 0.05). The relative abundance of Synergistota at estrus stage and Patescibacteria at the lactation stage increased significantly too (p < 0.05). At the genus level, compared with the CON, the relative abundance of Prevotella at three stages showed the highest (p > 0.05), while the relative abundance of Succiniclasticum, unclassified_Selenomonadaceae and Rikenellaceae_RC9_gut_group showed different abundances at different physiological stages in ICGA. Compared with the CON, the lambs of the ICGA showed higher blood IgG, IgM, and TNF- α contents at three physiological stages and higher IL-6 contents at pregnancy stage (p < 0.05). Conclusion: Adding ICGA could regulate ewes rumen fermentation mode at different physiological stages by increasing rumen NH3-N at estrus, VFAs at pregnancy, and the ratio of A/P at lactation. It optimizes rumen microbial flora of different physiological stages by increasing Bacteroidota relative abundance while reducing Firmicutes relative abundance, maintaining rumen microbial homeostasis at pregnant stage, increasing the number of beneficial bacteria in later lactating and ewes blood immunoglobulins content at three physiological stages. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Nutritional Manipulation of Rumen Fermentation)
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14 pages, 967 KiB  
Article
Effect of Fermented Concentrate on Ruminal Fermentation, Ruminal and Fecal Microbiome, and Growth Performance of Beef Cattle
by Seul Lee, Chae Hwa Ryu, Youl Chang Back, Sung Dae Lee and Hyeran Kim
Animals 2023, 13(23), 3622; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani13233622 - 23 Nov 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1154
Abstract
The impact of fermented concentrate on the growth and rumen health of beef cattle remains an area of emerging research. This study aimed to assess the influence of a fermented concentrate (TRT) compared to a conventional concentrate (CON) on the growth, rumen fermentation [...] Read more.
The impact of fermented concentrate on the growth and rumen health of beef cattle remains an area of emerging research. This study aimed to assess the influence of a fermented concentrate (TRT) compared to a conventional concentrate (CON) on the growth, rumen fermentation characteristics, and microbiota composition in Korean cattle. Using a crossover design, eight cattle were alternately fed TRT and CON diets, with subsequent analysis of feed components, rumen fermentation parameters, and microbial profiles. TRT and CON diets did not differ significantly in their effect on animal growth metrics. However, the TRT diet was associated with reduced digestibility of rapidly degradable carbohydrates and modified rumen fermentation patterns, as evidenced by an elevated pH and increased acetate-to-propionate ratio (p < 0.05). Furthermore, the TRT diet increased the abundance of lactic acid bacteria, Bacillus, and yeast and organic acid levels in the rumen (p < 0.05). Moreover, Lachnospiraceae and Bacteroidales populations in the rumen and fecal Akkermansia abundance increased in the TRT group compared to the CON group. These microbial changes suggest a potential enhancement of the immune system and overall health of the host. Further research on the long-term implications of incorporating fermented concentrate into cattle diets is warranted. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Nutritional Manipulation of Rumen Fermentation)
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