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Food, fibre and pharmaceuticals from animals
RESEARCH ARTICLE

Effect of individual Ayurveda plants and mixtures thereof on in vitro ruminal fermentation, methane production and nutrient degradability

S. Wang A , A. Müller A , D. Hilfiker A , S. Marquardt A , M. Kreuzer A , U. Braun B and A. Schwarm A C
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations

A ETH Zurich, Institute of Agricultural Sciences, Universitaetstrasse 2, 8092 Zurich, Switzerland.

B University of Zurich, Vetsuisse Faculty, Clinic for Ruminants, Winterthurerstrasse 260, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland.

C Corresponding author. Email: angela.schwarm@usys.ethz.ch

Animal Production Science 58(12) 2258-2268 https://doi.org/10.1071/AN17174
Submitted: 17 August 2016  Accepted: 6 June 2017   Published: 4 August 2017

Abstract

In order to identify new ways to mitigate methane emissions from ruminants, six medicinal plants, Achyranthes aspera, Azadirachta indica, Andrographis paniculata, Helicteres isora, Tinospora cordifolia and Piper longum, were evaluated in vitro with respect to ruminal fermentation and methanogenesis. A three-stage approach with n = 6 per treatment was applied. Two 24-h Hohenheim gas test experiments were performed by incubating the plants first as sole substrate and then added to a basal diet (10 g/kg diet DM). Finally, in a 10-day Rusitec experiment, A. paniculata, P. longum and T. cordifolia were supplemented individually and in all binary combinations to a basal diet (25 g/kg DM). Provided as sole substrate, all plants, except P. longum, decreased methane and carbon dioxide production (P < 0.05), and reduced the methane : short-chain fatty acid ratio (P < 0.05) in the Hohenheim gas test. In Rusitec, none of the individual supplements decreased methane production. The combination of A. paniculata with P. longum as a supplement was effective in mitigating the methane : carbon dioxide ratio and simultaneously maintaining feeding value. In conclusion, all medicinal plants incubated as sole substrate, except P. longum, possess anti-methanogenic properties, especially T. cordifolia, A. indica and H. isora. When supplemented at the levels investigated, they were mostly neutral with respect to rumen fermentation and nutrient digestion. Combining A. paniculata with P. longum mitigated methane without side effects on general ruminal fermentation. Further investigations, carried out in vivo, will demonstrate how useful this plant combination is in ruminant nutrition.

Additional keywords: in vitro digestibility, medicinal plants, methanogenesis, supplements, tannins.


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