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Effects of mixtures of lauric and myristic acid on rumen methanogens and methanogenesis in vitro
Author(s) -
Soliva C.R.,
Hindrichsen I.K.,
Meile L.,
Kreuzer M.,
Machmüller A.
Publication year - 2003
Publication title -
letters in applied microbiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.698
H-Index - 110
eISSN - 1472-765X
pISSN - 0266-8254
DOI - 10.1046/j.1472-765x.2003.01343.x
Subject(s) - methanogenesis , rumen , methane , myristic acid , lauric acid , chemistry , food science , population , acetogenesis , euryarchaeota , archaea , methanomicrobiales , biology , biochemistry , environmental chemistry , fatty acid , fermentation , organic chemistry , methanosarcina , medicine , environmental health , palmitic acid , gene
Aims: To identify the most effective mixture of non‐esterified lauric (C 12 ) and myristic (C 14 ) acid in suppressing ruminal methanogenesis, and to investigate their effects on the methanogenic population. Methods and Results: C 12 /C 14 mixtures were incubated with rumen fluid using the Hohenheim gas test apparatus. Methane production and the numbers of Archaea declined with an increasing proportion of C 12 . With a 2 : 1 proportion of C 12 /C 14 , the maximum methane‐suppressing effect (96%) was achieved similar to that with C 12 alone. The proportions of the individual methanogenic orders of total methanogens were altered by varying the C 12 /C 14 ratio. Conclusions: Although C 14 alone had no effect on methanogenesis, C 14 enhanced the methane‐suppressing effect of C 12 in certain mixtures. Significance and Impact of the Study: The results support strategies for an environment‐friendly ruminant nutrition as it was demonstrated that part of the less palatable C 12 could be replaced by C 14 without losing its methane‐suppressing potential.