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Protecting protein against ruminal degradation could contribute to reduced methane production
Author(s) -
Haro Andres N.,
Carro Maria Dolores,
Evan Trinidad,
González Javier
Publication year - 2018
Publication title -
journal of animal physiology and animal nutrition
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.651
H-Index - 56
eISSN - 1439-0396
pISSN - 0931-2439
DOI - 10.1111/jpn.12973
Subject(s) - isovalerate , rumen , propionate , dry matter , sunflower , incubation , zoology , protein degradation , chemistry , urea , fermentation , fatty acid , food science , meal , biology , biochemistry , agronomy , butyrate
Ruminants have a low efficiency of nitrogen (N) utilization that has negative implications for animal production and the environment, but reducing the ruminal degradation of protein can help to reduce N losses. The objective of this study was to evaluate the inclusion of sunflower meal ( SM ) and sunflower seed ( SS ) protected against ruminal degradation in high‐cereal diets on in vitro ruminal fermentation and CH 4 production. Samples of SS and SM were sprayed with a solution of malic acid 1 M (400 ml/kg sample) and dried at 150°C for 1 hr as a protective treatment. Four diets were formulated to contain either 13 (low) or 17 (high) g of crude protein ( CP )/100 g dry matter ( DM ), and included SM and SS either untreated (13 CON and 17 CON diets) or treated as before described (13 TR and 17 TR diets). Diets were incubated in vitro with rumen fluid from sheep for 8 and 24 hr. The treatment did not affect ( p ≥ 0.57) total volatile fatty acid ( VFA ) production at any incubation time, but it reduced ( p < 0.05) NH 3 ‐N concentrations by 19.2 and 12.5% at 8 and 24 hr respectively. Both CH 4 production and CH 4 / VFA ratio were lower ( p < 0.02) in TR than in CON diets at 8 hr, but differences disappeared ( p > 0.05) at 24 hr. The treatment increased the molar proportion of propionate ( p = 0.001) and reduced that of isovalerate ( p = 0.03) at 8 hr compared with CON diets, but only a reduction of isovalerate proportion ( p = 0.03) was detected at 24 hr. There were no treatment x crude protein level interactions ( p > 0.05) in any parameter, but high‐protein diets had greater NH 3 ‐N concentrations ( p < 0.001) and lower VFA production ( p < 0.001) than low‐protein diets at 24 hr. The treatment reduced protein degradation, and CH 4 production was decreased by 4.6 and 10.8% for low‐ and high‐protein diets, respectively, at short incubation times without affecting VFA production, thus improving fermentation efficiency and decreasing polluting emissions.