In vitro effects of birdsfoot trefoil (Lotus corniculatus L.) pasture on ruminal fermentation, microbial population, and methane production

Recognising the role of ruderal species in restoration of degraded lands

Ruderal plants are an important component of plant communities that develop on the range of anthropogenically degraded lands. Yet they were highly neglected and not recognised as desirable for restoration purposes. The aim of this study was to analyse the potential for using ruderal species in restoration processes and to identify preliminary criteria for species selection that could be included in ecological restoration of degraded man-made habitats under future conditions of increased human disturbance and climate changes. The desirable characteristics of the species depend primarily on the type of habitat to be restored, with plant height, specific leaf area, rooting depth and seed characteristics being the most important traits. The recognised ecosystem services of the species analysed show that the provisioning and regulating services are well represented, particularly erosion control, pollination, phytoremediation and other soil quality improvements. Most of the dominant and diagnostic ruderal species from the man-made habitats of the north-western Balkan Peninsula are sensitive to climate change and their potential distribution range is expected to decrease at the European scale. Higher certain ecological indicator values, as well as values for disturbance severity, frequency and soil disturbance indices were found for species that are expected to increase their range. Ruderal species are becoming increasingly important for restoration purposes, as the focus shifts to the significance of early successional species. The inclusion of ruderal species in the restoration of degraded sites should be based on criteria such as: non-invasiveness, plant traits favourable for colonisation (height, SLA, seed traits, rooting depth), values of ecological and disturbance indices, provision of ecosystem services, and change of distribution range under changing climate conditions.

Growth, Productivity, Yield Components and Seasonality of Different Genotypes of Forage Clover Lotus corniculatus L. under Varied Soil Moisture Contents

This study aimed to evaluate the response to water deficit of different ecotypes and a variety of Lotus corniculatus on growth, productivity, and yield components, through seasonal times. A randomized block experimental design in a 2 × 5 factorial arrangement with three replicates was used. The first variation factor was soil moisture contents: field capacity (FC) was 26.5% ± 1.5, and water deficit (WD) was 85% of FC (22.5% ± 1.5); the second variation factor was the ecotypes identified with the codes 255301, 255305, 202700 and 226792 and of the variety Estanzuela Ganador. The best responses in plant cover and weight of accumulated fresh biomass were obtained in the ecotype 202700 under WD, with values of 1649.0 cm2 and 583.7 g plant-1, and 1661.2 cm2 and 740.1 g plant-1 in ecotype 255305 under FC. The leaf clover was the main component of yield during the summer and autumn seasons. Ecotype 226792 was tolerant to low temperatures during the winter season with better leaf development. Ecotype 202700 is the best option for forage clover production when water is limited, and ecotype 255305 when water is not resource-limited, but these preliminary conclusions need to be confirmed in field studies.

Enteric methane research and mitigation strategies for pastoral-based beef cattle production systems

Ruminant livestock play a key role in global society through the conversion of lignocellulolytic plant matter into high-quality sources of protein for human consumption. However, as a consequence of the digestive physiology of ruminant species, methane (CH₄), which originates as a byproduct of enteric fermentation, is accountable for 40% of global agriculture's carbon footprint and ~6% of global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Therefore, meeting the increasing demand for animal protein associated with a growing global population while reducing the GHG intensity of ruminant production will be a challenge for both the livestock industry and the research community. In recent decades, numerous strategies have been identified as having the potential to reduce the methanogenic output of livestock. Dietary supplementation with antimethanogenic compounds, targeting members of the rumen methanogen community and/or suppressing the availability of methanogenesis substrates (mainly H₂ and CO₂), may have the potential to reduce the methanogenic output of housed livestock. However, reducing the environmental impact of pasture-based beef cattle may be a challenge, but it can be achieved by enhancing the nutritional quality of grazed forage in an effort to improve animal growth rates and ultimately reduce lifetime emissions. In addition, the genetic selection of low-CH₄-emitting and/or faster-growing animals will likely benefit all beef cattle production systems by reducing the methanogenic potential of future generations of livestock. Similarly, the development of other mitigation technologies requiring minimal intervention and labor for their application, such as anti-methanogen vaccines, would likely appeal to livestock producers, with high uptake among farmers if proven effective. Therefore, the objective of this review is to give a detailed overview of the CH₄ mitigation solutions, both currently available and under development, for temperate pasture-based beef cattle production systems. A description of ruminal methanogenesis and the technologies used to estimate enteric emissions at pastures are also presented.

Evaluation of gallnut tannin and Lactobacillus plantarum as natural modifiers for alfalfa silage: Ensiling characteristics, in vitro ruminal methane production, fermentation profile and microbiota

AIMS

The potential of gallnut tannin (GT) and Lactobacillus plantarum (LP) on fermentation characteristics, in vitro ruminal methane (CH₄ ) production and microbiota of alfalfa silage was investigated.

METHODS AND RESULTS

Alfalfa was ensiled with GT (20 and 50 g kg^-1 dry matter [DM]) and LP (3 × 10⁸  CFU per gram fresh matter) alone or in combination for 60 days. The GT and LP alone or in combination decreased DM losses, pH and non-protein nitrogen contents of alfalfa silage. All additive treatments decreased ruminal CH₄ production, and increased propionic acid molar proportions and Fibrobacter succinogenes numbers. The LP treatment increased nutrient degradation, cellobiase, pectinase and protease activities, and Prevotella ruminicola abundance, whereas high-dose GT treatment inhibited these variables. Importantly, LP together with GT alleviated the adverse effects of high-dose GT supply alone by enhancing pectinase and protease activities as well as Rumincoccus flavefaciens and P. ruminicola growth.

CONCLUSIONS

Combination of GT and LP can be used as an efficient additive to improve silage quality and utilization by ruminants.

SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY

Using GT-LP combination has practical implications, particularly concerning effects of tannins on ruminal CH₄ mitigation, which may alleviate inhibitory effects of tannins on feed digestion through modulating ruminal microbiota.

Impact of condensed tannin-containing legumes on ruminal fermentation, nutrition, and performance in ruminants: a review

Legume forages, such as sainfoin (Onobrychis viciifolia Scop.) and birdsfoot trefoil (Lotus corniculatus L.), can increase the forage quality and quantity of Western Canadian pastures, thus increasing producer profitability due to increased gains in grazing ruminants, while also reducing risk of bloat in legume pastures due to the presence of proanthocyanidins. Proanthocyanidins or condensed tannins (CT) are secondary plant polyphenol compounds that have been regarded as anti-nutritional due to their ability to bind protein in feeds, enzymes, and microbial cells, therefore disrupting microbial digestion and slowing ruminal protein and dry matter (DM) digestion. Research has shown that at high concentrations (>50 g·kg−1 DM), CT can disrupt microbial digestion. However, at low dietary inclusion rates (5–10 g·kg−1 DM), they reduce bloat risk, increase ruminal undegradable protein, reduce enteric methane production, and benefit anthelmintic activity. Yet, research gaps still exist regarding grazing persistence and forage yield of novel CT-containing forages and their biological activity due to their vast differences in CT stereochemistry, polymer size, and intermolecular linkages. The objectives of this review are to summarize information regarding the impact of CT on ruminal fermentation, carbohydrate and protein metabolism, and the potential to identify and select for forages that contain CT for ruminant production.

Traditional Applications of Tannin Rich Extracts Supported by Scientific Data: Chemical Composition, Bioavailability and Bioaccessibility

Tannins are polyphenolic compounds historically utilized in textile and adhesive industries, but also in traditional human and animal medicines or foodstuffs. Since 20th-century, advances in analytical chemistry have allowed disclosure of the chemical nature of these molecules. The chemical profile of extracts obtained from previously selected species was investigated to try to establish a bridge between traditional background and scientific data. The study of the chemical composition of these extracts has permitted us to correlate the presence of tannins and other related molecules with the effectiveness of their apparent uses. The revision of traditional knowledge paired with scientific evidence may provide a supporting background on their use and the basis for developing innovative pharmacology and food applications based on formulations using natural sources of tannins. This traditional-scientific approach can result useful due to the raising consumers' demand for natural products in markets, to which tannin-rich extracts may pose an attractive alternative. Therefore, it is of interest to back traditional applications with accurate data while meeting consumer's acceptance. In this review, several species known to contain high amounts of tannins have been selected as a starting point to establish a correlation between their alleged traditional use, tannins content and composition and potential bioaccessibility.

Dietary mitigation of enteric methane emissions from ruminants: A review of plant tannin mitigation options

Methane gas from livestock production activities is a significant source of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions which have been shown to influence climate change. New technologies offer a potential to manipulate the rumen biome through genetic selection reducing CH4 production. Methane production may also be mitigated to varying degrees by various dietary intervention strategies. Strategies to reduce GHG emissions need to be developed which increase ruminant production efficiency whereas reducing production of CH4 from cattle, sheep, and goats. Methane emissions may be efficiently mitigated by manipulation of natural ruminal microbiota with various dietary interventions and animal production efficiency improved. Although some CH4 abatement strategies have shown efficacy in vivo, more research is required to make any of these approaches pertinent to modern animal production systems. The objective of this review is to explain how anti-methanogenic compounds (e.g., plant tannins) affect ruminal microbiota, reduce CH4 emission, and the effects on host responses. Thus, this review provides information relevant to understanding the impact of tannins on methanogenesis, which may provide a cost-effective means to reduce enteric CH4 production and the influence of ruminant animals on global GHG emissions.

Peanut skin in diet alters average daily gain, ruminal and blood metabolites, and carcass traits associated with Haemonchus contortus infection in meat goats

The aim of this study was to determine the effects of tannin-rich peanut skin (PS) supplementation on growth performance, ruminal and blood metabolites, and carcass traits associated with internal parasite infection in meat goats under confined conditions. Twenty-one Kiko crossbred male goats were blocked by body weight (BW) and randomly assigned to one of 3 treatment groups. Experimental diets contained different levels of peanut (Arachis hypogaea) skin replacing alfalfa (Medicago sativa) pellets (ALP) in a control diet. Experimental treatments included: 30% ALP (control), 15% PS and 15% ALP, and 30% PS. Peanut skin was incorporated in the grain mix portion of the diets. Animals were fed once daily, and the intake was adjusted every 3 to 4 d. Each animal was each artificially infected with 5,000 larvae of the 3rd stage of barber's pole worm (Haemonchus contortus). Body weights, dry matter intake (DMI), and fecal samples for fecal egg counts (FEC) were taken at d 0, 12, 23, and 41. Rumen fluid and blood samples were collected at d 45. The performance period lasted 45 d and at the completion of the study, goats were harvested, and carcass characteristics, abomasal worm counts were measured. The results showed that DMI, BW, carcass traits, and meat color were not affected by PS supplementation, whereas average daily gain (ADG, P < 0.01), blood glucose (P < 0.001), phosphorus (P < 0.05), and cholesterol levels (P < 0.001) significantly increased with increasing levels of PS supplementation. There was a linear (P < 0.01) reduction in rumen acetate to propionate ratio, ammonia-nitrogen, FEC, and H. contortus worm counts, with increasing levels of PS supplementation. This study shows that PS supplementation up to 30% of the diet can improve ADG and rumen fermentation while reducing gastrointestinal parasite infection in meat goats.