Influence of Supplementing Sesbania grandiflora Pod Meal at Two Dietary Crude Protein Levels on Feed Intake, Fermentation Characteristics, and Methane Mitigation in Thai Purebred Beef Cattle

Effect of Brazilian spinach (Alternanthera sissoo) pellet supplementation and dietary ratios on rumen characteristics, microorganisms, methane production, milk yield, and milk composition in dairy cows

The aim of the previous research was to evaluate the effects of Brazilian spinach pellet (BSP) supplementation and dietary ratios on rumen characteristics, methane estimation, and milk production in dairy cows. Four crossbred Thai dairy cattle, with Holstein Friesian (HF) cows with a body weight of 442 ± 50 kg were assessed in a 2 × 2 factorial in a 4 × 4 Latin square design to obtain diets; factor A was the roughage (R) to concentrate (C) ratio at 40:60 and 30:70, and factor B was level of BSP supplantation at 2% and 6% of dry matter (basis) intake (DMI). R:C ratio and supplementation of BSP had no interaction effect on DMI and nutrient digestibility. On DM, organic matter (OM), crude protein (CP), and acid detergent fiber (ADF) intake, the R:C ratio increased (p < 0.05). The digestibility of OM improved (p < 0.05) when cows were fed a R:C ratio of 30:70. On pH, ammonia-nitrogen, protozoal population, and blood urea-nitrogen, there were no interactions between the R:C ratio and BSP supplementation. Increasing the BSP supplementation to 6% (p < 0.01) decreased the protozoal population. The R:C ratio of 30:70 increased total volatile fatty acid (VFA) and propionate (C3) concentrations while decreasing the acetate (C2) to C3 ratio and methane (CH4 ) estimation (p < 0.01). The average concentration of total VFA has increased by 114.46 mmol/L for 6% of BSP supplementation. Increased BSP supplementation increased the C3 concentration while decreasing the C2:C3 ratio and CH4 emissions (p < 0.05). The R:C ratio and BSP supplementation had no interaction effect on milk yield, 3.5% fat-corrected milk (FCM), or milk composition. The R:C ratio of 30:70 increased milk yield (p < 0.05) to the highest level of 12.18 kg/day. In conclusion, the diet containing a R:C ratio of 30:70 increased feed intake, milk yield, BUN, total VFA, and C3 concentration, and decreased the C2:C3 ratio and CH4 emission. BSP supplementation at 6% could increase TVFA and C3 concentrations while decreasing the protozoal population and CH4 estimation.

The Benefits of Adding Sulfur and Urea to a Concentrate Mixture on the Utilization of Feed, Rumen Fermentation, and Milk Production in Dairy Cows Supplemental Fresh Cassava Root

Fresh cassava roots that contain hydrocyanic acid (HCN) can be hazardous to animals when consumed. Prior literature has shown that adding sulfur may eliminate HCN without harming the health of animals. Additionally, adding urea is advised if sulfur was utilized since it helps with microbial protein synthesis. We thus proposed that supplementing the fresh cassava root diet with a high sulfur and urea in concentrate diet would be advantageous for rumen fermentation and milk production in animals. The purpose of this study was to see how high sulfur and urea levels in concentrate combinations affected feed utilization, rumen fermentation, and milk production in dairy cows fed diets including fresh cassava root. Four Holstein Friesian cows with 480 ± 50.0 kg BW, 10 ± 2 kg/head/day of milk yield, and 90 days in milk (DIM) were assigned at random in a 4 × 4 Latin square design with a 2 × 2 factorial design. Factor A was the concentration of sulfur in the concentrate diet at 10 g/kg and 20 g/kg dry matter (DM), while factor B was the concentration of urea in the concentrate diet at 10 g/kg and 20 g/kg DM. Fresh cassava root was given to each cow on a daily basis at a rate of 15 g DM/kg of BW. According to the findings, sulfur and urea had no interaction impact on feed intake, rumen fermentation, or milk production. Sulfur supplementation at 20 g/kg DM improved sulfur intake and digestibility of DM and organic matter much more than 10 g/kg sulfur. Additionally, sulfur supplementation at a dose of 20 g/kg DM in concentrate markedly increased blood and milk thiocyanate concentrations while lowering the somatic cell count. When compared to 10 g/kg DM urea, 20 g/kg DM urea significantly enhanced crude protein digestibility, ammonia-nitrogen concentration, blood urea nitrogen, and total volatile fatty acid concentration. Sulfur might detoxify hydrogen cyanide toxicity and be added at 20 g/kg DM in concentrate without harming the animals, whereas urea at 20 g/kg DM could increase feed digestion and rumen fermentation.

In vitro rumen degradability of tropical legumes and their secondary metabolites depends on inoculum source

In this study, the in vitro apparent rumen degradability of organic matter (ARDOM) and plant secondary metabolites (ARDPSM) of three tropical legumes (Mucuna pruriens, Canavalia ensiformis, and Leucaena leucocephala) were assessed. For this, 3 experiments were set up, i.e., single end-point incubations (24 h) with ruminal inoculum from either Belgian or Cuban sheep, as well as kinetic assessments (0 h, 2 h, 4 h, 6 h, 8 h, 10 h, 12 h, and 24 h) inoculum from Belgian sheep. L-mimosine, L-canavanine, Concanavalin A (Con A), and trypsin inhibitor (TI) were the plant secondary metabolites (PSM) targeted in this study. In all three experiments, both beans, as well as forage/bean meals of M. pruriens and C. ensiformis and their PSM, were extensively degraded during 24 h incubation, irrespective of the inoculum source (0.44 to 0.70 and 0.43 to 0.78 g/g of organic matter (OM) for ARDOM, respectively, and > 0.80 g/g for L-canavanine, > 0.76 TIU/TIU for TI, and > 0.95 g/g for Con A, for both legumes). Forage meal of L. leucocephala was considerably less degraded, with apparent ruminal degradabilities of 0.20 g/g OM and 0.35 g/g OM after 24 h incubation with Belgian or Cuban sheep inoculum, respectively. This could - at least partially - be related to L-mimosine, present in L. leucocephala, which was hardly degraded in the Belgian incubation, while a more extensive ruminal breakdown was observed under the Cuban conditions (0.05 g/g PSM vs. 0.78 g/g PSM, respectively). The negative effect of L-mimosine on OM degradability was supported in an additional in vitro experiment with straw and inoculum from Belgian sheep, as ruminal degradation of straw was 31% lower when pure L-mimosine was supplemented.

Calcium Propionate Supplementation Has Minor Effects on Major Ruminal Bacterial Community Composition of Early Lactation Dairy Cows

Calcium propionate is one kind of good source for preventing and treating hypocalcemia and ketosis for dairy cows in early lactation. However, little is known about the effects of different feeding levels of calcium propionate on the ruminal bacterial community of early lactation dairy cows. This study aimed to explore the effects of different calcium propionate feeding levels on the ruminal fermentation and bacterial community composition of early lactation dairy cows. Twenty-four multiparous cows were randomly allocated into control (CON), low calcium propionate (LCaP), medium calcium propionate (MCaP), and high calcium propionate (HCaP) groups with six cows per group after calving. The CON group cows were fed the normal total mixed ration (TMR), and the cows of the LCaP, MCaP, and HCaP groups were fed TMR supplemented with 200, 350, and 500 g/day calcium propionate for 35 days after calving, respectively. The rumen fermentation parameters were measured every week, and the ruminal bacterial community composition of the last week was analyzed by 16S rRNA gene sequencing. Under the same diet, the rumen pH showed no difference among the four groups, but the content of microbial crude protein (MCP) and ammonia nitrogen quadratically decreased and linearly increased with calcium propionate supplementation, respectively. The feeding of calcium propionate linearly increased the concentrations of total volatile fatty acid (VFA), acetate, propionate, butyrate, iso-valerate, and valerate in the rumen. In all the treatment groups, Bacteroidetes, Firmicutes, and Proteobacteria were the dominant phyla, and Prevotella_1 and Succiniclasticum were the dominant genera in the rumen. Compared with the CON group, the addition of calcium propionate to the early lactation dairy cows quadratically improved the alpha diversity index of Chao1 estimator and observed species, but had little effect on the relative abundance of the major bacterial at phyla and genera level. These results suggested different levels of calcium propionate supplementation improved the rumen fermentation and the ruminal bacterial diversity but had little impact on the major ruminal bacterial community composition of dairy cows in early lactation.

In Vitro Fermentation Characteristics and Methane Mitigation Responded to Flavonoid Extract Levels from Alternanthera sissoo and Dietary Ratios

Two experiments were conducted under this study: Experiment 1 was to study production yield, chemical composition, and in vitro degradability of Brazilian spinach (Alternanthera sissoo; BS) leaf and leaf + leaf-stalk at various maturity ages of 15, 30, 45, and 60 days after plantation and regrowth and Experiment 2 was to evaluate the effect of flavonoid extract from BS leaf and leaf + leaf-stalk and dietary ratios on ruminal gas production, fermentation characteristics, and in vitro degradability. Experiment 1 showed that maturity ages after planting and regrowth increased, the yield significantly increased. Increasing maturity ages significantly (p < 0.05) increased neutral detergent fiber and acid detergent fiber content and decreased crude protein content, total flavonoid (TF) content, and degradability for both leaf and leaf + leaf-stalk. Maturity ages from 15 to 30 days after plantation and regrowth resulted (p < 0.05) the highest TF content and degradability for both leaf and leaf + leaf-stalk. Thus, BS leaf and leaf + leaf-stalk samples from 15 to 30 days of age were used for flavonoid extraction and used in the Experiment 2. Experiment 2 was conducted according to a 3 × 5 factorial experiment. Three roughage to concentrate (R:C) ratios at 50:50, 40:60, and 30:70 were used, and five levels of flavonoid extract (FE) at 0, 10, 20, 30, and 40 mg of substrate dry matter (DM) were supplemented. Experiment 2 showed that R:C ratio and FE had an interaction effect only on acetate to propionate ratio. Varying R:C ratios significantly increased (p < 0.05) in vitro DM degradability, total volatile fatty acids (VFA), and propionate (C3) concentration. FE supplementation linearly (p < 0.05) increased total VFA and C3 concentration and decreased methane production and protozoal population. This study could conclude that FE from BS could effectively modulate ruminal fermentation and decrease methane production. However, in vivo study needs to elucidate in order to validate the present results.