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Tamarind seed husk, an agricultural waste, was evaluated bothin vitro&in vivoas a methane-ameliorating agent. Basal diets forin vitrostudy were formulated using finger millet straw and concentrate in 70:30 proportions, and tamarind seed husk was included as part of the concentrate with equal (w/w) replacement of wheat bran to achieve 2.5 (T1), 5.0 (T2) and 10.0% (T3) levels. Based on thein vitroresults, two levels (2.5%, T1and 5.0%, T2) of tamarind seed husk were selected for thein vivostudy in male cattle to investigate the effect on enteric methane emission. Fifteen crossbred cattle divided into three groups were assigned to the following diets: control (T0, no husk), test group 1 (T1, 2.5% husk) and test group 2 (T2, 5.0% husk). Thein vivostudy showed a decrease of about 17% in enteric methane emission with a higher level (5%) of tamarind seed husk supplementation. Thein vivostudy demonstrated a non-adverse impact of supplementation on dry matter intake and digestibility, while rumen methanogens notably decreased at 5% inclusion level. It may be concluded that tamarind seed husk supplementation achieved significant methane reduction via direct inhibition of rumen methanogens without affecting fibre degradability. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Aim: The present study was undertaken to evaluate the effect of variable levels of silkworm pupae oil and roughage: concentrate ratio on in vitro methane production, fermentation characteristics, and rumen protozoa population. Materials and Methods: In vitro gas production study (24 h) was performed with graded levels of silkworm pupae oil, namely, 0.5, 1, 2, 4, and 5% of the basal diet and four variable dietary regimes consisting roughage and concentrate in different proportions (70:30, 60:40, 50:50, and 40:60). At the end of incubation, gas samples were analyzed for methane, while fermented rumen liquor was used for protozoa enumeration. A separate set of incubations was carried out for the determination of in vitro dry matter digestibility. Results: Results from the in vitro studies revealed no adverse impact of the silkworm pupae oil supplementation up to 2% level on total gas production. However, supplementation beyond 2% has shown a reduction in total gas production. Incubation with variable levels (0.5-5%) of silkworm pupae oil with different dietary regimes indicated negligible (3-5%) to a substantial reduction (25-30%) on methane production. A graded decrement in methane production was recorded with increasing levels of silkworm pupae oil. Similarly, the protozoal populations were decreased from 10 to 51.5% with graded levels of silkworm pupae oil in different dietary regimes as studies did not reveal any significant (p>0.05) variation between 2 and 4% of oil supplementation. Conclusion: The silkworm pupae oil supplementation at 2% level decreases methane production by 12-15% without any adverse impact on feed fermentation. Oil supplementation may have a more pronounced effect on methane reduction if added to high roughage diet at in vitro conditions. However, in vivo, studies in ruminants are warranted to confirm the methane reduction with silkworm pupae oil supplementation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: The aim of the study was to explore the anti-methanogenic potential of phyto-sources from Northeast region of the country and assess the effect on rumen fermentation characteristics and protozoa for their likely inclusion in animal diet to reduce methane emission. Materials and Methods: Twenty phyto-sources were collected from Northeast state, Assam, during March to April 2014. Phyto-sources were analyzed for their tannin content followed by screening for methane mitigation potential using in vitro system. The effect of tannin on methane production and other fermentation parameters was confirmed by attenuating the effect of tannin with polyethylene glycol (PEG)-6000 addition. About 200 mg dried phyto-source samples were incubated for 24 h in vitro, and volume of gas produced was recorded. The gas sample was analyzed on gas chromatograph for the proportion of methane in the sample. The effect of phyto-sources on rumen fermentation characteristics and protozoal population was determined using standard methodologies. Results: Results from studies demonstrated that Litchi chinensis, Melastoma malabathricum, Lagerstroemia speciosa, Terminalia chebula, and Syzygium cumini produced comparatively less methane, while Christella parasitica, Leucas linifolia, Citrus grandis, and Aquilaria malaccensis produced relatively more methane during in vitro incubation. An increase (p<0.05) in gas and methane production from the phyto-sources was observed when incubated with PEG-6000. Entodinimorphs were prominent ciliates irrespective of the phyto-sources, while holotrichs represented only small fraction of protozoa. An increase (p<0.05) in total protozoa, entodinimorphs, and holotrichs was noted when PEG-6000 added to the basal substrate. Our study confirmed variable impact of phyto-sources on total volatile fatty acid production and ammonia-N. Conclusion: It may be concluded that L. chinensis, M. malabathricum, L. speciosa, S. cumini, and T. chebula are having potent methane suppressing properties as observed in vitro in 24 h. These leaves could be supplemented in the animal diet for reducing methane emission; however, in vivo trials are warranted to confirm the methane inhibitory action and optimize the level of supplementation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]