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Decreased methane production and altered fermentation in response to the addition of fumaric acid to the rumen simulation technique (rusitec)

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  20 November 2017

S. López ,
C. Valdés ,
C.J. Newbold  and
R.J. Wallace
S. López
Affiliation:
Rowett Research Institute, Greenburn Road, Bucksburn, ABERDEEN. AB2 9SB
C. Valdés
Affiliation:
Rowett Research Institute, Greenburn Road, Bucksburn, ABERDEEN. AB2 9SB
C.J. Newbold
Affiliation:
Rowett Research Institute, Greenburn Road, Bucksburn, ABERDEEN. AB2 9SB
R.J. Wallace
Affiliation:
Rowett Research Institute, Greenburn Road, Bucksburn, ABERDEEN. AB2 9SB
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Extract

Methanogenesis is the main means of disposal of hydrogen in the rumen. Its formation represents a substantial loss of energy to the animal, and it is also the main source of greenhouse gas emissions from agriculture (Moss, 1993). Inhibition of methane production by ruminants would therefore have significant econimic and environmental benefits.

One possible way to decrease methane formation in the rumen is to promote alternative metabolic pathways to dispose of the reducing power, competing with methanogenesis for the hydrogen uptake. Methane production by mixed rumen bacteria was decreased for short periods in vitro when fumarate was added to the medium (Demeyer & Henderickx, 1967). Fumarate is a metabolic precursor of propionate, and it is reduced to succinate by fumarate reductase. In the present experiment longer-term effects of fumarate supplementation on methane production were investigated by the rumen simulation technique (Rusitec).

Type
Techniques and Methods
Information
Proceedings of the British Society of Animal Science , Volume 1995 , March 1995 , pp. 109
Copyright
Copyright © The British Society of Animal Science 1995

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Footnotes

1

Collaborator via fellowship under OECD Project on Biological Resource Management

2

Present address: Departamento de Productión Animal. Universidad de León. E-24071 LEON. Spain

References

Demeyer, D. & Henderickx, H. (1967). Archives Internationals de Physiologie et de Biochimie 75: 157–159.Google Scholar
Moss, A.R. (1993). Methane global warming and production by animals. Chalcombe Publ., Canterbury (105 pp.)Google Scholar