Horse Fecal Methane and Carbon Dioxide Production and Fermentation Kinetics Influenced by Lactobacillus farciminis –Supplemented Diet

Deciphering the role of Moringa oleifera seeds and probiotic bacteria on mitigation of biogas production from ruminants

Maintaining cleaner and more sustainable ecosystems by mitigating greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from livestock through dietary manipulation is in demand. This study was aimed to assess the effect of Moringa oleifera seeds and probiotics (Pediococcus acidilactici BX-B122 and Bacillus coagulans BX-B118) as feed supplements on GHG production and fermentation profile from steers and sheep. The treatments included diets containing 0, 6, 12, and 18% of M. oleifera seeds meal and a mixture of probiotic bacteria (0.2 ml/g of diet). Total biogas production, CH4, CO, and H2S emission from animals (up to 48 h), rumen fermentation profile, and CH4 conversion efficiency were recorded using standard protocols. Results showed interaction among M. oleifera seeds and probiotics on asymptotic biogas production and total biogas production up to 48 h (P < 0.05). The rate of CH4 emission in steers was reduced from 0.1694 to 0.0447 ml/h using 6 and 18% of M. oleifera seeds (P < 0.05). Asymptotic CO and the rate of CO production were increased (P < 0.05) by supplementing different doses of M. oleifera seeds and probiotics. Adding 12% of M. oleifera seeds and probiotics reduced H2S production from 0.0675 to 0.0112 ml H2S/g DM (at 48 h of fermentation) in steers. In sheep, the additives mitigated H2S production from 0.0364 to 0.0029 ml H2S/g DM (at 48 h of fermentation), however there were not interaction (P = 0.7744). In addition, M. oleifera seeds and probiotics reduced the pH level and dry matter degradability (DMD) in steers and sheep (P < 0.0001) showing a positive impact on CH4:ME and CH4:OM (in steers) and CH4:SCFA (in sheep), while the interaction was not significant (P > 0.05) for CH4:SCFA (in steers) and CH4:ME and CH4:OM (in sheep). In conclusion, the interaction of M. oleifera seeds and probiotics in the feeding diet reduced GHG emissions and affected the fermentation profile of steers and sheep.

Promising future of citrus waste into fermented high-quality bio-feed in the poultry nutrition and safe environment

Essential oils (EO), ascorbic acid, sugars, carotenoids, flavonoids, dietary fiber, polyphenols, and trace minerals are found in citrus residue. It gives animals energy and promotes health. On a dry matter basis, the citrus pulp is composed of 7% crude protein, 14% crude fiber, 21.6% nitrogen detergent fiber, 2.5% fat, 24.4% total sugars, and 12.1% ME MJ/kg. It has been reported that the natural antioxidant content of citrus pulp has a beneficial effect on growth and microbial and immunological parameters. The literature indicates that the ultimate weight and weight gain of poultry are significantly (P > 0.05) greater with 7.5% inclusion. Growing knowledge of the health benefits of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) in producing beneficial metabolites has led to interest in developing LAB-containing products for use in biofeed businesses. The consumption of fermented citrus residue significantly decreased blood cholesterol levels. Fermentation results in the production of many compounds (including organic acids, exopolysaccharides, bioactive peptides, phenolic compounds, and gamma-aminobutyric acid), which have many multidimensional functions for maintaining the health and well-being of poultry. During fermentation, the pH may quickly decrease, and harmful bacterial and fungal organisms may be substantially retarded at the early stage of ensiling. The published literature has shown that the fermentation of citrus waste with different probiotic strains, such as Lactobacillus acidophilus, Limosilactobacillus fermentum, Lactiplantibacillus plantarum, Pediococcus pentocaseus, and Lacticaseiobacillus paracasei, in the diet has fantastic effects on the conversion of citrus waste into fermented high-quality feed with extended shelf life and sensory value. Citrus waste lactic acid fermentation may be a viable option for producing nutritional biofeed for poultry, but there is a lack of related research on poultry, so more research on food-grade bacterial fermentation is needed.

The in vitro digestion and fermentation characteristics of feedstuffs inoculated with cecal or colic fluid of Dezhou donkey

The present study was conducted to evaluate the in vitro dry matter disappearance (IVDMD) and fermentation characteristics of 6 fibrous feedstuffs incubated with donkey cecal or colic microorganisms. The fibrous feeds were corn straw (CS), wheat straw (WS), peanut vine (PNV), peanut shell (PNH), wheat shell (WH) and wheat bran (WB), which are commonly applied in large-scale donkey farms in China. After 48 h fermentation, the highest IVDMD occurred in WB, and the lowest occurred in PNH (P<0.05) regardless what inoculum applied. The IVDMD was positively correlated with OM (R=0.42, P<0.01), CP (R=0.76, P<0.01) and EE (R=0.56, P<0.01), while it was negatively correlated with NDF (R=0.75, P<0.01) and ADF (R=0.79, P<0.01). In terms of volatile fatty acids (VFAs), the greatest net VFA production also occurred in WB (P<0.05). The acetate and branched-chain volatile fatty acid (BCVFA) proportions were greater in the colon culture fluids than in caecum (P<0.05), but the propionate proportions were lower in colon than in caecum (P<0.05). This resulted in an increase in the ratio of acetate to propionate in colon culture fluids. In summary, based on the highest IVDMD, net VFA production and CP content occurring with the lowest contents of both NDF and ADF, WB had the highest nutritive value compared to other fibrous substrates. The extent of feed degradation and fermentation depended mainly on the nature of the incubated feedstuffs. Nevertheless, further study is required to investigate these fibrous feeds on hindgut fermentation and in vivo nutrient digestibility.

Adverse Effect of Antibiotics Administration on Horse Health: An Overview

Antibiotics-based therapy plays a paramount role in equine medicine because of their potential pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics properties. Conventional antibiotics show bacteriostatic and bactericidal properties by interfering bacterial cell wall and protein synthesis as well as inhibiting RNA polymerase, DNase 1, and DNA gyrase. Antibiotics are extensively used not only for the treatment of varied bacterial infections but also the prevention of postoperative and secondary infections. Surprisingly, antibiotics such as sulfonamides or trimethoprim/sulfonamide combinations, benzylpenicillin, cefquinome, fluphenazine, enrofloxacin, and sodium ceftriaxone cause detrimental effects on horses' health, namely, diarrhea, colitis, nephrotoxicity, ototoxicity, dysrhythmia, arthropathy, ataxia, anorexia, seizures, peripheral neuropathy, and certain neurologic abnormalities. Therefore, in equine practice, it is essential to optimize and analyze the combinations, formulations, route of administration, and dosages of certain antibiotics before administration. This review overviews the mode of actions and pharmacologic attributes of certain antibiotics, commonly used toward the treatment of disparate horse diseases. Most importantly, special emphasis was given to spotlight the potential adverse effects encountered during the administration of antibiotics as therapeutics in horses.

Equine Contribution in Methane Emission and Its Mitigation Strategies

Greenhouses gas emission mitigation is a very important aspect of earth sustainability with greenhouse gasses reduction, a focus of agricultural and petrochemical industries. Methane is produced in nonruminant herbivores such as horses because they undergo hindgut fermentation. Although equine produce less methane than ruminant, increasing population of horses might increase their contribution to the present 1.2 to 1.7 Tg, estimate. Diet, feeding frequency, season, genome, and protozoa population influence methane production equine. In population, Methanomicrobiales, Methanosarcinales, Methanobacteriales, and Methanoplasmatales are the clade identified in equine. Methanocorpusculum labreanum is common among hindgut fermenters like horses and termite. Naturally, acetogenesis and interrelationship between the host and the immune-anatomical interaction are responsible for the reduced methane output in horses. However, to reduce methane output in equine, and increase energy derived from feed intake, the use of biochar, increase in acetogens, inclusion of fibre enzymes and plant extract, and recycling of fecal energy through anaerobic gas fermentation. These might be feasible ways to reducing methane contribution from horse and could be applied to ruminants too.