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Lester RE, Macqueen A, Armstrong EK, Dodemaide DT, Dwyer GK, Mock TS, Payne S, Smith M, Storen M, Webb L. Can freshwater plants and algae act as an effective feed supplement to reduce methane emissions from ruminant livestock? THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 914:169296. [PMID: 38104811 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.169296] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2023] [Revised: 12/08/2023] [Accepted: 12/09/2023] [Indexed: 12/19/2023]
Abstract
Methane production by livestock is a substantial component of greenhouse gas emissions worldwide. The marine red algae, Asparagopsis taxiformis, has been identified as a possible supplement in livestock feeds due to its potent inhibition of methane production but currently is unable to be produced at scale. Finding additional taxa that inhibit methane production is therefore desirable. Here we provide foundational evidence of methanogenesis-inhibiting properties in Australian freshwater plants and algae, reviewing candidate species and testing species' chemical composition and efficacy in vitro. Candidate plant species and naturally-occurring algal mixes were collected and assessed for ability to reduce methane in batch testing and characterised for biochemical composition, lipids and fatty acids, minerals and DNA. We identified three algal mixes and one plant (Montia australasica) with potential to reduce methane yield in in vitro batch assay trials. All three algal mixes contained Spirogyra, although additional testing would be needed to confirm this alga was responsible for the observed activity. For the two samples that underwent multiple dose testing, Algal mix 1 (predominantly Spirogyra maxima) and M. australasica, there seems to be an optimum dose but sources, harvesting and storage conditions potentially determine their methanogenesis-inhibiting activity. Based on their compositions, fatty acids are likely to be acting to reduce methane in Algal mix 1 while M. australasica likely contains substantial amounts of the flavonoids apigenin and kaempferol, which are associated with methane reduction. Based on their mineral composition, the samples tested would be safe for livestock consumption at an inclusion rate of 20%. Thus, we identified multiple Australian species that have potential to be used as a feed supplement to reduce methane yield in livestock which may be suitable for individual farmers to grow and feed, reducing complexities of supply associated with marine alternatives and suggesting avenues for investigation for similar species elsewhere.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rebecca E Lester
- Centre for Regional and Rural Futures, Deakin University, Locked Bag 20000, Geelong, Victoria 3220, Australia.
| | - Ashley Macqueen
- Centre for Regional and Rural Futures, Deakin University, Locked Bag 20000, Geelong, Victoria 3220, Australia
| | - Emily K Armstrong
- Centre for Regional and Rural Futures, Deakin University, Locked Bag 20000, Geelong, Victoria 3220, Australia
| | - David T Dodemaide
- Centre for Regional and Rural Futures, Deakin University, Locked Bag 20000, Geelong, Victoria 3220, Australia
| | - Georgia K Dwyer
- Centre for Regional and Rural Futures, Deakin University, Locked Bag 20000, Geelong, Victoria 3220, Australia
| | - Thomas S Mock
- Nutrition and Seafood Laboratory, School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Deakin University, Geelong, Victoria 3220, Australia
| | - Stephanie Payne
- School of Agriculture and Environment, University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Highway, Crawley, WA 6009, Australia
| | - Michael Smith
- Centre for Regional and Rural Futures, Deakin University, Locked Bag 20000, Geelong, Victoria 3220, Australia
| | - Michaela Storen
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Deakin University, Locked Bag 20000, Geelong, Victoria 3220, Australia
| | - Lawrence Webb
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Deakin University, Locked Bag 20000, Geelong, Victoria 3220, Australia
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Wang C, Zhong Y, Liu H, Wang H, Li Y, Wang Q, Li J, Huang P, Yang H. Effects of Dietary Supplementation with Tea Residue on Growth Performance, Digestibility, and Diarrhea in Piglets. Animals (Basel) 2024; 14:584. [PMID: 38396552 PMCID: PMC10886095 DOI: 10.3390/ani14040584] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2023] [Revised: 02/05/2024] [Accepted: 02/08/2024] [Indexed: 02/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Thirty-six healthy 21-day-old weaned ternary piglets (Duroc × Landrace × Yorkshire) were randomly divided into two treatments with 18 replicates per treatment and one pig per replicate. The control group was fed with a basal diet and the test group was fed with diets supplemented with 1 kg/t tea residue. The test period was 28 days. The results are as follows: The addition of tea residue in the diet had no significant effect on the growth performance of weaned piglets (p > 0.05), but it could significantly reduce the diarrhea rate of piglets from 1 to 7 days and 1 to 28 days (p < 0.05). Compared with the control group, the dietary supplementation of tea residue had no significant effect on nutrient apparent digestibility, plasma biochemical indexes and plasma immune indexes (p > 0.05) but increased the content of glutathione in plasma (p < 0.05). Tea residue had no significant effect on the morphology of the jejunum and ileum of piglets (p > 0.05), but it could significantly reduce the content of chloride ions in feces (p < 0.05). Compared with the basal diet group, there was no significant difference in the relative expression of TMEM16A and CFTR mRNA in the colon of weaned piglets (p > 0.05). The whole-cell patch clamp recording showed that the TMEM16A and CFTR ion channels could be activated by ionomycin and forskolin, respectively. However, when HT-29 cells transfected with TMEM16A and CFTR channels were treated with tea residue extract, it could significantly inhibit the chloride current of the TMEM16A and CFTR ion channels (p < 0.05).
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Pengfei Huang
- Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Intestinal Function and Regulation, College of Life Sciences, Hunan Normal University, Changsha 410081, China
| | - Huansheng Yang
- Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Intestinal Function and Regulation, College of Life Sciences, Hunan Normal University, Changsha 410081, China
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