Challenges and opportunities to capture dietary effects in on-farm greenhouse gas emissions models of ruminant systems

This paper reviews existing on-farm GHG accounting models for dairy cattle systems and their ability to capture the effect of dietary strategies in GHG abatement. The focus is on methane (CH₄) emissions from enteric and manure (animal excreta) sources and nitrous oxide (N₂O) emissions from animal excreta. We identified three generic modelling approaches, based on the degree to which models capture diet-related characteristics: from 'none' (Type 1) to 'some' by combining key diet parameters with emission factors (EF) (Type 2) to 'many' by using process-based modelling (Type 3). Most of the selected on-farm GHG models have adopted a Type 2 approach, but a few hybrid Type 2 / Type 3 approaches have been developed recently that combine empirical modelling (through the use of CH₄ and/or N₂O emission factors; EF) and process-based modelling (mostly through rumen and whole tract fermentation and digestion). Empirical models comprising key dietary inputs (i.e., dry matter intake and organic matter digestibility) can predict CH₄ and N₂O emissions with reasonable accuracy. However, the impact of GHG mitigation strategies often needs to be assessed in a more integrated way, and Type 1 and Type 2 models frequently lack the biological foundation to do this. Only Type 3 models represent underlying mechanisms such as ruminal and total-tract digestive processes and excreta composition that can capture dietary effects on GHG emissions in a more biological manner. Overall, the better a model can simulate rumen function, the greater the opportunity to include diet characteristics in addition to commonly used variables, and thus the greater the opportunity to capture dietary mitigation strategies. The value of capturing the effect of additional animal feed characteristics on the prediction of on-farm GHG emissions needs to be carefully balanced against gains in accuracy, the need for additional input and activity data, and the variability encountered on-farm.

A meta-analysis comparing four measurement methods to determine the relationship between methane emissions and dry-matter intake in New Zealand dairy cattle

Enteric methane (CH4) emissions and dry-matter intake (DMI) can be accurately and precisely measured in respiration chambers (RC), whereas automated head chambers (GreenFeed; GF) and the SF6 tracer method can provide estimates of CH4 emissions from grazing cattle. In New Zealand, most dairy cattle graze pasture and, under these conditions, DMI also has to be estimated. The objective of the current study was to compare the relationship between CH4 production and DMI of New Zealand dairy cattle fed forages using the following four measurement methods: RC with measured DMI (RC); sulfur hexafluoride (SF6) with measured DMI (SF6-DMI); SF6 with DMI estimated from prediction equations or indigestible markers (SF6); GF with measured or estimated DMI (GF). Data were collected from published literature from New Zealand trials with growing and lactating dairy cattle fed forage-based diets and data were analysed using a mixed-effect model. The intercept of the linear regression between CH4 production and DMI was not significantly different from zero and was omitted from the model. However, residual variance (observed–predicted values) increased with an increasing DMI, which was addressed by log-transforming CH4 per unit of DMI and this model was used for final data analysis. The accuracy of the four methods for predicting log CH4 per unit of DMI was similar (P = 0.55), but the precision (indicated by residuals) differed (P < 0.001) among methods. The residual standard deviations for SF6, GF and SF6-DMI were 4.6, 3.4 and 2.1 times greater than the residuals for RC. Hence, all methods enabled accurate prediction of CH4 per unit of DMI, but methodology for determining both CH4 and DMI affected their precision (residuals).

The Effects of System Changes in Grazed Dairy Farmlet Trials on Greenhouse Gas Emissions

Simple Summary

Dairy farm system practices aimed at reducing nitrate leaching can also reduce emissions of the greenhouse gases methane and nitrous oxide. A study comparing ‘current’ and ‘improved’ grazed dairy system practices showed that ‘improved’ systems generally produced lower greenhouse gas emissions while milk production was maintained. The amount of feed eaten per hectare was the key driver of total greenhouse gas emissions per area, with ‘improved’ systems generally exhibiting lower total enteric methane and less N flowing through the herd.

Abstract

An important challenge facing the New Zealand (NZ) dairy industry is development of production systems that can maintain or increase production and profitability, while reducing impacts on receiving environments including water and air. Using research ‘farmlets’ in Waikato, Canterbury, and Otago (32–200 animals per herd), we assessed if system changes aimed at reducing nitrate leaching can also reduce total greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions (methane and nitrous oxide) and emissions intensity (kg GHG per unit of product) by comparing current and potential ‘improved’ dairy systems. Annual average GHG emissions for each system were estimated for three or four years using calculations based on the New Zealand Agricultural Inventory Methodology, but included key farmlet-specific emission factors determined from regional experiments. Total annual GHG footprints ranged between 10,800 kg and 20,600 kg CO₂e/ha, with emissions strongly related to the amount of feed eaten. Methane (CH₄) represented 75% to 84% of the total GHG footprint across all modelled systems, with enteric CH₄ from lactating cows grazing pasture being the major source. Excreta deposition onto paddocks was the largest source of nitrous oxide (N₂O) emissions, representing 7–12% of the total GHG footprint for all systems. When total emissions were represented on an intensity basis, ‘improved’ systems are predicted to generally result in lower emissions intensity. The ‘improved’ systems had lower GHG footprints than the ‘current’ system, except for one of the ‘improved’ systems in Canterbury, which had a higher stocking rate. The lower feed supplies and associated lower stocking rates of the ‘improved’ systems were the key drivers of lower total GHG emissions in all three regions. ‘Improved’ systems designed to reduced N leaching generally also reduced GHG emissions.

Lipophilicity and membrane interactions of cationic-amphiphilic compounds: syntheses and structure-property relationships

This study was performed to elucidate the relationship between steric factors, lipophilicity, and the potency of cationic-amphiphilic compounds to displace calcium ions from phosphatidylserine monolayers. The latter property is considered to be a substance/phospholipid affinity measure. A series of cationic-amphiphilic 3-phenyl-N,N-dimethylpropylamine derivatives with systematic structural variations was synthesized. Lipophilicity values were determined by chromatographic (RP-HPLC, log D(7.4)), shake-flask (log P), and theoretical (CLOGP) techniques. The potency of the compounds to displace calcium ions from phosphatidylserine monolayers was determined using a radiotracer technique, employing the isotope (45)Ca(2+). The experimental lipophilicity values of several isomeric biphenyl- and diphenyl-congeners differ more than could be expected from the CLOGP-calculations and show a good correlation to the calculated molecular surface areas. Although the affinity of the substances to the phospholipid monolayer tends to increase with lipophilicity, no general interrelation between the two properties could be found. Surprisingly, the assay system (a phospholipid monolayer) was quite sensitive towards small steric changes at the 'ligand' molecules. Stereochemical factors have a considerable influence on the interaction of solutes with phospholipid membranes. It must be questioned whether lipophilicity measures alone, without taking other molecular features into account, can meaningfully be used to explain or predict the influence of solutes on membrane-related processes and properties.

Synthesis and evaluation of steroidal hydroxamic acids as inhibitors of P450 17 (17 alpha-hydroxylase/C17-20-lyase)

With the aim of developing new inhibitors of 17 alpha-hydroxylase/C17,20-lyase (P450 17, CYP 17), two steroidal hydroxamic acids (compounds 2 and 3) were synthesized and evaluated as inhibitors of CYP 17. The synthesis was performed using carboxylic acids as starting material to give acid chlorides which were reacted with N,N,O-tris(trimethylsilyl) hydroxylamine. Using microsomal fractions of human and rat testes and progesterone as a substrate, both compounds moderately inhibited the human and rat enzyme.

Synthesis, evaluation and QSAR studies of highly potent aromatase inhibitors of the piperidinedione type

The syntheses of new cycloalkyl- and cycloalkylalkyl-substituted 3-(4-aminophenyl)-piperidine-2,6-diones and their evaluation as aromatase inhibitors is described. Seven of the new compounds were more active in vitro than the cyclohexyl compound (CHAG), a former clinical candidate: cycloheptyl (1), cycloheptylmethyl (2), cyclohexylmethyl (3), cyclopentylmethyl (4), 1-adamantylmethyl (6), 2-cyclohexylethyl (7) and 2-cyclopentylethyl (8). Compound 3 was the most active, exceeding the potency of aminoglutethimide (AG) and CHAG by factors of 356 and 3, respectively, and reaching the activity of fadrozole. With the exception of 4, the other highly potent aromatase inhibitors were less active towards P450 scc compared with AG. Selected compounds showed only little inhibition of P450 18. In a QSAR study including analogous non-cyclic alkyl-substituted piperidinediones a linear relationship between logP and -logIC50 was found. Tested in vivo, compounds 1, 3, 4, 6 and 7 inhibited androgen-stimulated uterine growth in immature Sprague-Dawley rats as potently as CHAG. At a dose of 8.6 micromol/kg body wt compound 2 was superior to CHAG and thus might be a candidate for the treatment of breast cancer.

Synthesis, pharmacological and biophysical characterization, and membrane-interaction QSAR analysis of cationic amphiphilic model compounds

Cationic amphiphilic drugs have a propensity to interact with biological interphases. This study was designed to gain more insight into the molecular properties of catamphiphilic drugs which govern this type of interaction. A series of phenylpropylamine model compounds were synthesized in which modifications were incorporated at the aromatic part of the molecule. The replacement of (45)Ca(2+) from phosphatidylserine monolayers served to monitor drug binding to the phospholipid. The influence on the phase-transition temperature of liposomes of dipalmitoylphosphatidic acid was measured to assess the perturbing action of the drugs on the structural organization of phospholipid assemblies. The antiarrhythmic activity of the compounds was determined in Langendorff preparations of guinea pig hearts to assess the membrane-stabilizing action. Quantitative structure-activity relationship (QSAR) models for these endpoints were developed using both intra- and intermolecular QSAR descriptors. Intermolecular membrane-interaction descriptors were derived from molecular dynamics simulations of the compounds in a model phospholipid monolayer. QSAR models were derived for all endpoints using partial least-squares regression (PLS) and a genetic algorithm tool, the genetic function approximation (GFA). Membrane-interaction descriptors appear to be of a particular importance in explaining the influence of the compounds on the phase-transition temperature of DPPA liposomes, while the other endpoints can be adequately modeled by intramolecular descriptors. The calcium-displacing activity at phosphatidylserine monolayers is governed by the electrostatic properties of the compounds. Measures of lipophilicity and molecular size are of particular importance for antiarrhythmic activity. Possible improvements to both the molecular modeling and the applied computational protocol of membrane-solute systems are identified and discussed.

Pharmacological activity and membrane interactions of antiarrhythmics: 4D-QSAR/QSPR analysis

PURPOSE

This study was done to explore the relationships of both macroscopic and molecular level physicochemical properties to in-vivo antiarrhythmic activity and interactions with phospholipid membranes for a set of cationic-amphiphilic analogs.

METHODS

The 4D-QSAR method, recently developed by Hopfinger and co-workers (1), was employed to establish 3D-QSAR/QSPR models. Molecular dynamics simulations provided the set of conformational ensembles which were analyzed using partial least squares regression in combination with the Genetic Function Approximation algorithm to construct QSAR and QSPR models.

RESULTS

Significant QSAR models for in-vivo antiarrhythmic activity were constructed in which logP (the partition coefficient), and specific grid cell occupancy (spatial) descriptors are the main activity correlates. LogP is the most significant QSAR descriptor. 4D-QSPR models were also developed for two analog-membrane interaction properties, the change in a membrane transition temperature and the ability of the analogs to displace adsorbed Ca(2+)-ions from phosphatidylserine monolayers.

CONCLUSIONS

Spatial features, represented by grid cell occupancy descriptors, supplement partition coefficient, which is the most important determinant of in-vivo antiarrhythmic activity, to provide a comprehensive model for drug action. The QSPR models are less significant in statistical measures, and limited to interpretation of possible molecular mechanisms of action.