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Abstract
The objective of this experiment was to determine the effect of peppermint essential oil on in vitro gas, volatile fatty acids (VFA), methane, ammonia production, metabolisable energy (ME) and organic matter digestibility (OMD) of barley grain. Gas productions of barley grain were determined at 3, 6, 12, 24, 48, 72 and 96 h incubation times in the presence (100, 200, 400, 800 and 1200 mg/L) and in the absence of peppermint essential oil. The supplementation of peppermint essential oil significantly (P < 0.001) reduced the total gas production (A), ME, OMD, total VFA, methane and ammonia production. The mean decreases in A, OMD, ME, total VFA, methane and ammonia production of barley grain were 0.0338, 0.0341, 0.0054, 0.041, 0.023 and 0.0079 units per mg peppermint essential oil supplementation, respectively. In conclusion, the current study has provided significant information on the anti-microbial activity of peppermint essential oil causing an inhibition of the overall fermentation process of barley grain. Therefore, before large scale implementation, further investigations are required to determine the effect of peppermint essential oil on voluntary food intake, animal performance and the profitability of the supplementation in vivo.
