Tropical tree foliage supplementation in ruminants improves rumen fermentation and the bacterial profile and decreases methane production

Abstract

The main of this study was to evaluate the effect of supplementation of tropical tree foliage in ruminant diets on the in vitro fermentation, bacterial population, volatile fatty acids (VFAs), and enteric CH₄ production. Seven experimental diets were evaluated: a control treatment of Pennisetum purpureum (T7) and six treatments of P. purpureum supplemented (30%) with the foliage of Neomillspaughia emargiata (T1), Tabernaemontana amygdalifolia (T2), Caesalpinia gaumeri (T3), Piscidia piscipula (T4), Leucaena leucocephala (T5), and Havardia albicans (T6). The T2, T7, and T5 treatments had the highest (p < 0.05) digestibility of dry matter. Overall, supplementation increased (p < 0.05) the concentrations of propionic and butyric acid and decreased acetic acid. Methanogenic bacteria decreased (p < 0.05) in T1, T2, T5, and T6. Ruminococcus albus decreased in T1, T2, T3, and T5 and Selenomonas ruminiantum increased in T3. Fibrobacter succinogenes increased, except in T5. Methane production decreased (p < 0.05) in T1, T4, T5, and T6. The supplementation with Leucaena leucocephala, Tabernaemontana amygdalifolia, Neomillspaughia emargiata, Piscidia piscipula, Havardia albicans, and Caesalpinia gaumeri is a potential alternative nutritional strategy for ruminants that results in positive changes in VFAs profile, a decrease on CH₄ production and methanogenic bacteria, and changes on fibrolytic and non-fibrolytic bacteria composition.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Tropical tree foliage supplementation increased propionic and butyric acid and decreased acetic acid concentrations.

• Fibrolytic, non-fibrolytic, and Methanogenic bacteria were selectively modulated with the supplementation of tropical tree foliage.

• The enteric methane (CH₄) production decreased with the supplementation of tree foliage.

• The supplementation of Tabernaemontana amygdalifolia and Leucaena leucocephala had the highest digestibility and is a potential alternative nutritional strategy for ruminants.

Keywords:

• Enteric methane
• microbial population
• tannins
• tree foliage
• tropics

Author contributions

J.A.A.G. and S.A.M.: conceptualization and methodology. S.A.M. and J.C.S.: software. J.A.A.G., S.A.M., G.J.F., B.A.Z., L.A.M.R., E.J.P.L., and J.C.S.: validation. S.A.M., J.A.A.G., and L.A.M.R.: formal analysis. S.A.M.: investigation. J.A.A.G., B.A.Z., and L.A.M.R.: resources. J.A.A.G. and S.A.M.: data curation. S.A.M. and J.A.G.: writing—original draft preparation. J.A.A.G.: writing—review and editing. S.A.M. and E.J.P.L.: visualization. J.A.A.G. and G.J.F.: supervision. J.A.A.G. and S.A.M.: project administration and funding acquisition. All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

To Dr. José Enrique Botello Álvarez, M.C. Marcela Guadalupe Téllez Martínez, and Sayuri Hernández, for their support in the laboratory of the National Technological Institute of Mexico, in Celaya Guanajuato. To the National Council of Science and Technology (CONACYT) for the fellowship to Samuel Albores Moreno. The funder of fellowship had no role in the design of the study; in the collection, analyses, or interpretation of data, or in the writing of the manuscript and the decision to publish the results.