Strategies are sought to reduce economic and environmental costs associated with ruminant methane emissions. The effect of oral nitroethane or 2-nitropropanol administration on ruminal methane-producing activity and volatile fatty acid production was evaluated in mature ewes. Daily administration of 24 and 72 mg nitroethane/kg body weight reduced (P<0.05) methane-producing activity by as much a...

Climate change is seen as a major threat to the survival of many species, ecosystems and the sustainability of livestock production systems in many parts of the world. Green house gases (GHG) are released in the atmosphere both by natural sources and anthropogenic (human related) activities. An attempt has been made in this article to understand the contribution of ruminant livestock to climate...

The effect on methanogens attached to the surface of rumen ciliate protozoa by the addition of plant extracts (pine needles and ginkgo leaves) was studied with particular reference to their effectiveness for decreasing methane emission. The plant extracts (pine needles and ginkgo leaves) were added to an in vitro fermentation incubated with rumen fluid. The microbial population including bacter...

The objective of this study was to determine the chemical compounds of Iranian propolis (IP) extracts and to show flavonoids and phenol effects on methane production, fermentation characteristics and rumen microbial population (in vitro). In this study two diets with different concentrate: forage ratios as (HC: high concentrate) and (MC: middle concentrate), respectively as non-supplemented or ...

The ciliate Nyctotherus ovalis occurs in high numbers in the hindgut of the American cockroach (Periplaneta americana) and harbors methanogenic bacteria as endosymbionts. The contribution of these hindgut microorganisms to metabolic and developmental processes of P. americana was studied by comparing cultures of cockroaches in which the composition of the hindgut microbial population was altere...

Because New Zealand is a signatory to the Kyoto Protocol Framework Convention on Climate Change (1997), it is required to report national greenhouse gas emissions and maintain them at 1990 levels by 2008-2012. New Zealand has one of the highest per capita levels of the greenhouse gas methane [Woodward et al., 2001] and most of this arises from gut fermentation from ruminants. Not only does this...

The metatranscriptomic recharacterization in the present study captured microbial enzymes at the unprecedented scale of 40,000 active genes belonged to 2,269 KEGG functions were identified. The novel information obtained herein revealed interesting patterns and provides an initial transcriptional insight into the thermophilic cellulose methanization process. Synergistic beta-sugar consumption b...