The objective of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of the fungal treatment (Pleurotus ostreatus) of urea-treated rice stubble on growth performance in slow-growing goats. Eighteen crossbred Thai-native x Anglo-Nubian male goats (average body weight: 20.4 ± 2.0 kg) were randomly assigned to three experimental total mixed rations containing 35% rice stubble (RS) that were either untreated (URS), urea treated (UTRS), or treated with urea and fungi (UFTRS). URS and UTRS were cultivated and harvested from an aseptically fungal spawn, incubated at 25–30 °C for 25 days. Indicators of growth performance were monitored, and feces were collected quantitatively to assess nutrient digestibility, during a 12-week feeding trial. All goats remained healthy throughout the experiment. The goats fed UFTRS had a lower feed conversion ratio (kg feed/kg growth) compared to goats fed URS or UTRS. Compared to URS, dietary UFTRS increased the nutrient digestibility of slow-growing goats, such as organic matter (OM) (+8.5%), crude protein (CP) (+5.5%), neutral detergent fiber (NDF) (+39.2%), and acid detergent fiber (ADF) (+27.4%). Likewise, dietary UFTRS tended to increase rumen ammonia concentrations, but rumen pH and volatile fatty acids were not affected by UFTRS. In conclusion, the present study indicates that the fungal treatment of RS is an effective tool to improve the growth performance of slow-growing goats.

At present, there is little information regarding whether supplementation with Piper betle powder (PBP) and sunflower oil (SFO) has a synergistic effect on lowering methane emissions without negatively impacting ruminal fermentation. This study investigated the effects of PBP, supplemented either with or without SFO, on biogas release, fermentation end-products, and microorganisms in the rumen of lactating goats. The treatments were run in a completely randomized 3 × 5 factorial arrangement, whereby 0, 15, and 30 mg SFO were combined with 0, 15, 30, 45, and 60 mg PBP on a dry matter basis. The outcomes were assessed in vitro. PBP was obtained from the perennial plant Piper betle L., which is an abundant source of flavonoids and their aromatic derivatives. SFO, which reduces dietary methane emissions, was supplemented to confirm whether it interacted with other nutrients in the ruminant diet. SFO × PBP significantly (p < 0.05) decreased methane production, enhanced total volatile fatty acid concentrations, and decreased the number of rumen protozoa. We found that 15-30 mg, but not 45-60 mg, PBP combined with 0, 15, and 30 mg SFO increased (p < 0.05) total gas production (including CO2) from fermentation. However, our results suggested that at least 45 mg PBP, either alone or combined with SFO, was required to reduce ammonia-N (p < 0.05). Not all treatments affected rumen pH. In conclusion, supplementing PBP (< 30 mg), either alone or combined with SFO, has a suppressing effect on methane production while preserving an optimum rate of rumen fermentation.

Context: Rumen biohydrogenation is an important way to produce conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), especially the rumenic acid isomer. However, CLA is principally synthesised endogenously in lactating mammals by delta 9-desaturase in breast tissue. Aims: The aim of the study was to evaluate milk fatty acid profile, rumen microbial population and animal performance in response to diets containing sunflower oil either supplemented with or without flavonoids and essential oils from Piper betle L. powder (PP) in dairy goats. Method: Twelve multiparous Saanen goats (42 ± 1.00 kg; mean ± s.d.) were randomly assigned to two treatment groups in an experiment that lasted for 6 weeks. The two experimental diets formulated as total mixed ration were: control (CTH) diet (containing 0% PP) and DPB diet (CTH diet containing 1.3% PP on a dry-matter basis). Key results: Inclusion of flavonoids and essential oils from PP in the diet (DPB) did not affect dry-matter intake but resulted in a greater milk yield and altered the composition of milk. Compared with the control diet (CTH), the DPB diet decreased the saturated fatty acid concentration and increased the unsaturated fatty acid concentration in milk. Inclusion of PP decreased the C18:0 production (P < 0.05), resulting in higher C18:1 trans11 and C18:2 cis9 trans11 (P < 0.05) concentrations. Overall, DPB diet increased the total CLA by 1.5-fold, from 1.77 to 2.62 g/100 g fatty acid. The desaturase rate (except desaturase for carbon 18, P < 0.05), and atherogenic and thrombogenic indices were not affected by inclusion of PP in the DPB diet. Moreover, the DPB diet escalated total volatile fatty acid production and altered the volatile fatty acid profile. Compared with goats fed with CTH diet, PP supplementation increased the presence of ruminal Butyrivibrio fibrisolvens by ~5-fold, but the presence of B. proteoclasticus decreased to about 1/11 of the control. Conclusions: The use of sunflower oil at 17.6 g/kg diet and inclusion of a practical dose of flavonoids and essential oils from Piper betle L. leaves in the diet of dairy goats can be an efficient method to improve milk yield and milk composition, including increasing the CLA concentration of milk. Implications: These results constitute an alternative strategy to improve milk quality, without negatively affecting animal performance.

The study evaluated the effect of piper meal which contains flavonoids, essential oils, and phenolic acids on the activity of antioxidant enzymes such as superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GPx) and catalase (CAT), and as well as oxidative stress indicators such as 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl-scavenging activity and thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances (TBARS) in the ruminal fluid, mammary tissue, milk, and blood of lactating goats. Fourteen early lactating Saanen goats (body weight, 44 ± 2.51 kg; 14 ± 3 days in milk) were allotted in equal number to two experimental groups, each received one of the two total mixed rations: control (CON) diet (containing 0% piper meal) and CPM diet (CON diet containing 1.3% piper meal per kg dry matter). Compared with goats fed the CON diet, those fed CPM diet had similar 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl-scavenging, GPx and CAT activity in ruminal fluid, mammary tissue, milk, and blood; however, those samples had increased SOD activity. Dietary CPM diet had a tendency to decrease TBARS production in ruminal fluid, mammary tissue, milk, and plasma by about 2.4, 1.2, 1.1, and 1.4 folds, respectively. Furthermore, alleviated values of TBARS were associated with dwindling mRNA expression of κ light polypeptide gene enhancer in nuclear factor kappa B subunit 1 (NFKB1) but greater expression of SOD1, SOD2, SOD3, and nuclear factor (erythroid-derived 2)-like 2 (NFE₂L₂) in mammary tissue. Our findings showed that the inclusion of 13.0 g piper meal in per kg diet (CPM) can improve the oxidative status of Saanen goats in early lactation. Graphical Abstract

Piper betle L. is edible plant richer in polyphenols that might improve feed utilization in rumen diet. The objective of the present study was to investigate the effect of various Piper betle L. powder (PL) doses on in vitro rumen microorganisms, ruminal biogas and fermentation end-product production, and biohydrogenation including lipolysis-isomerization. The completely randomized design used five levels of PL supplementation (0, 25, 50, 75 and 100 mg DM) incubated with 400 mg of a basal substrate of Pangola hay and concentrate (50:50). The matrix compounds (g/kg DM) of 0.27 catechin, 0.11 rutin, 3.48 quercetin, 0.41 apigenin, 0.04 myricetin, 0.27 kaempferol, 0.76 eugenol and 0.22 caryophyllene derived from PL altered the fermentation pattern, with an increase in degradable nutrients and total volatile fatty acids and acetogenesis without shifting pH during fermentation. These values promoted in vitro gas production, with higher carbon dioxide and lower methane production. Although, hydrogen recovery from lipolysis-isomerization in biohydrogenation was limited, PL successfully promoted stearic acid (C18:0) accumulation by changing the biohydrogenation pathway of fatty acids, causing more C18:1 trans-11 rather than C18:2 trans-11, cis-15. Consequently, this resulted in more conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) cis-9, trans-11, CLA trans-10, cis-12 and CLA trans-11, cis-13. Enhanced PL supply increased total bacteria and fungal zoospores due to a reduction in rumen protozoa. In conclusion, our results demonstrated that PL is a feed additive with potential for ruminants, promising improved ruminal fermentation and biohydrogenation, while reducing methane production.

This work aimed to examine the effects of binding proteins from Gryllus bimaculatus with Sesbania grandiflora phytonutrient on gas dynamics, in vitro digestibility, and ruminal fermentation characteristics. For rumen fluid sources, two dairy bulls with permanent cannulas were used as donors. G. bimaculatus and S. grandiflora powder were combined in the following ratios: 100:0, 99:1, 98:2, 97:3, 96:4, 95:5, 94:6, and 93:7. As 7% of S. grandiflora and 3% of G. bimaculatus were combined, the rumen undegradable protein increased by 45.8% when compared to the control group (p < 0.05). All gas kinetics were not substantially different across treatments, except for cumulative gas output during 96 h of incubation (p < 0.05). Comparing the G. bimaculatus powder to S. grandiflora at a ratio of 95:5 to 93:7 revealed an increase in cumulative gas production (p < 0.05), compared to the other groups. Reduction of G. bimaculatus resulted in a linear increase of in vitro dry matter digestibility (IVDMD) and in vitro organic matter digestibility (IVOMD) at 24 h after incubation. The lowest level of G. bimaculatus—93% with 7% S. grandiflora—showed the greatest IVDMD and IVOMD (p < 0.05) when compared with the control group. Ruminal pH in all treatments remained constant after 4 and 8 h of in vitro incubation (p > 0.05). However, as the quantity of S. grandiflora in the sample increased, the concentration of ammonia-nitrogen (NH₃-N) linearly decreased (p < 0.05). Compared to the control group, the NH₃-N concentration at 4 h of incubation was decreased by 47% when 7% S. grandiflora and 93% G. bimaculatus were mixed. The alteration in the G. bimaculatus to S. grandiflora ratio did not affect the levels of acetic acid or butyric acid. However, when 93% of G. bimaculatus was combined with 7% of S. grandiflora at hour 4 of incubation, propionic acid concentration was moderately increased (p < 0.01) by 6.58 mmol/L. In conclusion, combining 93% G. bimaculatus with 7% S. grandiflora powder enhanced protein utilization, in vitro digestibility, propionate concentration, and cumulative gas production.