Rumen Microbes Manipulation to Improve Animal Productivity
Anamika Pandey- M.V.Sc Scholar, Physiology & Climatology Division, ICAR-Indian Veterinary Research Institute, Izatnagar, Bareilly, 243122, Uttar Pradesh, India.
Email id: anamikabulbul1396@gmail.com
Introduction: Increasing the production of microbes in the rumen is the key to lifting milk production and composition. The microbes break down the feed to produce volatile fatty acids, which are used by the cow as energy for maintenance and milk production. Ruminants like a cow, buffalo, sheep, goats, etc., live in a symbiotic relationship with rumen microbiota. By taking feed, they deliver new substrates to the microorganisms, which in return produce valuable nutrients through fermentation and form a nutrient source themselves (Mizrahi, 2013).
“Rumen microbial ecosystem is considered to be the powerhouse of the ruminants.”
Why to do rumen manipulation?
- Reduction in methanogenesis
- Enhancing lactate utilization
- Reduction in proteolysis and ammonia production.
The ruminants in developing countries are predominantly maintained on low-grade roughage and grazing on degraded range land resulting in their poor nutrient utilization and productivity. In view of feed resource availability in tropical countries, more emphasis has to be given for manipulating rumen fermentation to increase cellulolytic activity for efficient utilization of low-grade roughage. Hence, manipulation of rumen fermentation was tried during the last two decades to optimize ruminal fermentation for improving nutrient utilization and productivity of the animals.
Reducing enteric methane emissions decrease greenhouse gases in the atmosphere and improves the efficiency of converting plant material into milk and meat.
Methods to reduce methane production by –
Ionophores: Ionophoric antibiotics such as monensin or rumensin,
Propionate enhancers: Malate, which is converted to propionate via fumarate, also stimulated propionate production and inhibited methanogenesis in Vitro (Martin and Streeter, 1995),
Defaunation: rumen protozoa were eliminated for reducing ruminal methane production and increasing protein outflow in the intestine, resulting in improve growth and feed conversion efficiency of the animals and immunization.
Improvement in milk yield, milk fat, and protein contents by Bacillus licheniformis and Bacillus subtilis feeding has been reported in sheep (Kritas et al, 2006).
Conclusion:
The ruminant body utilizes 65-80% glucose for lactose synthesis Animals remain deprived of energy during the initial days of lactation as a result to compensate for this loss we can modulate the rumen microbiota by enhancing propionate and reducing methanogenic bacteria in the rumen by using probiotics, ionophores or through defaunation and by this increase in energy production via propionate- glucose production we can modulate the milk production in farm animals. Therefore, the microbiota of rumens helps the ruminants in the overall quality and quantity of milk production.
References:
Jami, E., Israel, A., Kotser, A. and Mizrahi, I., 2013. Exploring the bovine rumen bacterial community from birth to adulthood. The ISME journal. 7(6):1069-1079.
Kritas, S.K., Govaris, A., Christodoulopoulos, G. and Burriel, A.R., 2006. Effect of Bacillus licheniformis and Bacillus subtilis supplementation of ewe’s feed on sheep milk production and young lamb mortality. Journal of Veterinary Medicine Series A. 53(4):170-173.
Martin, S.A. and Streeter, M.N., 1995. Effect of malate on in vitro mixed ruminal microorganism fermentation. Journal of Animal Science. 73(7):2141-2145.
