Optimizing Essential Oil Mixtures : Synergistic Effects on Cattle Rumen Fermentation and Methane Emission
Nasir, Memoona (Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona. Departament de Ciència Animal i dels Aliments)
Rodríguez-Prado, Maria (Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona. Departament de Ciència Animal i dels Aliments)
Simoni, Marica (Università degli Studi di Parma)
Martín Orúe, Susana M (Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona. Departament de Ciència Animal i dels Aliments)
Pérez Hernández, José Francisco (Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona. Departament de Ciència Animal i dels Aliments)
Calsamiglia, Sergio (Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona. Departament de Ciència Animal i dels Aliments)

Date:	2025
Abstract:	Ruminant livestock contribute significantly to methane emissions, necessitating sustainable mitigation strategies. Essential oils (EOs) show promise for modulating ruminal fermentation, but their synergistic effects remain underexplored. Two 24 h in vitro experiments evaluated the synergistic effects of EO blends on rumen microbial fermentation. Exp. 1 screened five oils using two triad combinations. Triad 1 tested 10 combinations of thyme (THY), peppermint (PPM), and cinnamon leaf (CIN) oils. Triad 2 tested 10 combinations of anise (ANI), clove leaf (CLO), and peppermint (PPM) oils. Each blend was tested at 400 mg/L, using batch culture methods measuring: pH, ammonia-N (NH-N), and volatile fatty acids (VFAs). The two most effective blends, designated as T1 and T2, were selected for Exp. 2 to assess total gas and methane (CH) production using pressure transducer methods. All treatments were incubated in a rumen fluid-buffer mix with a 50:50 forage-to-concentrate substrate (pH 6. 6). In Exp. 1, data were analyzed according to the Simplex Centroid Design using R-Studio. In Exp. 2, an analysis was conducted using the MIXED procedure in SAS. Mean comparisons were assessed through Tukey's test. The results from Exp. 1 identified CIN+PPM (80:20) and ANI+CLO (80:20) as optimal combinations, both increasing total VFAs while reducing acetate/propionate ratios and NH-N concentrations. In Exp. 2, both combinations significantly reduced total gas and CH productions compared to the control, with CIN+PPM achieving the greatest methane reduction (similar to monensin, the positive control). Specific essential oil combinations demonstrated synergistic effects in modulating rumen fermentation and reducing methane emissions, offering potential for sustainable livestock production. Further in vivo validation is required to optimize dosing and assess long-term effects on animal performance.
Rights:	Aquest document està subjecte a una llicència d'ús Creative Commons. Es permet la reproducció total o parcial, la distribució, la comunicació pública de l'obra i la creació d'obres derivades, fins i tot amb finalitats comercials, sempre i quan es reconegui l'autoria de l'obra original.
Language:	Anglès
Document:	Article ; recerca ; Versió publicada
Subject:	Essential oils ; Feed additives ; Methane mitigation ; Rumen fermentation ; Synergistic effects
Published in:	Animals, Vol. 15 Núm. 14 (july 2025) , p. 2105, ISSN 2076-2615

DOI: 10.3390/ani15142105
PMID: 40723567

27 p, 2.1 MB

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