Skip to main content
ARS Home » Plains Area » College Station, Texas » Southern Plains Agricultural Research Center » Food and Feed Safety Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #320096
Title: Effect of sole or combined administration of methane inhibitors nitrate and 3-nitro-1-propionate on rumen in vitro fermentation

Author
item CORREA, ALEJANDRO - Universidad Autonoma De Chihuahua
item TRACHSEL, JULIAN - Iowa State University
item Allen, Heather
item CORRAL-LUNA, AGUSTIN - Universidad Autonoma De Chihuahua
item Hume, Michael
item Callaway, Todd
item Anderson, Robin
item Nisbet, David

Submitted to: Meeting Proceedings
Publication Type: Proceedings
Publication Acceptance Date: 9/27/2015
Publication Date: 10/28/2016
Citation: Correa, A.C., Trachsel, J., Allen, H.K., Corral-Luna, A., Hume, M.E., Callaway, T.R., Anderson, R.C., Nisbet, D.J. 2016. Effect of sole or combined administration of methane inhibitors nitrate and 3-nitro-1-propionate on rumen in vitro fermentation. Meeting Proceedings. 1(2015):104-415.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Nitrate and 3-nitro-1-propionate are nitro-compounds capable of inhibiting ruminal methanogenesis. In order to assess sub-toxic concentrations of sole and combined nitrate and 3-nitro-1-propionate on methane production and rumen fermentation, an experiment was conducted using 4 µmol of 3-nitro-1-propionate, 8 µmol of nitrate, 16 µmol of nitrate or combinations of 4 µmol of 3-nitro-1-propionate with either 8 to 16 µmol of nitrate per mL of incubation fluid under a randomized block design. All treatments reduced (P < 0.05) methane production (> 96%) compared to the control. The hydrogen concentration was less than 50% compared to control. All of the sole 3-nitro-1-propionate added was metabolized. The 3-nitro-1-propionate and nitrate were catabolized in less than 17% and greater than 95%, respectively. However, the concentration of nitrite in the treatments with added nitrate ranged from 3 to 12 µmol/mL, representing between 38% and 69% of the nitrate added, respectively. Total concentration of volatile fatty acids decreased (P < 0.05) greater than 32% with sole treatment and greater than 46% for the combined treatments compared to the control. The acetate:propionate ratio increased (P < 0.05) 1.3- to 3-fold in all treatments. The hydrogen balance indicated that fermentative production of reductant was decreased in all treatments, although the effect was pronounced when added in combination. The addition of 3-nitro-1-propionate and nitrate decreased methane production, but also decreased rumen fermentation. These results will serve as a foundation for continued investigations regarding the inhibitory effects of nitrocompounds on rumen methanogenesis.