Evaluation of a Rumen Modifier in Buffaloes to Mitigate Methane Production

The experiment was conducted on six fistulated male buffaloes with an average body weight of 415 +/- 11.8 kg divided into two groups of three each. The diet of the animals comprised of concentrate mixture and wheat straw in 40:60 ratio and was fed as per ICAR feeding standard. The effect of a rumen modifier (RM-7) consisting of mahua (Madhuka latifolia) seed cake, fennel (Foeniculum vulgare) seed, neem (Azadirachta indica) seed cake, baheda (Terminalia bellerica), amla (Emblica officinalis), ajwain (Trachyspermum ammi) seed and harad (Terminalia chebula) seed pulp mixed in 2:2:2:1:1:1:1 ratio along with sulphur (as sodium sulphate) were fed at the rate of 2.4 and 0.1 per cent of dry matter intake. On feeding RM-7 and sulphur, the activities of CMCase and avicelase were not affected, whereas, xylanase, amylase, alpha-glucosidase and (a) over cap -glucosidase activities increased (P<0.01) and protease activity decreased (P=0.011). The population density of total fungi, protozoa, Ruminococcus albus and R. flavefaciens remained unchanged but total bacteria increased (P<0.05) in RM-7 supplemented group. Further, a trend for a decreased population of methanogens and F. succinogenes was observed in RM-7 supplemented group. When the rumen liquor of the buffaloes was used as inocula for in vitro studies, the methane production (ml/g DM and ml/g DDM) decreased (P<0.001) and in vitro feed digestibility tended (P=0.087) to increase in RM-7 supplemented group. The results indicated that supplementation of RM-7 along with sulphur has shown potential to be used as a feed additive for reduction of enteric methane production and increase in feed digestibility in buffaloes.