Effects of Different Formulations of Glyphosate on Rumen Microbial Metabolism and Bacterial Community Composition in the Rumen Simulation Technique System

The use of the herbicide glyphosate and its formulations on protein-rich feedstuff for cattle leads to a considerable intake of glyphosate into the rumen of the animals, where glyphosate may potentially impair the 5-enolpyruvylshikimate-3-phosphate pathway of the commensal microbiota, which could cause dysbiosis or proliferation of pathogenic microorganisms. Here, we evaluated the effects of pure glyphosate and the formulations Durano TF and Roundup (R) LB plus in different concentrations on the fermentation pattern, community composition and metabolic activity of the rumen microbiota using the Rumen Simulation Technique (RUSITEC). Application of the compounds in three concentrations (0.1 mg/l, 1.0 mg/l or 10 mg/l, n = 4 each) for 9 days did not affect fermentation parameters such as pH, redox potential, NH3-N concentration and production of short-chain fatty acids compared to a control group. Microbial protein synthesis and the degradation of different feed fractions did not vary among the treatments. None of the used compounds or concentrations did affect the microbial diversity or abundance of microbial taxa. Metaproteomics revealed that the present metabolic pathways including the shikimate pathway were not affected by addition of glyphosate, Durano TF or Roundup (R) LB plus. In conclusion, neither pure glyphosate, nor its formulations Durano TF and Roundup (R) LB plus did affect the bacterial communities of the rumen.

Automated summary

The study evaluated the effects of glyphosate and its formulations on the fermentation pattern, community composition, and metabolic activity of the rumen microbiota. The results showed that the compounds did not have a significant impact on the rumen bacterial communities.