Effect of supplementation of rice bran and fumarate alone or in combination on in vitro rumen fermentation, methanogenesis and methanogens.

This study investigated the effect of fumarate (FUM) and rice bran (RB), alone and together, on in vitro rumen fermentation, methanogenesis and methanogens. In vitro incubation was performed with six media that were either unsupplemented (control) or supplemented with 10% RB, 5 mmol/L FUM, 10% RB + 5 mmol/L FUM, 10 mmol/L FUM, or 10% RB + 10 mmol/L FUM. Methane (CH4 ) production, dry matter digestibility, CH4 per digested dry matter, total short-chain fatty acid (SCFA) production, proportion of SCFA, acetate : proprionate ratio, production of NH3 -N, and population density of rumen microbes were determined. Supplementation with 10% RB + 10 mmol/L FUM yielded a 36% decrease in CH4 production compared to the control. Supplementation of FUM, in the presence or absence of RB, provided increases in total SCFA production and propionate proportion up to 61% and 31%, respectively. Total bacteria, methanogens and protozoa populations were significantly (P < 0.05) decreased with the 10% RB + 10 mmol/L FUM supplementation. The effect of anti-methanogenesis of FUM was enhanced by the addition of RB. Notably, the CH4 production attenuation was achieved by 10% RB + 10 mmol/L FUM without reduction of digestibility or of ruminal fermentation.