Volume 90, Issue 3, September (2003), pp. 529-540 © The Author 2003
doi:10.1079/BJN2003932

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Methane-suppressing effect of myristic acid in sheep as affected by dietary calcium and forage proportion

Andrea Machmüller¹, Carla R. Soliva¹, Michael Kreuzer^1
1Institute of Animal Science, Animal Nutrition, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich, ETH Zentrum/LFW, CH-8092 Zurich, Switzerland

 (Received 16 August 2002–Revised 9 April 2003–Accepted 13 May 2003)

The efficiency of myristic acid (14 : 0) as a feed additive to suppress CH₄ emissions of ruminants was evaluated under different dietary conditions. Six sheep were subjected to a 6×6 Latin square arrangement. A supplement of non-esterified 14 : 0 (50 g/kg DM) was added to two basal diets differing in their forage:concentrate values (1 : 1·5 and 1 : 0·5), which were adjusted to dietary Ca contents of 4·2 and 9·0 g/kg DM, respectively. Comparisons were made with the unsupplemented basal diets (4·2 g Ca/kg DM). The 14 : 0 supplementation decreased (P<0·001) total tract CH₄ release depending on basal diet type (interaction, P<0·001) and dietary Ca level (P<0·05, post hoc test). In the concentrate-based diet, 14 : 0 suppressed CH₄ emission by 58 and 47 % with 4·2 and 9·0 g Ca/kg DM, respectively. The 14 : 0 effect was lower (22 %) in the forage-based diet and became insignificant with additional Ca. Myristic acid inhibited (P<0·05) rumen archaea without significantly altering proportions of individual methanogen orders. Ciliate protozoa concentration was decreased (P<0·05, post hoc test) by 14 : 0 only in combination with 9·0 g Ca/kg DM. Rumen fluid NH₃ concentration and acetate:propionate were decreased (P<0·05) and water consumption was lower (P<0·01) with 14 : 0. The use of 14 : 0 had no clear effects on total tract organic matter and fibre digestion; this further illustrates that the suppressed methanogenesis resulted from direct effects against methanogens. The present study demonstrated that 14 : 0 is a potent CH₄ inhibitor but, to be effective in CH₄ mitigation feeding strategies, interactions with other diet ingredients have to be considered.

Keywords:
Methane, Myristic acid, Forage, Calcium

Abbreviations:
ADF, acid-detergent fibre, MCFA, medium-chain fatty acids, NDF, neutral-detergent fibre, OM, organic matter, T_d, dissociation temperature, VFA, volatile fatty acids