The effect of porcine bile acids on methane production by rumen contents in vitro.
Hindgut fermentation differs from rumen fermentation by a lower methane production and the presence of reductive acetogenesis. Bile acids which are lost into the lower digestive tract may have a promoting effect on reductive acetogenesis in the hindgut. In this experiment it was investigated if bile acids induce reductive acetogenesis in rumen fermentation in vitro. Rumen contents from a fistulated cow were incubated in vitro with ground hay and increasing amounts of porcine bile acids or bile acid salts. Bile acids inhibited methane production up to 70% of the control incubation. The concomitant increase in propionate production compensated for the lower methane production so that the 2H-recoveries were in a normal range between 79-92%. Therefore the occurrence of reductive acetogenesis could be excluded. It is concluded, that bile acids are a controlling factor in caecal methanogenesis.
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Institute of Animal Sciences, Humboldt University of Berlin, Germany.
D000818:Animals; D001647:Bile Acids and Salts / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002417:Cattle; D002849:Chromatography, Gas; D005260:Female; D005285:Fermentation; D008697:Methane / Q000378:metabolism*; D012417:Rumen / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D013552:Swine
D001647:Bile Acids and Salts; D008697:Methane