title: Effect of oral nitroethane and 2-nitropropanol administration on methane-producing activity and volatile fatty acid production in the ovine rumen.
abstract: Strategies are sought to reduce economic and environmental costs associated with ruminant methane emissions. The effect of oral nitroethane or 2-nitropropanol administration on ruminal methane-producing activity and volatile fatty acid production was evaluated in mature ewes. Daily administration of 24 and 72 mg nitroethane/kg body weight reduced (P<0.05) methane-producing activity by as much as 45% and 69% respectively, when compared to control animals given no nitroethane. A daily dose of 120 mg 2-nitropropanol/kg body weight was needed to reduce (P<0.05) methane-producing activity by 37% from that of untreated control animals. Reductions in methane-producing activity may have been diminished by the last day (day 5) of treatment, presumably due to ruminal adaptation. Oral administration of nitroethane or 2-nitropropanol had little or no effect on accumulations or molar proportions of volatile fatty acids in ruminal contents collected from the sheep. These results demonstrate that nitroethane was superior to 2-nitropropanol as a methane inhibitor and that both nitrocompounds reduced ruminal methanogenesis in vivo without redirecting the flow of reductant generated during fermentation to propionate and butyrate.
authors.affiliation: United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Food and Feed Safety Research Unit, 2881 F&B Road, College Station, TX 77845, USA. anderson@ffsru.tamu.edu
authors.forename: R C
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Anderson
authors.forename: G E
authors.initials: GE
authors.lastname: Carstens
authors.forename: R K
authors.initials: RK
authors.lastname: Miller
authors.forename: T R
authors.initials: TR
authors.lastname: Callaway
authors.forename: C L
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Schultz
authors.forename: T S
authors.initials: TS
authors.lastname: Edrington
authors.forename: R B
authors.initials: RB
authors.lastname: Harvey
authors.forename: D J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Nisbet
mesh_terms: D000284:Administration, Oral; D000818:Animals; D004980:Ethane / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000494:pharmacology; D005232:Fatty Acids, Volatile / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D005260:Female; D008697:Methane / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D009574:Nitro Compounds / Q000494:pharmacology*; D009595:Nitroparaffins / Q000494:pharmacology*; D020005:Propanols / Q000494:pharmacology*; D012417:Rumen / Q000187:drug effects*; D012756:Sheep
chemical_list: C496417:2-nitropropanol; D005232:Fatty Acids, Volatile; D009574:Nitro Compounds; D009595:Nitroparaffins; D020005:Propanols; C014705:nitroethane; D004980:Ethane; D008697:Methane