title: Chemical inhibitors of methanogenesis and putative applications.
abstract: This mini-review summarizes the category, characteristics, and the application fields of the chemical methanogenic inhibitors. Usually, the chemical methanogenic inhibitors can be divided into "specific" and nonspecific inhibitors. The former group includes the structural analogs of coenzyme M and HMG-CoA inhibitors. The nonspecific group includes many chemicals which can inhibit the activity of both methanogens and non-methanogens. The chemical inhibitors of methanogenesis have been widely used in the fields of understanding methane production and consumption in pure culture or in complex natural environment, production of value-added substances, such as volatile fatty acids and hydrogen, and reduction of energy loss and improvement of the efficiency of ruminal energetic transformations. Finally, with an increasing understanding of the mechanistic effects of the chemical inhibitors of methanogenesis, it is possible that some could be used to develop into promising feed additives to reduce losses associated with enteric methane production or as useful tools to screen microbial consortia from various biotechnological applications to enhance hydrogen and acid production.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Environmental Biotechnology, School of Environmental and Civil Engineering, Jiangnan University, Lihu Road 1800, Wuxi 214122, Jiangsu Province, People's Republic of China. liuhe@jiangnan.edu.cn
authors.forename: He
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Jin
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Aijie
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Jian
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Chen
mesh_terms: D000214:Acyl Coenzyme A / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors; D000890:Anti-Infective Agents / Q000378:metabolism*; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors / Q000378:metabolism*; D015080:Mesna / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors; D008697:Methane / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors* / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D000214:Acyl Coenzyme A; D000890:Anti-Infective Agents; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors; C008047:3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-coenzyme A; D015080:Mesna; D008697:Methane