title: Effects of cinnamon leaf, oregano and sweet orange essential oils on fermentation and aerobic stability of barley silage.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Silage additives are marketed with the primary aim of improving the fermentation and/or aerobic stability of silage. The objective of this study was to evaluate the impact of three different essential oils (EOs; cinnamon leaf (CIN), oregano (ORE) and sweet orange (SO)) on the fermentation characteristics and stability of barley silage. Chopped whole-plant barley (Hordem vulgare L.) forage was ensiled either untreated (0 mg kg⁻¹ dry matter (DM)) or treated with CIN, ORE or SO (37.5, 75 and 120 mg kg⁻¹ DM).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Moulds were not detected in any treatments, including the control, after 7 days of air exposure. All EOs at a concentration of 120 mg kg⁻¹ silage DM decreased (P = 0.001) yeast populations in comparison with the control during air exposure. Net gas, methane and ammonia concentrations in vitro did not differ among treatments. Changes in volatile fatty acid concentrations were small, and in situ data showed no changes in DM and neutral detergent fibre digestion rates for CIN, ORE or SO at concentrations up to 120 mg kg⁻¹ DM.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The findings from this study show that a concentration of 120 mg EO kg⁻¹ DM decreased yeast counts during aerobic stability tests. However, all EO treatments had minimal effects on data from in vitro and in situ incubations.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Veterinary Science, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia. alex.chaves@sydney.edu.au
authors.forename: Alexandre V
authors.initials: AV
authors.lastname: Chaves
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Baah
authors.forename: Yuxi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Tim A
authors.initials: TA
authors.lastname: McAllister
authors.forename: Chaouki
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Benchaar
mesh_terms: D000416:Alberta; D000818:Animals; D002417:Cattle; D003612:Dairying; D004043:Dietary Fiber / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism; D004063:Digestion / Q000187:drug effects; D005260:Female; D005285:Fermentation / Q000187:drug effects; D005520:Food Preservatives / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005659:Fungicides, Industrial / Q000494:pharmacology; D001467:Hordeum / Q000737:chemistry / Q000382:microbiology*; D056546:Lactobacillales / Q000187:drug effects / Q000254:growth & development / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000378:metabolism; D050296:Microbial Viability / Q000187:drug effects; D009822:Oils, Volatile / Q000494:pharmacology*; D031341:Origanum / Q000737:chemistry*; D010938:Plant Oils / Q000494:pharmacology*; D012417:Rumen / Q000378:metabolism / Q000382:microbiology; D012820:Silage / Q000032:analysis / Q000382:microbiology*; D015003:Yeasts / Q000187:drug effects / Q000254:growth & development / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D004043:Dietary Fiber; D005520:Food Preservatives; D005659:Fungicides, Industrial; D009822:Oils, Volatile; D010938:Plant Oils; C510049:cinnamon oil, leaf; C087245:orange oil