title: Medicinal herbs as a potential strategy to decrease methane production by rumen microbiota: a systematic evaluation with a focus on Perilla frutescens seed extract.
abstract: Mitigation of the methane (CH4) emission from ruminants is needed to decrease the environmental impact of ruminant animal production. Different plant materials and chemicals have been tested, but few are both effective and practical. Medicinal herbs contain biological compounds and antimicrobials that may be effective in lowering the CH4production. However, few studies have systematically evaluated medicinal herbs for their effect on CH4production or on the rumen microbiota. In this study, extracts from 100 medicinal herbs were assessed for their ability to decrease CH4production by rumen microbiota in vitro. The extracts of 12 herbs effectively lowered the CH4production, with the extract of Perilla frutescens seeds being the most effective. The major components of P. frutescens seed extract were identified, and the effects of the extract on the fermentation characteristics and populations of rumen methanogens, fungi, protozoa, and select bacteria were also assessed. The decreased CH4production induced by the P. frutescens seed extract was accompanied by an increased abundance of Ruminobacter, Selenomonas, Succinivibrio, Shuttleworthis, Pseudobutyrivbrio, Anaerovibrio, and Roseomonas and a decreased abundance of Methanobrevibacter millerae. The abundance of Pedobacter, Anaeroplasma, Paludibacter, Ruminococcus, and unclassified Lachnospiraceae was positively correlated with the CH4production, with no effects on volatile fatty acids. This study suggests that medicinal herbs may be used to mitigate the CH4emission from ruminants.
authors.affiliation: IMoE Key Laboratory of Molecular Animal Nutrition, College of Animal Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, People's Republic of China. jiakunwang@zju.edu.cn.|College of Animal Sciences, Zhejiang University, Yuhangtang Road 866#, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China. jiakunwang@zju.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Jiakun
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-7213-3721
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: IMoE Key Laboratory of Molecular Animal Nutrition, College of Animal Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Mei
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: IMoE Key Laboratory of Molecular Animal Nutrition, College of Animal Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Yuelei
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.affiliation: IMoE Key Laboratory of Molecular Animal Nutrition, College of Animal Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Liang
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: IMoE Key Laboratory of Molecular Animal Nutrition, College of Animal Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Jianxin
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Beijing Key Laboratory for Dairy Cow Nutrition, Beijing, 102206, China.
authors.forename: Linshu
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal Sciences, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA.
authors.forename: Zhongtang
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Yu
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000890:Anti-Infective Agents / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000378:metabolism*; D008697:Methane / Q000378:metabolism*; D064307:Microbiota / Q000187:drug effects*; D031344:Perilla frutescens / Q000737:chemistry*; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000378:metabolism*; D010946:Plants, Medicinal / Q000737:chemistry*; D012417:Rumen / Q000382:microbiology*; D012418:Ruminants / Q000382:microbiology; D012639:Seeds / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D000890:Anti-Infective Agents; D010936:Plant Extracts; D008697:Methane
keywords: Additive methane inhibition; Archaea; Bacteria; In vitro rumen fermentation; Perilla frutescens