title: Effect of feeding of blend of essential oils on methane production, growth, and nutrient utilization in growing buffaloes.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  An experiment was conducted to study the effect of a blend of essential oils (BEO) on enteric methane emission and growth performance of buffaloes (Bubalus bubalis).
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty one growing male buffaloes (average body weight of 279±9.3 kg) were divided in to three groups. The animals of all the three groups were fed on a ration consisting of wheat straw and concentrate mixture targeting 500 g daily live weight gain. The three dietary groups were; Group 1, control without additive; Group 2 and 3, supplemented with BEO at 0.15 and 0.30 mL/kg of dry matter intake (DMI), respectively.
  
  
  RESULTS
  During six months feeding trial, the intake and digestibility of dry matter and nutrients (organic matter, crude protein, ether extract, neutral detergent fibre, and acid detergent fibre) were similar in all the groups. The average body weight gain was tended to improve (p = 0.084) in Group 2 and Group 3 as compared to control animals. Feeding of BEO did not affect feed conversion efficiency of the animals. The calves of all the three groups were in positive nitrogen balance with no difference in nitrogen metabolism. During respiration chamber studies the methane production (L/kg DMI and L/kg digestible dry matter intake was significantly (p<0.001) lower in Group 2 and Group 3 as compared to control animals.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results indicated that the BEO tested in the present study have shown potential to reduce enteric methane production without compromising the nutrient utilization and animal performance and could be further explored for its use as feed additive to mitigate enteric methane production in livestock.
authors.affiliation: Rumen Microbiology Section, Centre of Advanced Faculty Training in Animal Nutrition, Indian Veterinary Research Institute Izatnagar, UP 243122, India.|Animal Nutrition Scientist, KVK- Budgam SKUAST-Kashmir 194302, India.
authors.forename: M A
authors.identifier: 0000-0002-0775-9728
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Yatoo
authors.affiliation: Rumen Microbiology Section, Centre of Advanced Faculty Training in Animal Nutrition, Indian Veterinary Research Institute Izatnagar, UP 243122, India.
authors.forename: L C
authors.identifier: 0000-0002-6927-2931
authors.initials: LC
authors.lastname: Chaudhary
authors.affiliation: Rumen Microbiology Section, Centre of Advanced Faculty Training in Animal Nutrition, Indian Veterinary Research Institute Izatnagar, UP 243122, India.
authors.forename: N
authors.identifier: 0000-0002-0483-055X
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Agarwal
authors.affiliation: Rumen Microbiology Section, Centre of Advanced Faculty Training in Animal Nutrition, Indian Veterinary Research Institute Izatnagar, UP 243122, India.
authors.forename: V B
authors.identifier: 0000-0003-3876-6776
authors.initials: VB
authors.lastname: Chaturvedi
authors.affiliation: Rumen Microbiology Section, Centre of Advanced Faculty Training in Animal Nutrition, Indian Veterinary Research Institute Izatnagar, UP 243122, India.
authors.forename: D N
authors.identifier: 0000-0001-6257-0947
authors.initials: DN
authors.lastname: Kamra
keywords: Buffalo; Essential Oils; Growth; Methane; Plant Secondary Metabolites