Tannins are polyphenols characterized by different molecular weights that plants are able to synthetize during their secondary metabolism. Macromolecules (proteins, structural carbohydrates and starch) can link tannins and their digestion can decrease. Tannins can be classified into two groups: hydrolysable tannins and condensed tannins. Tannins are polyphenols, which can directly or indirectly affect intake and digestion. Their ability to bind molecules and form complexes depends on the structure of polyphenols and on the macromolecule involved. Tannins have long been known to be an “anti-nutritional agent” in monogastric and poultry animals. Using good tannins’ proper application protocols helped the researchers observe positive effects on the intestinal microbial ecosystem, gut health, and animal production. Plant tannins are used as an alternative to in-feed antibiotics, and many factors have been described by researchers which contribute to the variability in their efficiencies. The objective of this study was to review the literature about tannins, their effects and use in ruminant nutrition.

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Methane is the main greenhouse gas (GHG) emitted by ruminants. Mitigation strategies are required to alleviate this negative environmental impact while maintaining productivity and ruminants’ health. To date, numerous methane mitigation strategies have been investigated, reported and suggested by scientists to the livestock industry. In this review, the authors will focus on the commonly practiced and available techniques expanding the knowledge of the reader on the advances of methane mitigation strategies with a focus on the recent literature. Furthermore, the authors will attempt to discuss the drawbacks of the strategies in terms of animal health and performance reduction as well as the concept of feed and energy loss, adding an economic perspective to methane emission mitigation which is in the farmers’ direct interest. As a whole, many factors are effective in reducing undesired methane production, but this is definitely a complex challenge. Conclusively, further research is required to offer effective and efficient methane production mitigation solutions in ruminants worldwide, thus positively contributing to climate change.

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<p>This experiment was performed to investigate the effects of some essential oils on chemical properties and aerobic stability of lucerne silage. Treatments included lucerne silage without additives (control), lucerne silage with 60 mg cinnamon essential oil/kg, lucerne silage with 60 mg flaxseed essential oil/kg, lucerne silage with 60 mg lemon seed essential oil/kg, lucerne silage with 180 mg blend of essential oils (60 mg cinnamon + 60 mg flaxseed + 60 mg lemon seed essential oils/kg).<strong> </strong>Adding essential oils to lucerne silage reduced silage pH (<em>p </em>&lt; 0.001) compared to control. The highest level of total volatile fatty acids (tVFA) was found when lemon seed essential oil and the lowest level when flaxseed essential oil was used. The lucerne silages treated with essential oils had the highest crude protein contents (<em>p </em>&lt; 0.01). Untreated lucerne silage had the highest level of gas production compared to lucerne silage treated with lemon seed and flaxseed essential oils (<em>p </em>&lt; 0.01). The essential oil additives increased the aerobic stability of the silage. It can be concluded that the use of essential oil additive in the preparation of high quality lucerne silage, can improves the quality and nutritive value of silages.</p>