Reducing Enteric Methanogenesis through Alternate Hydrogen Sinks in the Rumen

Abstract

Climate change and the urgent need to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emission from agriculture has resulted in significant pressure on the livestock industry for advanced practices that are environmentally more sustainable. Livestock is responsible for more than 15% of anthropogenic methane (CH4) emission via enteric fermentation and improved strategies for mitigating enteric CH4 production therefore represents a promising target to reduce the overall GHG contribution from agriculture. Ruminal CH4 is produced by methanogenic archaea, combining CO2 and hydrogen (H2). Removal of H2 is essential, as its accumulation inhibits many biological functions that are essential for maintaining a healthy rumen ecosystem. Although several other pathways occur in the rumen, including reductive acetogenesis, propionogenesis, nitrate, and sulfate reduction, methanogenesis seems to be the dominant pathway for H2 removal. Global warming is not the only problem associated with the release of CH4 from ruminants, but the released GHG also represent valuable metabolic energy that is lost to the animal and that needs to be replenished via its food. Therefore, reduction of enteric CH4 emissions will benefit not only the environment but also be an important step toward the efficient production of high-quality animal-based protein. In recent decades, several approaches, relying on a diverse set of biological and chemical compounds, have been tested for their ability to inhibit rumen methanogenesis reliably and without negative effects for the ruminant animal. Although many of these strategies initially appeared to be promising, they turned out to be less sustainable on the industrial scale and when implemented over an extended period. The development of a long-term solution most likely has been hindered by our still incomplete understanding of microbial processes that are responsible for maintaining and dictating rumen function. Since manipulation of the overall structure of the rumen microbiome is still a significant challenge targeting key intermediates of rumen methanogenesis, such as H2, and population that are responsible for maintaining the H2 equilibrium in the rumen could be a more immediate approach. Addition of microorganisms capable of non-methanogenic H2 sequestration or of reducing equivalents are potential avenues to divert molecular H2 from methanogenesis and therefore for abate enteric CH4. However, in order to achieve the best outcome, a detailed understanding of rumen microbiology is needed. Here we discuss some of the problems and benefits associated with alternate pathways, such as reductive acetogenesis, propionogenesis, and sulfate and nitrate reduction, which would allow us to bypass H2 production and accumulation in the rumen.

Review: Effect of Experimental Diets on the Microbiome of Productive Animals

“…Among those classified as methanogens, that is, CH 4 producers, the genera Methanobrevibacter gottschalkii and Methanobrevibacter ruminantium can be highlighted, which comprise 74% of rumen archaea [ 39 ]. The rumen archaea generally use H 2 for the production of CH 4 ; it is estimated that a reduction or inhibition of the archaea in the rumen would produce an increase in H 2 that would affect the functions of the enzymes, reducing the efficiency in the conversion of food into nutrients [ 40 ]. However, it is known that there are varieties that can use formate, acetate, methyl compounds, and ethanol as an alternative to H 2 [ 39 ].…”

Enhancing Acetic Acid Production in In Vitro Rumen Cultures by Addition of a Homoacetogenic Consortia from a Kangaroo: Unravelling the Impact of Inhibition of Methanogens and Effect of Almond Biochar on Rumen Fermentations

“…The results indicate that propiogenesis can play an active role as a hydrogen sink, taking over for the methanogens when needed. Alpha diversity is one of the parameters often used in correlation to rumen robustness, which, in this study, did not significantly change according to Shannon and Simpson indexes (Table 1), showing only a slightly greater diversity in the culture without bioaugmentation [6,48].…”

“…By utilizing hydrogen as an electron donor, hydrogenotrophic methanogens act as a "hydrogen sink" for excess hydrogen gas, preventing its accumulation. This is vital because a buildup of hydrogen can inhibit the fermentation process and negatively impact rumen microbial populations [6,7]. This beneficial process for hydrolytic bacteria and protozoa makes methanogens a crucial and beneficial part of the rumen's natural microbiota.…”

Effect of Dietary Guanidinoacetic Acid Levels on the Mitigation of Greenhouse Gas Production and the Rumen Fermentation Profile of Alfalfa-Based Diets

“…The production of CH 4 in the AH25 diet can be attributed to the higher total gas production that it presented, since feeds that present high total gas production generally also show a higher production of gas CH 4 [41] because in the rumen, the main biochemical process carried out by bacteria, protozoa and fungi is the fermentation of carbohydrates, and as a byproduct, they release short-chain fatty acids (SCFA; mainly acetic, butyric and propionic acids), metabolic hydrogen (H 2 ) and carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) [49]. Subsequently, methanogenic archaea remove H 2 by reducing CO 2 to CH 4 [42,50] to maintain low H 2 concentrations in the rumen [51], since, otherwise, inhibition of microbial growth and feed degradation would occur [52]. This metabolic process is known as methanogenesis [53] and is influenced by the fiber content in the food, since fibrous feeds tend to produce more H 2 and therefore more CH 4 [2].…”