The Effect of Castor Aralia (Kalopanax pictus Nakai) Trunk Extracts on Rumen Fermentation and Methane Reduction In vitro

Abstract

An experiment was conducted to examine the effects of Kalopanax pictus Nakai (Kalopanax) on in vitro rumen fermentation and methane (CH 4 ) reduction. Kalopanax trunk was extracted with 70% ethanol and 70% methanol. Rumen fluid, alfalfa hay and buffer (control: C) supplemented with 0.3% Kalopanx juice (T1), 0.3% ethanol extract (T2) and 0.3% methanol extract (T3) in the total volume of culture medium were incubated at 38℃ for 24h and 48h. Rumen pH was lower in all Kalopanax treatments during all incubations than that in control (p<0.05). Total VFA and total gas production in T2 and T3 was significantly higher than that in C at 48h incubation (p<0.05). Ammonia-N was decreased in all treatments compared with C during the incubation periods (p<0.05). At 24h incubation, CH 4 contents were significantly reduced by both alcohol extracts. It is concluded that supplementing Kalopanax extracts can stimulate ruminal fermentation of rumen microorganisms and inhibit methanogenesis.