The effects of increasing the level of dietary wormwood (Artemisia montana Pampan) on intake, digestibility, N balance and ruminal fermentation characteristics in sheep

This study estimated the effect of fermented persimmon (Diospros kaki L.) extract (FPE) supplement on feed intake, digestibility, nitrogen (N) balance, and rumen fermentation characteristics in sheep. Five male sheep (Corriedale×Polwarth) with average body weight of 48.6±1.3 kg were housed in metabolism crates and assigned to a 5×5 Latin square design with five consecutive 20-d periods which consisted of 14-d adaptation and 6-d data collection. The sheep were fed ad libitum a diet containing concentrate and rice straw (3:7). The five treatments were FPE supplemented at 0 (Control), 5, 10, 20, and 30 g/kg of concentrate. Intakes of dry matter (DM, p<0.01), organic matter (OM, p<0.01), neutral detergent fiber (NDF, p<0.05), acid detergent fiber (ADF, p<0.05), and nitrogen-free extract (NFE, p<0.01) increased quadratically with increasing intake of FPE supplement and maximized (p<0.05) at 10 g/kg FPE. The digestibilities of DM (p<0.05), OM (p<0.05), crude protein (p<0.01), and NFE (p<0.01) increased quadratically with increasing amount of FPE supplement, and sheep fed 5 and 10 g/kg diets had greater (p<0.05) DM, OM, and NFE digestibilites than the Control treatment. By increasing FPE supplement concentration, N intake (p<0.01) and fecal N (p<0.05) increased linearly, whereas retained N (p<0.05) and retained N ratio (p<0.05) increased quadratically. The retained N was maximized (p<0.05) in sheep fed 5 and 10 g/kg diets. The mean rumen pH was not affected by FPE supplement, but there was a quadratic increase (p<0.05) of mean rumen ammonia N concentration and a linear increase (p<0.01) in mean rumen total volatile fatty acid (VFA) and acetate concentrations. The mean concentration of rumen propionate in sheep fed all FPE supplemented diets was greater (p<0.05) than the Control, but the mean ratios of rumen acetate to propionate in sheep fed 5 and 10 g/kg diets were lower (p<0.05) than that of Control sheep. In conclusion, FPE supplemented at 5-10 g/kg of concentrate improved feed intake, the digestibilites of OM and NFE, N metabolism, and rumen fermentation indices of sheep.

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 86%

Effects of Persimmon (Diospros kaki L.) Vinegar as a Dietary Supplement on Feed Intake, Digestibility, and Ruminal Fermentation Indices in Sheep

Shin¹,

Ko²,

Kim³

et al. 2010

“…According to in vivo experiments, Sarker et al (2010) reported that licorice among the feed additives investigated may be a suitable source of alternatives to antibiotics for Hanwoo beef calves, especially post-weaning ones. Kim et al (2006) and Ko et al (2006) evaluated the effect of replacing rice straw or concentrates with wormwood ( Artemisia sp.) on animal performance.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Changes in Microbial Diversity, Methanogenesis and Fermentation Characteristics in the Rumen in Response to Medicinal Plant Extracts

Kim

Moon

Min

et al. 2013

This study evaluated the in vitro effect of medicinal plant extracts on ruminal methanogenesis, four different groups of methanogens and ruminal fermentation characteristics. A fistulated Holstein cow was used as a donor of rumen fluid. Licorice and mugwort extracts (Glycyrrhiza uralensis and Artemisia capillaris, 0.5% and 1% of total substrate DM, respectively), previously used as folk remedies, were added to an in vitro fermentation incubated with buffered-rumen fluid. Total gas production in Glycyrrhiza uralensis extract treatment was not significantly different between treatments (p<0.05) while total gas production in the Artemisia capillaris extract treatment was lower than that of the control. Artemisia capillaris extract and Glycyrrhiza uralensis extract reduced CH4 emission by 14% (p<0.05) and 8% (p<0.05), respectively. Ciliate-associated methanogens population decreased by 18% in the medicinal plant extracts treatments. Medicinal plant extracts also affected the order Methanobacteriales community. Methanobacteriales diversity decreased by 35% in the Glycyrrhiza uralensis extract treatment and 30% in the Artemisia capillaris extract treatment. The order Methanomicrobiales population decreased by 50% in the 0.5% of Glycyrrhiza uralensis extract treatment. These findings demonstrate that medicinal plant extracts have the potential to inhibit in vitro ruminal methanogenesis.

“…Kim et al (2006a) also demonstrated that replacing rice straw with wormwood silage increased feed intake and nitrogen utilization in sheep. Further, Kim et al (2006b) showed that replacing concentrates with dry wormwood increased N retention, microbial N yield and EE digestibility in sheep.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 97%

The Respective Effects of Shoot Height and Conservation Method on the Yield and Nutritive Value, and Essential Oils of Wormwood (Artemisia montana Pampan)

Kim¹,

Adesogan²,

Ko³

2006

This study was conducted to evaluate the shoot height at which the yield and nutritive value of wormwood (Artemisia montana) is optimized in order to provide information on its potential to support animal production (Experiment 1). A second objective was to determine how the essential oil (EO) concentration in wormwood hay and silage differ (Experiment 2). In Experiment 1, Artemisia montana was harvested at five different shoot heights (20, 40, 60, 80 and 100 cm) from triplicate 1.8×1.8 m plots. Dry matter (DM) yield was measured at each harvest date and the harvested wormwood was botanically separated into leaf, stalk and whole plant fractions and analyzed for chemical composition and in vitro dry matter digestibility (DMD). Values for total digestible nutrients (TDN), digestible energy (DE) and metabolizable energy (ME) were subsequently calculated using prediction equations. Dry matter yields of stalk and whole plant increased linearly (p<0.001) and leaf yield increased quadratically (p<0.01) with shoot height, whereas the leaf/stalk ratio decreased linearly (p<0.001). As shoot height increased, there was a linear increase (p<0.001) in leaf DM, ether extract (EE) and neutral detergent fiber (NDF) contents and a quadratic increase (p<0.05) in leaf acid detergent fiber (ADF) and nitrogen free extract (NFE) contents, and stalk and whole plant DM (p<0.001), organic matter (OM, p<0.01 and p<0.05), NDF (p<0.001 and 0.05) and NFE (p<0.05) contents. However, there were decreases in leaf crude protein content (CP, quadratic, p<0.001) and stalk and whole plant EE content (linear, p<0.001), CP (quadratic, p<0.05) and ash (quadratic, p<0.05) contents. Digestibility of DM and TDN, and DE and ME value in leaves were not affected by increasing shoot height, but these measures linearly decreased (p<0.001) in stalk and whole plant. In Experiment 2, the hay had higher DM and CP concentrations, but lower EE concentration than the silage. Essential oil (EO) content in wormwood silage (0.49 g/100 g DM) was higher (p<0.05) than that in wormwood hay (0.32 g/100 g DM). Wormwood hay contained 25 essentail oils (EO) including camphor (10.4 g/100 g), 1-borneol (11.6 g/100 g) and caryophyllene oxide (27.7 g/100 g), and wormwood silage had 26 EO constituents including 3-cyclohexen-1-ol (8.1 g/100 g), trans-caryophyllene (8.6 g/100 g) and γ-selinene (16.8 g/100 g). It is concluded that the most ideal shoot height for harvesting wormwood is 60 cm based on the optimization of DM yield and nutritive value. Wormwood silage had a greater quantity and array of EO than wormwood hay.