Influence of <i>Artemisiae absinthil herba</i> and <i>Inulae rhizomata et radices</i> on fermentation processes and methanogenesis in the rumen of young cattle

Abstract

Relevance. Herbal preparations and their biologically active compounds can improve the use of feed and increase the productivity of animals by changing the microbial fermentation of the rumen. In our work, we evaluated the effect of herbal preparations — rhizomes and roots of elecampane and wormwood herb, on metabolic processes in the rumen and methanogenesis.Methods. For the study: Inulae rhizomata et radices were used in dosages per 1 kg of CB: 3.0 g — 1st sample, 1.0 g — 2nd sample, 6.0 g — 3rd sample; Artemisiae absinthil herba in dosages per 1 kg of CB: 5.0 g — 4th sample, 2.0 g — 5th sample, 10.0 g — 6th sample. The study was carried out in vitro using the ANKOM Daisy II incubator (modifications D200 and D200I) according to a specialized technique. The scar content was obtained from Kazakh white-headed bulls with chronic scar fistula with an average weight of 220–225 kg at the age of 9–10 months. Air sampling to determine the level of methane was carried out on the device «Kristallux-2000M» by gas chromatography. The level of volatile fatty acids (VFA) in the contents of the scar was determined by gas chromatography on a gas chromatograph «Crystallux-4000M», determination of nitrogen forms — according to GOST 26180-84.Results. It was found that different dosages of herbal preparations did not significantly affect the characteristics of fermentation in the gastrointestinal tract. Wormwood grass at a dosage of 10.0 g per 1 kg of SV reduced methane production than its other dosages (p ≤ 0.05). Thus, a dose of 2.0 g showed an increase in the level of methane in rye by 36.5% (p ≤ 0.01), a dose of 5.0 g — by 47.5% (p ≤ 0.01). Rhizomes and roots of elecampane showed a high level of methane production, however, min and max administered doses of this phytobiotic showed a decrease of 38.1–38.6%.