The Effectivity of Garlic Cake Extract as an Antimethanogenic Agent in the Feed of Beef Cattle

Abstract

A study was designed to assess the effectiveness of garlic cake (garlic) extract as an antimethanogenic agent in feed of beef cattle in vitro. The study was carried out experimentally, with five treatments, i.e., five levels of garlic cake extract concentrations (0 mg/L, 125 mg/L, 250 mg/L, 375 mg/L, and 500 mg/L) in the basal feed consisted of 30% of ammoniated rice straw and 70% of concentrate (13.1% crude protein and 65% TDN) and repeated five times. The experiments used completely randomized design, with inoculum derived from beef cattle rumen fluid. The results showed that supplementation with garlic cake extract did not affect dry matter digestibility (DMD), organic matter digestibility (OMD), and total volatile fatty acid (VFA) but affected total gas and methane gas. The use of 125 mg/L garlic cake extract reduced the concentration of methane gas by 12.66% and total gas by 5.88%. The concentration of 125 mg/L of garlic cake extract was the best level as an agent of antimethanogenesis, and the use of extracts of garlic cake above 375 mg/L in the feed of beef cattle tended to reduce VFA and digestibility of feed.