# Effects of microencapsulated phytonutrients from fruit peel pellet on rumen fermentation efficiency, in vitro degradability, methane production and microbial diversity

## TL;DR

This study shows that adding microencapsulated phytonutrients from fruit peels can improve rumen fermentation and reduce methane production in ruminants.

## Contribution

The novelty lies in using microencapsulated phytonutrients from fruit peel pellets to influence rumen fermentation and methane output.

## Key findings

- mMARABAC supplementation significantly affected gas production parameters like the insoluble fraction and potential extent of gas.
- CH4 production decreased linearly at 24 hours with mMARABAC supplementation.
- mMARABAC influenced specific rumen microbial populations but not Methanobacterial.

## Abstract

The current study aimed to determine the impact of supplementing fruit peel pellet microencapsulated phytonutrients (mMARABAC) on rumen fermentation efficiency, in vitro degradability, methane production, and microbial diversity.

The experiment was completely random, and the dietary treatments were mMARABAC supplements at 0, 5, 10, and 15 mg/500 mg dry matter (DM) of substrate (rice straw and concentrate).

The experiment’s results demonstrated that mMARABAC supplementation significantly affected the gas production from the insoluble fraction (b), rate of gas production value (c), and potential extent of gas (|a|+b) value (p<0.05), while the soluble fraction of gas production (a) was not influenced by the treatments. Furthermore, mMARABAC increased the cumulative gas at 96 h after incubation (p<0.05) when mMARABAC was supplemented with 5 mg of total DM substrate. However, mMARABAC supplementation did not have an effect on in vitro degradability of dry matter (p>0.05). The supplementation of mMARABAC did not significantly affect ruminal pH and NH3-N (p>0.05). Additionally, there was linearly (p<0.05) decreased CH4 production at 24 hours of incubation. The mMARABAC supplementation to the diet did not affect the concentration of total volatile fatty acids, acetic acid (C2), propionic acid (C3), butyric acid, or the C2:C3 ratio (p>0.05). The effect of mMARABAC supplementation on Fibrobacter succinogenes, Ruminococcus albus, Ruminococcus flavefaciens, Butyrivibrio fibrisolvens and Megasphaera elsdenii was different between treatments (p<0.05), while the mMARABAC supplement had an effect on Methanobacterial (p>0.05).

This study suggested that ruminants could use agricultural by-products as a source of phytonutrients by supplementing with mMARABAC at 5 mg/500 mg DM of substrate.