JP-2026075622-A - Feed for reducing methane in the rumen of ruminants

Abstract

[Problem] To provide a naturally occurring plant-derived component that has the effect of reducing methane production in the rumen of ruminants and can be used as feed for ruminants. [Solution] A rumen methane reduction feed for ruminants containing the stems and leaves of plants belonging to the genus Vicia, their silage fermented products, or extracts thereof. [Selection Diagram] None

Inventors

• 島田 菜摘
• 森本 純菜
• 浦島 三眞子
• 御囲里 冬美
• 藤原 のぞみ
• 阿部 健太郎
• 壹岐 修一
• 佐久間 太

Assignees

• 雪印種苗株式会社

Dates

Publication Date

20260508

Application Date

20251022

Priority Date

20241022

Claims (10)

1. A rumen methane-reducing feed for ruminants containing stems and leaves of plants belonging to the genus Vicia, their silage fermentation products, or extracts thereof.
2. The rumen methane reduction feed for ruminants according to claim 1, wherein the extract is an extract obtained from water, an aqueous organic solvent, or a water-aqueous organic solvent mixture.
3. The rumen methane reduction feed for ruminants according to claim 2, wherein the extract obtained by washing the extract with water, an aqueous organic solvent, or a water-aqueous organic solvent mixture is the component obtained by washing the extract with n-butanol and water by solvent extraction and distilling off n-butanol from the resulting aqueous phase.
4. The rumen methane reduction feed for ruminants according to claim 2, wherein the extract obtained by adsorbing the extract onto a porous adsorbent resin and distilling off the alcohol from the fraction eluted with 99% alcohol.
5. The rumen methane reduction feed for ruminants according to claim 2, wherein the extract obtained from water, an aqueous organic solvent, or a water-aqueous organic solvent mixture is a fraction of the extract that does not adsorb to the porous adsorption resin.
6. The rumen methane reduction feed for ruminants according to claim 2, wherein the extract obtained by further high-pressure steam treatment of the component or fraction described in any one of claims 3 to 5 is the component obtained by this treatment.
7. The rumen methane reduction feed for ruminants according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the plant belonging to the genus Vicia is Vicia villosa or Vicia sativa L.
8. A rumen methane-reducing feed for ruminants according to any one of claims 1 to 5, 7, wherein the content of stems and leaves of plants belonging to the genus Vicia, their silage fermented products, or extracts thereof is 0.01 to 50% by mass on a dry solid basis.
9. The rumen methane reduction feed for ruminants according to any one of claims 1 to 5 or 7 to 8, wherein the silage fermentation product is further fermented by adding lactic acid bacteria.
10. A method for reducing methane emissions in the rumen of ruminants, characterized by feeding ruminants a feed containing the stems and leaves of plants belonging to the genus Vicia, their silage fermentation products, or extracts thereof.

Description

This invention relates to a feed for reducing methane in the rumen of ruminants and a method for reducing methane production. Methane gas accounts for 23% of all greenhouse gas emissions contributing to global warming, more than 20 times that of carbon dioxide. Furthermore, 5% of global methane emissions originate from the digestive tracts of ruminant animals, making the reduction of these emissions an urgent issue. Monensin, saponins, cashew nut shell extract, 3-nitrooxypropanol (3-NOP), and *Lysimachia japonica* have been reported as components that reduce methane in the rumen of ruminants such as cattle (Non-Patent Documents 1-5). The effect of nisin and monensin on ruminal fermentations In vitro: Curr Microbiol., 35(2):90-6. (1997)Influences of flavomycin, ropadiar, and saponin on nutrient digestibility, rumen fermentation, and methane emission from sheep: Animal Feed Science and Technology, Vol. 148 (2009) 157-166In vitro evaluation of cashew nut shell liquid as a methane-inhibiting and propionate-enhancing agent for ruminants: J. Dairy Sci. , 93(11):5258-67.(2010)The effects of feeding 3-nitrooxypropanol on methane emissions and productivity of Holstein cows in mid lactation: J Dairy Sci. , 97(5):3110-9.(2014)The red macroalgae Asparagopsis taxiformis is a potent natural antimethanogenic that reduces methane production during in vitro fermentation with rumen fluid: Animal Production Science, 56, 282-9. (2016) This figure shows the effect of various types of pasture grasses on the amount of methane produced in the rumen fluid.This figure shows the effect of various solvent extracts of hairy vetch (Mamesuke) on the amount of methane generated in the rumen fluid.This figure shows the effect of a water-ethanol extract of hairy vetch (Mamesuke) on the amount of methane produced in the rumen fluid.This figure shows the effect of hairy vetch (Mamesuke) water extract on the amount of methane produced in the rumen fluid.This figure shows the effect of various solvent extracts of hairy vetch (Mamesuke) silage on the amount of methane produced in the rumen liquid.This figure shows the effect of various solvent extracts of common vetch on the amount of methane produced in the rumen fluid.This figure shows the effect of purified common vetch extract on the amount of methane produced in the rumen fluid.This figure shows the effect of purified hairy vetch extract on the amount of methane produced in the rumen fluid.This figure shows the effect of purified hairy vetch extract on the amount of methane produced in the rumen fluid.This figure shows the effect of hairy vetch extract on the amount of methane produced in the rumen fluid. Unless otherwise specified, terms used herein shall be used in the sense commonly used in the art. One aspect of the present invention is a rumen methane-reducing feed for ruminants containing the stems and leaves of plants belonging to the genus Vicia, their silage fermented products, or extracts thereof. In this invention, ruminants are animals that bring food they have swallowed back into their mouths and chew again, and which typically have four stomachs. Examples of ruminants include cattle, sheep, and goats, with cattle being the most numerous. Of these four stomachs, the first stomach is the rumen. The rumen is home to a great many microorganisms that decompose cellulose and hemicellulose, producing methane. Therefore, if methane production in the rumen can be suppressed, the amount of methane released into the atmosphere from ruminants can be reduced. The active ingredients of the present invention's feed are the stems and leaves of plants belonging to the genus Vicia, their silage fermented products, or extracts thereof. Plants belonging to the genus Vicia are also known as velvet in English. While some plants in the genus Vicia, like broad beans, are edible, most are used as pasture or green manure. The plants belonging to the genus Vicia used in this invention can be any plants used as pasture grass or green manure, such as Vicia americana, Vicia amoena, Vicia amurensis Oett. (wild vetch), Vicia andicola Kunth, Vicia articulata Hornem., Vicia bakeri Ali, Vicia basaltica Plitmann, Vicia benghalensis L., Vicia biennis L., Vicia bithynica (L.) L., Vicia bungei Ohwi (pea), and Vicia canescens Labill. , Vicia cappadocica Boiss. & Balanza, Vicia caroliniana Walter, Vicia cassubica L. , Vicia cracca, Vicia cuspidata Boiss. , Vicia cusnae, Vicia cypria Unger & Kotschy, Vicia disperma DC. , Vicia dumetorum L. , Vicia ervilia, Vicia esdraelonensis Warb. & Eig, Vicia faba (fava bean), Vicia galeata Boiss. , Vicia galilaea Plitmann & Zohary, Vicia gigantea Bunge, Vicia graminea Sm. , Vicia grandiflora Scop. (Vicia hassei), Vicia hassei S. Watson, Vicia hirsuta, Vicia hololasia Woronow, Vicia hulensis Plitmann, Vicia hybrida L. , Vicia japonica A. Gray, Vicia lathyroides, Vicia lens, Vicia lilacina Ledeb. , Vicia linearifolia Hook. &Arn. , Vicia loiseleurii (M. Bieb.) Litv. , Vicia lutea, V