Methane gas from livestock production activities is a significant source of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions which have been shown to influence climate change. New technologies offer a potential to manipulate the rumen biome through genetic selection reducing CH4 production. Methane production may also be mitigated to varying degrees by various dietary intervention strategies. Strategies to reduce GHG emissions need to be developed which increase ruminant production efficiency whereas reducing production of CH4 from cattle, sheep, and goats. Methane emissions may be efficiently mitigated by manipulation of natural ruminal microbiota with various dietary interventions and animal production efficiency improved. Although some CH4 abatement strategies have shown efficacy in vivo, more research is required to make any of these approaches pertinent to modern animal production systems. The objective of this review is to explain how anti-methanogenic compounds (e.g., plant tannins) affect ruminal microbiota, reduce CH4 emission, and the effects on host responses. Thus, this review provides information relevant to understanding the impact of tannins on methanogenesis, which may provide a cost-effective means to reduce enteric CH4 production and the influence of ruminant animals on global GHG emissions.
Keywords: Feed efficiency; Greenhouse gas (GHG) emission; Methanogenesis; Ruminant; Tannin.
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