Methane emissions from ruminants constitute an important environmental concern to society and hold particular relevance within the dairy industry. Antibiotics such as monensin and secondary plant metabolites such as cashew nut-shell extract (CNSE) are used to manipulate the ruminal microbiome to improve energy efficiency and to reduce methane emissions from ruminants. We aimed to assess the effects of CNSE and monensin on the ruminal microbiome in a dual-flow continuous culture system. Our results indicate that CNSE and monensin exhibit similar effects in manipulating the major bacterial genera from the ruminal microbiome.

Read the full article in Translational Animal Science.