EFFECTS OF DIETARY INCLUSION OF GARLIC OIL ON RUMEN FERMENTATION IN HOLSTEIN COWS

Abstract

This study was conducted to investigate the influence of garlic oil on rumen fermentation in lactating Holstein cows. Twenty (20) lactating Holstein cows with 52.35 (± 7.23 SD) days in milking (DIM) were randomly divided into two (2) groups of 10 cows each; Control group with no additive (CN), and Garlic oil group (GO) supplemented with garlic oil (1.2 ml/kg DM of diet). Rumen content was collected via oral ruminal probe at the beginning and end of the 8 week feeding trial for analysis of rumen volatile fatty acids (VFA). The results obtained for volatile fatty acid concentrations were analyzed with the Student’s T- test in IBM SPSS (v20). The results showed that supplementation of garlic oil increased the proportions of acetate, propionate, and total VFA at week 8. The study found that garlic oil was able to increase the ruminal propionate concentration and unsaturated fatty acids, both of which could trap hydrogen thereby resulting in decreased ruminal methanogenesis. Further studies investigate the effects of garlic oil on the population of rumen microbiota and enteric methane emssion in cows.