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Research Journal of Agriculture and Environmental Management. Vol. 4(7), pp. 282-290, July, 2015
Available online at http://www.apexjournal.org
ISSN 2315 - 8719© 2015 Apex Journal International
Review
The role of bacteria in nitrogen metabolism in the
rumen with emphasis of cattle
Dessalegn Genzebu1 and Gebrekidan Tesfay2
1Department of Animal Science, College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Mizan-Tepi University, P.O. Box 260,
Mizan-Teferi, Ethiopia.
2Department of Animal production and Technology College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences, Adigrat
University, Ethiopia.
Received 20 May, 2015; Accepted 6 July, 2015; Published 31 July, 2015
Ruminant species supply over half the meat and essentially all of the milk and animal fiber consumed
by man, as well as being a significant source of draft power and fuel. The unique digestive and
metabolic strategies of these ruminants make them particularly efficient in the conversion of feedstuffs
that are of low value to unfit for human consumption into high-quality food. Two important
characteristics set ruminants apart from most other domestic livestock: their ability to synthesize
digestible true protein from non-protein nitrogen (NPN) sources such as urea and ammonia, and their
ability to utilize the energy in cellulosic materials both characteristics dependent on the activities of
rumen micro-organisms. Ammonia is used by bacteria to build their proteins and any excess of it is
absorbed through the rumen wall into the blood and then converted to urea in the liver. Bacteria
population makes the ruminant animal virtually independent of dietary sources of all vitamins, except
for vitamins A and D. The rumen is an exceptional habitat, in providing constant conditions. Rumen
bacteria digest cellulose from plant cell walls, digest complex starch, synthesize protein from non
protein nitrogen, and synthesize B vitamins and vitamin K. The microbial population of the rumen is
complex and includes members that belong to the three domains of life: bacteria, protozoa and fungi.
Bacteria constitute the most significant member of the microbial population based on cell mass (>50%),
number (1010 to 1011/g of contents) and contribution to ruminal fermentation. Species of bacteria may
vary from one strain of that species to another and number of bacteria and the relative populations of
individual species vary with the animal’s diet. Bacteria inhabiting the rumen have been classified into
four groups depending on their environmental habitat. Nitrogen metabolism in the rumen is a result
of mainly the metabolic activity of rumen bacteria as the majority of bacteria have proteolytic
activity. Bacterial cells and dietary nitrogen that escapes ruminal degradation are the major sources of
protein and amino acid requirements of ruminants. The total amount of microbial protein flowing to the
small intestine depends on nutrient availability and efficiency of use of these nutrients by ruminal
bacteria. The efficiency of bacterial protein synthesis is a major factor affecting the overall amino acid
requirement of ruminants. Hence, the aim of this paper is to review the role of bacteria in nitrogen
metabolism in the forestomach of ruminants.
Key words: Bacteria, ruminant, protein, nitrogen metabolism
INTRODUCTION
Ruminant species supply over half the meat and
essentially all of the milk and animal fiber consumed by
*Corresponding author. Email: gebrekidan_tes@yahoo.com
man, as well as being a significant source of draft power
and fuel. The unique digestive and metabolic strategies
of these ruminants make them particularly efficient in the
conversion of feedstuffs that are of low value to
monogastrics or unfit for human consumption into high-
quality food, fiber, and numerous other products that are
beneficial to man (Fellner, 2005). The host animal
supplies the microorganisms in the rumen with plant
material, which often is of low nutritional quality, and in
return gets access to high-quality microbial protein from
microbes.
The rumen is a complex ecosystem in which feeds
consumed by the ruminant animal are digested by an
active and diverse micro-flora. It is the diversity,
adaptability and mutualistic interactions among the
ruminal microbes and the host that have given ruminants
a competitive edge in their ability to digest and thrive on
diets high in fiber but often low in protein (Weimer, 1996).
Ruminants along with other mammals (including man) do
not possess the enzymes necessary to digest fiber or to
efficiently convert non-protein nitrogen (NPN) into protein.
The single largest contribution made by rumen microbes
is their ability to ferment fibrous materials (Bach et al.,
2005).
Ruminants have a more complex protein metabolism
than non-ruminants. In monogastrics the amino acid
supply for absorption in the small intestine depends on
the amount and composition of the feed proteins,
whereas in ruminants, the amino acid supply comes from
two sources: feed and microorganisms (Hedqvist, 2004).
Two important characteristics set ruminants apart from
most other domestic livestock: their ability to synthesize
digestible true protein (essential amino acids) from non-
protein nitrogen (NPN) sources such as urea and
ammonia, and their ability to utilize the energy in
cellulosic materials both characteristics being dependent
on the activities of rumen micro-organisms (Nolan, 1981).
The rumen is a complex environment inhabited by
different microbial species, each of them with different
nutrient requirements and metabolisms. Therefore, this
paper reviews and summarizes current knowledge on the
role of bacteria on nitrogen metabolism in ruminant
animals.
RUMINANT ANIMALS
Ruminant animals (e.g. cattle, sheep, goats, deer, etc.)
do not synthesize fiber digesting enzymes, but they
formed a symbiotic relationship with ruminal
microorganisms that can. The ruminant provides the
microorganisms with a habitat for their growth, the rumen,
and microorganisms supply the animal with fermentation
acids, microbial protein and vitamins (Hungate, 1966).
Unlike non-ruminants, formulating for precise nutrient
requirements in ruminant rations is a challenge. Both
ruminants and non-ruminants utilize nutrients in tissues
but ruminants have another metabolic system, bacterial
metabolism in the rumen.
Feed proteins are degraded by microorganisms in the
rumen via amino acids into ammonia. Ammonia is used
by bacteria to build their proteins and any excess of it is
absorbed through the rumen wall into the blood and then
Genzebu and Tesfay 283
converted to urea in the liver (Altuntas, 2008). When a
diet is low in nitrogen, large amounts of urea return to the
rumen where it can be used by the microbes. In non-
ruminants, urea is always entirely lost in the urine. If
ammonia levels in the rumen are too low there will be a
nitrogen shortage for bacteria and feed digestibility will be
reduced. Too much ammonia in the rumen leads to
wastage, ammonia toxicity, and in extreme cases, death
of the animal (Leibholz, 1972).
The rumen
The rumen is an exceptional habitat, first, in providing
constant conditions of moisture, pH, temperature, an
aerobiosis, and food. Second, in being an open system in
which no stringently restrictive factors such as humoral
defense mechanisms limit to a few the number of kinds of
organisms which can survive. Some restrictions are
inevitable in any habitat maintaining fairly constant
conditions; in the rumen the type of food and the lack of
oxygen prevent the growth of many types found in other
habitats (Hungate, 1966). The rumen is sometimes called
the “paunch.” It is lined with papillae for nutrient
absorption and divided by muscular pillars into the dorsal,
ventral, caudodorsal, and caudoventral sacs. The rumen
acts as a fermentation vat by hosting microbial
fermentation. About 50 to 65 percent of starch and
soluble sugar consumed is digested in the rumen. Rumen
microorganisms (primarily bacteria) digest cellulose from
plant cell walls, digest complex starch, synthesize protein
from non protein nitrogen, and synthesize B vitamins and
vitamin K. Rumen pH typically ranges from 6.5 to 6.8
(Jane et al., 2009)
The rumen environment
The conditions in the rumen are not only complex but
they are intermittent. The rate at which feed enters the
rumen will be very different during grazing or meal
feeding. Salivary flow rate is not steady and rumination
activity that is not continuous will depend on the type of
diet. The flow of substances into and out of the rumen
may involve more than one pathway. Volatile fatty acids
can leave the rumen via passage into the lower tract or
they can be absorbed and partly metabolized in the
epithelium (Bach et al., 2005). Urea may enter the rumen
via saliva or directly from blood through the rumen
epithelium. Despite all these v ariations there are certain
generalizations that Fellner, (2005) could make regarding
the rumen:
i. Temperature is usually maintained within the range of
38-41°C with 39°C used as a common mean
temperature.
ii. Rumen pH can range from around 7.0 on forage diets
284 Res. J. Agric. Environ. Manage
to as low as 4.6 on high-grain diets.
iii. Mean redox potential is -350mv reflecting the strong
reducing environment and the absence of oxygen.
iv. Carbon dioxide and methane are the major gases
present in the rumen.
v. The solid and liquid digesta leave the rumen at
different rates.
In general, undissociated acids are more rapidly
absorbed, therefore as pH decreases absorption
increases. Low pH also favors the absorption and
production of lactic acid. In cases when large amounts of
grain are fed lactic acid can accumulate and become
toxic to the animal. Ammonia is readily absorbed and the
rate of absorption is dependent on concentration and pH.
It is rapidly absorbed at a higher pH and decreases as pH
drops. The rumen environment is anaerobic. Gases
produced in the rumen include carbon dioxide, methane,
and hydrogen sulfide. The gas fraction rises to the top of
the rumen above the liquid fraction (Jane et al., 2009).
Microbial ecology
The rumen contains one of the most diverse and dense
microbial ecologies known in nature. A possible
explanation for the diversity is the complex nature of the
feed, which contains carbohydrate, proteins, fats, other
organic compounds and minerals. In order to utilize
these compounds organisms are either highly specialized
to compete for a few of the feeds or become widely
adapted and are capable of using many nutrients
(Fellner, 2005)). The contents in the rumen are
heterogeneous and consist primarily of a microbial
suspension in free liquid, a solid mass of digesta, and a
gas phase. In a fully functioning rumen, there is a
dynamic equilibrium, as ruminal microbes adhering to
and detaching from feed particles are constantly leaving
or re-entering the fluid compartment. The microbial
population of the rumen is complex and includes
members that belong to the three domains of life:
bacteria, protozoa and fungi. Bacteria constitute the most
significant member of the microbial population based on
cell mass (>50%), number (1010 to 1011/g of contents)
and contribution to ruminal fermentation (Nagaraja and
Bauchop, 1977). Moreover, products of the metabolism of
some species of microorganisms are sources of energy
for the other species. These interactions regulate in a
large part the concentrations and activities of individual
species as well as the nature of the fermentation
products.
Ruminal bacteria
Bacteria make up about half of the living organisms
inside of the rumen. However, they do more than half of
the work in the rumen (Hungate, 1966).The bacteria work
together. Some breakdown certain carbohydrates and
proteins which are then used by others some require
certain growth factors, such as B-vitamins, which are
made by others. Some bacteria help to clean up the
rumen of others’ end products, such as hydrogen ions,
which could otherwise accumulate and become toxic to
other organisms. This is called “cross-feeding”. Species
of bacteria may vary from one strain of that species to
another and number of bacteria and the relative
populations of individual species vary with the animal’s
diet; for example, diets rich in concentrate foods promote
high total counts and encourage the proliferation of
lactobacilli (Leibholz, 1972).
Rumen bacteria are predominantly strict anaerobes (no
tolerance to oxygen) although a few facultative
anaerobes exist, performing a key role in removing
oxygen quickly from the rumen environment. The
bacterial population is diverse ranging from those who
digest carbohydrates (cellulose, hemicelluloses, pectin,
starch, sugars) to those who use acids or hydrogen as
energy sources (Russell, 2002). The bacteria are highly
dependent on B vitamins, ammonia (NH3), carbon
dioxide and VFAs. Given that the digestion of fiber
(cellulose and hemicelluloses) is commonly thought of as
the primary role of the rumen, it is the fiber digesting
bacteria which receive the most press. Lignin, the third
component of fiber, remains undigested (Brazier, 2010).
Classification of rumen bacteria
Bacteria inhabiting the rumen have been classified into
four groups depending on their environmental habitat:
free-living bacteria associated with the liquid phase in the
rumen; bacteria associated with feed particles; bacteria
associated with rumen epithelium; and bacteria attached
to the surface of protozoa (Czerkawski and Cheng, 1988;
McAllister et al., 1994). Microbial populations associated
with feed particles are estimated to be responsible for 88-
91% of ruminal endoglucanase and xylanase activity
(Williams and Strachan, 1984; Minato et al., 1993).
Bacterial roles are particularly important because
bacterial populations associated with feed particles are
predominant numerically, accounting for up to 75% of the
total microbial population (Minato et al., 1993). These
indicate that fiber-associated bacterial populations are
pivotal for ruminal fiber digestion. Because attachment is
an essential step for fibrolytic bacteria to initiate digestion
of plant fiber in the rumen.
The role of rumen bacteria in nitrogen metabolism
Before entering the intestine, feedstuffs consumed by
ruminants are all initially exposed to fermentative
activity in the rumen. Fermentation of feedstuffs in the
rumen results in the production of short-chain VF A
(principally acetate, propionate and butyrate), Co2 and
Cf4. The VFA are absorbed through rumen wall and used
by host animal as energy sources. Ammonia, free amino
acids and other simple N compounds are also produced
from breakdown of N-containing feedstuffs (Malik, 1998).
Nitrogen metabolism in the rumen is a result of
mainly the metabolic activity of rumen bacteria as the
majority of bacteria have proteolytic activity (Prins et al.,
1983). Degradation activity of these proteolytic microbes
depends on the chemistry and structure of dietary
proteins, as well as ruminal pH and predominant
species of bacteria present in the rumen (Huntington
and Archibeque, 2000). Russell et al. (1992) reviewed
the different microbial requirements for protein as
outlined by fermentative bacterial type. Bacterial cells and
dietary nitrogen that escapes ruminal degradation are the
major sources of protein and amino acid requirements of
ruminants. Microbial protein (MP) synthesized in the
rumen can represent nearly 50 to 80% of the N reaching
the small intestine (Nocek and Russell, 1988), and can
contribute 39 to 98% of daily total protein requirements
depending on the cattle productivities and efficiency of
MP synthesis (Stem et al., 1994). Microbial metabolism
is regulated by the amount and rate of carbohydrate
degradation in the rumen, because most of the energy
and carbon utilized by microbes originates from
carbohydrates more than any other source (Stem et al,
1994). Degradation of carbohydrates must be
synchronous with that of protein to optimize ammonia
(NH3) fixation to carbon skeletons during the synthesis of
amino acids which will become part of the MP. It is
reported that MP synthesis is more highly correlated with
digestible carbohydrate than with digestible OM (Nocek
and Russell, 1988; Firkins, 1996).
Sources of nitrogen (N) for rumen microbes
Ammonia, amino acids, peptides, urea, nucleic acids,
and other N-containing compounds including nitrate
and choline are the sources of N for microbial protein
synthesis in the rumen with ammonia as the primary
source (Wallace et al., 1997). Nolan and Leng (1972)
calculated ammonia and amino acid contributions to
total microbial N as 80% and 20%, respectively.
Compounds that are not true protein, but contain nitrogen
are non-protein nitrogen (NPN) and include nucleic acids,
nitrates and supplemental urea. Enzymatic activity of
bacteria in the rumen converts dietary protein into amino
acids, which are in turn delaminated to ammonia and
various carbon skeleton compounds (Bach et al., 2005).
Rumen degradable protein (RDP) and rumen un
degradable protein (RUP) are central sources of N in
livestock rations, and their interaction impacts the protein
ultimately available to the cattle from the rumen
(Katherine, 2007). Rumen bacteria are able to convert
Genzebu and Tesfay 285
NPN to high-quality protein for use by dairy cows, but
they also degrade high-quality dietary protein to ammonia
(Van Soest, 1994). Ammonia is the main source of N for
microbial protein synthesis (Nolan, 1975) and 82% of the
bacterial strains isolated from one animal grew with NH3
as the sole N source (Peterson, 2006).
Protein degradation, synthesis and utilization in the
rumen
Ruminants make efficient use of diets that are poor in
true protein content because microbes in the rumen are
able to synthesize a large proportion of the animal’s
required protein. The amino acid (AA) pattern of this
protein is of better quality than nearly all of the dietary
ingredients commonly fed to domestic ruminants
(Broderick, 1994). About 30 to 50% of ruminal
bacteria that attach to undigested feed particles in
the rumen have proteolytic activity (Prins et al.,
1983). In addition, ruminal microbial utilization of
ammonia allows the feeding of non protein N (NPN)
compounds, such as urea, as well as the capture of
recycled urea N that would otherwise be excreted in the
urine (Schwab, 1996).
Protein entering the rumen has at least three fates: it is
degraded to ammonia and is used for bacterial protein
synthesis, leaves the rumen as ammonia and converted
to urea in the liver, or escapes microbial action becomes
metabolizable protein directly (Recktenwald, 2010).
Ammonia, peptides, amino acids and amines form the
nitrogenous substrate for the synthesis of microbial cells
but ammonia is the most important source of N for the
microbes that ferment forages. Ammonia is used by
many species of rumen bacteria as their sole source of
nitrogen for protein synthesis (Leng and Nolan, 1984).
Nitrogen sources in the rumen are commonly divided
into two categories; degradable crude protein (RDP) and
non-protein nitrogen (NPN). Both RDP and NPN are
hydrolyzed and utilized by rumen microbes (Figure 1).
Dietary protein is rapidly degraded into peptides and
amino acids. Peptides can then be converted to amino
acids or converted directly to microbial protein. Amino
acids can be used directly by microorganisms for protein
synthesis or can be further broken down through
deamination to produce carbon skeletons and NPN
compounds, such as ammonia or urea (Namkim, 2010).
In addition to meeting the needs of the ruminal
microbiome, rumen microorganisms provide enough
protein to meet the protein requirements of the cattle.
This is true even when the ruminant is subjected to a
protein free diet (Namkim, 2010). The ruminal bacteria
play the most significant role in protein breakdown; the
bacterial fraction exhibits 6 to 10 times higher specific
proteinase activity than the protozoal fraction (Brock et
al., 1982). Rumen protein degradation follows the
scheme: proteins→ oligopeptides → dipeptides → amino
286 Res. J. Agric. Environ. Manage
Figure 1. Protein degradation process.
Source: (Publr, 2004).
acids → ammonia (Wallace, et al., 1995; Cotta and
Russell, 1996). The degradation of amino acids to
ammonia is an intracellular process, but the degradation
of protein to amino acids is an extracellular, but cell-
associated, process (Cotta and Russell, 1996). According
to Wallace (1995), the rate-limiting step in protein
degradation is the degradation of oligopeptides to
dipeptides from the N terminal.
Microbial protein synthesis in the rumen provides the
majority of protein supplied to the small intestine of
ruminants, accounting for 50 to 80% of total absorbable
protein (Storm and Orskov, 1983). The total amount of
microbial protein flowing to the small intestine depends
on nutrient availability and efficiency of use of these
nutrients by ruminal bacteria. According to the National
Research Council (NRC, 1994), microbial protein
synthesis in rumen is important for the demand of the
protein in small intestine. Therefore, N metabolism in the
rumen can be divided into 2 distinct events: protein
degradation, which provides N sources for bacteria, and
microbial protein synthesis (Clark et al., 1992). The key to
optimizing microbial protein production is to supply the
rumen with fermentable carbohydrates, which stimulate
microbial growth, along with N sources that meet
microbial N requirements. Two primary groups of bacteria
ferment feed in the rumen: those that ferment sugars and
starches and those that ferment fiber. Microbes that
ferment sugars and starches prefer peptides and AAs as
their N source, and adequate concentrations of ruminally
degradable dietary protein act as a growth stimulant to
this group. Fiber-fermenting microbes rely solely on NH3
as their N source; the NH3 comes primarily from non
protein N sources in forages and urea, as well as from
the degradation of feed protein. An imbalance of protein
or feed N sources in the diet can cause excess ruminal
NH3 that is absorbed through the rumen wall and
excreted in urine and milk as urea (NRC, 1994).
The efficiency of bacterial protein synthesis is a major
factor affecting the overall amino acid requirement of
ruminants, and is influenced by a number of factors
including; 1) energy source, 2) supply of nutrients such
as nitrogen, sulfur, branched chain fatty acids, and 3)
ruminal environmental characteristics such as dilution
rate, pH and microbial species present in the rumen
(Hespell and Bryant, 1979). An average efficiency of
microbial synthesis of 17 grams of microbial protein per
100 grams of digestible organic matter was determined
for many diets, although values were generally higher for
sheep compared with cattle, and forage-based diets
compared with grain-based diets (Bergen et al., 1982).
Nitrogen (N) utilization in ruminants
Improving the efficiency of nitrogen (N) utilization in
ruminant animals is an important factor in reducing feed
costs and mitigating the negative environmental
impact of intensive livestock operations. Ruminants are
relatively inefficient at utilizing dietary N. For example, in
beef cattle approximately 25% of dietary N is retained in
tissue, with the remainder being excreted in the faeces
(29%) and urine (39%) (Gaylean, 1996). In dairy cows,
25 to 30% of dietary N is deposited in milk protein, with
70 to 75% excreted in the feces and urine (Tamminga,
1992). The excretion of excess dietary N, particularly
as urinary N, can have a negative impact on the
Genzebu and Tesfay 287
Figure 2. Protein utilization by the ruminant.
Source: Lee, 2009
environment. Understanding microbial and whole animal
metabolic N utilization can aid in formulating cattle rations
for optimum efficiency. Such a ration would provide N in a
way that meets animal requirements and reduces N loss,
ultimately mitigating both economical and ecological
problems associated with N lost to the environment via
feces and urine (Figure 2).
Urea-N recycling
Urea is a highly concentrated source of CP that is
commonly used to provide degradable intake protein
(DIP) to ruminants. Urea is rapidly broken down to
ammonia in the rumen by the action of bacterial urease
(Satter and Slyter, 1974). Ammonia is used by rumen
microbes to produce microbial proteins and is required by
many rumen bacteria including cellulose degraders
(Hungate, 1966). Sources recycled within the body
derived from sloughed cells and urea that re-enters the
rumen across the ruminal epithelium or in saliva
(Huntington and Archibeque, 1999). Ruminants have the
ability to recycle N in the rumen, which reduces the
amount of DIP that needs to be fed to meet the bacteria’s
requirement for N for growth. However, N recycling
differs greatly between diets (Sultan et al., 1992).
Nitrogen recycling to the rumen is a characteristic
unique to ruminant animals that serves to augment
low N diets. Nitrogen is conserved by decreasing urinary
excretion of cleared urea (Schmidt-Nielsen, 1977).
Understanding or appreciating the level of urea
recycling and accounting for this and the microbial
utilization of the recycled N improves our ability to
formulate more N efficient diets. All ruminants are
obligate recyclers of N and the amount of urea N recycled
is a function of N intake, the rate of degradation of the
carbohydrate and protein and the associated microbial
uptake of feed. There are other factors impacting urea N
recycling, but N intake and the total pool size of N within
the animal will have the largest impact (Recktenwald,
2010). Urea production ranges from approximately 40 to
70% of total N intake per day and this hepatic function
does not require a significant amount of energy.
Urea-N recycling occurs in both ruminant and non-
ruminant animals. However, in ruminants, 40 to 80%
of endogenously produced urea-N can be recycled to
the gastrointestinal tract (GIT) as compared to 15 to
39% in non-ruminants (Huntington 1989; Russell et al.
2000). In ruminants, urea-N can be recycled to the
GIT via transfer from the blood to the lumen of the
GIT (Stewart et al., 2005). However, it has been
estimated that 23 to 69% of endogenously produced
urea-N is recycled to the GIT through the saliva in
ruminants (Huntington 1989). The recycling of urea-N to
the GIT represents an opportunity for the anabolic use of
recycled urea-N, improved overall N efficiency and the
opportunity to reduce the excretion of N into the
environment.
288 Res. J. Agric. Environ. Manage
Factors affecting urea-nitrogen recycling to the
rumen
The rate of urea-N recycled to the rumen and its
utilization for anabolic purposes can be influenced by a
number of both dietary and ruminal factors. Many ruminal
and dietary factors are interrelated in terms of affecting
urea-N recycling to the rumen. For example, the
recycling of urea-N to the rumen has been shown to be
negatively correlated with ruminal NH3 concentration
(Kennedy and Milligan, 1980). Therefore, dietary
factors affecting the rate of dietary N partitioning to
ammoniagenesis will influence urea-N recycling to the
rumen (Lapierre and Lobley 2001). Furthermore,
increasing the supply of ruminally-fermentable
carbohydrate increases the incorporation of ruminal
NH3-N into microbial protein. This, in turn, reduces
ruminal NH3-N concentration leading to an increase in the
proportion of urea-N recycled to the rumen (Kennedy and
Milligan, 1980).
Nitrogen waste and pollution
Due to increased population and income levels,
particularly in developing countries, worldwide production
of meat and milk will have to double within 50 years
(Dijkstra et al., 2011). This will require a massive
increase in the productive output from animals without
any appreciable increase in land availability. However,
maximizing production from ruminants is often associated
with an increase in excretion of waste products that may
be harmful to the environment (VandeHaar and St -
Pierre, 2006). Rumen fermentation brings some
disadvantages. Methane is produced as a natural
consequence of the anaerobic fermentation; it is a potent
greenhouse gas. Dairy farming is the largest agricultural
source of methane. Furthermore, the major
environmental concern associated with the animal
industry is ammonia volatilization, which increases
atmospheric acid deposition because of the impact of
nitrogen-rich excreta on the environment (Altuntas,
2008).
Nitrogen is one of the major sources of pollution from
ruminant operations, along with phosphorus and
methane. Nitrogen is of particular concern in cattle
production (Arriaga et al., 2009) and N pollution results in
eutrophication of natural water sources, pollution of
groundwater with nitrates and atmospheric pollution by
de-nitrification and ammonia volatilization (Dijkstra et al.,
2011). Volatilized ammonia returns to the land or water
via rainfall, dry precipitation, or direct absorption.
Volatilized ammonia also can contribute to odor
problems. Although ammonia may be beneficial as a
fertilizer for agricultural fields, it may not be beneficial in
other ecosystems. Manure in the form of slurry when
injected into the soil will have minimal losses of ammonia.
The higher the N contents of the manure, the greater the
risk of ammonia loss. For example, most beef cattle are
produced in open feedlots. Ammonia losses can
represent as much as 70% of the N excreted by those
cattle (Arriaga et al., 2009). Minimizing N pollution is
necessary at all stages of production, from crop
production to feeding and management practices and
manure management (Rotz, 2004).
CONCLUSION
Ruminant animals have unique digestive and metabolic
strategies which make them particularly efficient in the
conversion of low value of feedstuffs into high-quality
food, fiber, and numerous other products. Both
ruminants and non-ruminants utilize nutrients in tissues
but ruminants have another metabolic system, bacterial
metabolism in the rumen. Feed are degraded by
microorganisms in the rumen via amino acids into
ammonia. Ammonia is used by bacteria to build their
proteins and any excess of it is absorbed through the
rumen wall into the blood and then converted to urea in
the liver. Microbial protein synthesis in the rumen
provides the majority of protein supplied to the small
intestine of ruminants. The total amount of microbial
protein flowing to the small intestine depends on nutrient
availability and efficiency of use of these nutrients by
ruminal bacteria. Hence, improving the efficiency of
nitrogen utilization in ruminant animals is an important
strategy in reducing feed costs and mitigating the
negative environmental impact of intensive livestock
operations.
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