Physicochemical characterisation of barley straw treated with sodium hydroxide or urea and its digestibility and in vitro fermentability in ruminants

Abstract The development of strategies to overcome the shortage of forage due to persistently low rainfall is becoming a central task for animal nutrition in research and practice. In this study, it was investigated how the treatment of straw with NaOH or feed urea in a practicable procedure for mod...

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Main Authors: Martin Bachmann, Siriwan D. Martens, Yann Le Brech, Gwendal Kervern, Robin Bayreuther, Olaf Steinhöfel, Annette Zeyner
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Nature Portfolio 2022-11-01
Series:Scientific Reports
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-022-24738-w
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author Martin Bachmann
Siriwan D. Martens
Yann Le Brech
Gwendal Kervern
Robin Bayreuther
Olaf Steinhöfel
Annette Zeyner
author_facet Martin Bachmann
Siriwan D. Martens
Yann Le Brech
Gwendal Kervern
Robin Bayreuther
Olaf Steinhöfel
Annette Zeyner
author_sort Martin Bachmann
collection DOAJ
description Abstract The development of strategies to overcome the shortage of forage due to persistently low rainfall is becoming a central task for animal nutrition in research and practice. In this study, it was investigated how the treatment of straw with NaOH or feed urea in a practicable procedure for modern farms affects rumen fermentation (gas production and greenhouse gas concentration) as well as the digestibility of feed energy and nutrients. For this purpose, the treatments were tested individually and in different proportions in a total mixed ration (TMR) in ruminal batch cultures in vitro and in a digestibility trial with sheep. In order to explain the observed effects at the molecular level, descriptive data from 13C solid state nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy were obtained. NaOH treatment of straw increased crude ash (CA), non-fibrous carbohydrates, digestible energy (DE), and metabolizable energy (ME) concentration, whereas the proportion of neutral detergent fibre (aNDFom) and hemicellulose decreased. In urea treated straw, NH3–N and crude protein increased, whereas acid detergent lignin (ADL), DE, and ME decreased. The physically effective fibre (peNDF8) concentration increased in TMR containing 18% of NaOH or urea treated straw (p < 0.01). The application of straw treatments as pure substrates (not as part of a TMR) increased gas production and decelerated ruminal fermentation (p < 0.05). In vitro organic matter digestibility (IVOMD) of the straw (0.31) increased after NaOH (0.51; p < 0.05) and urea treatment (0.41; p > 0.05). As part of a TMR, straw treatments had no distinct effect on gas production or IVOMD. Concentrations of CH4 and CO2 were likewise not affected. Apparent total tract digestibility of aNDFom, acid detergent fibre (ADFom), hemicellulose, and cellulose increased in the TMR by approximately 10% points following NaOH treatment (p < 0.05). The inclusion of urea treated straw did not affect apparent digestibility. Calculated true digestibility of aNDFom was 0.68, 0.74, and 0.79, of ADFom 0.58, 0.57, and 0.65, and of ADL 0.02, 0.13, and 0.08 in TMR including untreated, NaOH treated, and urea treated straw, respectively. 13C NMR and FTIR analyses consistently revealed that the global structure and crystallinity of the carbohydrates (cellulose and hemicellulose) was not altered by treatment and the concentration of lignin was likewise not affected. Depolymerisation of lignin did not occur. However, NMR signals assigned to acetyl groups were significantly altered indicating that straw treatments disrupted linkages between hemicelluloses and lignin. Moreover, the acetates signal was affected. This signal can be assigned to linkages between ferulic acids and hemicelluloses (arabinoxylans). FTIR spectra of straw treatments mainly differed at a wavelength of 1730 cm−1 and 1240 cm−1. Disappearance of the 1730 cm−1 peak suggests removal of hemicelluloses or lignin related compounds by treatment. The disappearance of the lignin peak at 1240 cm−1 could be due to conjugated ketone (phenyl-carbonyl) removal or the removal of ferulic and p-coumaric acid acetyl groups. Both treatments are supposed to release fermentable cell wall components (hemicelluloses) from lignin-associated bonds and as a result, straw fibre can be better fermented in the rumen. This contributes to energy supply and increased fibre digestibility at least in the TMR that contained NaOH treated straw. The alkaline straw treatments probably induced a release of phenolics such as ferulic acid and p-coumaric acid, which can be metabolised in the gut and the liver and metabolites might be excreted with the urine. This could notably contribute to metabolic energy losses.
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spelling doaj.art-9a6e56b56b6d41a8985aa26a61c018242022-12-22T03:48:29ZengNature PortfolioScientific Reports2045-23222022-11-0112111410.1038/s41598-022-24738-wPhysicochemical characterisation of barley straw treated with sodium hydroxide or urea and its digestibility and in vitro fermentability in ruminantsMartin Bachmann0Siriwan D. Martens1Yann Le Brech2Gwendal Kervern3Robin Bayreuther4Olaf Steinhöfel5Annette Zeyner6Institute of Agricultural and Nutritional Sciences, Martin Luther University Halle-WittenbergSaxon State Office for Environment, Agriculture and GeologyCNRS, ENSIC-LRGP, Université de LorraineCNRS, CRM2, Université de LorraineInstitute of Agricultural and Nutritional Sciences, Martin Luther University Halle-WittenbergInstitute of Agricultural and Nutritional Sciences, Martin Luther University Halle-WittenbergInstitute of Agricultural and Nutritional Sciences, Martin Luther University Halle-WittenbergAbstract The development of strategies to overcome the shortage of forage due to persistently low rainfall is becoming a central task for animal nutrition in research and practice. In this study, it was investigated how the treatment of straw with NaOH or feed urea in a practicable procedure for modern farms affects rumen fermentation (gas production and greenhouse gas concentration) as well as the digestibility of feed energy and nutrients. For this purpose, the treatments were tested individually and in different proportions in a total mixed ration (TMR) in ruminal batch cultures in vitro and in a digestibility trial with sheep. In order to explain the observed effects at the molecular level, descriptive data from 13C solid state nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy were obtained. NaOH treatment of straw increased crude ash (CA), non-fibrous carbohydrates, digestible energy (DE), and metabolizable energy (ME) concentration, whereas the proportion of neutral detergent fibre (aNDFom) and hemicellulose decreased. In urea treated straw, NH3–N and crude protein increased, whereas acid detergent lignin (ADL), DE, and ME decreased. The physically effective fibre (peNDF8) concentration increased in TMR containing 18% of NaOH or urea treated straw (p < 0.01). The application of straw treatments as pure substrates (not as part of a TMR) increased gas production and decelerated ruminal fermentation (p < 0.05). In vitro organic matter digestibility (IVOMD) of the straw (0.31) increased after NaOH (0.51; p < 0.05) and urea treatment (0.41; p > 0.05). As part of a TMR, straw treatments had no distinct effect on gas production or IVOMD. Concentrations of CH4 and CO2 were likewise not affected. Apparent total tract digestibility of aNDFom, acid detergent fibre (ADFom), hemicellulose, and cellulose increased in the TMR by approximately 10% points following NaOH treatment (p < 0.05). The inclusion of urea treated straw did not affect apparent digestibility. Calculated true digestibility of aNDFom was 0.68, 0.74, and 0.79, of ADFom 0.58, 0.57, and 0.65, and of ADL 0.02, 0.13, and 0.08 in TMR including untreated, NaOH treated, and urea treated straw, respectively. 13C NMR and FTIR analyses consistently revealed that the global structure and crystallinity of the carbohydrates (cellulose and hemicellulose) was not altered by treatment and the concentration of lignin was likewise not affected. Depolymerisation of lignin did not occur. However, NMR signals assigned to acetyl groups were significantly altered indicating that straw treatments disrupted linkages between hemicelluloses and lignin. Moreover, the acetates signal was affected. This signal can be assigned to linkages between ferulic acids and hemicelluloses (arabinoxylans). FTIR spectra of straw treatments mainly differed at a wavelength of 1730 cm−1 and 1240 cm−1. Disappearance of the 1730 cm−1 peak suggests removal of hemicelluloses or lignin related compounds by treatment. The disappearance of the lignin peak at 1240 cm−1 could be due to conjugated ketone (phenyl-carbonyl) removal or the removal of ferulic and p-coumaric acid acetyl groups. Both treatments are supposed to release fermentable cell wall components (hemicelluloses) from lignin-associated bonds and as a result, straw fibre can be better fermented in the rumen. This contributes to energy supply and increased fibre digestibility at least in the TMR that contained NaOH treated straw. The alkaline straw treatments probably induced a release of phenolics such as ferulic acid and p-coumaric acid, which can be metabolised in the gut and the liver and metabolites might be excreted with the urine. This could notably contribute to metabolic energy losses.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-022-24738-w
spellingShingle Martin Bachmann
Siriwan D. Martens
Yann Le Brech
Gwendal Kervern
Robin Bayreuther
Olaf Steinhöfel
Annette Zeyner
Physicochemical characterisation of barley straw treated with sodium hydroxide or urea and its digestibility and in vitro fermentability in ruminants
Scientific Reports
title Physicochemical characterisation of barley straw treated with sodium hydroxide or urea and its digestibility and in vitro fermentability in ruminants
title_full Physicochemical characterisation of barley straw treated with sodium hydroxide or urea and its digestibility and in vitro fermentability in ruminants
title_fullStr Physicochemical characterisation of barley straw treated with sodium hydroxide or urea and its digestibility and in vitro fermentability in ruminants
title_full_unstemmed Physicochemical characterisation of barley straw treated with sodium hydroxide or urea and its digestibility and in vitro fermentability in ruminants
title_short Physicochemical characterisation of barley straw treated with sodium hydroxide or urea and its digestibility and in vitro fermentability in ruminants
title_sort physicochemical characterisation of barley straw treated with sodium hydroxide or urea and its digestibility and in vitro fermentability in ruminants
url https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-022-24738-w
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