Annual Research & Review in Biology

This study was carried out to assess the effect of Ginger (Zingiber officinale) on the in vitro rumen ecosystem of sheep. Rumen fluid was obtained from three male sheep with fistula and mixed with 0, 30, and 60 mg ginger plus a substrate which represented the basic diet of alfalfa hay and barley in a ratio of 70:30 which had been given to the sheep used in this study. In the experiments the ginger/substrate mixtures were incubated for intervals of 0, 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 18, 24, 36, and 72 h. A completely randomized design (CRD) was performed with four replicates per each treatment. The in vitro gas production (IVGP), methane emission, in vitro organic matter degradability (IVOMD), ammonia (NH3-N) concentration, partitioning factor (PF), microbial mass (MM), volatile fatty acid (VFA) concentrations and protozoan population were measured. The results showed that 60 mg ginger supplement significantly improved the potential gas production (Linear (L); P<0.001). Cumulative gas production was also increased after 72 h (L; P<0.031). Methane production decreased by the addition of 30 and 60 mg of ginger compared with the control (Control vs ginger; P=0.012). The NH3-N concentration linearly declined in the presence of ginger (L; P=0.000). Total VFA concentrations were not influenced, but the acetate to propionate ratio declined (L; P≤ 0.05) and the branched fatty acids increased (L, P<0.01). The antiprotozoal activity was improved by ginger treatments especially on the Entodiniinae subfamily population (L, P= 0.028) (Control vs ginger; P=0.026). Based on this study, it seems ginger supplementation could improve ruminal fluid fermentation due to NH3-N reduction, reduce methane losses and cause beneficial changes in protozoal population.