CoAct Database

Rumen Gateway- mitigation through the microbiome

Ruminants are one of the most successful groups of herbivorous mammals on the planet, with around 200 species represented by approximately 75 million wild and 3.5 billion domesticated animals worldwide. Ruminants are defined by their mode of plant digestion, and have evolved a forestomach, the reticulo-rumen (or, more simply, rumen), that allows partial microbial digestion of feed before it enters the true stomach. Ruminants themselves do not produce the enzymes needed to degrade most of the complex polysaccharides found in plants, and the rumen provides an environment for a rich and dense consortium of anaerobic microbes that fulfil this digestive function. These rumen microbes ferment the released sugars to form volatile fatty acids that are major nutrient sources for the host animal and drive ruminant productivity. The protein in the microbial biomass and unfermented feed components leaving the rumen also contribute to the nutrition of the animal further down the digestive tract. Ruminants have evolved to thrive on a range of plant species, and this flexibility has enabled them to occupy many different habitats spanning a wide range of climates. These were also important factors in their domestication, allowing conversion of human-indigestible plant material into readily digestible animal products, especially dairy and meat for consumption, the production of useful animal fibres for clothing and materials, and the provision of draft power for transportation and the cultivation of land. Ruminants also have special standing in some religions and often signify wealth status in certain cultures and thus have played an important role in developing and sustaining human societies around the world. Fundamental gaps in our knowledge of rumen microbial diversity remain. A more complete understanding of this diversity and its function, both in vitro and in situ, will greatly advance the development of effective technologies or practices that support sustainable livestock development that contributes to food security while reducing its environmental footprint.

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