Wang Jia-Kun, Ye Jun-An, Liu Jian-Xin
Institute of Dairy Science, College of Animal Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310029, People's Republic of China.
Trop Anim Health Prod. 2012 Apr;44(4):697-706. doi: 10.1007/s11250-011-9960-8. Epub 2011 Aug 26.
Reducing methane emission from ruminant animals has implications not only for global environmental protection but also for efficient animal production. Tea saponins (TS) extracted from seeds, leaves or roots of tea plant are pentacyclic triterpenes. They have a lasting antiprotozoal effect, but little effect on the methanogen population in sheep. There was no significant correlation between the protozoa counts and methanogens. The TS decreased methanogen activity. It seems that TS influenced the activity of the methanogens indirectly via the depressed ciliate protozoal population. The TS addition decreased fungal population in the medium containing rumen liquor in in vitro fermentation, but no such effect was observed in the rumen liquor of sheep fed TS. Tea saponins had a minor effect on the pattern of rumen fermentation and hence on nutrient digestion. When added at 3 g/day in diets, TS could improve daily weight gain and feed efficiency in goats. No positive associative effect existed between TS and disodium fumarate or soybean oil on methane suppression. Inclusion of TS in diets may be an effective way for improving feed efficiency in ruminants.
减少反刍动物的甲烷排放不仅对全球环境保护有意义，而且对动物高效生产也有意义。从茶树种子、叶子或根部提取的茶皂素（TS）是五环三萜类化合物。它们具有持久的抗原虫作用，但对绵羊体内产甲烷菌数量影响较小。原虫数量与产甲烷菌之间没有显著相关性。茶皂素降低了产甲烷菌的活性。似乎茶皂素通过抑制纤毛虫原虫数量间接影响产甲烷菌的活性。在体外发酵中，添加茶皂素会降低含有瘤胃液的培养基中的真菌数量，但在饲喂茶皂素的绵羊瘤胃液中未观察到这种效果。茶皂素对瘤胃发酵模式进而对营养物质消化的影响较小。当在日粮中每天添加3克时，茶皂素可提高山羊的日增重和饲料效率。茶皂素与富马酸二钠或大豆油在抑制甲烷方面不存在正协同效应。在日粮中添加茶皂素可能是提高反刍动物饲料效率的有效途径。
