Liu Zhen-Shu, Chen Bo-Yuan, Chan Jacky Peng-Wen, Chen Po-Wen
Department of Safety, Health and Environmental Engineering, Ming Chi University of Technology, New Taipei City 24301, Taiwan.
Chronic Diseases and Health Promotion Research Center, Chang Gung University of Science and Technology, Chiayi 61363, Taiwan.
Animals (Basel). 2025 Aug 6;15(15):2308. doi: 10.3390/ani15152308.
While the Ankom RF system facilitates efficient high-throughput in vitro fermentation studies, its high cost and limited flexibility constrain its broader applicability. To address these limitations, we developed and validated a low-cost, modular gas monitoring system (FerME), assembled from commercially available components. To evaluate its performance and reproducibility relative to the Ankom RF system (Ankom Technology, Macedon, NY, USA), in vitro rumen fermentation experiments were conducted under strictly controlled and identical conditions. Whole rumen contents were collected approximately 2 h post-feeding from individual mid- or late-lactation dairy cows and immediately transported to the laboratory. Each fermenter received 50 mL of processed rumen fluid, 100 mL of anaerobically prepared artificial saliva buffer, and 1.2 g of the donor cow's diet. Bottles were sealed with the respective system's pressure sensors, flushed with CO, and incubated in a 50 L water bath maintained at 39 °C. FerME (New Taipei City, Taiwan) and Ankom RF fermenters were placed side-by-side to ensure uniform thermal conditions. To assess the effect of filter bag use, an additional trial employed Ankom F57 filter bags (Ankom Technology, Macedon, NY, USA; 25 μm pore size). Trial 1 revealed no significant differences in cumulative gas production, volatile fatty acids (VFAs), NH-N, or pH between systems ( > 0.05). However, the use of filter bags reduced gas output and increased propionate concentrations ( < 0.05). Trial 2, which employed filter bags in both systems, confirmed comparable results, with the FerME system demonstrating improved precision (CV: 4.8% vs. 13.2%). Gas composition (CH + CO: 76-82%) and fermentation parameters remained consistent across systems ( > 0.05). Importantly, with 12 pressure sensors, the total cost of FerME was about half that of the Ankom RF system. Collectively, these findings demonstrate that FerME is a reliable, low-cost alternative for real-time rumen fermentation monitoring and could be suitable for studies in animal nutrition, methane mitigation, and related applications.
虽然安科姆射频系统有助于高效地进行高通量体外发酵研究，但其高成本和有限的灵活性限制了其更广泛的应用。为了解决这些限制，我们开发并验证了一种低成本的模块化气体监测系统（FerME），该系统由市售组件组装而成。为了评估其相对于安科姆射频系统（美国纽约州马其顿市的安科姆技术公司）的性能和可重复性，在严格控制且相同的条件下进行了体外瘤胃发酵实验。在喂食后约2小时从个体泌乳中期或后期的奶牛收集全瘤胃内容物，并立即运至实验室。每个发酵罐加入50毫升处理过的瘤胃液、100毫升厌氧制备的人工唾液缓冲液和1.2克供体奶牛的日粮。用各自系统的压力传感器密封瓶子，用CO冲洗，并在保持在39℃的50升水浴中孵育。FerME（中国台湾新北市）和安科姆射频发酵罐并排放置以确保均匀的热条件。为了评估使用滤袋的效果，另一项试验使用了安科姆F57滤袋（美国纽约州马其顿市的安科姆技术公司；孔径25μm）。试验1显示，各系统之间在累积产气量、挥发性脂肪酸（VFA）、NH-N或pH方面无显著差异（P>0.05）。然而，使用滤袋减少了气体输出并增加了丙酸盐浓度（P<0.05）。试验2在两个系统中均使用了滤袋，证实了类似的结果，FerME系统显示出更高的精度（变异系数：4.8%对13.2%）。各系统的气体组成（CH₄+CO₂：76-82%）和发酵参数保持一致（P>0.05）。重要的是，配备12个压力传感器的FerME的总成本约为安科姆射频系统的一半。总体而言，这些发现表明，FerME是一种用于实时瘤胃发酵监测的可靠、低成本替代方案，可能适用于动物营养、甲烷减排及相关应用的研究。
