Review article
THE EFFECTS OF MALIC ACID AND ITS SALTS ON RUMEN FERMENTATION, LACTATION AND FATTENING PERFORMANCE OF CATTLE
Neşe Nuray Toprak
; Ankara University, Agriculture Faculty, Department of Animal Science, Ankara, TURKEY
Aydan Yilmaz
; Ankara University, Agriculture Faculty, Department of Animal Science, Ankara, TURKEY
Abstract
Enzymes, buffers, yeast culture, aromatic plants and organic acids are alternative feed additives added to ruminant diets in recent years. These additives are not a warranty for high production or productivity. But they can be important to improve rumen fermentation, animals’ health, performance, reproduction and the quality of animal products. Organic acids could be beneficial due to the antimicrobial effect on rumen fermentation. The most common organic acids are the carboxylic acids. Dicarboxylic acids such as malic acid naturally are found in forages at different levels. They are sometimes found in their sodium, potassium, or calcium salts, or double salts. Malic acid or its salts reduce lactic acid concentration in rumen by stimulating lactate utilization by the Selenomonas ruminantium. It is also possible that supplementing ruminant diets with malic acid or its salts are effective in reducing the drop in ruminal pH just after feeding. Moreover, it is known that the dietary in-clusion of malic acid decreases protozoa numbers and methane emissions. Some studies report that malic acid improves animals’ performance and rumen ecology, yet other studies claim no effects on these criteria. The contrastive results might be due to the differences in animals, forage type, forage maturity, forage:concentrate ratio, quantity of malic acid and the chemical form added in the diets. Therefore, more in vivo research is required so as to have a final conclusion.
Keywords
Malic acid; ruminant; performance; rumen fermentation
Hrčak ID:
124207
URI
Publication date:
26.6.2014.
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