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Experimental Case

The Role of Organic Acids in Alleviating Ruminant Acidosis

Release time:

2022-05-13

The Role of Organic Acids in Alleviating Ruminant Acidosis

Rumen Microbial Composition and Function in Ruminants

Ruminants typically have four stomach compartments: the rumen, the reticulum, the omasum, and the abomasum. Among these, the rumen is the largest compartment; in adult cattle, the rumen accounts for about three-quarters of the total volume of all stomach compartments, reaching as much as 130 to 160 liters. The temperature inside the rumen generally remains constant at 38–40°C. The saliva flowing into the rumen contains bicarbonate and phosphate buffers, which help maintain the rumen’s pH between 6 and 7. The rumen environment is highly anaerobic, and in addition to the feed and water consumed by the animal, it is also filled with large amounts of gases, including approximately 65% carbon dioxide (CO2) and 35% methane (CH4), along with trace amounts of hydrogen (H2).

Ruminants—such as cattle and sheep—are a special class of domestic livestock. They possess a unique rumen structure, within which a vast microbial community thrives. This microbial community primarily comprises bacteria, archaea, fungi, protozoa, and a small number of bacteriophages. The synergistic interactions among these microorganisms ensure the stable functioning of the ruminant rumen. These microbes are capable of fermenting and degrading naturally indigestible fibrous materials in the feed into volatile fatty acids (VFAs), which ultimately serve as an energy source for milk and meat production. The filamentous and leaf-like epithelium of the rumen significantly increases the surface area of the rumen wall, thereby facilitating the efficient absorption of VFAs by the rumen wall. The microbial communities coexisting symbiotically within the rumen include microorganisms belonging to categories such as fiber-degrading, hemicellulose-degrading, starch-degrading, protein-degrading, lipid-degrading, and biohydrogenation microorganisms, each performing powerful and diverse functions.

The Effect of Diet on Rumen Microbial Composition

Different types of ruminant animals, due to variations in their feeding habits and feeding cycles, rumen size, and food turnover rates, can to some extent influence the composition of rumen microbial communities. The energy required for the metabolic activities of rumen microorganisms primarily comes from the diet consumed by the animal, especially from carbohydrates in the diet. Ruminant diets typically consist of two main components: roughage and concentrate. Roughage generally contains a higher proportion of lignocellulosic components, whereas concentrates are rich in soluble sugars or starches. Consequently, the ratio of concentrates to roughage in the diet affects the nutritional composition of the diet (including carbohydrates, proteins, lipids, etc.) as well as the total energy content of the diet.

Studies have shown that under high-concentrate diets, the relative abundance of Streptococcus bovis, Ruminococcus amylophilus, Lactobacillus, Megasphaera elsdenii, and Eubacterium ruminantium in the rumen of ruminants significantly increases. In particular, the vigorous activity of Streptococcus bovis and Lactobacillus leads to substantial production of lactic acid, triggering subacute ruminal acidosis (SARA) in ruminants. Meanwhile, fiber-degrading bacteria—such as Ruminococcus flaveus, Ruminococcus albus, and Butyrivibrio fibrisolvens—experience a decline in numbers due to the lack of cellulose as a substrate and the resulting drop in rumen pH. The dietary structure characterized by high concentrate levels promotes the active growth of acid-producing bacteria, causing a decrease in rumen pH, reduced microbial diversity, and potentially leading to ruminal acidosis.

The Role of Organic Acids in Alleviating Ruminant Acidosis

The essential characteristic of ruminal acidosis is the excessive accumulation of organic acids. Feeding ruminants a certain amount of inorganic salts can, to some extent, neutralize these organic acids, raise the pH, and reduce the severity of SARA. Among these salts, sodium bicarbonate and magnesium oxide are the most commonly used in production. Studies have shown that when dairy cows develop acidosis, they tend to prefer feed containing bicarbonate. Although buffers can alleviate acidosis to a certain extent, it’s crucial to carefully control both the dosage and the duration of their use. Long-term use may disrupt the body’s acid-base balance as well as the equilibrium of cations and anions, and thus they should not be used for prevention over extended periods.

Adding organic acids to the diet can promote the growth and metabolic activity of rumen microorganisms, thereby reducing the incidence of ruminal acidosis. Moreover, these organic acids can serve as intermediate metabolites, being utilized as substrates by other microorganisms or biochemical reactions. Malic acid, fumaric acid, and succinic acid are important electron acceptors in the rumen and serve as crucial intermediates for microbial production of propionic acid. The primary pathways for propionate formation involve the malic-succinic acid pathway, mediated by Selenomonas ruminantium, and the lactate-propionate pathway, mediated by Eubacterium limosum. Some studies have also reported that adding malic acid can enhance Selenomonas ruminantium’s ability to utilize lactate. Research has shown that the addition of malic acid and fumaric acid can stimulate Selenomonas ruminantium’s utilization of lactate, facilitate intercellular hydrogen transfer, and reduce both lactate and volatile fatty acid concentrations. Thus, it is evident that organic acids can promote the lactate-degrading capacity of Selenomonas ruminantium in the rumen. Mao Shengyong et al.[34] found that supplementing goats with disodium fumarate could significantly increase rumen pH and decrease lactate concentration.

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