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Ruminal Carbonate as a Precursor of Eructed Methane and Carbon Dioxide¹

Department of Dairy Science, University of Maryland

H. Hoernicke

Tierarztliche Hochschule, Hannover, Germany

D. R. Waldo, W. P. Flatt and M. J. Allison

Dairy Cattle Research Branch, Animal Husbandry Research Division, ARS, Beltsville, Maryland

ABSTRACT

For some years it has been known that the methanogenic bacteria from a number of sources may produce CH₄ through CO₂ reduction. That this pathway operates in the ruminal synthesis of CH₄ was suggested by the study of CH₄ production from formate by Beijer (1) and the more detailed study by Carroll and Hungate (2). These latter workers concluded from their in vitro studies that CH₄ was derived from formate in two steps, involving formate dissimilation to CO₂ and H₂ and the subsequent reduction of CO₂ to CH₄. In vivo evidence for CO₂ reduction to CH₄ has not been reported. To this end, ruminal studies with radioactive carbonate have been conducted.

Four trials were conducted with a Jersey cow, tracheotomized, as previously described (3), for the collection of eructed and expired gases. All trials were begun at 8 AM and continued for 6 or 7 hr. The eructed gases were collected for hourly intervals.

¹ Scientific Article No. A1075, Contribution No. 3494 of the Maryland Agriculturat Experiment Station, Dairy Science Department.