Potential of Molecular Weight and Structure of Tannins to Reduce Methane Emissions from Ruminants: A Review

Abstract

There is a need to reduce enteric methane (CH4) to ensure the environmental sustainability of ruminant production systems. Tannins are naturally found in both tropical and temperate plants, and have been shown to consistently decrease urinary nitrogen (N) excretion when consumed by ruminants. However, the limited number of in vivo studies conducted indicates that the effects of tannins on intake, digestibility, rumen fermentation, CH4 production and animal performance vary depending on source, type, dose, and molecular weight (MW). There are two main types of tannin in terrestrial plants: condensed tannin (CT; high MW) and hydrolysable tannin (HT; low MW). Consumption of CT and HT by ruminants can reduce N excretion without negatively affecting animal performance. High MW tannins bind to dietary protein, while low MW tannins affect rumen microbes, and thus, irrespective of type of tannin, N excretion is affected. The structure of high MW tannin is more diverse compared with that of low MW tannin, which may partly explain the inconsistent effects of CT on CH4 production reported in in vivo studies. In contrast, the limited number of in vivo studies with low MW HT potentially shows a consistent decrease in CH4 production, possibly attributed to the gallic acid subunit. Further in vivo studies are needed to determine the effects of tannins, characterized by MW and structural composition, on reducing CH4 emissions and improving animal performance in ruminants.