Effects of oil palm empty fruit bunch methanolic extract on rumen fermentation, fatty acid profiles and milk composition in goats

The oil palm empty fruit bunches (OPEFB) are an abundant and easily accessible agricultural by-product from the oil palm industry. The OPEFB has been investigated for its use as animal feed. However, the high fiber content in the spikelets and stalks that hinder digestion posed a challenge. On the other hand, OPEFB is also known to contain a broad range of bioactive polyphenols that could improve rumen fermentation, or even change the greenhouse gas emission profiles of rumen fermentation. These characteristics are highly relevant and would raise the commercial value of OPEFB once proven. The current study investigated the use of OPEFB extracts in animal feed, and to determine the effects of OPEFB extract on rumen fermentation characteristics, milk composition attributes, and fatty acid profile in the rumen, blood plasma, and milk in goats. Four studies were conducted to achieve the above objectives. In the first study, a characterization study was done on OPEFB extract to identify plant phytochemical bio-active compounds. The OPEFB extract was extracted using methanol and was analyzed for total phytochemical content and identified its chemical content through gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Results showed that OPEFB methanolic extract contained 70 phytochemical compounds, of which twelve are major phytochemical compounds with hexadecanoic acid, methyl ester as the main phytochemical compounds of interest. Methanolic extract OPEFB revealed a total polyphenol content of 3.98%, total tannin content of 2.37%, and total flavonoid content of 1.30% with 7.17ml MDA per L extract for lipid oxidation activity. The next study focused on the in-vitro rumen fermentation characteristics in goats using three levels of OPEFB extracts (0%, 5% and 10% OPEFB extract) added to the diet. Results showed fermentation characteristics were not affected by the OPEFB extract levels, but by the rumen microbial population and rumen fatty acid content of palmitic acid. The total bacteria, protozoa, and B. fibrisolvens population decreased significantly while palmitic acid increased. Hence, 5% OPEFB extract diets were chosen for further in-vivo study as results suggest that its effects lies mid-range in the acetate, iso-butyrate, iso-valerate concentration, insoluble fraction of gas production (but degradable), estimation potential gas production and in the population of B. fibrisolvens as compared with control and 10% OPEFB extract diet. In the third study, a crossover experimental design was employed where animals underwent two feeding trial sessions, which consisted of a 10-day adaptation period followed by a 7-day experimental period, with a 12-day washout period in between both feeding trial sessions. The result showed a reduction in the population of total methanogens (7.1%), methanobacteriales (7.26%), R. Albus (6.49%), R. flavefaciens (5.16%), F. succinogenes (7.98%), B. fibrisolvens (9.26%) while an increment in total protozoa content (17.46%) along with iso-butyrate (30.8%) and iso-valerate (38.4%) production in the rumen of OPEFB dietary feed. The milk protein content increased (4.13%) while milk lactose content decreased (2.79%). In summary, the current study showed that OPEFB extract could be incorporated into dairy goat diets at 5 % without adversely affecting rumen fermentation while improving the milk quality, and alleviating oxidative stress in the animal.

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