The effect of silkworms (Bombyx mori) chitosan on rumen fermentation, methanogenesis, and microbial population in vitro

Vet World Vol.17 June-2024 Article - 5

Research Article

Veterinary World, 17(6): 1216-1226

https://doi.org/10.14202/vetworld.2024.1216-1226

Yemima Gresia Sagala¹, Lincah Andadari², Tri Hadi Handayani², Mohammad Miftakhus Sholikin³, Ainissya Fitri², Rusli Fidriyanto², Rohmatussolihat Rohmatussolihat², Roni Ridwan², Wulansih Dwi Astuti², Yantyati Widyastuti², Dilla Mareistia Fassah⁴, Indah Wijayanti⁴, and Ki Ageng Sarwono²

1. Study Program of Nutrition and Feed Science, Graduate School of IPB University, Bogor Indonesia.
2. Research Center for Applied Zoology, National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN), Cibinong, Indonesia.
3. Research Group of The Technology for Feed Additive and Supplement, Research Center for Animal Husbandry, Research Organization for Agriculture and Food, National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN), Gunungkidul 55861, Indonesia.
4. Department of Nutrition and Feed Technology, IPB University, Bogor Indonesia.

Background and Aim: Ruminant enteric methane (CH4) is one of the largest sources of greenhouse gases that contribute to global warming. To minimize environmental harm caused by ruminants’ CH4 production, natural substances can be used to suppress it. Chitosan from crustacean sources had been known to obstruct CH4 generation in the rumen. About 18% of silkworm pupae is chitin, but little is known about the impact of silkworm pupae chitosan on rumen methanogenesis. This study investigated the efficacy of the silkworm chitosan extraction method and its impact on rumen fermentation, methanogenesis, and microbial growth in vitro.

Materials and Methods: This study employed a randomized complete block design featuring five treatments and four batches for rumen incubation as the blocking factor. In this study, five treatments were implemented: Control (CO) (basal diet with no added chitosan), basal diet with 6% chitosan from the Chinese Silkworm strain 804 (CHI804), basal diet with 6% chitosan from the PS 01 Hybrid Silkworm strain (CHIPS01), basal diet with 6% chitosan from the Hybrid F1 Japanese 102 × Chinese 202 races (CHIJC02), and basal diet with 6% commercial shrimp shell chitosan as the positive control (CHICOMM). The in vitro experiments assessed digestibility, pH, total gas generation, CH4 production, ammonia nitrogen (NH3-N), and short-chain fatty acid levels, along with microbial population. Data were analyzed using a general linear model followed by Duncan’s test when applicable.

Results: A significant effect on dry matter digestibility (DMD), total gas production, CH4, NH3-N, and rumen microbial populations (Methanogens, Ruminoccocus albus, Ruminoccocus flavefaciens, Selonomonas ruminantium, Butyrivibrio fibrisolvens, Streptoccocus bovis, Prevotella spp., and Bacteroides spp.) was observed (p < 0.05). The extracted chitosan (CHIJC02) used in this study exhibited a similar quality to that of commercial chitosan (CHICOMM). CHI804 treatment could reduce gas production, NH3-N production, and B. fibrisolvens population significantly (p < 0.05), while CHIJC02 could reduce CH4 production, methanogen population, acetate (C2) production, and increase propionate (C3) production significantly (p < 0.05). CHIJC02 and CHICOMM treatments could also increase the population of R. flavefaciens, S. ruminantium, and Bacteroides spp. significantly (p < 0.05). Chitosan addition significantly (p < 0.05) reduced DMD but did not impact organic matter digestibility or pH.

Conclusion: The extracted chitosan mimics commercial chitosan in physico-chemical properties. Chitosan derived from Japanese and Chinese F1 hybrid silkworm strains demonstrated superior capacity for inhibiting CH4 generation compared to commercial chitosan. The quality and effects on methanogenesis, rumen fermentation, and rumen microbial populations can differ depending on the origin of chitosan.

Keywords: CH4 production, chitosan, fermentation profile, in vitro.

How to cite this article: Sagala YG, Andadari L, Handayani TH, Sholikin MM, Fitri A, Fidriyanto R, Rohmatussolihat, Ridwan R, Astuti WD, Widyastuti Y, Fassah DM, Wijayanti I, and Sarwono KA (2024) The effect of silkworms (Bombyx mori) chitosan on rumen fermentation, methanogenesis, and microbial population in vitro, Veterinary World, 17(6): 1216-1226.

Received: 2023-12-22 Accepted: 2024-05-14 Published online: 2024-06-08

Corresponding author: Indah Wijayanti E-mail: wijayanti@apps.ipb.ac.id

DOI: 10.14202/vetworld.2024.1216-1226

Copyright: Sagala, et al. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/ by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license, and indicate if changes were made. The Creative Commons Public Domain Dedication waiver (http:// creativecommons.org/ publicdomain/zero/1.0/) applies to the data made available in this article, unless otherwise stated.