Single-Chamber Electrofermentation of Rumen Fluid Increases Microbial Biomass and Volatile Fatty Acid Production without Major Changes in Diversity

Rumen fermentation (RF) is a complex system of oxidation–reduction reactions governed by the rumen microbiota, and its end-products are the volatile fatty acids (VFAs) which constitute the main energy source for the host animal. We speculated that the process could be manipulated through electroferm...

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Published in:Fermentation (Basel) 2023-05, Vol.9 (6), p.502
Main Authors: López-Hernández, Rocío, Cercado-Quezada, Bibiana, Gómez-Velázquez, Haiku D. J, Robles-Rodríguez, Carolina, González-Dávalos, Laura, Varela-Echavarría, Alfredo, Shimada, Armando, Mora, Ofelia
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Acid production
bioelectrochemical system
Biomass
Cellulose
Chemical properties
Chemical reduction
Chromatography
Digestibility
Dry matter
Electric potential
Electricity
Electrodes
electrofermentation
Fatty acids
Fermentation
Gastric acid
Metabolism
Microbiota
Nutrition
Protozoa
Rumen
rumen fermentation
Stainless steel
Volatile fatty acids
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Summary:Rumen fermentation (RF) is a complex system of oxidation–reduction reactions governed by the rumen microbiota, and its end-products are the volatile fatty acids (VFAs) which constitute the main energy source for the host animal. We speculated that the process could be manipulated through electrofermentation (EF) by utilizing solid-state electrodes as electron sources. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of single-chamber EF applied (0.4 vs. 0.9 V) for 6, 12, or 24 h to rumen fluid on the resulting microbial biomass, dry matter digestibility (DMD), VFA production, NADH/NAD ratio, and composition of the rumen fluid’s bacterial communities. The application of a 0.9 V electric potential for 24 h produced the most significant changes in RF compared to the control treatment (0V), increasing microbial biomass (12%), DMD (58%), and VFA concentrations (~84%), and reducing NAD/NADH ratio (~50%) without a significant impact on bacterial diversity. These results suggest that the application of a 0.9 V electric potential allows the microbiota to better hydrolyze and digest the feed’s components and could offer an electron sink for the production of VFAs. Hence, EF can provide innovative solutions to a range of challenges that limit the RF process. Nonetheless, more studies are needed to understand how the solid electrodes and external electric energy function.
ISSN:2311-5637
2311-5637
DOI:10.3390/fermentation9060502