The rumen is a complex ecosystem composed of anaerobic bacteria, protozoa, fungi, methanogenic archaea and phages These microbes interact closely to breakdown plant material that cannot be digested by humans, whilst providing metabolic energy to the host and, in the case of archaea, producing methane Consequently, ruminants produce meat and milk, which are rich in high-quality protein, vitamins and minerals, and therefore contribute to food security As the world population is predicted to reach approximately 97 billion by 2050, an increase in ruminant production to satisfy global protein demand is necessary, despite limited land availability, and whilst ensuring environmental impact is minimized Although challenging, these goals can be met, but depend on our understanding of the rumen microbiome Attempts to manipulate the rumen microbiome to benefit global agricultural challenges have been ongoing for decades with limited success, mostly due to the lack of a detailed understanding of this microbiome and our limited ability to culture most of these microbes outside the rumen The potential to manipulate the rumen microbiome and meet global livestock challenges through animal breeding and introduction of dietary interventions during early life have recently emerged as promising new technologies Our inability to phenotype ruminants in a high-throughput manner has also hampered progress, although the recent increase in "omic" data may allow further development of mathematical models and rumen microbial gene biomarkers as proxies Advances in computational tools, high-throughput sequencing technologies and cultivation-independent "omics" approaches continue to revolutionize our understanding of the rumen microbiome This will ultimately provide the knowledge framework needed to solve current and future ruminant livestock challenges

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Addressing global ruminant agricultural challenges through understanding the rumen microbiome: past, present and future

Background Cocoa Pod Husk (CPH) is the main by-product from the coca industry constituting 67–76% of the cocoa fruit weight. This waste represents an important, and challenging, economic, environmental renewable opportunity, since ten tons of wet CPH are generated for each ton of dry cocoa beans. Scope and approach This review highlights the value that can be added to this industrial co-product to generate new pharmaceutical, medical, nutraceuticals or functional food products. Key findings and conclusions The quality and functionality of cocoa pod husk (CPH) has being improving through processing (fermentation, enzymatic hydrolysis, and combustion, among others), guiding to their use as source of volatile fragrance compounds, lipase extraction, skin whitening, skin hydration and sun screening, ruminants’ food, vegetable gum, organic potash, antibacterial and nanoparticles synthesis with antioxidant and larvicidal activities. However, their exploration to produce high-value-added products, specially for the food industry, is limited as well as their potential health benefits. Cocoa pod husk, the main by-product from cacao industry (up to 76%), is an abundant, inexpensive, and renewable source of bioactive compounds like dietary fiber, pectin, antioxidant compounds, minerals and theobromine, justifying their valorization. This review highlights the value addition that can be achieved with this valuable industrial co-product to generate new pharmaceutical, medical, nutraceuticals or functional food products.

Cocoa (Theobroma cacao L.) pod husk: Renewable source of bioactive compounds

Cacao pod husk (CPH) is the main co-product of the chocolate industry. In the present work; a Box-Behnken design was employed to optimize the SC-CO 2 for the development of suitable and green process focused on obtaining an extract enriched in phenolic compounds from this by-product, considering temperature, pressure and co-solvent (ethanol) as factors. The response variables selected were yield, total phenolics and total antioxidant capacity (ABTS assay). Extraction pressure and ethanol percentage were the main factors influencing the yield of the target compounds. The extract obtained at the optimum conditions (60 °C, 299 bar and 13.7% of ethanol) presented 0.52% of yield, 12.97 mg GAE/g extract and, 0.213 mmol TE/g extract which were well adjusted to the ones predicted. The findings of this study showed that supercritical fluid extraction could be used as a technique to obtain an extract enriched in phenolic compounds from CPH.

Valorization of cacao pod husk through supercritical fluid extraction of phenolic compounds

Modern food technology allows designing products aiming to simulate and replace traditional food. In affluent societies there is a rising tendency to consume foods derived from plants including milk imitations or plant drinks based on cereals, nuts, legumes, oil seeds or other plant families. Herein we review production and composition of such drinks, summarize consumers’ motivations to change from milk to plant drinks and highlight nutritional and health implications of consuming plant drinks instead of milk, in particular if non-fortified and if consumed by infants, children, adolescents and the elderly. Whereas the macronutrient concentrations of some plant drinks (soy) may approach in some cases (protein) that of cow’s milk, the nutritional quality of most plant drinks, e.g., the biological value of protein and the presence and amount of vitamins and essential minerals with high bioavailability does not. If cow’s milk is exchanged for non-fortified and non-supplemented plant drinks consumers may risk deficiencies of calcium, zinc, iodine, vitamins B2, B12, D, A, and indispensable amino acids, particularly in infants and toddlers who traditionally consume significant portions of milk. The vegetable nature, appearance and taste of such plant drinks may be appealing to adult consumers and be chosen for adding variety to the menu. However, in young children fed exclusively such plant drinks severe metabolic disturbances may occur. Parents, dietitians, physicians and consumers should be aware of such potential risks, if non-fortified plant drinks are consumed instead of milk.

Nutritional and health attributes of milk and milk imitations.

Cocoa pod husk (CPH) is the main by-product (ca. 70–75% weight of whole fruit) of the cocoa harvest, an important and economic crop in developing countries. It is a rich source of minerals (particularly potassium), fibre (including lignin, cellulose, hemicellulose and pectin) and antioxidants (e.g. phenolic acids). An existing practise is the return of CPH to soil with potential benefits (or disadvantages) for cocoa productivity and soil sustainability that have not been fully characterised. Currently, alternative low-value applications of CPH include its use as animal feed, as a starting material for soap making and activated carbon. Other biotechnological valorisation potentials for CPH and its fractions include the production of bio-fuels and their incorporation in food systems. Physical, chemical or biological pre-treatment approaches are needed in order to achieve desirable fractions in a cost-effective and sustainable manner for novel applications in food and non-food sectors.

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Valorisation strategies for cocoa pod husk and its fractions

This study aimed to perform a meta-analysis on the effect of 3-nitrooxypropanol (3-NOP) on enteric methane (CH4) emissions from ruminants. A total of 12 in vivo studies from 10 articles wer...

Use of 3-nitrooxypropanol as feed additive for mitigating enteric methane emissions from ruminants: a meta-analysis

Cocoa pod is among the by-products of cocoa (Theobroma cacao) plantations. The aim of this study was to apply a number of treatments in order to improve nutritional quality of cocoa pod for feeding of ruminants. Cocoa pod was subjected to different treatments, i.e. C (cocoa pod without any treatment or control), CAm (cocoa pod+1.5% urea), CMo (cocoa pod+3% molasses), CRu (cocoa pod+3% rumen content) and CPh (cocoa pod+3% molasses+Phanerochaete chrysosporium inoculum). Analysis of proximate and Van Soest's fiber fraction were performed on the respective treatments. The pods were then subjected to an in vitro digestibility evaluation by incubation in rumen fluid-buffer medium, employing a randomized complete block design (n = 3 replicates). Further, an in vivo evaluation of the pods (35% inclusion level in total mixed ration) was conducted by feeding to young Holstein steers (average body weight of 145±3.6 kg) with a 5×5 latin square design arrangement (n = 5 replicates). Each experimental period lasted for 30 d; the first 20 d was for feed adaptation, the next 3 d was for sampling of rumen liquid, and the last 7 d was for measurements of digestibility and N balance. Results revealed that lignin content was reduced significantly when cocoa pod was treated with urea, molasses, rumen content or P. chrysosporium (p CAm>CRu>CMo. Among all treatments, CAm and CPh treatments significantly improved the in vitro dry matter and organic matter digestibility (p<0.05) of cocoa pod. Average daily gain of steers receiving CAm or CPh treatment was significantly higher than that of control (p<0.01) with an increase of 105% and 92%, respectively. Such higher daily gain was concomitant with higher N retention and proportion of N retention to N intake in CAm and CPh treatments than those of control (p<0.05). It can be concluded from this study that treatment with either urea or P. chrysosporium is effective in improving the nutritive value of cocoa pod.

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Improving Nutritional Quality of Cocoa Pod ( Theobroma cacao ) through Chemical and Biological Treatments for Ruminant Feeding: In vitro and In vivo Evaluation

This experiment was aimed to evaluate chemical composition, in vitro rumen fermentation, digestibility and methane emissions of some insects, i.e. Jamaican field cricket (JFC), mealworm (MW) and black soldier fly larvae age 1 and 2 weeks (BSF1 and BSF2). Insect samples were oven-dried at 60 o C for 24 h, and ground to pass a 1 mm sieve. The ground samples were used subsequently for chemical composition determination and in vitro rumen fermentation test. Incubation was carried out in a water bath maintained at 39 oC for 48 h in three replicates. Results revealed that all insect meals contained high crude protein, i.e. above 40% DM. Proportions of neutral detergent insoluble CP ( NDICP) and neutral detergent insoluble CP ( ADICP) were high in the insect meals than that of soybean meal (SBM), and these were particularly very high in BSF2. All insect meals had lower IVDMD and IVOMD than that of SBM (P<0.05). All insect meals had lower methane emissions as compared to SBM at 12, 24 and 48 h (P<0.05). It can be concluded that insect meals are potential protein supplements and have low methane emissions in vitro . However, their digestibility is rather low and may limit their utilization.

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Evaluation of Some Insects as Potential Feed Ingredients for Ruminants: Chemical Composition, in Vitro Rumen Fermentation and Methane Emissions

This study was aimed to analyze neutral detergent insoluble crude protein (NDICP) and acid detergent insoluble crude protein (ADICP) contents of various commonly used forage and concentrate feedstuffs in Indonesia. A number of forages and concentrates, i.e. gliricidia, trichantera, indigofera, calliandra, papaya leaves, cassava leaves, leucaena, rapeseed meal, corn gluten feed, soybean meal, copra meal, palm kernel meal, fish and bone meal and wheat bran were subjected to proximate analysis, cell wall nitrogen determination and in vitro rumen fermentation evaluation. Chemical composition analysis was done in duplicate. The in vitro incubation was conducted in 14 treatments and 3 replicates by following a randomized complete block design. Variables measured after the incubation were total volatile fatty acid (VFA), ammonia, dry matter digestibility (DMD), organic matter digestibility (OMD) and crude protein digestibility (CPD). Results revealed that among the forages, cassava leaf had the highest proportion of NDICP while corn gluten feed was the highest among the concentrates. Different from that of NDICP, the highest proportion of ADICP was obtained in papaya leaf and copra meal for the forages and concentrates, respectively. Higher proportion of NDICP tended to decrease CPD (P<0.1). Although higher ADICP apparently tended to decrease CPD as well, the relationship was insignificant due to the higher variation of the dependent variable. It was concluded that cell wall protein proportion in feed may be used as an indicator to determine the quality of protein and its utilization in the rumen.

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Determination of Cell Wall Protein from Selected Feedstuffs and its Relationship with Ruminal Protein Digestibility in Vitro

Total digestible nutrient (TDN) values represent utilisable energy contents of feedstuffs, and these are extremely important values in order to provide adequate energy supply for livestock. This study aimed to estimate and validate TDN values of forage and concentrate feedstuffs from their nutrient contents. Nutrient composition data were obtained from BR CORTE database, comprised of 86 forage and 36 concentrate feedstuffs. The data included contents of dry matter (DM), organic matter (OM), ash, neutral detergent fiber (NDF), lignin, non-fiber carbohydrate (NFC), ether extract (EE), crude protein (CP) and TDN. A correlation analysis was conducted among the nutrient composition parameters for forage and concentrate. Data were then randomly divided into two parts, the first part (two-third of data) was used to estimate TDN whereas the second part (one-third) was used to validate the estimated TDN. Estimation of TDN was performed by employing a multiple linear regression method and it was validated by plotting between observed and estimated TDN. Results revealed that TDN in forage was negatively correlated with NDF (P<0.001) and lignin (P<0.05), but positively correlated with NFC and EE contents (both at P<0.001). Such pattern was similarly obtained with that in concentrate. Prediction equations of TDN in forage and concentrate were TDN = 0.479 NDF + 0.704 NFC + 1.594 EE + 0.714 CP and TDN = 0.323 NDF + 0.883 NFC + 1.829 EE + 0.885 CP, respectively. Values of estimated and observed TDN both in forage and concentrate were closely similar. It is concluded that TDN can be accurately estimated from nutrient composition data.

https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1757-899X/546/4/042016/pdf

Erika B. Laconi

Papers

Use of 3-nitrooxypropanol as feed additive for mitigating enteric methane emissions from ruminants: a meta-analysis

Improving Nutritional Quality of Cocoa Pod ( Theobroma cacao ) through Chemical and Biological Treatments for Ruminant Feeding: In vitro and In vivo Evaluation

Evaluation of Some Insects as Potential Feed Ingredients for Ruminants: Chemical Composition, in Vitro Rumen Fermentation and Methane Emissions

Determination of Cell Wall Protein from Selected Feedstuffs and its Relationship with Ruminal Protein Digestibility in Vitro

Estimation and validation of total digestible nutrient values of forage and concentrate feedstuffs