The objective of this study was to determine the effect of dry medicinal plants (wormwood, chamomile, fumitory and mallow) and dietary substrates containing a mix of the plants on the end products of in vitro ruminal and intestinal fermentation, rumen protozoan population and ruminal antioxidant capacity of sheep. The experiment consisted of fermentations with the four plants used individually as the sole substrate and fermentation of a mix of medicinal plants (Plants): meadow hay:barley grain (MH:B), 700/300 w/w and Plants:MH:B, 100/600/300 w/w/w. The experiment was conducted using the in vitro gas production technique (IVGPT) with 35 ml of buffered inocula and approximately 250 mg (DM basis) of substrate incubated for 24 hr at 39°C in anaerobic conditions. Quantitative analyses of the bioactive compounds by ultra‐high‐resolution mass spectrometry in Plants identified three main groups: flavonoids (22 mg/g DM), phenolic acids (15 mg/g DM) and alkaloids (3 mg/g DM). The total antioxidant capacity (TAC) of the plant extracts and rumen fluid was analysed using a ferric reducing antioxidant power assay. The values of total and individual short‐chain fatty acids, acetate:propionate ratio, pH and total gas production were significantly affected by the single plant substrates and inocula (p < .001). Apart from these parameters, the values of ammonia N, methane production and total gas produced were decreased in Plants:MH:B in comparison with MH:B (p < .001). A positive correlation was recorded between total polyphenols content and TAC of plant extracts (R² = .778, p < .001). The counts of the total ciliate protozoan population in rumen fluid after 24 hr of fermentation were not significantly different (p > .05). Results suggest that the dietary substrate containing the medicinal plant mix possessed strong ruminal antioxidant capacity, had the potential to reduce methane emission and ammonia concentration and caused desirable changes in the gastrointestinal ecosystem.

中文翻译：

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干燥药用植物（艾草、洋甘菊、冬葵和锦葵）对绵羊体外瘤胃抗氧化能力和发酵模式的影响。


本研究的目的是确定干燥药用植物（艾草、洋甘菊、Fumitory 和锦葵）和含有植物混合物的膳食基质对体外瘤胃和肠道发酵终产物、瘤胃原生动物种群和瘤胃抗氧化剂的影响羊的容量。该实验包括单独使用四种植物作为唯一底物的发酵以及药用植物（植物）混合物的发酵：草甸干草：大麦谷物（MH：B），700/300 w/w和植物：MH：B ，100/600/300 w/w/w。使用体外产气技术 (IVGPT) 进行实验，将 35 ml 缓冲接种物和约 250 mg（DM 基础）底物在 39°C 厌氧条件下孵育 24 小时。通过超高分辨率质谱对植物中的生物活性化合物进行定量分析，确定了三大类：类黄酮 (22 mg/g DM)、酚酸 (15 mg/g DM) 和生物碱 (3 mg/g DM)。使用铁还原抗氧化能力测定法分析植物提取物和瘤胃液的总抗氧化能力（TAC）。总短链脂肪酸和单个短链脂肪酸的值、乙酸盐：丙酸盐的比率、pH 值和总产气量均受到单一植物基质和接种物的显着影响 ( p < .001)。除了这些参数之外，与 MH:B 相比，Plants:MH:B 中的氨氮、甲烷产量和总气体产量均有所下降 ( p < .001)。植物提取物的总多酚含量和 TAC 之间存在正相关关系 ( R ² = .778, p < .001)。 发酵 24 小时后，瘤胃液中纤毛虫原生动物总数的计数没有显着差异 ( p > .05)。结果表明，含有药用植物混合物的日粮基质具有较强的瘤胃抗氧化能力，有可能减少甲烷排放和氨浓度，并对胃肠道生态系统造成理想的变化。