EFFECTS OF AROMATIC PLANTS ON RUMEN FERMENTATION
Duygu Budak, Aydan Yïlmaz
Aksaray University, Aksaray Vocational High School, Aksaray, Turkey
budakduygu@hotmail.com
Taking rumen conditions under control has great importance for productivity and animal health. By using aromatic plants it is aimed to provide rumen manipulation for making modifications in the activities of rumen microorganisms, optimizing the nutritional value of the feeds, improving the efficiency of the fermentation. The limitation of use of antibiotics in animal nutrition directed scientists to make studies about the use of alternative antimicrobial substances. For this aim, aromatic plants and volatile oils produced from them have been used. In this review; aromatic plants owning antimicrobial and antioxidant properties and their efficiency mechanisms, chemical compositions, volatile oils and their properties, utilization of aromatic plants in ruminant nutrition and its effects on rumen fermentation were summarized. In general evaluation of the performed researches it was concluded that the antimicrobial property of aromatic plants contributes to the increase of protozoa numbers, utilization of aromatic plants and the volatile oils produced from them with regard to their active substances and their limited utilization which improves the rumen fermentation.
Keywords: aromatic plants; rumen fermentation; volatile oils; antimicrobial; antioxidant
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