PERSISTENT ORGANIC POLLUTANTS (POPS): A GLOBAL ISSUE, A GLOBAL CHALLENGE Effects of alkaloid extracts of mesquite pod on the products of in vitro rumen fermentation Taiala Cristina de Jesus Pereira 1 & Mara Lúcia Albuquerque Pereira 1 & Jeruzia Vitória Moreira 1 & José Augusto Gomes Azevêdo 2 & Ronan Batista 3 & Vanderlúcia Fonseca de Paula 1 & Brena Santos Oliveira 2 & Edileusa de Jesus dos Santos 1 Received: 24 January 2016 /Accepted: 21 September 2016 /Published online: 18 October 2016 # Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2016 Abstract The objective of this study was to evaluate the ef- fects of alkaloid extracts of Prosopis juliflora (Sw.) D.C. pods obtained by two extraction methods as compared with sodium monensin on the gas production kinetic, mitigation of meth- ane, and rumen fermentation products using wheat bran or Tifton 85 hay as substrates, by the semi-automatic in vitro gas production technique. A completely randomized design was adopted, and two natural additives were tested made from mesquite pod (alkaloid extract I and alkaloid extract II) at three levels (3.9, 7.9, and 12 μg), sodium monensin 5 μM (positive control), and no inclusion of additives (negative con- trol). The volume of gases produced by the degradation of the fibrous fraction of wheat bran was influenced by the concen- tration of the extract I added to the medium, and the amounts of 7.9 and 12 μg were equal to monensin at the lowest value. The degradation rate of the fibrous carbohydrates with addi- tive extract I at 12 μg was lower in relation to monensin. When Tifton 85 hay was utilized, alkaloid extract I provided a shorter colonization time as compared with monensin at the added amounts of 7.9 and 12 μg and higher production of gases from the fibrous fraction but without interfering with the total volume of gases produced during 96 h of fermenta- tion of carbohydrates. In the periods of 12 and 24 h of incu- bation, utilizing alkaloid extract I, the mean values of methane production with wheat bran and Tifton 85 hay were lower than monensin (p < 0.05) when the respective amounts of 7.9 and 12 μg were added. Alkaloid extract I has similar potential to sodium in reducing production of total gases, methane, and the acetate/propionate ratio. Keywords Fatty acid . Ionophore . Monensin . Mitigation of methane . Phytobiotic additive . In vitro technique . Ammonia nitrogen Introduction Ever since the last century, an increase in the concentrations of atmospheric methane has been reported and this has aroused a worldwide interest in reducing enteric emissions of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. Domestic ruminants generate Responsible editor: Stuart Simpson * Taiala Cristina de Jesus Pereira taiala.pereira@hotmail.com Mara Lúcia Albuquerque Pereira marauesb@yahoo.com.br Jeruzia Vitória Moreira jeuvit@hotmail.com José Augusto Gomes Azevêdo zeguto00@gmail.com Ronan Batista ronbatis2004@gmail.com Vanderlúcia Fonseca de Paula vfpaula@uesb.edu.br Brena Santos Oliveira brenabso@gmail.com Edileusa de Jesus dos Santos eduesb@hotmail.com 1 Department of Animal and Rural Technology, State University of Southwest Bahia, BR 415, Km 03, s/n, 45, Itapetinga, BA 45.700-000, Brazil 2 Department of Animal Science, State University of Santa Cruz, Rodovia Ilhéus, Itabuna, Km 16, Salobrinho, Ilhéus, BA 45662-900, Brazil 3 Instituto of Chemistry, Federal University of Bahia, Rua Barão de Geremoabo, s/n, Ondina, Salvador, BA 40170-290, Brazil Environ Sci Pollut Res (2017) 24:4301–4311 DOI 10.1007/s11356-016-7761-3