Mitigating enteric methane emissions: An overview of methanogenesis, inhibitors and future prospects
Enteric methane emissions account for approximately 17% of global anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions and represent 2% to 12% of energy losses from energy intake in ruminants. To reduce these emissions and accelerate the achievement of carbon neutrality, it is critical to understand the factors d...
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| Format: | Article |
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KeAi Communications Co., Ltd.
2025-06-01
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| Series: | Animal Nutrition |
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| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2405654525000095 |
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| author | Xin Xie Yurong Cao Qiushuang Li Qi Li Xingze Yang Rong Wang Xiumin Zhang Zhiliang Tan Bo Lin Min Wang |
| author_facet | Xin Xie Yurong Cao Qiushuang Li Qi Li Xingze Yang Rong Wang Xiumin Zhang Zhiliang Tan Bo Lin Min Wang |
| author_sort | Xin Xie |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Enteric methane emissions account for approximately 17% of global anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions and represent 2% to 12% of energy losses from energy intake in ruminants. To reduce these emissions and accelerate the achievement of carbon neutrality, it is critical to understand the factors driving methanogenesis in the rumen and develop effective methane mitigation strategies. Methanogenesis inhibitors, when used in conjunction with nutritional and breeding management strategies, are widely regarded as effective additives for optimizing rumen function, enhancing nutrient utilization and reducing enteric methane emissions. The field of inhibitor development is evolving rapidly under increasing mitigation pressure, necessitating continual review to guide the understanding of their mechanisms of action, effectiveness, risk and potential for widespread use in ruminant production systems. This review compiles data from 78 peer-reviewed in vivo studies conducted over the past 5 years, focusing on 10 inhibitors, which demonstrates 5% to 75% in daily methane emission reduction, 2% to 70% in methane yield reduction, and 11% to 74% in methane intensity reduction. Among the inhibitors, macroalgae are the most effective, achieving 22% to 75% of methane reductions, followed by small targeted molecule inhibitors 3-nitrooxypropanol (3-NOP) with 13% to 62% of methane reductions. Additionally, this review discusses the mechanisms underlying these mitigation strategies, their impact on animal productivity performance, the barriers to their widespread adoption, and directions for future research. Special attention is given to the effects of these inhibitors on rumen hydrogen partial pressure and other metabolic pathways, as improper use may adversely affect nutrient utilization, overall metabolism and animal performance. Future mitigation efforts should focus on the developing next-generation inhibitors that precisely target methanogenic archaea and the methanogenesis pathway. These novel inhibitors must meet on a principle of safety for the host animals, human health and environment, and be economically viable and technically supported with efficiency in achieving long-term mitigation with minimal lifecycle carbon footprints. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-b1ef6410c636435984092451637a484e |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2405-6545 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-06-01 |
| publisher | KeAi Communications Co., Ltd. |
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| series | Animal Nutrition |
| spelling | doaj-art-b1ef6410c636435984092451637a484e2025-08-20T03:50:26ZengKeAi Communications Co., Ltd.Animal Nutrition2405-65452025-06-0121849610.1016/j.aninu.2025.02.001Mitigating enteric methane emissions: An overview of methanogenesis, inhibitors and future prospectsXin Xie0Yurong Cao1Qiushuang Li2Qi Li3Xingze Yang4Rong Wang5Xiumin Zhang6Zhiliang Tan7Bo Lin8Min Wang9College of Animal Science and Technology, Guangxi University, Nanning 530004, China; Key Laboratory for Agro-Ecological Processes in Subtropical Region, Institute of Subtropical Agriculture, State Key Laboratory of Forage Breeding-by-Design and Utilization Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changsha 410125, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, ChinaKey Laboratory for Agro-Ecological Processes in Subtropical Region, Institute of Subtropical Agriculture, State Key Laboratory of Forage Breeding-by-Design and Utilization Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changsha 410125, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, ChinaKey Laboratory for Agro-Ecological Processes in Subtropical Region, Institute of Subtropical Agriculture, State Key Laboratory of Forage Breeding-by-Design and Utilization Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changsha 410125, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, ChinaCollege of Animal Science and Technology, Guangxi University, Nanning 530004, ChinaInner Mongolia Mengniu Dairy (Group) Limited-liability Company, Hohhot 011500, ChinaKey Laboratory for Agro-Ecological Processes in Subtropical Region, Institute of Subtropical Agriculture, State Key Laboratory of Forage Breeding-by-Design and Utilization Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changsha 410125, ChinaKey Laboratory for Agro-Ecological Processes in Subtropical Region, Institute of Subtropical Agriculture, State Key Laboratory of Forage Breeding-by-Design and Utilization Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changsha 410125, ChinaKey Laboratory for Agro-Ecological Processes in Subtropical Region, Institute of Subtropical Agriculture, State Key Laboratory of Forage Breeding-by-Design and Utilization Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changsha 410125, ChinaCollege of Animal Science and Technology, Guangxi University, Nanning 530004, China; Corresponding authors.Key Laboratory for Agro-Ecological Processes in Subtropical Region, Institute of Subtropical Agriculture, State Key Laboratory of Forage Breeding-by-Design and Utilization Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changsha 410125, China; Corresponding authors.Enteric methane emissions account for approximately 17% of global anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions and represent 2% to 12% of energy losses from energy intake in ruminants. To reduce these emissions and accelerate the achievement of carbon neutrality, it is critical to understand the factors driving methanogenesis in the rumen and develop effective methane mitigation strategies. Methanogenesis inhibitors, when used in conjunction with nutritional and breeding management strategies, are widely regarded as effective additives for optimizing rumen function, enhancing nutrient utilization and reducing enteric methane emissions. The field of inhibitor development is evolving rapidly under increasing mitigation pressure, necessitating continual review to guide the understanding of their mechanisms of action, effectiveness, risk and potential for widespread use in ruminant production systems. This review compiles data from 78 peer-reviewed in vivo studies conducted over the past 5 years, focusing on 10 inhibitors, which demonstrates 5% to 75% in daily methane emission reduction, 2% to 70% in methane yield reduction, and 11% to 74% in methane intensity reduction. Among the inhibitors, macroalgae are the most effective, achieving 22% to 75% of methane reductions, followed by small targeted molecule inhibitors 3-nitrooxypropanol (3-NOP) with 13% to 62% of methane reductions. Additionally, this review discusses the mechanisms underlying these mitigation strategies, their impact on animal productivity performance, the barriers to their widespread adoption, and directions for future research. Special attention is given to the effects of these inhibitors on rumen hydrogen partial pressure and other metabolic pathways, as improper use may adversely affect nutrient utilization, overall metabolism and animal performance. Future mitigation efforts should focus on the developing next-generation inhibitors that precisely target methanogenic archaea and the methanogenesis pathway. These novel inhibitors must meet on a principle of safety for the host animals, human health and environment, and be economically viable and technically supported with efficiency in achieving long-term mitigation with minimal lifecycle carbon footprints.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2405654525000095Methane mitigationHydrogen metabolismGreenhouse gas emissionRumen microbiome |
| spellingShingle | Xin Xie Yurong Cao Qiushuang Li Qi Li Xingze Yang Rong Wang Xiumin Zhang Zhiliang Tan Bo Lin Min Wang Mitigating enteric methane emissions: An overview of methanogenesis, inhibitors and future prospects Animal Nutrition Methane mitigation Hydrogen metabolism Greenhouse gas emission Rumen microbiome |
| title | Mitigating enteric methane emissions: An overview of methanogenesis, inhibitors and future prospects |
| title_full | Mitigating enteric methane emissions: An overview of methanogenesis, inhibitors and future prospects |
| title_fullStr | Mitigating enteric methane emissions: An overview of methanogenesis, inhibitors and future prospects |
| title_full_unstemmed | Mitigating enteric methane emissions: An overview of methanogenesis, inhibitors and future prospects |
| title_short | Mitigating enteric methane emissions: An overview of methanogenesis, inhibitors and future prospects |
| title_sort | mitigating enteric methane emissions an overview of methanogenesis inhibitors and future prospects |
| topic | Methane mitigation Hydrogen metabolism Greenhouse gas emission Rumen microbiome |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2405654525000095 |
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