Rumen buffer

Herbivorous animals are ruminants whose digestive system has evolved over millions of years to digest fibrous and woody materials. In recent decades, with the genetic improvement and increased production capacities in these animals, the use of concentrate feeds containing high levels of rapidly fermentable carbohydrates has significantly increased. This has posed a major challenge to the natural metabolism in the rumen.

The digestive system and the microorganisms present in it have not had the opportunity to adapt to new conditions (consumption of high amounts of rapidly fermentable materials) over these decades and will not have; because natural adaptations require thousands of years of evolution. Fermentation process in normal conditions leads to the production of volatile fatty acids, especially acetic, propionic, and butyric acids in the rumen. Contrary to the belief of many farmers, these acids do not have the ability to significantly reduce the rumen pH on their own (even if their production is high) because volatile fatty acids are chemically considered weak acids. The problem starts when the production of lactic acid in the rumen increases. Lactic acid is produced by bacteria called lactobacilli. Lactobacilli are abundant in the rumen and have a very high rate of growth and reproduction. The presence of large amounts of starch materials (concentrates) in the rumen leads to very rapid and explosive growth of these bacteria. This growth is so rapid that other microbes cannot cope with it. The rapid growth of lactobacilli leads to the production of large amounts of lactic acid. Lactic acid is considered a relatively strong acid. It is enough to know about lactic acid that its acidic power is 10 times greater than acetic acid. This is while acetic acid is more acidic than other volatile fatty acids present in the rumen; in other words, lactic acid is 10 times stronger than the most powerful volatile fatty acid present in the rumen (acetic acid).

Another characteristic of lactobacilli is that these bacteria have the ability to grow and multiply at low pH levels, and while other microbes decrease in population in acidic pH, lactobacilli create a large population in the rumen. The overall result of these events is a severe drop in rumen pH and the occurrence of acidosis. Acidosis leads to the destruction of the rumen wall and its bleeding. The ulcers created due to the destruction of the rumen wall lead to the entry of bacteria into the blood and ultimately into the liver, causing cirrhosis and liver infection (as the blood leaving the rumen directly enters the liver). This very dangerous phenomenon is called Bacterial translocation.

Another dangerous effect of acidosis is a condition called Ruminal stasis, where the muscles of the rumen wall become paralyzed and rumen movements stop. The first effect of ruminal stasis is the failure to expel fermentation gases from the rumen and the occurrence of acute bloat. This lack of movement also prevents the expulsion of rumen contents and consequently leads to a severe decrease in feed intake.

The excessive production of lactic acid in the rumen leads to a decrease in the production of other volatile fatty acids, especially acetic and propionic acids, and thus reduces fat and lactose (milk sugar) production, and overall, reduces milk production (acetate is a precursor to fat, and propionate is a precursor to milk sugar). Fiber-degrading microorganisms are highly sensitive to a decrease in pH (acidification of the environment) and lose the ability to digest and ferment fibrous materials. Thus, with the decrease in digestion and fermentation of fibrous materials, not only does the feed intake of animals decrease, but also the production of acetic acid (a precursor to fat) will significantly decrease (fermentation of fibrous materials is the main reason for the production of acetic acid). Fermentation of starch materials (concentrates) is the main responsible for the production of propionic acid (a precursor to glucose), but when lactobacilli grow, the biochemical pathway of starch fermentation changes and shifts from producing propionate towards producing lactate. In ruminants' bodies, the conversion of lactate to glucose is much less efficient than the conversion of propionate to glucose, leading to glucose deficiency in the animal's body and its resulting consequences. The consumption of silage materials, due to their high lactic acid content, may lead to the occurrence of acidosis and related problems.

It should be noted that a decrease in pH and acidification of the rumen is not the only possible phenomenon in the rumen, but in some cases, an excessive increase in rumen pH can also occur (a situation that many farmers are unaware of). Many farmers are always concerned about acidosis, while the use of urea (which is widely used among farmers today) greatly increases the possibility of alkalizing the rumen environment. Alkalizing the rumen, to the same extent as acidifying it, leads to digestive and metabolic disorders in ruminants. This is where the use of rumen buffers becomes vital in preventing severe rumen pH changes.

Buffers, by adjusting the rumen pH, prevent its changes and provide a suitable environment for the natural activity of microorganisms. In the nutrition of ruminants, various chemical substances are used as buffers, with the most common being sodium bicarbonate. The main buffering agent in sodium bicarbonate is bicarbonate ion (HCO3-), which, through the following reaction, adjusts the rumen pH (especially in conditions of high acid production).

As observed, the product of this reaction is carbon dioxide gas (CO2). With the release of carbon dioxide gas from the rumen, the possibility of reversing the reaction and re-producing acid in the rumen is eliminated; therefore, it can be said that bicarbonate ion is the best option for adjusting rumen pH.

It should be noted that sodium bicarbonate has limited capacity to adjust rumen pH (especially in conditions of high acid production), and for this reason, the use of double-buffered bicarbonate salts (containing two bicarbonate ions) doubles the buffering capacity of sodium bicarbonate. Bioactive is precisely designed and produced for this purpose. Bioactive is actually a double-buffered calcium bicarbonate salt or Ca(HCO3)2. As seen in the chemical formula, calcium bicarbonate has two bicarbonate ions, and therefore, its pH adjustment capacity is at least twice that of sodium bicarbonate.

Bioactive is actually a new generation of rumen buffers produced for the first time in the world and has no similar product abroad. Its amazing function in pH adjustment has quickly made this new product find its place among farmers. Another very important advantage of Bioactive over sodium bicarbonate is its solubility variability depending on the amount of acid produced in the rumen. Sodium bicarbonate quickly dissolves in the rumen fluid and its buffering effect ends in a short time; because the higher the solubility of a buffer, the lower its durability. Bioactive has lower solubility compared to sodium bicarbonate in normal conditions. The more acid is produced in the rumen, the more Bioactive is dissolved in the rumen fluid and acts to neutralize the acid; therefore, with the production of acid, Bioactive also comes into action and immediately neutralizes the produced acid. This condition leads to a several-fold increase in the durability of Bioactive compared to sodium bicarbonate.

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