Rumen buffer

Ruminants are herbivorous animals whose anatomy and physiology of the digestive system have evolved over millions of years for the digestion of fibrous and woody materials. In recent decades, with breeding and increased production capacities in these animals, the use of grain-based (concentrate) feeds containing high amounts 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 within it have not had, and will not have, the opportunity to adapt to the new conditions (consumption of high amounts of rapidly fermentable materials) over these past few decades; because natural adaptations require thousands of years for evolution. The fermentation process normally produces volatile fatty acids, especially acetic, propionic, and butyric acids in the rumen. Contrary to the belief of many farmers, these acids do not have a significant ability to lower the rumen pH on their own (even if their production is high) because volatile fatty acids are chemically considered weak acids. The problem begins when the production of lactic acid in the rumen increases. Lactic acid is produced by certain types of bacteria known as lactobacilli. Lactobacilli are abundant in the rumen and have a very high growth and reproduction rate. The presence of large amounts of starchy (grain) materials in the rumen leads to the 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 results in the production of large amounts of lactic acid. Lactic acid is considered a relatively strong acid. It is sufficient to know that its acidity is 10 times greater than that of acetic acid. Meanwhile, acetic acid has a higher acidity among other volatile fatty acids present in the rumen; in other words, lactic acid is 10 times stronger than the strongest volatile fatty acid in the rumen (i.e., acetic acid).

Another characteristic of lactobacilli is that these bacteria can grow and reproduce in low pH environments, 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 allow bacteria to enter the bloodstream, ultimately leading to their entry into the liver and the occurrence of cirrhosis and liver infection (because the blood exiting from the rumen wall goes directly to the liver). This very dangerous phenomenon is called bacterial translocation.

Another dangerous effect of acidosis is a phenomenon known as ruminal stasis, during which the muscles of the rumen wall become paralyzed and rumen movements stop. The first effect of ruminal stasis is the failure to expel fermentative gases from the rumen and the occurrence of acute bloat. This immobility also prevents the exit of rumen contents, resulting in a severe reduction in feed intake.

Excessive production of lactic acid in the rumen reduces the production of other volatile fatty acids, especially acetic and propionic acids, and thus leads to a decrease in fat and lactose (milk sugar), and overall, a reduction in milk production (acetate is a precursor of fat, and propionate is a precursor of milk sugar). The microorganisms that decompose fibrous materials are highly sensitive to the drop in pH (acidification of the environment) and lose their ability to digest and ferment fibrous materials. Thus, with the reduction of digestion and fermentation of fibrous materials, not only does the feed intake of the livestock decrease, but the production of acetic acid (the precursor of milk fat) will also significantly decline (the fermentation of fibrous materials is the main reason for the production of acetic acid). The fermentation of starchy (grain) materials is primarily responsible for the production of propionic acid (a precursor of glucose), but when lactobacilli grow, the biochemical pathway of starch fermentation shifts from producing propionate to producing lactate. In ruminants, the conversion of lactate to glucose occurs with much lower efficiency than the conversion of propionate to glucose, and thus, the animal's body suffers from glucose deficiency and its consequences. The consumption of silage materials may also lead to the occurrence of acidosis and its associated problems due to high lactic acid content.

It should be noted that the drop in pH and acidification of the rumen is not the only possible phenomenon in the rumen; in some cases, there is also the possibility of excessive increases in rumen pH (a situation that many farmers overlook). Many farmers are always concerned about acidosis, while the consumption of urea (which is now widely used among farmers) significantly increases the possibility of alkalinization of the rumen environment. Alkalinization of the rumen, just as much as acidification, causes digestive and metabolic disorders in ruminants. This is where the use of rumen buffers shows its vital importance in preventing severe pH fluctuations in the rumen.

Buffers, by modulating the rumen pH, prevent its fluctuations and provide a suitable environment for the natural activity of microorganisms. In the nutrition of ruminants, various types of chemicals are used as buffers, the most commonly used of which is sodium bicarbonate (NaHCO3). The main buffering agent in sodium bicarbonate is the bicarbonate ion (HCO3-) which, through the following reaction, modulates the rumen pH (especially under conditions of producing a large amount of acid).

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

It should be noted that sodium bicarbonate has a limited capacity to modulate the rumen pH (especially under conditions of producing a lot of acid), and for this reason, the use of divalent bicarbonate salts (containing two bicarbonate ions) doubles the buffering capacity of bicarbonate. Bioactive has been designed and produced specifically for this purpose. Bioactive is actually the divalent bicarbonate salt of calcium or Ca(HCO3)2. As seen in the chemical formula, calcium bicarbonate contains two bicarbonate ions, and therefore its pH modulating ability is at least twice that of sodium bicarbonate.

Bioactive is actually a new generation of rumen buffers that has been produced for the first time in the world and has no foreign counterpart. Its astonishing function in modulating pH has caused this new product to quickly find its place among farmers. Another very important advantage of bioactive over sodium bicarbonate is its variable solubility depending on the amount of acid produced in the rumen. Sodium bicarbonate quickly dissolves in rumen fluid, and its buffering effect ends in a short time; because the higher the solubility of a buffer, the shorter its durability. Bioactive normally has lower solubility than sodium bicarbonate. The more acid produced in the rumen, the more bioactive dissolves in the rumen fluid and neutralizes the acid; thus, alongside acid production, bioactive also enters the fray and immediately neutralizes the produced acid. This condition significantly increases the durability of bioactive compared to sodium bicarbonate.

Other products of this Company

Buffer for ruminants

Calamine (chelated mineral)

Milorm code

Calamine (chelated mineral)