In vitro study of the effect of different ionophore antibiotics and of certain derivatives on rumen fermentation and on protein nitrogen degradation.

An in vitro study was carried out to evaluate the effect of different ionophore antibiotics and some of their derivatives on rumen fermentation and on the degradation of peanut meal nitrogen. The increase in the production of propionic acid at the expense of acetic acid, observed with lonomycin, nigericin, cationomycin and lysocellin, was identical to that noted with monensin. The decrease in methanogenesis observed in the presence of monensin was also found with cationomycin and lysocellin.