Curry Spices Reduce Sheep Methane

NEWCASTLE, United KingdomFeeding sheep coriander and turmeric reduces the amount of methane produced by bacteria in the sheeps stomach by up to 40 percent and could hold the key to helping reduce greenhouse gases, according to a new study published in the Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences 2010.

Researchers at Newcastle University discovered that the curry spices kill methane-producing bad bacteria in the animals gut while allowing the good bacteria to flourish.

The researchers studied cumin, coriander, clove, turmeric and cinnamon, grinding up each and adding an in-vitro solution mimicking sheep rumen. They then measured the level of methane released by each against a control. Coriander was the most effective, reducing methane production by 40 percent; turmeric reduced output by 30 percent; and cumin reduced it by 22 percent. Chemical analysis carried out during the study suggests the high levels of unsaturated fatty acids found in coriander seeds are likely to be responsible for the large reduction in methane gas. The researchers speculated the results would be similar in other ruminants such as cows and goats.

The rumen fluid in cows and sheep is very similar so we would expect to see an equally significant reduction in methane in cattle and other ruminant animals, they wrote. Since antibiotics were banned, the hunt is on for new, safe, cheap ways to reduce methane production in ruminants. Plants like coriander are an ideal solution, especially in parts of the world where expensive treatments are not an option.