Methane gas released as flatulence from livestock is a significant source of greenhouse gas, but entrepreneurs may have found a ready antidote to the problem: garlic. Mootral (“moo” and “neutral”), produced by Neem Biotech in Cardiff, Wales, contains a natural garlic extract—allicin—that when fed to cows and sheep limits the growth of certain methane-producing bacteria in the animals’ digestive systems. In two small trials, methane output in cows and sheep was reduced by 15 percent. David Williams, chair and CEO, expects further research will allow output to be cut in half; simulations using laboratory equipment have reached as high as 94 percent.
Tests are also being done to determine the best way to feed the natural antibiotic to the animals—as a food supplement or in their drinking water—and whether or not the allicin might taint their milk. But Williams is optimistic that the product will be available for livestock within two years.
Note: This article was originally printed with the title, "Flatulence Fighter."
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16 Comments
Add CommentMore challenging will be pursuading farmers that they need to spend their money to help fight global warming.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisActually, the Earth is warming due to solar magnetic surface cycles.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisYeah but... try to convince Al Gore of that!
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisTerry Thomas
Commercial Photographer
Atlanta, Georgia USA
www.TerryThomasPhotos.com
What I want to know is it will work on people? I know my friends and family want me to inquire.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisWill this lead to a tastier steak? If not, I have suddenly lost interest.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisMost methane is produced from cow burps,not farts. Even the myth busters got this wrong initially. Making a product to deal with a problem that isn't a problem seems to be a hallmark of the entrepreneurial spirit these days (and usually results in government grants as well).
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to this"When a scientific theory is reduced to a discussion of it's impact on cow farts, all credibility for the theory is lost"
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to this- Alex Demet, Flatulence Expert
jbairddo- do you have any sources to back up your statement? I'm not opposing what you said, I'm just interested. I've never heard that before.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisThis burp vs. fart debate is fascinating. In the case of methane, I believe most is produced orally. As for humans, if you can light off a fart, there must be some methane there.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisThis burp vs. fart debate is fascinating. But apparently it is very important to our future, so I'll help if I can.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisWhile I have never tried to light off a cow's belch, I believe it is the belch which is the main source of bovine methane. I don't know if cow farts are also a significant source of methane as well. In my time around cows, I did not notice them fart all that much.
Now, I do have experience lighting off flatulence of the human variety and can say definitively that there is a flammable gas present, which I presume is methane. While garlic may help cows in flatulence prevention, it has the opposite effect for me personally.
I'm sure this discussion will help us get our bearings on this important issue. However, I believe it's time for a billion or so dollars of government funding to clarify this topic. The fate of the world hangs in the balance.
Try convincing anyone of that...
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisIt does not matter if you believe in climate change caused by humanity or not. What I believe everyone can agree on is; we need high paying jobs and we need to stop paying big bucks for energy. Now is the time to exploit space power and resources. Sunlight is available in high Earth orbit 24/7, 365 days a year. We have had the technology since the late 60’s to transmit via microwave all the energy we could ever use, to Earth, from orbit. The material for constructing the space end of the system is available on the near Earth asteroids and the Moon. We the people need the government to fund the project just as the government funded World War II. Our survival as a people with liberty was threatened by mad men with weapons during WWII. Today our survival is threatened by mad men with oil. If we as a people shrink from the task at hand we will lose our liberty.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisIt does not matter if you believe in climate change caused by humanity or not. What I believe everyone can agree on is; we need high paying jobs and we need to stop paying big bucks for energy. Now is the time to exploit space power and resources. Sunlight is available in high Earth orbit 24/7, 365 days a year. We have had the technology since the late 60’s to transmit via microwave all the energy we could ever use, to Earth, from orbit. The material for constructing the space end of the system is available on the near Earth asteroids and the Moon. We the people need the government to fund the project just as the government funded World War II. Our survival as a people with liberty was threatened by mad men with weapons during WWII. Today our survival is threatened by mad men with oil. If we as a people shrink from the task at hand we will lose our liberty.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to this.....This is ridiculous.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisgalaxy_man:
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisFor once we can agree completely on something.
Lucidsolutions : Your hypothesis about solar magnetism is interesting : All that is lacking is any sort of proof...
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