Climate-Smart Nutrition: Phytochemicals Based Feeding Strategies to Reduce Methane Emissions in Cattle Farming

Jameel Ahmed Buzdar; Paio Khan; Illahi Bakhash Marghazani; Waseem Gajian; Nizam Ud Din; Waseem Akhtar Dehwar; Sadia Bibi; Aqsa Aqsa; Aziz Khan Usmani; Mujeeb Ur Rehman; Maryam Hanif

doi:10.5455/AAS.20250819045331

Abstract
Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions are primary driver of climate change worldwide. There are many sources of GHG emission, however, cattle are a significant source of GHG, primarily through release of methane. According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, a fully developed cow can emit up to 500 liters of methane each day, which accounts for approximately 3.7 percent of all greenhouse gas emissions. Surprisingly, this methane is produced during the digestion of food by ruminants like cattle, and is belched out as a natural product (methane gas). However, different nutritional and microbial interventions designed to reduce CH₄ output in cattle. Strategies such as modifying carbohydrate profiles favoring starch over structural fiber adjusting forage maturity, and applying physical processing to enhance rumen fermentation dynamics. Additionally, dietary fat supplementation, particularly with medium-chain fatty acids, shows promise in inhibiting methanogenesis. Moreover, emerging approaches such as the use of probiotics, methane-oxidizing microbes, dicarboxylic acids, and plant-derived essential oils are evaluated for their effects on ruminal microbiota and fermentation pathways. Notably, many of these methods demonstrate mitigation potential, their effectiveness varies based on diet composition, animal physiology, and production systems. Integrating these interventions into broader livestock management practices is critical for advancing climate-smart, resource-efficient cattle farming

Key words: Smart Nutrition, Innovative Feeding Strategies, Methane Emissions, Cattle Farming, Greenhouse Gases (GHGs), Global Warming