Plant Detoxification by Ruminal Microbe Supplementation in Cattle

Toxic plants constitute 10% of all cattle's deaths and are a major economic concern in certain areas of the United States. A new scientific direction may provide a solution to markedly reduce these economic losses. This solution is to take anaerobic microbes that break down the toxins from resistant species and transfer them to susceptible species. As the toxin is released from the ingested plant material, the newly colonized bacteria will degrade the principle toxins before they can go systemic and cause harm to the animal. Tansy ragwort (Senecio jacobaea) is the number one toxic plant in the Pacific Northwest. L4M2 is a bacterial consortium discovered at Oregon State University that can in vitro, degrade the principle toxins in tansy ragwort. This proposal is to use the L4M2 consortium as a supplement for cattle before their being fed lethal levels of tansy ragwort, thus to protect them from developing toxicosis.