Effects of nitrogen gas flushing in comparison with argon on rumen fermentation characteristics in in vitro studies

In rumen in vitro experiments, although nitrogen gas (N₂) flushing has been widely used, its effects on rumen fermentation characteristics are not clearly determined. The present study is the first to evaluate the effects of N₂ flushing on rumen fermentation characteristics in in vitro batch culture system by comparing with new applicable non-metabolizable gas: argon (Ar). The rumen fluid was taken from two Korean native heifers followed by incubation for 3, 9, 12, and 24 h with N₂ or Ar flushing. As a result, in all incubation time, N₂ flushing resulted in higher total gas production than Ar flushing (p < 0.01). Additionally, in N₂ flushing group, ammonia nitrogen was increased (p < 0.01). However, volatile fatty acids profiles and pH were not affected by the flushing gases (p > 0.05). In conclusion, the present study demonstrated that N₂ flushing can influence the rumen nitrogen metabolism via increased ammonia nitrogen concentration and Ar flushing can be used as a new alternative flushing gas.