PELAGIC SARGASSUM: A NUTRITIONAL ALTERNATIVE FOR TROPICAL LIVESTOCK IN SOUTHEASTERN MEXICO

Abstract

Pelagic sargassum is a mixture of several species of brown macroalgae containing fiber, minerals and secondary metabolites. Therefore, sargassum has the potential to be part of animal diets as a non-conventional ingredient. On the other hand, ruminants contribute 24% of global CH₄ emissions from enteric fermentation. To face this challenge, phlorotannins and bromoform present in macroalgae are efficient inhibitors of methanogenesis in ruminants, with reductions of up to 95% in CH₄ emissions. However, inclusion levels in ruminant diets do not exceed 10% due to their content of potentially toxic substances and heavy metals. In the tropical region and the Mexican Caribbean, a possible alternative is the use of brown algae as a source of bioactive substances that help reduce CH₄ production through modification of the rumen microbiome. This review describes the nutritional value of pelagic sargassum and its possible implications on health, animal productivity and quality of derived products. To date, studies with pelagic sargassum have been conducted under in vitro conditions. However, there are no in vivo studies, being an area of interest with a valuable contribution to the mitigation of enteric CH₄ from the livestock industry.