Summary
Ruminants play a critical role in our food system by converting plant biomass that humans cannot or choose not to consume into edible high-quality food. However, ruminant excreta is a significant source of nitrous oxide (N<sub>2</sub>O), a potent greenhouse gas with a long-term global warming potential 298 times that of carbon dioxide. Natural phytochemicals or forages containing phytochemicals have shown the potential to improve the efficiency of nitrogen (N) utilization and decrease N<sub>2</sub>O emissions from the excreta of ruminants. Dietary inclusion of tannins can shift more of the excreted N to the feces, alter the urinary N composition and consequently reduce N<sub>2</sub>O emissions from excreta. Essential oils or saponins could inhibit rumen ammonia production and decrease urin
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