R. Bras. Zootec.28/ago/2026;55:e20250208.

Forragicultura

Essential oil compounds as strategic additives for rehydrated corn grain silage

Álvaro Bernardo da Silva Neto , Greiciele Morais , Ariádna Patricia Ribeiro , Aline Venância Andrade , Jennifer Mayara Gasparina , Chengqiang Wang , Evandro Maia Ferreira , Luiz Gustavo Nussio

DOI: 10.37496/rbz5520250208

ABSTRACT

This study aimed to evaluate commercially purified essential oil compounds to assess molecule-specific effects when applied as additives to rehydrated corn grain silage (RCGS). Dry ground corn grains were rehydrated to 350 g/kg moisture and packed (>1,000 kg/m³) in 5-L plastic buckets. Treatments were prepared as a factorial arrangement of two storage lenghts (30 and 60 d) × fifteen strategies (compound × application rate), being: control RCGS; carvacrol at 200, 600 and 1,000 mg/kg fresh matter (FM); cinnamaldehyde at 200, 600 and 1,000 mg/kg FM; D-limonene at 200, 600 and 1,000 mg/kg FM; citral at 200, 600 and 1,000 mg/kg FM; commercial microbial inoculant (MI) containing Lentilactobacillus buchneri CCT 3746 (1.12 × 10⁵ cfu/g FM), Lactiplantibacillus plantarum ATCC 8014 (9.6 × 10⁴ cfu/g FM) and Propionibacterium acidipropionici CCT 4843 (1.12 × 10⁵ cfu/g FM); and sodium benzoate at 2 g/kg FM (SB). The MI and SB strategies were considered positive controls. The RCGS samples were evaluated for dry matter (DM) losses, microbial and fermentative profiles, and aerobic stability. The SB strategy reduced storage losses and improved aerobic stability on RCGS, whereas MI had no effect within the evaluated storage lengths. Carvacrol compromised the silage acidification and increased storage losses, along with enhancing clostridial activity. Cinnamaldehyde applied at 1,000 mg/kg FM reduced storage losses to levels comparable to those obtained with SB standard and enhanced aerobic stability. The extended storage length from 30 to 60 d, however, seemed to compromise the efficiency of cinnamaldehyde as an antimicrobial agent. D-limonene and citral did not consistently promote desirable outcomes for RCGS within the application rates and storage lengths evaluated in this study.