3-nitrooxypropanol
Sign in to saveAlso known as 3NOP, 3-hydroxypropyl nitrate, 3-NOP, Bovaer, abrucomstat
3-Nitrooxypropanol (abbreviated as 3-NOP or 3NOP, commercially known as Bovaer) is a synthetic organic compound with the formula HOCH2CH2CH2ONO2. It is the mononitrate ester of 1,3-propanediol and acts as an enzyme inhibitor that specifically targets methyl coenzyme M reductase (MCR), the enzyme that catalyzes the final step of methanogenesis in microbes living in the digestive system of ruminants, such as cows and sheep.
~10 min read
Encyclopedic overview
14 sectionsContents
- Description
- History
- Safety
- Reception
- Environmental impact
- Financial incentives
- Effects on milk
- Milk production and composition
- Feed efficiency
- Emissions data
- Society and culture
- Conspiracy theory
- See also
- References
3-Nitrooxypropanol (abbreviated as 3-NOP or 3NOP, commercially known as Bovaer) is a synthetic organic compound with the formula HOCH2CH2CH2ONO2. It is the mononitrate ester of 1,3-propanediol and acts as an enzyme inhibitor that specifically targets methyl coenzyme M reductase (MCR), the enzyme that catalyzes the final step of methanogenesis in microbes living in the digestive system of ruminants, such as cows and sheep.
When added to the feed of ruminant animals, it significantly lowers methane emissions by inhibiting the activity of MCR without being incorporated into milk or meat. It causes a slight increase in feed conversion without affecting raw yields. Studies have demonstrated that methane output is lowered by 30%.
Excerpted from Wikipedia’s “3-nitrooxypropanol” article, available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence.