Compared with other ruminants, including cattle or sheep, only a limited number of studies have investigated the role of the rumen microbiome in buffalo (Lin et al., 2015). Even though multifarious studies have investigated characteristics of the rumen microbiota in ruminants, little is known regarding microbiota correlations and fermentation patterns in the rumen. Furthermore, buffalo (Bubalus bubalis) is an important livestock resource and, in comparison with cattle, exhibits an enhanced ability to digest fibre feed (Norton et al., 1979).Given that diet is an important driver of rumen microbiome changes and fermentation patterns, various studies have attempted to link dietary shifts to dynamic changes in rumen microbiome composition (Kumar et al., 2013;Petri et al., 2013). Fat supplements improve the amount of energy that is generated from the diet, while also modulating rumen activity. Although the rumen microbiome can be negatively affected by unsaturated fatty acids (UFA), the latter effects predominantly improve animal health (Enjalbert et al., 2017).Furthermore, microbiomes often encompass many species with diverse functions and metabolic pathways (Hackmann & Firkins,