In vitro method for determining the ruminal degradation rate of rapeseed meal protein using 15N isotope labelled ammonia nitrogen

In vitro investigation of the ruminal digestion kinetics of different nitrogen fractions of 15N-labelled timothy forage

An in vitro method based on ¹⁵N-labelled forage nitrogen (N) was developed to study ruminal N metabolism of soluble N (SN), insoluble N (ISN) and neutral detergent insoluble N (NDIN) fractions of timothy forage. Timothy grass was grown on replicated experimental plots with one plot receiving ¹⁵N-labelled and the other unlabelled N fertilizer. Harvested grass was preserved as dried grass or as formic acid treated or untreated silage. The intact forages and their corresponding N fractions were incubated in buffered rumen fluid in vitro to determine degradation parameters based on the ¹⁵N fluxes between labelled feed N and ammonia N pools. A high percentage (25–38%) of ¹⁵N-labelled ammonia disappeared from ammonia N pool during the first 15 min of incubation. Microbial uptake of dried grass SN fraction was higher than of silage SN fractions. Fractional degradation rates of SN from formic acid treated silage, untreated silage and dried grass during the first 6 hours of incubation were 0.145, 0.125 and 0.115 /h, respectively. By the end of the incubation period (28 h), 69, 66 and 43%, of the SN fraction of formic acid treated silage, untreated silage and dried grass, respectively were recovered as ammonia. The percentage of ISN fractions degraded to ammonia N were 9, 34 and 27%, respectively. Based on the changes in ¹⁵N-labelled ammonia N pool in blank incubation and appearance of ¹⁵N to ammonia N pool from ¹⁵N-labelled NDIN fractions, it was estimated that a significant portion of microbial lysis occurred when incubations were carried out for longer than 20 hours. With dried grass the contribution of ammonia N for microbial N synthesis was greater than with silages. Use of ¹⁵N-labelled forages together with this in vitro method is a promising technique for determining soluble N degradation parameters, but it requires further development to be used for determining degradation parameters of insoluble N fractions and work with whole feeds.

Effect of cereal straw and alfalfa hay diet on amino acid profile of gastrointestinal digesta in lactating dairy cows

This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of replacing alfalfa hay with rice straw (RS) or corn stover (CS) on amino acid (AA) profiles of gastrointestinal digesta in lactating cows. Eighteen lactating dairy cows were randomly assigned to one of three groups (n = 6) and fed identical concentrate and corn silage with different forages on dry matter basis: (i) 23% alfalfa hay and 7% Chinese wild rye hay (AH); (ii) 30% CS; and (iii) 30% RS. After the 14-week feeding, a total of 18 cows were slaughtered to collect digesta from four representative organs, including rumen, omasum, duodenum and jejunum. The AA profiles of ruminal microbial fraction were similar among the treatments, except for greater Arg in cows fed RS than in cows fed AH or CS. Most of the analysed AA changed under different diets. Significant differences were found among the microbial fraction, rumen fluid and rumen digesta, with greater essential AA in digesta than in microbial fraction or rumen fluid and greater essential AA in microbial fraction than rumen fluid. Significant differences in individual AA profiles of digesta and relevant fluid were found across the four representative digestive tract parts, including rumen, omasum, duodenum and jejunum, showing much lower Leu proportion in CS and RS than in AH in duodenal fluid. In summary, ruminal microbes may prefer using essential AA, rather than non-essential AA. The AA profile of ruminal microbes was constant except for Arg. The AA composition of digesta across the four digestive tracts changed dramatically, which indicated differences in the ability and efficiency of AA absorption. The lower duodenum absorbable Leu proportion in cows fed CS or RS indicated the shortage of Leu in CS or RS diets, which might also restrict the balanced AA absorption.