The digestibility of amino acids in the small intestine of the sheep

Cooling ameliorates decreased milk protein metrics in heat-stressed lactating Holstein cows

Cooling can alleviate the negative consequences of heat stress on multiple milk production metrics in dairy cows. However, it is still controversial whether cooling can increase milk protein content compared with heat-stressed cows. The objective of the present study was to evaluate the relief effect of cooling on the decrease in milk protein concentration during heat stress and elucidate the potential metabolic mechanisms. Thirty lactating multiparous Holstein cows (days in milk = 175 ± 25 d, milk yield = 27.5 ± 2.5 kg/d; mean ± SD) were assigned to 1 of 3 treatments: heat stress (HS; n = 10), cooling (CL; n = 10), and cooling with pair-feeding (PFCL; n = 10). The barns for PFCL and CL cows were equipped with sprinklers and fans, whereas the barn for HS cows were not. The average temperature-humidity index during the experiment ranged from 74 to 83. The spraying was activated automatically 2 times per day (1130-1330 h and 1500-1600 h) with 3 min on and 6 min off during the first 2 wk, and 1.5 min on and 3 min off during the last 2 wk, whereas the fans operated 24 h/d. The experiment lasted for 4 wk in total. Milk, urine, feces, total mixed ration, blood, and rumen fluid samples were collected weekly. Compared with HS, feed efficiency (1.24 and 1.49), milk protein yield (0.82 and 0.94 kg/d), and milk fat yield (0.98 and 1.26 kg/d) were increased in PFCL, whereas the differences between CL and HS were not significant. Compared with HS cows, PFCL and CL cows had a lower respiratory rate (70.6, 59.1, and 60.3 breaths per minute, respectively), rectal temperature (38.95, 38.61, and 38.51°C), and shoulder skin temperature (33.95, 33.25, 33.40°C), and had greater milk protein content (3.41, 3.72, and 3.69%) and milk fat percent (4.08, 4.97, 4.65%). Both the blood activity of catalase (increased by 12.8 and 41.0%) and glutathione peroxidase (12.6 and 40.4%) of PFCL and CL cows were greater than the HS cows. Compared with HS, cooling increased the blood content of glucose, methionine, threonine, and cystathionine by 10.7% and 10.3%, 19.0% and 9.5%, 15.8% and 12.0%, and 9.5% and 23.8% in PFCL and CL, respectively. In conclusion, the results indicated that cooling partially rescued milk protein synthesis induced by heat stress, and the potential mechanism may have been due to increased antioxidant ability, blood glucose, and key AA. Consequently, in addition to modifying the environment, nutritional and physiological strategies designed to influence carbohydrate, AA, and oxidative homeostasis may be an opportunity to maintain or correct low milk protein content during the warm summer months.

Invited review: Nitrogen in ruminant nutrition: A review of measurement techniques

Nitrogen is a component of essential nutrients critical for the productivity of ruminants. If excreted in excess, N is also an important environmental pollutant contributing to acid deposition, eutrophication, human respiratory problems, and climate change. The complex microbial metabolic activity in the rumen and the effect on subsequent processes in the intestines and body tissues make the study of N metabolism in ruminants challenging compared with nonruminants. Therefore, using accurate and precise measurement techniques is imperative for obtaining reliable experimental results on N utilization by ruminants and evaluating the environmental impacts of N emission mitigation techniques. Changeover design experiments are as suitable as continuous ones for studying protein metabolism in ruminant animals, except when changes in body weight or carryover effects due to treatment are expected. Adaptation following a dietary change should be allowed for at least 2 (preferably 3) wk, and extended adaptation periods may be required if body pools can temporarily supply the nutrients studied. Dietary protein degradability in the rumen and intestines are feed characteristics determining the primary AA available to the host animal. They can be estimated using in situ, in vitro, or in vivo techniques with each having inherent advantages and disadvantages. Accurate, precise, and inexpensive laboratory assays for feed protein availability are still needed. Techniques used for direct determination of rumen microbial protein synthesis are laborious and expensive, and data variability can be unacceptably large; indirect approaches have not shown the level of accuracy required for widespread adoption. Techniques for studying postruminal digestion and absorption of nitrogenous compounds, urea recycling, and mammary AA metabolism are also laborious, expensive (especially the methods that use isotopes), and results can be variable, especially the methods based on measurements of digesta or blood flow. Volatile loss of N from feces and particularly urine can be substantial during collection, processing, and analysis of excreta, compromising the accuracy of measurements of total-tract N digestion and body N balance. In studying ruminant N metabolism, nutritionists should consider the longer term fate of manure N as well. Various techniques used to determine the effects of animal nutrition on total N, ammonia- or nitrous oxide-emitting potentials, as well as plant fertilizer value, of manure are available. Overall, methods to study ruminant N metabolism have been developed over 150 yr of animal nutrition research, but many of them are laborious and impractical for application on a large number of animals. The increasing environmental concerns associated with livestock production systems necessitate more accurate and reliable methods to determine manure N emissions in the context of feed composition and ruminant N metabolism.

Dietary Energy Level Promotes Rumen Microbial Protein Synthesis by Improving the Energy Productivity of the Ruminal Microbiome

Improving the yield of rumen microbial protein (MCP) has significant importance in the promotion of animal performance and the reduction of protein feed waste. The amount of energy supplied to rumen microorganisms is an important factor affecting the amount of protein nitrogen incorporated into rumen MCP. Substrate-level phosphorylation (SLP) and electron transport phosphorylation (ETP) are two major mechanisms of energy generation within microbial cells. However, the way that energy and protein levels in the diet impact the energy productivity of the ruminal microbiome and, thereafter, rumen MCP yields is not known yet. In present study, we have investigated, by animal experiments and metagenome shotgun sequencing, the effects of energy-rich and protein-rich diets on rumen MCP yields, as well as SLP-coupled and ETP-coupled energy productivity of the ruminal microbiome. We have found that an energy-rich diet induces a significant increase in rumen MCP yield, whereas a protein-rich diet has no significant impacts on it. Based on 10 reconstructed pathways related to the energy metabolism of the ruminal microbiome, we have determined that the energy-rich diet induces significant increases in the total abundance of SLP enzymes coupled to the nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NADH) oxidation in the glucose fermentation and F-type ATPase of the electron transporter chain, whereas the protein-rich diet has no significant impact in the abundance of these enzymes. At the species level, the energy-rich diet induces significant increases in the total abundance of 15 ETP-related genera and 40 genera that have SLP-coupled fermentation pathways, whereas the protein-rich diet has no significant impact on the total abundance of these genera. Our results suggest that an increase in dietary energy levels promotes rumen energy productivity and MCP yield by improving levels of ETP and SLP coupled to glucose fermentation in the ruminal microbiome. But, an increase in dietary protein level has no such effects.

Dietary protein reduction on microbial protein, amino acid digestibility, and body retention in beef cattle: 2. Amino acid intestinal absorption and their efficiency for whole-body deposition

The objective of this study was to determine the apparent and true intestinal digestibility of total and individual AA, and to estimate the efficiency of whole-body AA retention from individual and total absorbed AA. Four Nellore animals (241.3 kg initial BW) and four crossbred Angus × Nellore (263.4 kg initial BW) cannulated in rumen and ileum were randomly allocated in two 4 × 4 Latin squares. The experiment lasted four 17 d periods, with 10 d for adaptation to diets and another 7 d for data collection. The diets consisted of increasing CP levels: 100, 120, or 140 g/kg of DM offered ad libitum, and restricted intake diet with 120 g CP/kg DM (experiment 1). In experiment 2, forty-four bulls (22 Nellore and 22 crossbred F1 Angus × Nellore) with 8 months and initial shrunk BW 215.0 ± 15.0 kg (Nellore = 208.0 ± 12.78 kg; Angus × Nellore = 221.9 ± 14.16 kg) were used. Eight of those animals were slaughtered at the beginning of the experiment. The remaining 36 bulls were allocated in a completely randomized design with six replicates, in a 2 (genetic groups) × 3 (CP contents) factorial scheme. The amount of essential AA (EAA) and nonessential AA (NEAA) reaching the small intestine increased linearly (P < 0.05) in response to CP content. The apparent digestibility of EAA was not affected (P > 0.05) by CP content, with exception for histidine (P = 0.07, linear effect), leucine (P = 0.01, linear effect), and methionine (P = 0.05, linear effect). Differences existed among AA when compared the apparent digestibility of NEAA. The apparent digestibility of alanine (P = 0.05), aspartic acid (P = 0.07), glutamic acid (P = 0.02), glycine (P = 0.05), proline (P = 0.02), and serine (P = 0.04) responded quadratically to CP content increase. However, the apparent digestibility of cystine and tyrosine was not affected (P > 0.05) by increasing dietary CP. The true intestinal digestibilities of total, essential, nonessential AA, lysine, and methionine were 75.0%, 77.0%, 74.0%, 77.0%, and 86%, respectively. The true intestinal digestibility of total microbial AA was 80%. The efficiency of utilization of total AA for whole-body protein deposition was 40%. The efficiency of utilization of lysine and methionine was 37% and 58%, respectively. It was concluded that the AA flow to the omasum increases in response to dietary CP content. In addition, there are differences among AA in the efficiency that they are used by beef cattle.

A 100-Year Review: Protein and amino acid nutrition in dairy cows

Considerable progress has been made in understanding the protein and amino acid (AA) nutrition of dairy cows. The chemistry of feed crude protein (CP) appears to be well understood, as is the mechanism of ruminal protein degradation by rumen bacteria and protozoa. It has been shown that ammonia released from AA degradation in the rumen is used for bacterial protein formation and that urea can be a useful N supplement when lower protein diets are fed. It is now well documented that adequate rumen ammonia levels must be maintained for maximal synthesis of microbial protein and that a deficiency of rumen-degradable protein can decrease microbial protein synthesis, fiber digestibility, and feed intake. Rumen-synthesized microbial protein accounts for most of the CP flowing to the small intestine and is considered a high-quality protein for dairy cows because of apparent high digestibility and good AA composition. Much attention has been given to evaluating different methods to quantify ruminal protein degradation and escape and for measuring ruminal outflows of microbial protein and rumen-undegraded feed protein. The methods and accompanying results are used to determine the nutritional value of protein supplements and to develop nutritional models and evaluate their predictive ability. Lysine, methionine, and histidine have been identified most often as the most-limiting amino acids, with rumen-protected forms of lysine and methionine available for ration supplementation. Guidelines for protein feeding have evolved from simple feeding standards for dietary CP to more complex nutrition models that are designed to predict supplies and requirements for rumen ammonia and peptides and intestinally absorbable AA. The industry awaits more robust and mechanistic models for predicting supplies and requirements of rumen-available N and absorbed AA. Such models will be useful in allowing for feeding lower protein diets and increased efficiency of microbial protein synthesis.

In vitro techniques to replace in vivo methods for estimating amino acid supply

Expressing the protein value of a food involves measurements of several of its characteristics. Many in vivo studies have shown, that the protein degradability in the rumen varies substantially both between and within foods and therefore estimation of protein degradability in the rumen is an important task in protein evaluation. The most common method used has been the in situ (in sacco, nylon bag) method but many in vitro methods have been introduced and are based on use of either buffer solubility, chemical methods, rumen fluid or enzymes. None of these in vitro methods has proven to be of general use. In further development of in vitro methods as well as the in situ method a major problem is lack of a set of samples with a ‘true’ in vivo degradability which can be used for calibration of alternative methods. Microbial protein synthesis in the rumen has to be related to food characteristics which can be analysed easily. In vitro methods which can predict organic matter digestibility in foods are available and can be used to predict microbial protein synthesis in the rumen. Intestinal digestibility of undegraded dietary protein varies substantially both between and within foods and easy methods to estimate intestinal digestibility are therefore essential. The mobile bag method is easy to use and seems to give reliable results on most foods but requires access to duodenal cannulated animals which prevents this method from being routine. Alternative in vitro methods have been developed but further research is required for validation of these methods on a wide range of foods before they can be accepted for general use.

Effect of diet forage to concentrate ratio on rumen degradability and post-ruminal availability of protein from fresh and dried lucerne

The ruminal degradation of dry matter (DM) and crude protein (CP) and the intestinal availability of CP of four lucerne samples were measured on two diets with lucerne hay to concentrate ratios of 2: 1 (diet F) and 1: 2 (diet C). Two samples of fresh lucerne (third cut) harvested after 2 (FL1) or 8 (FL2) weeks from the previous cut were used together with a sample of lucerne hay (LH) and another of dehydrated lucerne (DL). Rumen degradability, measured by the nylon bag technique, and rumen outflow rates were determined on three rumen cannulated wethers. Intestinal digestibility was determined by the mobile bag technique on three duodenal fistulated wethers. For CP, significantly lower values were observed with diet C than with diet F for the potentially degradable insoluble fraction (0·334 v. 0·397) and its degradation rate (0·093 v. 0·134 per h). As a consequence, the effective degradability was also lower with diet C (0·746 v. 0·821; P = 0·059). Effective degradability of DM was also apparently lower with diet C (0·596 v. 0·634). With both diets, the intestinal digestibility decreased in all the samples with increase of ruminal incubation time according to a simple exponential equation. The undegraded CP digested in the gut (Di) and therefore the effective intestinal digestibility (EID) were derived from this exponential function according to the rumen outflow of undegraded CP. Mean values of Di (expressed as proportion of food CP content) were respectively 0·091 and 0·142 for F and C diets and 0·084, 0·115, 0·116, and 0·152 for FL1, FL2, LH and DL samples. Lower rumen degradability was partially compensated for by higher Di values resulting in a close correlation between both parameters (r = –0·965; P 0·001). The change of the digestion site associated with the reduction of the effective degradability of CP produced also an increase in the undigested CP as a proportion of food CP. So, these values are respectively 0·087 and 0·112 for F and C diets and 0·053, 0·109, 0·096, and 0·141 for FL1, FL2, LH, and DL samples. No difference in EID between F and C diets was observed (0·529 v. 0·563). For samples, the only effect (P 0·05) was recorded between FL1 (0·618) and the other samples (0·509, 0·544 and 0·512 for FL2, LH, and DL, respectively).

Comparison of Net Portal Absorption with Predicted Flow of Digestible Amino Acids: Scope for Improving Current Models?

This study was undertaken to determine the relationship between measured net portal absorptions (NPA) and flows of digestible essential amino acids (EAA) predicted with the National Research Council model (NRC, 2001) or the Cornell Net Carbohydrate and Protein System model (CNCPS, version 5.0.34). Net portal absorption data were obtained from 33 measurements of portal-arterial plasma EAA concentration differences among 8 treatments in lactating dairy cows, with plasma flow estimated from downstream dilution of para amino-hippurate. The predicted digestible flows from NRC (2001) related better than CNCPS to NPA observed in our studies, as shown by the lower standard errors on the slopes for all EAA and lower root mean prediction errors for all EAA except Met and Phe. However, the partitioning of the prediction error indicated a systematic underprediction (mean bias) for the NRC model (2001), with the exception of Ile. It is important to note that a relationship of unity was not expected, as discussed in the paper, because of losses of EAA through portal-drained viscera metabolism. A revised set of predictive equations for digestible EAA was obtained using a subset of data from NRC (2001) limited to trials conducted with dairy cows. This increased the predicted flows of digestible EAA by only 2%. Flows of digestible EAA were also estimated using a factorial approach, assuming an AA composition for each fraction of the duodenal flow estimated by NRC (undegradable, microbial, and endogenous proteins). This resulted in a slight improvement in the slope of the regression between predicted flows and measured NPA, but still yielded predicted digestive flows that were too low to support observed NPA. Finally, on the basis of literature values, increment of the digestibility of the undegradable fraction of forages and of microbial protein is suggested to improve the relationship between predicted digestible flows and NPA. Overall, this study indirectly confirms, across EAA, smaller losses through gut metabolism for His, Met, and Lys, intermediate losses for the branched-chain AA with the higher losses for Thr.

[Determination of true digestibility of amino acids from the small intestine of dairy cows]

True digestibility of 17 amino acids was determined with 2 lactating cows, fitted with rumen fistulae and T-shaped cannulae at the proximal duodenum and terminal ileum. The calculations were based on the following regression equation: I = a + b x D + c x PFT, with I = amino acid flow at the ileum, D = amino acid flow at the duodenum, and PFT = passage of non-protein dry matter at the ileum. As the factor b means the part of undigested amino acids, 1 - b represents the true digestibility. The calculations, which comprize the results of 16 individual experiments, showed that lysine, histidine, arginine, cysteine, leucine, isoleucine and tyrosine were absorbed in the range of 85% to 90%. Lowest absorption-rates (77-80%) were found for threonine, valine, methionine, aspartic acid and serine. The overall true digestibility of amino acids was 83% without any difference between essential and not essential amino acids.

Measurement of the postruminal digestibility of crude protein by the bag technique in cows

A new method has been developed which permits the crude protein digestibility of feedstuffs in the intestine of cattle to be measured with little effort in terms of samples and experimental work. It consists of welding 0.4 ... 0.8 g of the feedstuff (particle size: 125 ... 1000 micron) into polyamide fabric bags (25 X 40 mm) which are inserted via cannulae into the digestive tracts of fistulated cows from the abomasum/duodenum to the ileum or from the abomasum/duodenum to the faeces. The mean retention time of the bags in the animal was 8.5 +/- 2.7 h from the abomasum to the end of the ileum and (13.3 +/- 1.9 h from the abomasum to the faeces. Up to 15 bags per day and cow may be used. The random error of the method is 1.3% (absolute) when the measurements are performed on two animals using two bags each. Intestinal digestibilities of over 90% were measured for concentrate proteins (except linseed meal) and of 72 ... 95% for forage proteins. Post-ruminal digestion was virtually finished at the end of the small intestine.

[Effect of the content of crude plant protein in the ration on the utilization of urea in dairy cattle. 2. 15N-urea metabolism]

The metabolism of 15N-urea in the rations of dairy cows was investigated in dependence on the crude protein content of the rations. With energy concentration remaining unchanged, the rations contained 10.7 (I), 13.7 (II) and 17.1 (III)% plant crude protein and, after the supplementation of 150 g urea per animal and day, a total of 13.8, 16.7 and 20.2% crude protein in the dry matter. The urea was intraruminally infused during the feeding in the morning and the evening. In the morning feeding of each 1st measuring day it was labelled with 27.5 atom-% 15N-excess (15N'). The degree of labelling with 15N' of the N-fraction of rumen fluid, contents of the duodenum, faeces and milk, precipitable with trichloric acetic acid (TCA) decreased with the rising protein level of the ration. This effect was bigger than could be expected considering the low 15N'-quota in the total-N of the ration. In the sequence I ... III, 52.7, 32.2 and 30.6% of the 15N'-amount taken in passed the duodenal re-entrant cannula in TCA-precipitable form within 72 hours after the 15N-application. 33.3, 21.9 and 22.6% were apparently absorbed in the intestines as TCA-precipitable N within 120 h after the 15N'-application. In the same period 31.7, 43.1 and 72.8% of the 15N' taken in were excreted in urine. 12.3, 9.6 and 5.8% of the applied 15N' were found in milk protein. One can conclude that the utilisation of urea-N decreases with the rising level of crude protein in the ration and that, however, urea-N is still biochemically utilised when there is an excess of plant-N in the ration.

Protein utilization in the young steer: digestion and nitrogen retention of 15N-labelled rumen bacterial protein

15N-labelled mixed rumen bacteria, obtained from a steer that had received [15N]urea in its diet, were disrupted ultrasonically and freed from nucleic acids and their degradation products. Samples were subjected to a simulated abomasal digestion with pepsin. The digests were infused with a non-absorbable marker (polyethylene glycol) into the duodenum of four steers equipped with simple duodenal and re-entrant ileal cannulas and adapted to a diet of barley straw, flaked maize and urea. The outflow from the ileum was collected for 6-7 h. The mean value for the digestibility of 15N bacterial proteins in the small intestine was estimated to be 0.74. [14C]urea was administered intravenously during the infusion of the 15N-labelled protein into the duodenum. Urine and faeces were collected for the next 48 h and the proportion of urea-N produced, that was excreted in the urine, estimated from urine 14C excretion. Total urea 15N production was estimated from this value and the amount of 15N excreted in the urine. The mean proportion of 15N absorbed that was deposited in body protein, 0.70, was calculated by difference. The over-all efficiency of utilization of 15N in the infused rumen bacterial protein was 0.52. An approximate estimate of the mean rate of protein synthesis calculated from the data was 24 g/kg body-weight (W)0.75 per d and compared with an estimated net deposition of protein of 1.67 g/kg (W)0.75 per d. The importance of these values in factorial schemes for estimating ruminant N requirements is discussed.

The simultaneous estimation of the amounts of protozoal, bacterial and dietary nitrogen entering the duodenum of steers

Four steers were given straw and tapioca diets, twice daily, in a 4 X 4 Latin-square design. These diets, containing 4.2 g nitrogen/kg dry matter (DM), were further supplemented with either urea, decorticated groundnut meal (DCGM), untreated (UT) casein or formaldehyde-treated (FT) casein to give a total of 19.7 g N/kg DM and 10.5 MJ/kg DM daily. Concurrent samples of rumen bacteria and protozoa and abomasal digesta were collected for each period of the experiment and the concentrations of 2-aminoethyl phosphonic acid (AEPA), diaminopimelic acid (DAPA), total nitrogen (TN), total phosphorus (TP), amino acids and hexosamines were determined in the dried preparations. The nature of the dietary supplements had little effect on the concentrations of most of these constituents or on the total protozoal numbers. Abomasal digesta samples marked with polyethylene glycol (PEG) and chromic oxide for flow estimation were collected over 24 h, and the proportions of protozoal-N, bacterial-N and microbial-N estimated simultaneously using the markers AEPA, DAPA and RNA respectively. These digesta-N components were also estimated using an amino acid profiling (AAP) method which gave, in addition, estimates of the dietary and endogenous components. For the diets containing casein, the proportion of dietary casein was estimated directly using casein-P as a marker. Estimates of the respective mean proportions of microbial-N in abomasal digesta non-ammonia-N (NAN) for the diets containing urea, DCGM, UT casein or FT casein were: AEPA 0.56, 0.32, 0.27 and 0.16; DAPA 0.88, 0.70, 0.81 and 0.57; RNA 0.98, 0.85, 0.92 and 0.53. Giving FT casein significantly (P less than 0.001) increased the flow of casein-N at the abomasum and a significantly (P less than 0.001) greater proportion of casein-N was found in abomasal NAN (0.51 v. 0.09) where FT rather than UT casein was given. The AAP method gave results for the proportions of microbial- and dietary-N (where casein was given) which were, in general, slightly lower than those obtained using RNA and casein-P as markers. Agreement with estimates of bacterial protein (from DAPA) and of protozoal protein (from AEPA) was less satisfactory. Comparisons of the various estimates of the proportions of microbial-N in abomasal digesta suggested that the results obtained for protozoal-N by AEPA were overestimates. AEPA was found in mixed rumen bacteria which may have accounted in part for these overestimates. However, AEPA was not detected in any of the dietary ingredients.

The nutritive value of rumen micro-organisms in ruminants. 3. The digestion of microbial amino and nucleic acids in, and losses of endogenous nitrogen from, the small intestine of sheep

An experiment was conducted with three sheep maintained entirely by intragastric nutrition to estimate the digestibility of isolated individual constituents and amino acids (AA) of rumen micro-organisms (RMO) in the small intestine. Five levels of RMO were infused into the abomasum. The apparent and true disappearance of the individual components were measured by regression of abomasal input on the passage at the ileum. The true digestibility values of N, AA-N, DNA and RNA were 0.82, 0.85, 0.81 and 0.87, respectively. The digestibility of individual AA varied between 0.80 and 0.88, the only exceptions being diaminopimelic acid (0.37), histidine (0.68) and cystine (0.73), which were significantly lower than the average (0.847). The endogenous components in the ileal fluid in sheep given protein-free infusions, expressed in mg/kg live weight0.75 per d, were total N 42 and AA-N 20.