Untersuchungen über den Einfluß steigender Tapiokazulagen auf den Stickstoffumsatz von Hammeln1

[The effect of energy concentration and source on the use of feed protein and NPN in lambs. 3. Allantoin excretion and microbial protein synthesis]

In an N balance experiment with male crossbreeding lambs at an age of 3 ... 4 months four different rations were given differing in energy concentration (high greater than 700 EFU cattle/kg DM and low less than 650 EFU cattle/kg DM) and in the energy source (sugar, starch or crude fibre) with crude protein intake being almost equal. The rations contained 2% urea. Microbial protein synthesis in the rumen was assessed according to ROTH and KIRCHGESSNER (1978) (1), RYS et al. (1975) (2) and BICKEL-BAUMANN and LANDIS (1986) (3) on the basis of allantoin excretion in urine. The highest ruminal protein synthesis quotas were 868 ... 921 mg protein N per kg LW0.75 in (2). In (3) 723 ... 766 mg protein N/kg LW0.75 were synthesized. From the 15N labelling of the supplemented urea and the excreted allantoin it could be calculated that 26 ... 40% of the microbial protein resulted from the urea-N of the ration. Despite a high crude protein content of the ration of between 16 and 17% in the DM and a relation of NPN: pure protein of 0.95 the utilization of the NPN in the ration was relatively high but slightly lower than the utilization of pure protein. The variants with higher energy concentration showed as a tendency higher allantoin excretion in spite of slightly lower dry matter intake and a slightly higher NPN utilization than the variants with lower energy concentration.

[Allantoin excretion of wethers in variations of raw protein and energy administration]

216 values of urinary allantoin excretion were received from 8 digestibility trials, which included 48 rations with different protein and energy content. Thus relations between allantoin excretion and food intake and ration composition, respectively, could be evaluated. Additionally variations in N balance were measured, since there is a close relation to allantoin metabolism. Fecal N excretion was elevated with increasing energy intake, but varied only slightly with modified N supply. Urinary N excretion and also N retention increased with higher N intake. On the other hand urinary N losses were reduced with increasing energy supply and part of the saved nitrogen was deposed into the body. There was a distinct increase in allantoin excretion with raised protein intake, when N supply ranged generally low. But with a daily supply of crude protein above 60 to 70 g there was no significant further response in allantoin excretion. Allantoin excretion increased linearly with higher energy supply. Several restrictions for conclusions on the extent of microbial protein production in the digestive tract estimated out of measured allantoin values were discussed.

[Effect of type of starch and quantity in rations on apparent and true digestibility of nitrogen and nitrogen balance in sheep]

In a digestibility trial 5 semisynthetic rations were fed in 3 periods to 10 male sheep to examine the effects on N balance, components of faecal nitrogen and N digestibility. The rations contained constant amounts of nitrogen but different contents of cellulose and two different types of starch (untreated and steamflaked). Content and type of starch did not show any noticeable effect neither on excretion of undigested dietary nitrogen nor on true digestibility. There could not be noticed any effects on the apparent N digestibility by changing contents of cellulose or untreated starch. If the rations contained steamflaked corn starch, the animals excreted more faecal nitrogen and therefore showed a lower apparent N digestibility. Especially the water soluble N fraction of the faecal nitrogen was clearly higher. Compensation took place through a lower N excretion with the urine. The reason for increased faecal N excretion may be higher microbial protein synthesis in the rumen. This was accented by the allantoin excretion with the urine.

[Relation between renal allantoin excretion and infusion of various substances in the abomasum of wethers]

Renal excretion of allantoin was determined in two adult wether sheep consuming 800 g hay daily. Infusion of either casein or glucose via an abomasal fistula did not alter the amount of allantoin excreted. When, however, adenosin was infused, about 45 per cent of the N of adenosin was recovered from augmented excretion of allantoin in the urine.