Studies on the effect of sucrose supplements on nitrogen metabolism in sheep with infusions of dietary protein either into the rumen or into the abomasum

[Nitrogen metabolism in the large intestine of ruminants. 7. Metabolism of intracecally-infused 15N urea with supplement of starch in bulls]

Three bulls with an average live weight of 228 kg were fitted with ileo-caecal reentrant cannulas for the experiment. The rations were composed of 3 kg maize silage and 3 kg wheat straw pellets per animal and day. In a previous period 50% of the digesta was collected over 12 hours and stored deep-frozen. In the main period the digesta flow was interrupted for 30 hours. The digesta flow was collected quantitatively. In the caecal part of the re-entrant cannula previously collected digesta and starch (over 30 hours) as well as 15N urea (over 24 hours) were supplemented. The amount of starch corresponded to about 10% of the DM of the digesta. Analyses of the urine, faeces, ileum digesta and blood plasma were carried out. The quota of starch clearly stimulates bacterial processing in the large intestine so that 20.5% of the supplemented 15N was excreted in faeces within 24 hours. 91.2% of the 15N in the faeces was localised in the bacteria fraction. Individual differences of the animals distinctly show the connection between the excretion of the 15N in faeces and urine. A decreased isotope excretion in faeces of 17.2% for animal 3 in contrast to the 23% for animals 1 and 2 showed an increased elimination of the 15N through the kidney with 32.7% instead of 25.2%. The largest proportion of the ileum digesta, i.e. 46%, can be localised in the 15N urea fraction; the NH3-fraction is also distinctly labelled. With time progressing, the 15N quota flowing from the rumen to the small intestine increases.

[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 the polyether antibiotic monensin on rumen fermentation in fattening bulls during the feeding of rations rich in sugar beets]

In an experiment with six fattening bulls the influence of the polyether antibiotic "Monensin" (200 mg/animal and day) on the rumen physiologic parameters before and one, two, three and six hours resp. after the feeding of rations rich in dried sugar beet was investigated. The parameters of rumen fermentation are significantly influenced by the time of rumen fluid sampling and by the quota of dried sugar beet in the concentrated feed (40 and 80% resp.). The effect of "Monensin" supplementation was a narrowing of the acetate: propionate proportion in the rumen fluid over the complete period of the experiment. The molar butyrate quota was distinctly diminished in comparison with earlier feeding experiments with fattening bulls. This effect is caused by the relatively higher values of the butyric acid content in the rumen fluid, which is due to the high quota of dried sugar beet in the concentrated feed.

[Utilization of urea infused into the abomasum in growing lambs]

Eight lambs were fed 100 g sucrose per day plus pelleted NaOH-straw ad lib. Additionally 50 g casein were infused daily into the abomasum. As a supplement two lambs respectively received 22 g urea per day with their diet (A), half with their diet and half with the infusion (B) or all infused (C). Irrespective of the site of supply the urea supplement caused an increase in intake of straw and a remarkable improvement of-N-retention.

[Protein quality of dietary yeast ribonucleic acid studied in growing rats. 2. Effect of ribonucleic acid on N balance and urinary N fractions]

In a balance trial with growing rats the influence of dietary ribonucleic acid (RNA) on N-metabolism was tested. Yeast-RNA was supplied at four levels ranging from 7.8% to 31.2% of diets nitrogen (1.64% in DM from casein + DL-methionine). The mean apparent digestibility of the RNA-N ingested was determined as 95%. Of the RNA-N consumed 16.6% were retained as measured by N-balance technique, whereas no retention of the RNA-N was observed by body-N analysis. This discrepancy in RNA-N retention was attributed to the relatively increased N-losses with higher N-intake when using the N-balance method. By regression analysis it was found that 80.2% of the RNA-N consumed were excreted via kidneys. Of the RNA-N intake 45.5% appeared in urea, 30.9% in allantion, only 1.1% and 0.3% in uric acid and creatinine respectively.

The effect of feeding sugar-beet silage and non-protein-N on rumen and blood metabolites in bulls

1. The purpose of the experiments was to determine certain properties of the metabolism of nitrogen compounds and carbohydrates in the rumen and tissues of growing bulls which were given either a diet containing sugar-beet silage, a urea-mineral preparation and hay or a control diet with maize silage, ground barley and hay. Daily rations were given in two equal portions twice daily at 07.00 hours and 13.00 hours. The experiment lasted 182 d.

2. The experimental diet containing 0.54 g urea and 5.0 g saccharose/kg body-weight did not cause any symptoms of toxicity in the animals although there were large changes in the concentration of metabolites in the forestomach. The lowest pH (6.2–6.4) in the rumen of animals in the experimental group was observed 1.5 h after feeding. At the same time the highest level of lactic acid was observed, but the highest level of volatile fatty acids (VFA) was observed 3 h after feeding. Although there was a large increase in ammonia in the rumen contents (approximately 20 mmol/l at 1.5 h after feeding) an increase in the blood level of ammonia was not observed.

3. A lower level of acetic acid and higher level of butyric acid and valeric acid were observed in the rumen of animals given sugar-beet silage than in animals given maize silage and ground barley. Non-glucogenic ratio of VFA in the rumen of bulls after feeding the experimental diet was approximately 3.5 while on the control diet the value was considerably higher.

4. The causes of the low concentration of glucose in the blood and changes in other metabolites in the blood of experimental animals are discussed.

5. Average daily gains were higher (P≤ 0.05) in both groups of bulls given a diet containing sugar-beet silage and NPN (1087 and 1043 g/d) than with the control diet (887 g/d). Changes in the concentration of metabolites in the rumen contents and blood of sugar-beet-silage-fed bulls confirmed the possibility of effective addition of urea in an amount corresponding to 50% of the N content and also indicated good utilization of the energy in this diet.