Fecal Near-Infrared Reflectance Spectroscopy Prediction of the Feed Value of Temperate Forages for Ruminants and Some Parameters of the Chemical Composition of Feces: Efficiency of Four Calibration Strategies

The forage feed value determined by organic matter digestibility (OMD) and voluntary intake (VI) is hard and expensive. Thus, several indirect methods such as near infrared reflectance (NIR) spectroscopy have been developed for predicting the feed value of forages. In this study, NIR spectra of 1040 samples of feces from sheep fed fresh temperate forages were used to develop calibration models for the prediction of fecal crude ash (CA), fecal crude protein (CP), fresh forage OMD, and VI. Another 136 samples of feces were used to assess these models. Four calibration strategies were compared: (1) species-specific calibration; (2) family-specific calibration; (3) a global procedure; and (4) a LOCAL approach. The first three strategies were based on classical regression models developed on different sample populations, whereas the LOCAL approach is based on the development models from selected samples spectrally similar to the sample to be predicted. The first two strategies use feces-samples grouping based on the species or the family of the forage ingested. Forage calibration data sets gave value ranges of 79-327 g/kg dry matter (DM) for CA, 65-243 g/kg DM for CP, 0.52-0.85 g/g for OMD, and 34.7-100.5 g DM/kg metabolic body weight (BW^0.75) for VI. The prediction of CA and CP content in feces by species-specific fecal NIR (FNIR) spectroscopy models showed lower standard error of prediction (SEP) (CA 15.03 and CP 7.48 g/kg DM) than family-specific (CA 21.93 and CP 7.69 g/kg DM), global (CA 19.83 and CP 7.98 g/kg DM), or LOCAL (CA 30.85 and CP 8.10 g/kg DM) models. For OMD, the LOCAL procedure led to a lower SEP (0.018 g/g) than the other approaches (0.023, 0.024, and 0.023 g/g for species-specific, family-specific, and global models, respectively). For VI, the LOCAL approach again led to a lower SEP (6.15 g/kg BW^0.75) than the other approaches (7.35, 8.00, and 8.13 g/kg BW^0.75 for the species-specific, family-specific, and global models, respectively). LOCAL approach performed on FNIR spectroscopy samples gives more precise models for predicting OMD and VI than species-specific, family-specific, or global approaches.

Near-Infrared Spectroscopy Calibrations Performed on Oven-Dried Green Forages for the Prediction of Chemical Composition and Nutritive Value of Preserved Forage for Ruminants

Predicting forage feed value is a vital part of estimating ruminant performances. Most near-infrared (NIR) reflectance calibration models have been developed on oven-dried green forages, but preserved forages such as hays or silages are a significant part of real-world farm practice. Fresh and preserved forages give largely similar fodder, but drying or ensiling processes could modify preserved forage spectra which would make the oven-dried green forage model unsuitable to use on preserved forage samples. The aim of this study was to monitor the performance of oven-dried green forage calibration models on a set of hay and silage to predict their nutritive value. Local and global approaches were tested and 1025 green permanent grassland forages, 46 types of hay, and 27 types of silage were used. The samples were scanned by NIR spectroscopy and analyzed for nitrogen, neutral detergent fiber, acid detergent fiber, and pepsin-cellulase dry matter digestibility (PCDMD). Local and global calibrations were developed on 975 oven-dried green forage spectra and tested on 50 samples of oven-dried green forages, 46 samples of hay, and 27 samples of silage. For oven-dried green forage and hay validation sets, Mahalanobis distance (H) between these samples and the calibration population center was lower than 3. No significant standard error of prediction differences was obtained when calibration models were applied to oven-dried green forage and hay validation sets. For silage, the H-distance was higher than 3, meaning that calibration models built from oven-dried green forages cannot be applied to silage samples. We conclude that local calibration outperforms global strategy on predicting the PCDMD of oven-dried green forages and hay.

Protein degradation in the rumen of red clover forage at various stages of growth and conserved as silage or wrapped big bales

In order to study the extent to which rumen soluble nitrogen can contribute to the intestinal flow, a study was carried out to simultaneously assess the dynamics of protein disappearance from dacron bags placed in the rumen and the amount of various N products in the rumen fluid (total nitrogen (tN), ammonia nitrogen (NH3-N), non-ammonia nitrogen (NAN)). The measurements were carried out on 4 sheep fed successively various red clover forages. These forages included the initial growth of fresh red clover (50% bud, first flower, and full flower). In addition, one silage and one wrapped big bale at the first flower stage and two wrapped big bales (harvested at 51% and 71% dry matter) at the full flower stage were given. The effective degradability of nitrogen (DegN) for a fresh forage estimated from the nylon bag procedure did not vary (p > 0.05) with the vegetation stage (0.727 for the bud stage, 0.694 at the first flower, 0.706 at the full flower). The DegN of the silage was higher (p < 0.05; 0.735) and the DegN of the wrapped big bale was markedly lower (p < 0.05; 0.660), than the original fresh forage at the first flower. The DegN of the wrapped big bales made at 51 and 71% DM, respectively, were 0.625 and 0.604 against 0.706 for fresh forage at the full flower stage. The concentrations of tN and NAN in the rumen fluid were low, highest 1 h to 2 h after feeding, and then decreasing up to 7 h after feeding whatever the growth stage and conservation mode. A part of the solubilised nitrogen remained as protein 1 h after feeding for fresh red clover harvested at various growth stages, while minimal protein could be seen in the rumen fluid after the sheep were fed silage or wrapped big bales. The part of NAN escaping rumen degradation and transiting with the rumen fluid was between 7 and 13% of the nitrogen disappearing from the nylon bags (NAN/CP x DegN) placed in the rumen. There was only a small difference for forages at different stages of growth, or modes of conservation. This fraction was higher for wrapped big bales and particularly for the late stage forage (wrapped big bale, 71% DM, harvested at the full flower stage).

Degradation in the rumen of proteins of 2 legumes: soybean meal and field pea

Ruminal protein degradation of soybean meal and field pea were compared using 2 analytical methods: in situ and a laboratory analysis with a proteolytic enzyme extracted from Streptomyces griseus. The degradation of total nitrogen in nylon bags of the feeds was measured between 0 and 48 h in the rumen of 2 cows (theoretical degradability: 70.0% for soybean meal and 94.7% for field pea). Electrophoresis of proteins of feeds and in situ residues, in sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel (SDS-PAGE) showed that both species have the same type of proteins (7S and 11S) which were degraded in a similar manner in the rumen. The 7S fraction was degraded rapidly whereas the 11S fraction was more resistant. The electrophoretic profiles showed that protein components were less degraded after enzymatic than in situ degradation. In the supernatant after enzymatic hydrolysis, protein and peptides were found in large concentrations and alpha-amino nitrogen and ammonia in low concentrations. It was difficult to simulate the in vitro activity of enzyme complexes in the rumen and the results must be confirmed by direct measurement of the rumen liquid.

Inter-organ relationships between glucose, lactate and amino acids in rats fed on high-carbohydrate or high-protein diets

1. Inter-organ relationships between glucose, lactate and amino acids were studied by determination of plasma concentrations in different blood vessels of anaesthetized rats fed on either a high-carbohydrate diet [13% (w/w) casein, 79% (w/w) starch] or a high-protein diet [50% (w/w) casein, 42% (w/w) starch]. The period of food intake was limited (09:00-17:00h), and blood was collected 4h after the start of this period (13:00h). 2. Glucose absorption was considerable only in rats fed on a high-carbohydrate diet. Portal-vein-artery differences in plasma lactate concentration were higher in rats fed on this diet, but not proportional to glucose absorption. Aspartate, glutamate and glutamine were apparently converted into alanine, but when dietary protein intake was high, a net absorption of glutamine occurred. 3. The liver removed glucose from the blood in rats fed on a high-carbohydrate diet, but glucose was released into the blood in rats fed on the high-protein diet, probably as a result of gluconeogenesis. Lactate uptake was very low when amino acid availability was high. 4. In rats on a high-protein diet, increased uptake of amino acids, except for ornithine, was associated with a rise in portal-vein plasma concentrations, and in many cases with a decrease in hepatic concentrations. 5. Hepatic concentrations of pyruvate and 2-oxo-glutarate decreased without a concomitant change in the concentrations of lactate and malate in rats fed on the high-protein diet, in spite of an increased supply of pyruvate precursors (e.g. alanine, serine, glycine), suggesting increased pyruvate transport into mitochondria. 6. High postprandial concentrations of plasma glucose and lactate resulted in high uptakes of these metabolites in peripheral tissues of rats on both diets. Glutamine was released peripherally in both cases, whereas alanine was taken up in rats fed on a high-carbohydrate diet, but released when the amino acid supply increased. 7. It is concluded that: the small intestine is the main site of lactate production, and the peripheral tissues are the main site for lactate utilization; during increased ureogenesis in fed rats, lactate is poorly utilized by the liver; the gut is the main site of alanine production in rats fed on a high-carbohydrate diet and the liver utilizes most of the alanine introduced into the portal-vein plasma in both cases.