Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-dh8gc Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-08T06:30:38.717Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Effect of feeding frequency on diurnal variation in plasma and urinary purine derivatives in steers

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 September 2010

X. B. Chen
Affiliation:
Rowett Research Institute, Bucksburn, Aberdeen AB2 9SB
G. Grubic
Affiliation:
Rowett Research Institute, Bucksburn, Aberdeen AB2 9SB
E. R. Ørskov
Affiliation:
Rowett Research Institute, Bucksburn, Aberdeen AB2 9SB
P. Osuji
Affiliation:
International Livestock Centre for Africa, PO Box 5689, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Get access

Abstract

The diurnal changes in plasma concentration and urinary excretion of purine derivatives (PD) were examined in four steers given their food in either one or two meals daily in two 18-day periods. In period 1, two steers were fed once daily (at 08.00 h) and the other two twice daily (at 08.00 and 16.00 h). In period 2, the treatments were switched. In the last 4 days of each period, plasma samples were taken from 08.00 to 24.00 h at 2 to 3 h intervals, and daily urine was collected in several 4 to 8h periods. With once daily feeding, allantoin concentration in plasma varied from 090 to 1·07 of the daily mean and with twice daily feeding, from 0·97 to 1·05 of mean. The coefficient of variation (CV) for total variation was 0·14. In urine, the concentration and hourly excretion of PD varied with sampling times (P < 0·05) but the ratio of PD to creatinine was relatively constant even for once-daily feeding (CV, 0·02 for measurements at different times). The CV for total variation in the ratio was 0·19. The results suggest that diurnal variation in plasma allantoin concentration and in the ratio of allantoin (or total PD) to creatinine are relatively small even for once daily feeding. It thus seems that these measurements in spot samples may be suitable for use as a simple index of microbial protein supply if they are correlated with the daily PD excretion. The results also indicate that measurements in samples of plasma and urine taken between 15.00 and 20.00 h tended to give a better representation of the daily mean.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © British Society of Animal Science 1992

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Chen, X. B., Chen, Y. K., Franklin, M. F., Ørskov, E. R. and Shand, W. J. 1992. The effect of feed intake and body weight on purine derivative excretion and microbial protein supply in sheep, journal of Animal Science 70: 15341542.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Chen, X. B., Hovell, F. D. DeB., Ørskov, E. R. and Brown, D. S. 1990a. Excretion of purine derivatives by ruminants: effect of exogenous nucleic acid supply on purine derivative excretion by sheep. British journal of Nutrition 131142.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Chen, X. B., Kyle, D. J., Ørskov, E. R. and Hovell, F. D. DeB. 1991a. Renal clearance of plasma allantoin in sheep. Experimental Physiology 76: 5965.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Chen, X. B., Mathieson, J., Hovell, F. D. DeB. and Reeds, P. J. 1990b. Measurement of purine derivatives in urine of ruminants using automated methods, journal of the Science Food and Agriculture 53: 2333.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Chen, X. B., Ørskov, E. R. and Hovell, F. D. DeB. 1991b. The use of intragastric infusion in studies on excretion of purine derivatives as a measure of microbial protein supply in ruminants. Proceedings of the 6th international symposium on protein metabolism and nutrition, vol. 2, pp. 6770.Google Scholar
Church, D. C. 1975. Digestive physiology and nutrition ruminants. Vol 1. Digestive physiology. 2nd ed. pp. 105110O and B Books, Oregon.Google Scholar
Lawes Agricultural Trust. 1983. Genstat 4 users' manual. Rothamsted Experimental Station, Harpenden, UK.Google Scholar
Rys, R., Antoniewicz, A. and Maciejewicz, J. 1975. Allantoin in urine as an index of microbial protein in the rumen. In Tracer studies on non-protein nitrogen for ruminants. pp. 9598. International Atomic Energy Agency, Vienna.Google Scholar
Sekine, J., Kuninishi, Y., Oura, R., Miyazaki, H., Okamoto, M. and Asahida, Y. 1991. A note on the effect of time after feeding on the distribution of nitrogen in the gastrointestinal tract of sheep. Animal Production 53: 246248.Google Scholar
Technicon Instruments Ltd. 1965. Technicon methodology sheet N-11b. Technicon Instruments Co. Ltd, Basingstoke.Google Scholar
Verbic, J., Chen, X. B.MacLeod, N. A. and Ørskov, E. 1990. ExcretiOn of purine derivatives by ruminants: effect of microbial nucleic acid infusion on purine derivative excretion by steers. Journal of Agricultural Science, 14: 243248.CrossRefGoogle Scholar