Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-lj6df Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-08T10:32:32.710Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Rumen metabolism and nitrogen flow to the small intestine in steers offered Lolium perenne containing different levels of water-soluble carbohydrate

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  18 August 2016

M. R. F. Lee ,
L. J. Harris ,
J. M. Moorby ,
M. O. Humphreys ,
M. K. Theodorou ,
J. C. MacRae  and
N. D. Scollan
M. R. F. Lee*
Affiliation:
Institute of Grassland and Environmental Research, Plas Gogerddan, Aberystwyth SY23 3EB, UK
L. J. Harris
Affiliation:
Institute of Grassland and Environmental Research, Plas Gogerddan, Aberystwyth SY23 3EB, UK
J. M. Moorby
Affiliation:
Institute of Grassland and Environmental Research, Plas Gogerddan, Aberystwyth SY23 3EB, UK
M. O. Humphreys
Affiliation:
Institute of Grassland and Environmental Research, Plas Gogerddan, Aberystwyth SY23 3EB, UK
M. K. Theodorou
Affiliation:
Institute of Grassland and Environmental Research, Plas Gogerddan, Aberystwyth SY23 3EB, UK
J. C. MacRae
Affiliation:
Rowett Research Institute, Greenburn Road, Bucksburn, Aberdeen AB21 9SB, UK
N. D. Scollan
Affiliation:
Institute of Grassland and Environmental Research, Plas Gogerddan, Aberystwyth SY23 3EB, UK
*
† E-mail: [email protected].
Get access

Abstract

Eight Hereford ✕ Friesian steers were used to investigate the effect of feeding Lolium perenne (L) forage containing elevated levels of water-soluble carbohydrate (WSC) on rumen metabolism and nitrogen (N) absorption from the small intestine. The steers were offered ad libitum access to one of two varieties with matched heading dates (Ba11353, high WSC, HS; AberElan, intermediate WSC, control) cut at different times of the day to accentuate WSC differentials, zero-grazed for 21 days. This was followed by a 14-day period where the animals were on grass silage to provide a covariate intake. Although the total N concentration was similar for the two grasses, all other measured values were significantly different. The dry matter (DM) concentration of HS was greater than that of the control (202 v. 167 g DM per kg; P 0·01). WSC and in-vitro dry matter digestibility (IVDMD) were 243 and 161 g/kg DM, and 0·61 and 0·56 for HS and control, respectively. In contrast, acid- and neutral-detergent fibre were 251 and 296 g/kg DM and 480 and 563 g/kg DM for HS compared with control, respectively. DM intake was increased (9·3 v. 6·7 kg/day; P 0·001) for HS animals and this contributed significantly towards higher flows of non-ammonia N to the duodenum as well as increased absorption of amino acids from the small intestine. This DM intake response was partly due to the elevation in DM concentration of HS. However fresh weight intake was increased proportionately by ca. 0·15 (P 0·05) in animals on HS compared with control. Rumen ammonia levels were lower (14·0 and 26·4 mg N per l; P 0·001) and concentrations of rumen propionate higher (P 0·01) and acetate lower (P 0·01; increasing the glucogenic: lipogenic volatile fatty acid ratio) in animals on HS compared with control. However, the efficiency of microbial protein synthesis (15·9 and 17·8 g microbial nitrogen per kg organic matter apparently digested) and flow of N to the duodenum per unit N intake (0·84 and 0·93) for HS and control, respectively, were similar across both diets.

Keywords

Lolium perennenitrogenrumen digestionsteerswater-soluble carbohydrate
Type
Ruminant nutrition, behaviour and production
Information
Animal Science , Volume 74 , Issue 3 , June 2002 , pp. 587 - 596
Copyright
Copyright © British Society of Animal Science 2002

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

Agricultural Research Council. 1980. The nutrient requirements of ruminant livestock. Commonwealth Agricultural Bureaux, Unwin Brothers, Old Woking.Google Scholar
Armstrong, D. G. and Hutton, J. B. 1972. Fate of nitrogenous compounds entering the small intestine. In Digestion and metabolism in the ruminant (ed. Mc, I. W.Donald and A. Warner, C. I.), pp. 432–447. University of New England Publishing Unit, Armidale, Australia.Google Scholar
Beever, D. E. and Siddons, R. C. 1986. Digestion and metabolism in the grazing ruminant. In Control of digestion and metabolism in ruminants (ed. Milligan, L. P. Grovum, W. L. and Dobson, A.), pp. 479–497. Simon and Schuster, Englewood, NJ.Google Scholar
Beever, D. E., Terry, R. A., Cammell, S. B. and Wallace, A. S. 1978. The digestion of spring and autumn harvested perennial ryegrass in sheep. Journal of Agricultural Science, Cambridge 90: 463–470.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Buttery, P. J. 1977. Aspects of the biochemistry of rumen function and their implication in ruminant productivity. In Recent advances in animal nutrition (ed. Haresign, W. and Lewis, D.), pp. 8–24,Nottingham University Press.Google Scholar
Carruthers, V. R. and Neil, P. G. 1997. Milk production and ruminal metabolites from cows offered two pasture diets supplemented with non-structural carbohydrate. New Zealand Journal of Agricultural Research 40: 513–521.Google Scholar
Chiy, P. C. and Philips, C. J. C. 1999. The rate of intake of sweet, salty and bitter concentrates by dairy cows. Animal Science 68: 731–740.Google Scholar
Corbett, J. L. 1987. Energy and protein utilisation by grazing animals. In Temperate pastures: their production, use and management (ed. Wheeler, J. L. Pearson, C. J. and Robards, G. E.), pp. 341–355. CSIRO Publication.Google Scholar
Cozzi, G., Bittante, G. and Polan, C. E. 1993. Comparison of fibrous materials as modifiers of in-situ ruminal degradation of corn gluten meal. Journal of Dairy Science 76: 1106–1113.Google Scholar
Faichney, G. J. 1975. The use of markers to partition digestion within the gastro-intestinal tract of ruminants. In Digestion and metabolism in the ruminant (ed. Mc, I. W.Donald and A. Warner, C. I.), pp. 277–291. University of New England Publishing Unit, Armidale, NSW.Google Scholar
Henning, P. H., Steyn, Dxs. G. and Meissner, H. H. 1993. Effect of synchronisation of energy and nitrogen supply on ruminal characteristics and microbial growth. Journal of Animal Science 71: 2516–2528.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Jarrett, I. G. 1948. The production of rumen and abomasal fistulae in sheep. Journal of the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research 21: 311–315.Google Scholar
Jones, D. I. H. and Hayward, M. V. 1975. The effect of pepsin treatment of herbage on the prediction of dry matter digestibility from solubility in fungal cellulase solutions. Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture 26: 711–718.Google Scholar
Lawes Agricultural Trust. 1995. Genstat 5. Rothamsted Experimental Station, Harpenden, Hertfordshire, UK.Google Scholar
Lee, M. R. F. 2001. The use of novel forages to increase the synchrony of nitrogen and energy release in the reticulo-rumen. Ph.D. thesis, University of Aberdeen.Google Scholar
Lee, M. R. F., Jones, E. L., Moorby, J. M., Humphreys, M. O., Theodorou, M. K., MacRae, J. C. and Scollan, N. D. 2001. Production responses from lambs grazed on Lolium perenne selected for elevated water-soluble carbohydrate concentration. Animal Research 50: 441–449.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lobley, G. E., Connell, A., Lomax, M. A., Brown, D. S., Milne, E., Calder, A. G. and Farningham, D. A. H. 1995. Hepatic detoxification of ammonia in the liver; possible consequences for amino acid metabolism. British Journal of Nutrition 73: 667–685.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
McGrath, D. 1988. Seasonal variation in the water-soluble carbohydrates of perennial and italian ryegrass under cutting conditions. Irish Journal of Agricultural Research 27: 131–139.Google Scholar
MacRae, J. C., Bruce, L. A. and Brown, D. S. 1995. Efficiency of utilisation of absorbed amino acids in growing lambs given forage and forage: barley diets. Journal of Animal Science 61: 277–284.Google Scholar
MacRae, J. C. and Lobley, G. E. 1982. Some factors influencing thermal energy losses during metabolism of ruminants. Livestock Production Science 9: 447–456.Google Scholar
MacRae, J. C. and Lobley, G. E. 1986. Interactions between energy and protein. In Control of digesta metabolism in ruminants (ed. Milligan, L. P. Grovum, W. L. and Dobson, A.), pp. 367–385. Prentice Hall, Englewood Cliffs, NJ.Google Scholar
MacRae, J. C., Smith, J. S., Dewey, P. J. S., Brewer, A. C., Brown, D. S. and Walker, A. 1985. The efficiency of utilisation of metabolisable energy and apparent absorption of amino acids in sheep given spring and autumn harvested dried grass. British Journal of Nutrition 54: 197–209.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
MacRae, J. C. and Ulyatt, M. J. 1974. Quantitative digestion of fresh forage by sheep. 2. The sites of digestion of some nitrogenous constituents. Journal of Agricultural Science, Cambridge 82: 309–319.Google Scholar
Milano, G. D., Hotson-Moore, A. and Lobley, G. E. 2000. Influence of hepatic ammonia removal on ureagenesis, amino acid utilization and energy metabolism in the ovine liver. British Journal of Nutrition 83: 307–315.Google Scholar
Moorby, J. M. and Theobald, V. J. 1999. The effect of duodenal ammonia infusions on milk production and nitrogen balance of the dairy cow. Journal of Dairy Science 82: 2440–2442.Google Scholar
Moorby, J. M., Miller, L. A., Evans, R. T., Scollan, N. D., Theodorou, M. K. and MacRae, J. C. 2001. Milk production and N partitioning in early lactation dairy cows offered perennial ryegrass containing a high concentration of water soluble carbohydrates. Proceedings of the British Society of Animal Science, 2001, p. 6.Google Scholar
Newbold, J. R. and Rust, S. R. 1992. Effect of asynchronous N and energy on growth of ruminal bacteria in batch culture. Journal of Animal Science 70: 538–546.Google Scholar
Nocek, J. E. and Russell, J. B. 1988. Protein and energy as an integrated system. Relationship of ruminal protein and carbohydrate availability to microbial synthesis and milk production. Journal of Dairy Science 71: 2070–2107.Google Scholar
Obara, Y. and Dellow, D. W. 1994. Influence of energy supplementation on nitrogen kinetics in the rumen and urea metabolism. Japanese Agricultural Research Quarterly 28: 143-149.Google Scholar
Obara, Y., Dellow, D. W. and Nolan, J. V. 1991. The influence of energy rich supplements on nitrogen kinetics in ruminants. In Physiological aspects of digestion and metabolism in ruminants (ed. Tsuda, T., Sasaki, Y. and Kawashima, R.), pp. 515–534. Academic Press, San Diego, CA.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Pollock, C. J. and Jones, T. 1979. Seasonal patterns of fructan metabolism in forage grasses. The New Phytologist 83: 9–15.Google Scholar
Poppi, D. 1990. Manipulation of nutrient supply to animals at pasture, opportunities and consequences. Fifth Australasian Association for Animal Production, Taipei, pp. 42–79.Google Scholar
Robinson, P. H., Veira, D. M. and Ivan, M. 1998. Influence of supplemental protein quality on rumen fermentation, rumen microbial yield, forestomach digestion, and intestinal amino acid flow in late lactation Holstein cows. Canadian Journal of Animal Science 78: 95–105.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Rooke, J. A., Lee, N. H. and Armstrong, D. G. 1987. The effects of intraruminal infusions of urea, casein, glucose syrup, and a mixture of casein and glucose syrup on nitrogen digestion in the rumen of cattle receiving grasssilage diets. British Journal of Nutrition 57: 89–94.Google Scholar
Satter, L. D. and Slyter, L. L. 1974. Effect of ammonia concentration on ruminal microbial protein production in vitro. British Journal of Nutrition 32: 199–208.Google Scholar
Siever-Kelly, C., Leury, B. J., Gatford, K. L., Simpson, R. J. and Dove, H. 1999. Spray-topping annual grass pasture with glyphosate to delay loss of feeding value during summer. II. Herbage intake, digestibility, and diet selection in penned sheep. Australian Journal of Agricultural Research 50: 465–474.Google Scholar
Symonds, H. W., Mather, D. L. and Collis, K. A. 1981. The maximum capacity of the liver of the adult dairy cow to metabolise ammonia. British Journal of Nutrition 46: 481–486.Google Scholar
Thomas, T. A. 1977. An automated procedure for the determination of soluble carbohydrates in herbage. Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture 28: 639–642.Google Scholar
Thornton, R. F. and Minson, D. J. 1972. The relationship between voluntary intake and mean apparent retention time in the rumen. Australian Journal of Agricultural Research 23: 871–877.Google Scholar
Ulyatt, M. J., Beever, D. E., Thomson, D. J., Evans, R. T. and Haines, M. J. 1980. Measurement of nutrient supply at pasture. Proceedings of the Nutrition Society 39: 67A.Google Scholar
Van Soest, P. J., Robertson, J. B. and Lewis, B. A. 1991. Methods for dietary fiber, neutral detergent fiber and non starch polysaccharides in relation to animal nutrition. Journal of Dairy Science 74: 3583–3597.Google Scholar
Van Soest, P. J. and Wine, R. H. 1967. Use of detergents in the analysis of fibrous feeds. IV. Determination of plant and cell wall constituents. Journal of the Association of Official Analytical Chemists 50: 50–55.Google Scholar
Williams, C. H., David, D. J. and Iismaa, O. 1962. The determination of chromic oxide in faeces samples by atomic absorption spectrophotometry. Journal of Agricultural Science, Cambridge 59: 381–385.Google Scholar
Zhu, W. Y., Theodorou, M. K., Longlands, A. C., Nielson, B. B., Dijkstra, J. and Trinci, A. P. J. 1996. Growth and survival of anaerobic fungi in batch and continuous culture. Anaerobe 2: 29–37.Google Scholar