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Carbohydrate metabolism in the ruminant

Bacterial carbohydrates formed in the rumen and their contribution to digesta entering the duodenum

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  07 January 2011

A. B. McAllan  and
R. H. Smith
A. B. McAllan
Affiliation:
National Institute for Research in Dairying, Shinfield, Reading RG2 9AT
R. H. Smith
Affiliation:
National Institute for Research in Dairying, Shinfield, Reading RG2 9AT
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Abstract

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1. Samples of mixed bacteria were separated from rumen digesta taken from calves, kept out of contact with adult animals, and from sheep and cows.

2. For calves receiving a diet made up of equal amounts of roughage and cereals with 13–16 g nitrogen/kg dry matter, samples of mixed bacteria taken 4–6 h after feeding contained, on average, 140 g glucose in α-linked polymers (α-dextran), 25 g galactose and a total of 25 g other non-glucose, non-galactose sugars (mainly rhamnose, ribose and mannose) in combined forms per kg dry matter.

3. The α-dextran content of similar bacteria samples from sheep or cows receiving diets of similar composition was 70 g/kg dry matter. Samples from animals receiving all-roughage diets contained only 25 g α-dextran/kg dry matter, but those from cows given more than 70% of their ration as concentrates (mainly cereal) contained 150 g α-dextran/kg dry matter.

4. Addition of supplementary protein or urea to cereal–roughage diets given to calves greatly depressed the amount of α-dextran in the rumen bacterial samples to an average value of 60 g/kg dry matter.

5. Samples taken before a morning feed (i.e. after 16 h fasting) contained less α-dextran than samples taken 4–6 h after feeding for both calves and cows.

6. Under different conditions, variations in the amounts of galactose in rumen bacteria sometimes paralleled variations in α-dextran. Amounts of other non-glucose sugars did not vary greatly.

7. It was estimated, from a comparison of the compositions of rumen bacteria and duodenal contents, that, in the latter, the rhamnose, ribose and mannose came mainly from the bacteria, the arabinose, xylose and cellulose-glucose mainly from the diet and the galactose and α-dextran-glucose from both sources.

Type
Research Article
Information
British Journal of Nutrition , Volume 31 , Issue 1 , January 1974 , pp. 77 - 88
Copyright
Copyright © The Nutrition Society 1974

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