Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-jkksz Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-26T19:20:20.698Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

The digestion of organic matter, nitrogen and amino acids in calves fed semi-purified diets containing urea, uric acid or soya-bean meal

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  27 March 2009

G. J. L. Jacobs  and
Jane Leibholz
Jane Leibholz
Affiliation:
M. G. Franklin Laboratory, Department of Animal Husbandry University of Sydney, Camden, N.S.W. 2570
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Summary

Semi-purified diets containing urea (diet A), uric acid (diet B) or soya-bean meal (diet C) as the sole source of nitrogen were fed to two Friesian bull calves fitted with re-entrant duodenal cannulae. Total collections of digesta leaving the abomasum were made over 24-h periods.

The flow of organic matter to the duodenum expressed as a percentage of intake increased from 35·8% (diet A) and 40·6% (diet B) for the non-protein nitrogen diets to 58·3% for diet C. A greater proportion of the apparent digestion of organic matter occurred in the forestomachs of the calves when fed diets A or B than when they were fed diet C.

The flow of nitrogen from the abomasum expressed as a percentage of intake showed a significant increase (P < 0·05) from 65·4% for diet A to 84·4% for diet B and 85·1% for diet C. When diets B and C were fed to the calves a greater proportion of the apparent digestion of nitrogen occurred in the hindgut than when they were fed diet A. The synthesis of microbial protein was 13·9 g and 13·0 g for every 100 g of organic matter digested in the stomach when the calves were fed diets B and C and only 10·9 g when the calves were fed diet A.

A significantly (P < 0·05) greater proportion of dry matter of the digesta at the duodenum was composed of amino acids on diet C (19·5%) than diet A (16·1%) with the proportion of essential amino acids (especially threonine, lysine, histidine and arginine) also being greater. The amino acid composition of the digesta dry matter on diet B was intermediate (17·2%).

From the data presented, it was predicted that cystine and histidine were the first limiting amino acids for growth when the calves were fed the non-protein nitrogen diets (A and B).

Type
Research Article
Information
The Journal of Agricultural Science , Volume 89 , Issue 3 , December 1977 , pp. 699 - 710
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1977

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

Association of Official Analytical Chemists (1970). Official Methods of Analysis, 11th ed.Washington, D.C.: Association of Official Analytical Chemists.Google Scholar
Belasco, I. J. (1954). New nitrogen compounds for ruminants – a laboratory evaluation. Journal of Animal Science 13, 601–10.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ben-Ghedalia, D., Tagari, H., Bondi, A. & Tadmob, A. (1974). Protein digestion in the intestine of sheep. British Journal of Nutrition 31, 125–42.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bergen, W. G., Purser, D. B. & Cline, J. H. (1967). Enzymatic determination of the protein quality of individual rumen bacteria. Journal of Nutrition 92, 357–64.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bergen, W. G., Purser, D. B. & Cline, J. H. (1968). Determination of limiting amino acids of rumenisolated microbial proteins fed to rat. Journal of Dairy Science 51, 1698–700.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Bigwood, E. J. (1972). Animal and vegetable proteins. In Protein and Amino Acid Functions. Vol. 11. International Encyclopaedia of Food and Nutrition (ed. Bigwood, E. J.), p. 237. Oxford, New York, Sydney: Permagon Press.Google Scholar
Bird, P. B. (1972). Sulphur metabolism and excretion studies in ruminants. VI. The digestibility and utilisation by sheep of 35S from 35S-labelled ruminal microorganisms. Australian Journal of Biological Sciences 25, 193–203.Google ScholarPubMed
Boling, J. A., Young, A. W. & Bradley, N. W. (1972). Growth and blood plasma amino acid patterns in the bovine fed different sources of supplemental nitrogen. Journal of Nutrition 102, 1247–54.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Chaney, A. L. & Marbach, E. P. (1962). Modified reagents for determination of urea and ammonia. Clinical Chemistry 8, 130–2.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Clarke, E. M. W., Ellinger, G. M. & Phillipson, A. T. (1966). The influence of diet on the nitrogenous components passing to the duodenum and through the lower ileum of sheep. Proceedings of the Royal Society B 166, 63–79.Google Scholar
Clifford, A. J. & Tillman, A. D. (1968). Urea and isolated soybean protein in sheep purified diets. Journal of Animal Science 27, 484–9.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Coelho da Silva, J. F., Seeley, R. C, Thomson, D. J., Beever, D. E. & Armstrong, D. G. (1972). The effect in sheep of physical form and stage of growth on the sites of digestion of a dried grass. 2. Sites of nitrogen digestion. British Journal of Nutrition 28, 43–61.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Dirksen, G., Kaufmann, W., & Pfeffer, E. (1972). The digestive physiology of the dairy cow studied by the re-entrant cannula technique at the duodenum. Fortschritte in der Tierphysiologie und Tierernahrung 1, 43.Google Scholar
Faichney, G. J. (1968). The effect of frequency of feeding on the utilisation of roughage diets by sheep. Australian Journal of Agricultural Research 19, 813–19.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Faichney, G. J. & Weston, R. H. (1971). Digestion by ruminant lambs of a diet containing formaldehyde-treated casein. Australian Journal of Agricultural Research 22, 461–8.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Goshtasbpour-Parsi, B. G., Ely, D. G.Boling, J. A., Alderson, N. E. & Amos, H. E. (1974). Nitrogen components reaching the omasum and abomasum of lambs fed two nitrogen levels. Journal of Animal Science 39, 643–7.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Hagemeister, H. & Pfeffer, E. (1973). The effect of formaldehyde-treated casein and soyameal on microbial protein metabolism in the rumen and amino acid supply in the intestine of dairy cows. Zeitschrift fuer Tierphysiologie Tierernaehrung und Futtermittelkunde 31, 275–90.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hamilton, P. B. (1963). Ion exchange chromatography of amino acids. A single column, high resolving, fully automatic procedure. Analytical Chemistry 35, 2055–64.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hogan, J. P. & Weston, R. H. (1968). Digestion of protein in the intestines of the sheep. Proceedings of the Australian Society of Animal Production 7, 364–8.Google Scholar
Hogan, J. P. & Weston, R. H. (1971). The utilization of alkali-treated straw by sheep. Australian Journal of Agricultural Research 22, 951–62.Google Scholar
Hogan, J. P., Weston, R. H. & Lindsay, J. R. (1968). Influence of protein digestion on plasma amino acid levels in sheep. Australian Journal of Biological Sciences 21, 1263–75.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hume, I. D. (1970). Synthesis of microbial protein in the rumen. III. The effect of dietary protein. Australian Journal of Agricultural Research 21, 305–14.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hume, I. D. (1974). The proportion of dietary protein escaping degradation in the rumen of sheep fed on various protein concentrates. Australian Journal of Agricultural Research 25, 155–65.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hume, I. D., Moir, R. J. & Somers, M. (1970). Synthesis of microbial protein in the rumen. I. Influence of the level of nitrogen intake. Australian Journal of Agricultural Research 21, 283–96.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hutton, K. & Annison, E. F. (1972). Control of nitrogen metabolism in the rumen. Proceedings of the Nutrition Society 31, 151–8.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ibrahim, E. A. & Ingalls, J. R. (1972). Microbial protein biosynthesis in the rumen. Journal of Dairy Science 55, 971–8.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Jurtshuk, P., Doetsch, R. N. & Shaw, J. C. (1958). Anaerobic purine dissimilation by washed suspensions of bovine rumen bacteria. Journal of Dairy Science 41, 190–202.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kaufmann, W. & Hagemeister, H. (1973). Utilisation of nonprotein nitrogen compounds by ruminants with urea and isobutyldiurea as examples. Milchwissenschaft 28, 347–52.Google Scholar
Kay, M., Pavlicevic, A., MacLeod, N. A. & Smart, R. (1971). The value of different sources of nitrogen in diets for the early-weaned calf. Proceedings of the Nutrition Society 30, 84A.Google ScholarPubMed
Klooster, A. Th. Van't & Boekholt, H. A. (1972). Protein digestion in the stomachs and intestines of the cow. Netherlands Journal of Agricultural Science 20, 272–84.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Leibholz, J. (1972). Nitrogen metabolism in sheep. II. The flow of amino acids into the duodenum from dietary and microbial sources. Australian Journal of Agricultural Research 23, 1073–83.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Leibholz, J. (1976). Sites of digestion in the calf. I. The digestion of diets containing barley and wheat chaff supplemented with soyabean meal and urea. Australian Journal of Agricultural Research 27, 287–96.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Leibholz, J. & Hartmann, P. E. (1972). Nitrogen metabolism in sheep. I. The effect of protein and energy intake on the flow of digesta into the duodenum and on the digestion and absorption of nutrients. Australian Journal of Agricultural Research 23, 1059–71.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Leibholz, J. & Kang, H. S. (1973). The crude protein requirement of the early-weaned calf given urea, meat meal or soyabean meal with and without sulphur supplementation. Animal Production 17, 257–65.Google Scholar
Leibholz, J., Ward, G. W. & Jacobs, G. J. L. (1975). The insertion of re-entrant cannulae in young calves and their maintenance for long periods. Australian Veterinary Journal 51, 131–4.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Little, C. O., Mitchell, G. E. Jr & Potter, G. D. (1968). Nitrogen in the abomasum of wethers fed different protein sources. Journal of Animal Science 27, 1722–6.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ludwick, R. L., Fontenot, J. P. & Tucker, R. E. (1972). Studies of the adaptation phenomenon by lambs fed urea as the sole nitrogen source. Chemical alterations in ruminal and blood parameters. Journal of Animal Science 35, 1036–45.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
MacRae, J. C. & Armstrong, D. G. (1969). Studies on intestinal digestion in the sheep. 2. Digestion of some carbohydrate constituents in hay, cereal and hay-cereal rations. British Journal of Nutrition 23, 377–87.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
MacRae, J. C, Ulyatt, M. J., Pearce, P. D. & Hendtlass, J. (1972). Quantitative intestinal digestion of nitrogen in sheep given formaldehydetreated and untreated casein supplements. British Journal of Nutrition 27, 39–50.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
National Academy of Sciences (1970). Nutrient Requirements of Domestic Animals, No. 4. Beef Cattle 4th ed (revised). Washington, D.C.: National Academy of Sciences.Google Scholar
Neudoerffer, T. S., Leadbeater, P. A., Horney, F. D. & Bayley, H. S. (1971). The influence of level of grain intake on protein digestion in the intestine of cattle. British Journal of Nutrition 25, 343–50.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Nimrick, K., Hatfield, E. E., Kaminski, J. & Owens, F. N. (1970). Qualitative assessment of supplemented amino acid needs for growing lambs fed urea as the sole nitrogen source. Journal of Nutrition 100, 1293–1300.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Oltjen, R. R. & Putnam, P. A. (1966). Plasma amino acids and nitrogen retention by steers fed purified diets containing urea or isolated soy protein. Journal of Nutrition 89, 385–91.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Oltjen, R. R., Kozak, A. S., Putnam, P. A. & Lehman, R. P. (1967). Metabolism plasma amino acid and salivary studies with steers fed corn, wheat, barley and milo all-concentrate rations. Journal of Animal Science 26, 1415–20.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Oltjen, R. R., Slyter, L. L., Kozak, A. S. & Williams, E. E. Jr (1968). Evaluations of urea, buiret, urea phosphate and uric acid as non-protein nitrogen sources for cattle. Journal of Nutrition 94, 193–202.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Potter, G. D., Little, C. O. & Mitchell, G. E. Jr (1969). Abomasal nitrogen in steers fed soyabean meal or urea. Journal of Animal Science 28, 711–13.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Prior, R. L., Milner, J. A. & Visek, W. J. (1972). Carbohydrate and amino acid metabolism in lambs fed purified diets containing urea or isolated soy protein. Journal of Nutrition 102, 1223–32.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Pubser, D. B. (1970). Nitrogen metabolism in the rumen: Microorganisms as a source of protein for the ruminant animal. Journal of Animal Science 30, 988–1001.Google Scholar
Salem, H. A., Devlin, T. J., Ingalls, J. R. & Phillips, G. D. (1973). Effects of dietary urea level on amino acid concentrations in ruminant tissues. Canadian Journal of Animal Science 53, 717–24.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Salter, D. N. & Smith, R. H. (1974). Digestibility of 15N-labelled proteins in the small intestine of the ruminating calf. Proceedings of the Nutrition Society 33, 42A.Google ScholarPubMed
Schelling, G. T., Hinds, F. C. & Hatfield, E. E. (1967). Effect of dietary protein levels, amino acid supplementation and nitrogen source upon the plasma free amino acid concentrations in growing lambs. Journal of Nutrition 92, 339–47.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Sharma, H. R. & Ingalls, J. R. (1973). Comparative value of soyabean, rapeseed and formaldehydetreated rapeseed meals in urea-containing calf rations. Canadian Journal of Animal Science 53, 272–8.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Sharma, H. R., Ingalls, J. R. & Parker, R. J. (1974). Effects of treating rapeseed meal and casein with formaldehyde on the flow of nutrients through the gastrointestinal tract of fistulated Holstein steers. Canadian Journal of Animal Science 54, 305–13.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Slyter, L. L., Oltjen, R. R., Kebn, D. L. & Weaver, J. M. (1968). Microbial species including ureolytic bacteria from the rumen of cattle fed purified diets. Journal of Nutrition 94, 185–92.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Smith, R. H. (1975). Nitrogen metabolism in the rumen and the composition and nutritive value of nitrogen compounds entering the duodenum. In Digestion and Metabolism in the Ruminant (ed. McDonald, I. W. & Warner, A. C. I.). Armidale, N.S.W.: University of New England Publishing Unit.Google Scholar
Smith, R. H. & McAllan, A. B. (1971). Nucleic acid metabolism in the ruminant. 3. Amounts of nucleic acids and total and ammonia nitrogen in digesta from the rumen, duodenum and ileum of calves. British Journal of Nutrition 25, 181–90.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Steel, R. G. D. & Torrie, J. H. (1960). Principles and Procedures of Statistics. New York, Toronto, London: McGraw-Hill.Google Scholar
Theurer, B., Woods, W. & Poley, G. E. (1966). Comparison of portal and jugular blood plasma amino acids in lambs at various intervals postprandial. Journal of Animal Science 25, 175–80.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Theurer, B., Woods, W. & Poley, G. E. (1968). Influences of source of nitrogen on performance and plasma amino acid patterns of lambs. Journal of Animal Science 27, 1059–66.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Thompson, F. & Lamming, G. E. (1972). The flow of digesta, dry matter and starch to the duodenum in sheep given rations containing straw of varying particle size. British Journal of Nutrition 28, 391–403.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Topps, J. H., Kay, R. N B & Goodall, E D. (1968). Digestion of concentrate and of hay diets in the stomach and intestines of ruminants. British Journal of Nutrition 22, 261–80.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Van Soest, P. J. (1963). Use of detergents in the analysis of fibrous feeds. 2. A rapid method for the determination of fibre and lignin. Journal of the Association of Official Agricultural Chemists 46, 829–35.Google Scholar
Virtanen, A. I. (1966). Milk production of cows on protein free feed. Science 153, 1603–14.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Williams, A. P. & Smith, R. H. (1974). Concentrations of amino acids and urea in the plasma of the ruminating calf and estimation of the amino acid requirements. British Journal of Nutrition 32, 421–33.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Young, A. W., Boling, J. A. & Bradley, N. W. (1973). Performance and plasma amino acids of steers fed soyabean meal, urea or no supplemental nitrogen in finishing rations. Journal of Animal Science 36, 803–7.CrossRefGoogle Scholar