Effects of VFAs and Glucose Infusions on Ruminating Behavior of the Fasted-Goats

To test their roles in rumination behavior, metabolites (acetic acid, propionic acid, butyric acid and glucose) were intravenously infused into the jugular vein of goats during fasting. The heads of four female goats tested were locked in a stanchion of cages in an experimental room. Ruminating behaviors with regard to number of ruminations, ruminating time, number of remastications and remasticating time were significantly decreased by acetic acid infusion (p < 0.05), and tended to be depressed more on values in butyric acid infusion or glucose infusion than those in pre-infusions, but propionic acid infusion decreased a little. Those data suggest that rumination receptors sensitive to VFAs and glucose are more likely to be situated in the area, where they would respond too blood levels.