• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.28 no.10
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• pp.1419-1426
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• 2015

This study aimed to investigate the effect of the ratio of non-fibrous carbohydrates to neutral detergent fibre (NFC/NDF) and undegraded dietary protein (UDP) on rumen fermentation and nitrogen metabolism in lambs. Four $Dorper{\times}thin-tailed$ Han crossbred lambs, averaging $62.3{\pm}1.9kg$ of body weight and 10 mo of age, were randomly assigned to four dietary treatments of combinations of two levels of NFC/NDF (1.0 and 1.7) and two levels of UDP (35% and 50% of crude protein [CP]). Duodenal nutrient flows were measured with dual markers of Yb and Co, and microbial N (MN) synthesis was estimated using $^{15}N$. High UDP decreased organic matter (OM) intake (p = 0.002) and CP intake (p = 0.005). Ruminal pH (p<0.001), ammonia nitrogen ($NH_3-N$; p = 0.008), and total volatile fatty acids (p<0.001) were affected by dietary NFC/NDF. The ruminal concentration of $NH_3-N$ was also affected by UDP (p<0.001). The duodenal flow of total MN (p = 0.007) was greater for lambs fed the high NFC/NDF diet. The amount of metabolisable N increased with increasing dietary NFC:NDF (p = 0.02) or UDP (p = 0.04). In conclusion, the diets with high NFC/NDF (1.7) and UDP (50% of CP) improved metabolisable N supply to lambs.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.19 no.9
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• pp.1305-1313
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• 2006

Five male dairy goats (Saanen), 4.6 month old with a body weight of 21.4 ($SD{\pm}1.6$) kg, were used to examine 5 dietary urea treatments in a $5{\times}5$ Latin Square experimental design. The five levels of urea were 10, 20, 30, 40 and 50 g urea/kg DM of steam-treated oil palm fronds (OPF) and dry matter intake tended (p>0.05) to increase with increasing urea supplementation up to 30 g/kg OPF (77.7 g/kg $BW^{0.75}$), but decreased (p<0.05) with 40 and 50 g urea/kg OPF (67.4 and 63.7 g/kg BW0.75, respectively) supplementation. Similarly, dry matter, organic matter, crude protein, neutral detergent fiber and hemicellulose digestibilities increased (p<0.05) with the addition of urea to 30 g/kg OPF but thereafter decreased (p<0.05) with 40 and 50 g/kg OPF. Ruminal pH, ruminal $NH_3$-N concentration and plasma urea concentration increased linearly (p<0.01) and quadratically (p<0.01) as a consequence of addition of urea to the diet. Excretion of total purine derivatives (PD) by goats fed 30 g of urea/kg OPF was highest (p<0.05) followed by goats fed 20, 40, 10 and 50 g of urea/kg OPF. Microbial N (g N/day) and efficiency of microbial N supply expressed as g N/kg organic matter apparently digested in the rumen were higher (p<0.05) in goats fed 30 g of urea/kg OPF (5.5 g N/day and 22.0 g N/kg DOMR, respectively) than in goats on 10 and 50 g of urea/kg OPF treatments. However, the former did not differ from goats fed 20 g of urea/kg OPF (3.9 g N/day and 16.6 g N/kg DMOR, respectively). Ruminal VFA concentration, protein/energy ratio, N absorption and N retention increased (p<0.05) with the addition of urea to the diet up to 30 g/kg OPF but decreased (p<0.05) with 40 and 50 g/kg OPF. This implies that the optimal level of urea supplementation in an OPF based diet was about 30 g urea/kg OPF.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.5 no.3
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• pp.571-582
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• 1992

Soybeans were dry extruded at three different temperatures (125, 135 and $145^{\circ}C$) for 30 s. Four lambs fitted with cannulae in the rumen and abomasums were used in a balanced $4{\times}4$ Latin square design. Lambs were fed at 2 h intervals for 12 times a day with automatic feeder to maintain steady state conditions in digestive tract. A dual-phase marker system was used to estivate ruminal flow rate of both liquid and solid digesta. Objectives of this study were to determine the effect of extrusion temperature of raw soybean on the ruminal liquid and solid dilution rate, nitrogen digestion and flow at the abomasum and availability of amino acid in lambs. There were no significant effects of extrusion on liquid and solid dilution rate, and liquid volume. Ruminal liquid flow rate was not influenced by extrusion and ranged from 389 to 435 ml/hr. Extrusion had no influence on ruminal OM digestion and flow rate to the abomasums. Dietary N flow to the abomasums increased (p < 0.05) as extruding temperature increased. Extruding temperature had a significant effect (p < 0.05) on flow of N escaping ruminal degradation and ranged from 34.91 to 57.38%. Microbial N synthesized/kg OMTDR ranged from 27 to 37 g and highest with $145^{\circ}C$ ESB diet. Extrusion decreased the amount of degradable amino acid in the rumen and increased the supply of amino acid to the lower gut, especially with 135 and $145^{\circ}C$ ESB diets.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.5 no.3
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• pp.487-494
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• 1992

This experiment was conducted to study the effect of addition of Lucerne juice (LJ) obtained by mechanical extraction of freshly harvested crop on the nutritive value of rice straw silage. Rice straw (RS) was ensiled with intact, NaOH or $NH_3$ treated LJ at 3:7 ratio on fresh weight basis (LJ RS, LJ NaOH RS and LJ $NH_3$ RS, respectively). Each alkali was mixed with fresh juice at a level of 4% of rice straw dry matter just before ensiling. Rice straw ensiled with water was prepared as the control (W RS). In the digestion trial, goats were allocated in a $4{\times}4$ Latin-square design and fed the diet containing three parts of RS silage and one part of wheat bran (DM basis). For the goats receiving the control silage, urea was supplemented at feeding time so as to adjust the nitrogen intake except for goats on LJ $NH_3$ RS silage. Crude protein content of RS silage was increased from 5.2 to 9.1% (DM basis) by the addition of intact LJ and to about 24% by $NH_3$ treated LJ. The control W RS silage contained only trace amount of lactic acid and was dominated by acetic and butyric acid. The addition of intact LJ reduced butyric acid content and $NH_3-N/TN$ of the silage whereas the addition of alkalized LJ increased those values and shifted to a butyrate type fermentation. Nutrient digestibilities and nitrogen balance of goats were almost the same when they were fed W RS and LJ RS silage indicating the addition of intact LJ did not improve the nutritive value. The addition of alkalized LJ significantly increased the fiber digestibilities of RS silage and $NH_3$ treatment was more effective than NaOH treatment. Postprandial ruminal $NH_3-N$ and blood urea nitrogen (BUN) concentrations were decreased by feeding LJ NaOH RS silage suggesting ruminal protein synthesis was enhanced along with the increase of energy supply for supply for rumen microbes by the alkali treatment. The advantageous fiber digestibilities of LJ $NH_3$ RS silage compared with those of LJ NaOH RS silage might be attributable to a sufficient nitrogen supply for microbial fiber digestion in the rumen.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.28 no.3
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• pp.351-359
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• 2015

Twelve multiparous Holstein dairy cows in mid-lactation were selected for a replicated $4{\times}4$ Latin square design with a $2{\times}2$ factorial arrangement to investigate the effects of corn and soybean meal (SBM) types on rumen fermentation, N metabolism and lactation performance in dairy cows. Two types of corn (dry ground [DGC] and steam-flaked corn [SFC]) and two types of SBM (solvent-extracted and heat-treated SBM) with different ruminal degradation rates and extents were used to formulate four diets with the same basal ingredients. Each period lasted for 21 days, including 14 d for adaptation and 7 d for sample collection. Cows receiving SFC had a lower dry matter (DM) and total N intake than those fed DGC. However, the milk yield and milk protein yield were not influenced by the corn type, resulting in higher feed and N utilization efficiency in SFC-fed cows than those receiving DGC. Ruminal acetate concentrations was greater and total volatile fatty acids concentrations tended to be greater for cows receiving DGC relative to cows fed SFC, but milk fat content was not influenced by corn type. The SFC-fed cows had lower ruminal ammonia-N, less urea N in their blood and milk, and lower fecal N excretion than those on DGC. Compared with solvent-extracted SBM-fed cows, cows receiving heat-treated SBM had lower microbial protein yield in the rumen, but similar total tract apparent nutrient digestibility, N metabolism measurements, and productivity. Excessive supply of metabolizable protein in all diets may have caused the lack of difference in lactation performance between SBM types. Results of the present study indicated that increasing the energy degradability in the rumen could improve feed efficiency, and reduce environmental pollution.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.29 no.3
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• pp.372-377
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• 2016

The objectives of the trial were to investigate the effects of supplementing vitamin E (VE) on nutrient digestion, nitrogen (N) retention and plasma parameters of beef cattle in feedlot. Four growing Simmental bulls, fed with a total mixed ration composed of corn silage and concentrate mixture as basal ration, were used as the experimental animals. Four levels of VE product, i.e. 0, 150, 300, 600 mg/head/d (equivalent to 0, 75, 150, 300 IU VE/head/d), were supplemented to the basal ration (VE content 38 IU/kg dry matter) in a $4{\times}4$ Latin square design as experimental treatments I, II, III and IV, respectively. Each experimental period lasted 15 days, of which the first 12 days were for pretreatment and the last 3 days for sampling. The results showed that supplementing VE did not affect the nutrient digestibility (p>0.05) whereas decreased the urinary N excretion (p<0.01), increased the N retention (p<0.05) and tended to increase the microbial N supply estimated based on the total urinary purine derivatives (p = 0.057). Supplementing VE increased the plasma concentrations of VE, glucose and triglycerol (TG) (p<0.05) and tended to increase the plasma concentration of total protein (p = 0.096) whereas did not affect the plasma antioxidant indices and other parameters (p>0.05). It was concluded that supplementing VE up to 300 IU/head/d did not affect the nutrient digestibility whereas supplementing VE at 150 or 300 IU/head/d increased the N retention and the plasma concentrations of VE and TG (p<0.05) of beef cattle.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.14 no.4
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• pp.485-490
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• 2001

Farmers in the centre of Vietnam have a tradition of dosing young cattle with groundnut oil before fattening them on a diet of rice straw and road-side grass. These farmers claim the cattle grow faster. It was hypothesized that the effect of the oil could be to eliminate the protozoa from the rumen. This is known to increase the net microbial growth efficiency in the rumen and increase the protein supply to the animal. To test this hypothesis, two experiments were undertaken; one on-station with four cattle fitted with rumen cannulae and the second a growth trial with 25 young cattle in smallholder farms. When the cannulated animals were drenched with groundnut oil, the protozoa were eliminated from the rumen and animals could be kept free of protozoa by isolation. The ammonia concentration in the rumen fluid was decreased when the protozoa were eliminated and there was an indication of improved rumen dry matter degradability of the forage components of the diet. In the practical condition on the smallholder farms, the growth rates of cattle drenched with groundnut oil were increased considerably (65%) compared with untreated control animals. The laboratory results when taken together with the on-farm results indicate that these resource-poor farmers had been able to defaunate their cattle and to maintain the fauna-free state by isolation of their animals from extraneous stock. This traditional practice in Central Vietnam, whereby one family keeps only one or two animals that are hand fed and tethered, has quite a large potential for all of those countries where animals are fed agro-industrial by-products, as it is highly economic. The use of 1 litre of oil compared with 1 kg of rice polishing per day (300 kg over 300 days), would be highly profitable in all countries of South-East Asia.

• Journal of Animal Science and Technology
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• v.66 no.2
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• pp.398-411
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• 2024

Upregulation of the nutritional value of feed is the major target of various studies in the livestock industry, and dietary enzyme supplementation could aid in digesting the nondegrading nutrients of grains in feed ingredients. Dried distillers' grains with solubles (DDGS) is a byproduct of the fermentation process in the beverage industry and can be used as a large supply source of fiber in feed. Therefore, we conducted an experiment with male broiler chickens to investigate the effect of various types of enzymes on DDGS and compare the efficacy of single enzyme and multienzyme complexes on growth performance and gut environments in broiler chickens. We used 420 1-day-old broiler chickens (Ross 308), and they were allotted into 4 dietary treatments with seven replications (CON, corn-soybean meal [SBM] diet; NC, DDGS supplemented diet; SE, 0.05 % of mannanase supplemented DDGS-based diet; MC, 0.10% of multienzyme complex (mannanase and xylanase, glucanase) supplemented DDGS-based diet. The dietary exogenous enzyme in the DDGS-supplemented diet could improve growth performance as much as the growth of the control group, and digestibility of dry matter, crude protein, and gross energy were significantly increased by enzyme addition in groups of chicks fed DDGS-supplementation diet. Moreover, the populations of pathogenic bacteria, coliforms, and Bacteroidetes were significantly decreased by enzyme supplementation, which might lead to improved gut mucus-secreting cells and inflammatory cytokines in the jejunum. Collectively, dietary single enzyme and multienzyme complexes could improve gut environments, including intestinal immune responses and gut microbial population, and lead to improvement of growth performance in broiler chickens.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.27 no.1
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• pp.46-54
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• 2014

This study was conducted to investigate the effects of eucalyptus (E. Camaldulensis) crude oils (EuO) supplementation on voluntary feed intake and rumen fermentation characteristics in swamp buffaloes. Four rumen fistulated swamp buffaloes, body weight (BW) of $420{\pm}15.0$ kg, were randomly assigned according to a $2{\times}2$ factorial arrangement in a $4{\times}4$ Latin square design. The dietary treatments were untreated rice straw (RS) without EuO (T1) and with EuO (T2) supplementation, and 3% urea-treated rice straw (UTRS) without EuO (T3) and with EuO (T4) supplementation. The EuO was supplemented at 2 mL/h/d in respective treatment. Experimental animals were kept in individual pens and concentrate mixture was offered at 3 g/kg BW while roughage was fed ad libitum. Total dry matter and roughage intake, and apparent digestibilites of organic matter and neutral detergent fiber were improved (p<0.01) by UTRS. There was no effect of EuO supplementation on feed intake and nutrient digestibility. Ruminal pH and temperature were not (p>0.05) affected by either roughage sources or EuO supplementation. However, buffaloes fed UTRS had higher ruminal ammonia nitrogen and blood urea nitrogen as compared with RS. Total volatile fatty acid and butyrate proportion were similar among treatments, whereas acetate was decreased and propionate molar proportion was increased by EuO supplementation. Feeding UTRS resulted in lower acetate and higher propionate concentration compared to RS. Moreover, supplementation of EuO reduced methane production especially in UTRS treatment. Protozoa populations were reduced by EuO supplementation while fungi zoospores remained the same. Total, amylolytic and cellulolytic bacterial populations were increased (p<0.01) by UTRS; However, EuO supplementation did not affect viable bacteria. Nitrogen intake and in feces were found higher in buffaloes fed UTRS. A positive nitrogen balance (absorption and retention) was in buffaloes fed UTRS. Supplementation of EuO did not affect nitrogen utilization. Both allantoin excretion and absorption and microbial nitrogen supply were increased by UTRS whereas efficiency of microbial protein synthesis was similar in all treatments. Findings of present study suggested that EuO could be used as a feed additive to modify the rumen fermentation in reducing methane production both in RS and UTRS. Feeding UTRS could improve feed intake and efficiency of rumen fermentation in swamp buffaloes. However, more research is warranted to determine the effect of EuO supplementation in production animals.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.22 no.3
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• pp.371-377
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• 2009

The objectives of the present study were to investigate the effects of different dietary ratios of whole-crop corn silage and alfalfa hay on nitrogen (N) digestion, duodenal flow and metabolism across the portal-drained viscera (PDV) of growing beef steers, and to elucidate their relationships. Four steers (236${\pm}$7 kg BW) fitted with duodenal cannulae and chronic indwelling catheters into the portal and mesenteric veins and abdominal aorta were used in a 4${\times}$4 Latin square design. Animals were fed (at 12-h intervals) the 4 diets consisting of whole-crop corn silage (C) and alfalfa hay (A) in 80:20 (C8A2), 60:40 (C6A4), 40:60 (C4A6) and 20:80 (C2A8) ratios of which dietary crude protein (CP) was 10.5, 12.0, 13.5 and 15.0% of dry matter (DM), respectively. Feeding level was restricted to 95% of ad libitum intake to measure N digestion, blood flow and net flux of N across the PDV. Digestibility of DM and neutral detergent fiber and digestible energy intake linearly increased as the ratio of alfalfa hay increased. The N intake, duodenal flow and intestinal disappearance increased linearly with increasing alfalfa hay. Arterial and portal concentrations of ${\alpha}$-amino N showed a quadratic response to increasing levels of alfalfa hay and were the highest in steers fed the C6A4 diet. The net PDV release of ${\alpha}$-amino N and ammonia N increased linearly with increasing alfalfa hay, but urea N uptake by PDV did not differ among diets. As a percentage of apparently digested N in the total gut, net PDV release of ${\alpha}$-amino N linearly decreased from 66 to 48% with increasing alfalfa hay. Conversely, net PDV recovery of ${\alpha}$-amino N to intestinal N disappearance varied with increasing alfalfa hay accounting for 49, 50, 58 and 61% on C8A2, C6A4, C4A6 and C2A8 diets, respectively. Net PDV uptake of urea N, relative to apparently digested N, linearly decreased from 81 to 25% as alfalfa hay increased from 20 to 80% of DM intake. Considering PDV uptake of urea N, microbial efficiency and conversion of total tract digested N to PDV ${\alpha}$-amino N net supply, a diet consisting of 80% whole-crop corn silage and 20% alfalfa hay (10.5% CP) was the best, while considering the quantities of intestinal N disappearance and ${\alpha}$-amino N absorption, a diet of 20% whole-crop corn silage and 80% alfalfa hay (15% CP) would be preferred. The proportion of ${\alpha}$-amino N recovered by PDV relative to the intestinal N disappearance may vary with energy intake level of mixed forage diets.