• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
• /
• v.5 no.1
• /
• pp.13-18
• /
• 1992

Three cattle, a sheep and a goat were slaughtered to determine the distribution of digesta particles and mean size of digesta particles. Aliquot samples of digesta in the diverse sites of the digestive tracts were fractionated by a wet sieving technique. Fractionated particles were analyzed by the magnetic grid analyzer system constructed by authors. Results showed that the proportion of particles in digesta was similar among the omasum, abomasums cecum, colon and rectum, but that for the reticulo-ruminal digesta was different from the others. The pattern of the mass base frequency distribution of particles was also similar in the post-ruminal digesta. Average Heywood's diameter (the diameter equivalent to that of a circle with equal area to a projected area of a given particle) was about 1.2 mm in the reticulo-ruminal digesta and decreased to 0.65 mm for cattle or to about 0.35 mm for sheep and goat in the omasal digesta. Average Heywood's diameter was about the same in the post-ruminal digesta. It is concluded that mean particle size and particle distribution in digesta of the rectum or feces reflect those in digesta of the omasum.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
• /
• v.18 no.8
• /
• pp.1116-1124
• /
• 2005

The influence of fiber content of hay (low-fiber 47% NDF and high-fiber 62% NDF of DM) and concentrate level (high 50% and low 20% of ration DM) on chewing activity, passage rate and nutrient digestibility were tested on four restrict-fed (11.1 to 13.7 kg DM/d) Holstein cows in late lactation. Aspects of ruminal fermentation and digesta particle size distribution were also investigated on two ruminally cannulated (100 mm i.d.) cows of the same group of animals. All digestion parameters studied were more affected by the fiber content of the hay and its ratio to non structural carbohydrates than by the concentrate level. Giving a diet of high-fiber (62% NDF) hay and low concentrate level (20%) increased chewing activity but decreased solid passage rate and total digestibility of nutrients due to a limited availability of fermentable OM in the late cut fiber rich hay. A supplementation of high-fiber hay with 50% concentrate in the diet seems to improve the ruminal digestion of cell contents, whilst a depression of the ruminal fiber digestibility was not completely avoided. Giving a diet of low-fiber (47% NDF) hay and high concentrate level (50%) reduced markedly the chewing and rumination activity, affected negatively the rumen conditions and, consequently, the ruminal digestion of fiber. A reduction of the concentrate level from 50 to 20% in the diet of low-fiber hay improved the rumen conditions as reflected by an increase of the ruminal solid passage rate and of fiber digestibility and in a decrease of the concentration of large particles and of the mean particle size of the rumen digesta and of the faeces. Generally, it can be summarised that, (i) concentrate supplementation is not a strategy to overcome limitations of low quality (fiber-rich) hay, and (ii) increase of the roughage quality is an effective strategy in ruminant nutrition, especially when concentrate availability for ruminants is limited.

• Korean Journal of Agricultural Science
• /
• v.43 no.3
• /
• pp.379-386
• /
• 2016

Four ruminally cannulated Holstein steers (BW $482.9{\pm}8.10kg$), fed low protein TMR (CP 11.7%) as a basal diet, were used to investigate changes in rumen fermentation and blood metabolism according to protein fraction, cornell net carbohydrates and protein system (CNCPS), and enriched feeds. The steers, arranged in a $4{\times}4$ Latin square design, consumed TMR only (control), TMR supplemented with rapeseed meal (AB1), soybean meal (B2), and perilla meal (B3C), respectively. The protein feeds were substituted for 23.0% of CP in TMR. Ruminal pH, ammonia-N, and volatile fatty acids (VFA) in rumen digesta, sampled through ruminal cannula at 1 h-interval after the morning feeding, were analyzed. For plasma metabolites analysis, blood was sampled via the jugular vein after the rumen digesta sampling. Different N fraction-enriched protein feeds did not affect (p > 0.05) mean ruminal pH except AB1 being numerically lower 1 - 3 h post-feeding than the other groups. Mean ammonia-N was statistically (p < 0.05) higher for AB1 than for the other groups, but VFA did not differ among the groups. Blood urea nitrogen was statistically (p < 0.05) higher for B2 than for the other groups, which was rather unclear due to relatively low ruminal ammonia-N. This indicates that additional studies on relationships between dietary N fractions and ruminant metabolism according to different levels of CP in a basal diet should be required.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
• /
• v.25 no.9
• /
• pp.1269-1275
• /
• 2012

An experiment was conducted to study the effect of soluble protein supplements on concentration of soluble non-ammonia nitrogen (SNAN) in the liquid phase of ruminal (RD) and omasal digesta (OD) of Korean native steers, and to investigate diurnal pattern in SNAN concentration in RD and OD. Three ruminally cannulated Korean native steers in a $3{\times}3$ Latin square design consumed a basal diet of rice straw and corn-based concentrate (control), and that supplemented (kg/d DM basis) with intact casein (0.24; IC) or acid hydrolyzed casein (0.46; AHC). Ruminal digesta was sampled using a vacuum pump, whereas OD was collected using an omasal sampling system at 2.0 h intervals after a morning feeding. The SNAN fractions (free amino acid (AA), peptide and soluble protein) in RD and OD were assessed using the ninhydrin assay. Concentrations of free AA and total SNAN in RD were significantly (p<0.05) lower than those in OD. Although free AA concentration was relatively high, mean peptide was quantitatively the most important fraction of total SNAN in both RD and OD, indicating that degradation of peptide to AA rather than hydrolysis of soluble protein to peptide or deamination may be the most limiting step in rumen proteolysis of Korean native steers. Diurnal variation in peptide concentration in OD for the soluble protein supplemented diets during the feeding cycle peaked 2 h post-feeding and decreased thereafter whereas that for the control was relatively constant during the entire feeding cycle. Diurnal variation in peptide concentration was rather similar between RD and OD.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
• /
• v.31 no.1
• /
• pp.80-85
• /
• 2018

Objective: This study was conducted to investigate the effect of corn grain particle size on ruminant fermentation and blood metabolites in Holstein steers fed total mixed ration (TMR) as a basal diet to explain fundamental data of corn grain for cattle in Korea. Methods: Four ruminally cannulated Holstein steers (body weight $592{\pm}29.9kg$) fed TMR as a basal diet were housed individually in an auto temperature and humidity modulated chamber ($24^{\circ}C$ and 60% for 22 h/d). Treatments in a $4{\times}4$ Latin square design were TMR only (control), TMR with whole corn grain (WC), coarsely ground corn grain (CC), and finely ground corn grain (FC), respectively. The corn feeds substituted for 20% energy intake of TMR intake. To measure the ruminal pH, ammonia N, and volatile fatty acids (VFA), ruminal digesta was sampled through ruminal cannula at 1 h intervals after the morning feeding to determine ruminal fermentation characteristics. Blood was sampled via the jugular vein after the ruminal digesta sampling. Results: There was no difference in dry matter (DM) intake between different corn particle size because the DM intake was restricted to 1.66% of body weight. Different corn particle size did not change mean ammonia N and total VFA concentrations whereas lower (p<0.05) ruminal pH and a ratio of acetate to propionate, and higher (p<0.05) propionate concentration were noted when the steers consumed CC compared with WC and FC. Concentration of blood metabolites were not affected by different particle size of corn grain except for blood triglyceride concentration, which was significantly (p<0.05) increased by FC. Conclusion: Results indicate that feeding CC may increase feed digestion in the rumen, whereas the FC group seemed to obtain inadequate corn retention time for microbial degradation in the rumen.

• Korean Journal of Agricultural Science
• /
• v.42 no.3
• /
• pp.237-244
• /
• 2015

Four ruminally cannulated Holstein steers (BW $401.0{\pm}2.22kg$) fed TMR containing low protein (CP 9.63 %) as a basal diet were used to investigate the effects of cornell net carbohydrates and protein system (CNCPS) fraction enriched protein feeds on rumen fermentation and blood metabolites. The steers used in a $4{\times}4$ Latin square design consumed TMR only (control), TMR with rapeseed meal (AB1), TMR with soybean meal (B2) and TMR with perilla meal (B3C), respectively. The protein feeds were substituted for 30 % crude protein of TMR intake. For measuring ruminal pH, ammonia-N and volatile fatty acids (VFA), ruminal digesta was sampled through ruminal cannula at 1 h-interval after the afternoon feeding. Blood was sampled via the jugular vein after the ruminal digesta sampling. Different CNCPS fraction-enriched proteins did not affect (p>0.05) ruminal pH except B3C being numerically low compared with the other groups. Ammonia-N and VFA were not significantly different among the experimental groups. Numerically low ammonia-N appeared in the steers fed rapeseed meal even though it contained high soluble N composition (A and B1 fractions). The discrepancy is unclear; however this may be related to low protein level in the diet and/or low DM intake. Blood metabolites were not significantly affected by the protein substitution except for blood urea nitrogen that was significantly (p<0.05) increased.

• Korean Journal of Agricultural Science
• /
• v.44 no.3
• /
• pp.392-399
• /
• 2017

The present study was conducted to investigate the effects of different dietary proteins as fraction-enriched protein, defined by Cornell net carbohydrates and protein system (CNCPS), on in vivo ruminal fermentation pattern and blood metabolites in Holstein steers fed total mixed ration (TMR) containing 17.2% crude protein. Four ruminally cannulated Holstein steers in a $4{\times}4$ Latin square design consumed TMR only (control) and TMR with rapeseed meal (AB1), soybean meal (B2), and perilla meal (B3C). Each protein was substituted for 23.0% of crude protein in TMR. Rumen digesta were taken through ruminal cannula at 1 h interval during the feeding cycle in order to analyze ruminal pH, ammonia-N, and volatile fatty acids (VFA). Plasma metabolites in blood taken via the jugular vein after the rumen digesta sampling were analyzed. Feeding perilla meal significantly (p < 0.05) decreased mean ruminal pH compared with control and the other protein feeding groups. Compared with control, feeding protein significantly (p < 0.05) increased ruminal ammonia-N concentration except for AB1. Statistically (p > 0.05) similar total VFA appeared among control and the supplemented groups. However, control, AB1, and B2 showed higher (p < 0.05) acetate concentrations than B3C, and propionate was vice versa. CNCPS fractionated protein significantly (p < 0.05) affected concentrations of albumin and total protein in blood; i.e. plasma albumin was lower for control and B2 groups than AB1 and B3C groups. Despite lack of significances (p > 0.05) in creatinine and blood urea nitrogen, AB1 and B2 groups were numerically higher than the others.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
• /
• v.21 no.3
• /
• pp.392-403
• /
• 2008

Four ruminally fistulated Hanwoo steers were used to determine the effects of level and degradability of dietary protein on ruminal fermentation, blood metabolites and concentration of soluble non-ammonia nitrogen (SNAN) in ruminal (RD) and omasal digesta (OD). Experiments were conducted in a $4{\times}4$ Latin square design with a $2{\times}2$ factorial arrangement of treatments. Factors were protein supplements with two ruminal crude protein (CP) degradabilities, corn gluten meal (CGM) that was low in degradability (rumen-degraded protein (RDP), 23.4% CP) or soybean meal (SBM) that was high in degradability (RDP, 62.1% CP), and two feeding levels of CP (12.2 or 15.9% dry matter). Ruminal fermentation rates and plasma metabolite concentrations were determined from the RD collected at 2-h intervals and from the blood taken by jugular puncture, respectively. The SNAN fractions (free amino acid, peptide and soluble protein) in RD and OD collected at 2-h intervals were assessed by ninhydrin assay. Mean ruminal ammonia concentrations were 40.5, 74.8, 103.4 and 127.0 mg/L for low CGM, high CGM, low SBM and high SBM, respectively, with statistically significant differences (p<0.01 for CP level and p<0.001 for CP degradability). Blood urea nitrogen concentrations were increased by high CP level (p<0.001) but unaffected by CP degradability. There was a significant (p<0.05) interaction between level and degradability of CP on blood albumin concentrations. Albumin was decreased to a greater extent by increasing degradability of low CP diets (0.26 g/dl) compared with high CP diets (0.02 g/dl). Concentrations of each SNAN fraction in RD (p<0.01) and OD (p<0.05) for high CP diets were higher than those for low CP diets, except for peptides but concentrations of the sum of peptide and free amino acid in RD and OD were significantly higher (p<0.05) for high CP diets than for low CP diets. Soybean meal diets increased free amino acid and peptide concentrations in both RD (p<0.01) and OD (p<0.05) compared to CGM diets. High level and greater degradability of CP increased (p<0.001) mean concentrations of total SNAN in RD and OD. These results suggest that RDP contents, increased by higher level and degradability of dietary protein, may increase release of free amino acids, peptides and soluble proteins in the rumen and omasum from ruminal degradation and solubilization of dietary proteins. Because SNAN in OD indicates the terminal product of ruminal metabolism, increasing CP level and degradability appears to increase the amount of intestine-available nitrogen in the liquid phase.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
• /
• v.16 no.10
• /
• pp.1460-1468
• /
• 2003

An experiment was conducted to quantify the flow of soluble non-ammonia nitrogen (SNAN) in the liquid phase of ruminal (RD) and omasal digesta (OD), and to investigate diurnal pattern in SNAN flow in OD. Five ruminally cannulated Finnish-Ayrshire dairy cows in a $5{\times}5$ Latin square design consumed a basal diet of grass silage and barley grain, and that supplemented with four protein feeds (kg/d DM basis) as follows: skimmed milk powder (2.1), wet distiller' solubles (3.0), untreated rapeseed meal (2.1) and treated rapeseed meal (2.1). Ruminal digesta was sampled using a vacuum pump, whereas OD was collected using an omasal sampling system at 1.0 h interval during a 12 h feeding cycle. Both RD and OD were acidified, centrifuged to remove microbes and precipitated with trichloroacetic acid followed by centrifugation. The SNAN fractions (free amino acid (AA), peptide and soluble protein) in RD and OD were assessed using ninhydrin assay. Free AA, peptide and soluble protein averaged 60.0, 89.4 and 2.1 g/d, respectively, for RD, and 81.8, 121.5 and 2.5 g/d, respectively, for OD. Although free AA flow was relatively high, mean peptide flow was quantitatively the most important fraction of SNAN, indicating that degradation of peptide to AA rather than hydrolysis of soluble protein to peptide or deamination may be the most limiting step in rumen proteolysis. Diurnal pattern in flow of peptide including free AA in OD during a 12 h feeding cycle peaked 1 h post-feeding, decreased by 3 h post-feeding and was relatively constant thereafter. Protein supplementation showed higher flow of peptide including free AA immediately after feeding compared with no supplemented diet. There were no differences among protein supplements in diurnal pattern in flow of peptide including free AA in OD.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
• /
• v.22 no.9
• /
• pp.1267-1278
• /
• 2009

Three beef steers fitted with permanent cannulae in the rumen and duodenum were used to determine the effects of protein supply from soyhulls (SH) and wheat bran (WB) on ruminal metabolism, blood metabolites, nitrogen metabolism, nutrient digestion and concentrations of soluble non-ammonia nitrogen (SNAN) in ruminal (RD) and omasal digesta (OD). In a 3${\times}$3 Latin square design, steers were offered rice straw and concentrates formulated either without (control) or with two brans to increase crude protein (CP) level (9 vs. 11% dietary DM for control and bran-based diets, respectively). The brans used were SH and WB that had similar CP contents but different ruminal CP degradability (52 vs. 80% CP for SH and WB, respectively) for evaluating the effects of protein degradability. Ruminal ammonia concentrations were higher for bran diets (p<0.01) than for the control, and for WB (p<0.001) compared to the SH diet. Similarly, microbial nitrogen and blood urea nitrogen were significantly increased (p<0.05) by bran and WB diets, respectively. Retained nitrogen tended (p<0.082) to be increased by SH compared with the WB diet. Intestinal and total tract CP digestion was enhanced by bran diets. In addition, bran diets tended (p<0.085) to increase intestinal starch digestion. Concentrations of SNAN fractions in RD and OD were higher (p<0.05) for bran diets than for the control, and for WB than for the SH diet. More rumendegraded protein supply resulting from a higher level and degradability of CP released from SH and WB enhanced ruminal microbial nitrogen synthesis and ruminal protein degradation. Thus, free amino acids, peptides and soluble proteins from microbial cells as well as degraded dietary protein may have contributed to increased SNAN concentrations in the rumen and, consequently, the omasum. These results indicate that protein supply from SH and WB, having a low level of protein (13 and 16%, respectively), could affect ruminal metabolism and nutrient digestion if inclusion level is relatively high (>20%).