RUMINAL AND POST-RUMINAL DIGESTlON AND NITROGEN BALANCE IN EARLY WEANED CALVES FED SOYBEAN MEAL AND HEATED SOYBEAN MEAL

Obitsu, T.,Morooka, T.,Okubo, M.,Asahida, Y. Asian Australasian Association of Animal Productio 1995 Animal Bioscience Vol.8 No.1

Two digestion trials were conducted to investigate the effect of feeding heated soybean meal (HSBM) on ruminal and post-ruminal digestion of organic matter (OM) and nitrogen (N), bacterial N flow to the duodenum and N balance in young calves weaned at 6 weeks of age. In trial 1, calves were fed concentrate diets containing soybean meal (SBM) or HSBM and hay mixed in the ratio of 6:4 to support daily weight gain of 0.5 kg. The same concentrate diets were used in trial 2, but the ratio of concentrate to hay was 7:3 to support body weight gain of 0.7 kg/d. Measurements were made 10 and 13 weeks of age in trial 1, and at 10 and 15 weeks in trial 2. Ruminal OM digestibility increased with advancing age in both trials. Ruminal OM digestion was not affected by the diets in trial 1, but it was greater for the SBM diet than for the HSBM diet at 10 weeks in trial 2. Net N loss from the rumen was lover for the HSBM diet than for the SBM diet in trial 1, but it was not affected by the diets in trial 2. Bacterial N flow to the duodenum, N digestion in the total digestive tract and N retention were not affected by the diets in either of the trials.

Quantitative Comparison of Diversity and Conformity in Nitrogen Recycling of Ruminants

Obitsu, T.,Taniguchi, K. Asian Australasian Association of Animal Productio 2009 Animal Bioscience Vol.22 No.3

Domestic ruminant animals are reared in diverse production systems, ranging from extensive systems under semi-arid and tropical conditions with poor feed resources to intensive systems in temperate and cold areas with high quality feed. Nitrogen (N) recycling between the body and gut of ruminants plays a key role in the adaptation to such diverse nutritional conditions. Ammonia and microbial protein produced in the gut and urea synthesized in the liver are major players in N-recycling transactions. In this review, we focus on the physiological factors affecting urea production and recycling. Sheep and buffalo probably have higher abilities to reabsorb urea from the kidney compared with cattle. This affects the degree of urea-N recycling between the body and gut at both low and high N intakes. The synthesis and gut entry of urea also differs between cattle bred for either dairy or beef production. Lactating dairy cows show a higher gut entry of urea compared with growing cattle. The synthesis and recycling of urea dramatically increases after weaning, so that the functional development of the rumen exerts an essential role in N transactions. Furthermore, high ambient temperature increases urea production but reduces urea gut entry. An increase in total urea flux, caused by the return to the ornithine cycle from the gut entry, is considered to serve as a labile N pool in the whole body to permit metabolic plasticity under a variety of physiological, environmental and nutritional conditions.

EFFECTS OF RUMINAL UNDIGESTED FIBER ON INTESTINAL STARCH DIGESTION IN SHEEP FED DIFFERENT RATIOS AND WITH STARCH INFUSION INTO THE ABOMASUM

Taniguchi, K.,Miyake, S.,Obitsu, T.,Yamatani, Y. Asian Australasian Association of Animal Productio 1989 Animal Bioscience Vol.2 No.3

EFFECTS OF HIGH BY-PRODUCT DIETS CONTAINING RICE BRAN AND BEET PULP ON THE SITE AND EXTENT OF DIGESTION AND MICROBIAL SYNTHESIS IN STEERS

Zhao, Y.,Taniguchi, K.,Obitsu, T. Asian Australasian Association of Animal Productio 1996 Animal Bioscience Vol.9 No.6

The effects of feeding rice bran and beet pulp mixtures on the site and extent of digestion and microbial synthesis in fattening steers were studied. Three Holstein steers fitted with ruminal, duodenal and ileal cannulas were fed four diets in a $4{\times}3$ Youden square design. The four diets consisted of 15% Italian ryegrass hay and 85% concentrate as a control diet which included 72% rolled barley, 20% rice bran plus 40% beet pulp, 30% rice bran plus 30% beet pulp or 40% rice bran plus 20% beet pulp. All diets provided 1.8 times digestible energy required for maintenance. The digestibility of fat in the small intestine (% of flow) showed an increase with rice bran content among the by-product diets. Digestibility of structural carbohydrate both in the rumen and the whole digestive tract decreased linearly with rice bran content. The digestibility of nonstructural carbohydrate was not affected by rice bran content, but that of nonstructural, nonstarch polysaccharides was higher in the rumen and lower in the large intestine for the by-product diets than for the control diet. A rice bran content of more than 30% in the by-product diets severely inhibits ruminal microbial synthesis and digestible energy intake in fattening steers.

Evaluation of Fishmeal Supplement with Net Nitrogen Flux by the Portal-drained Viscera and the Liver in Mature Sheep

Fukuma, T.,Taniguchi, K.,Obitsu, T. Asian Australasian Association of Animal Productio 2005 Animal Bioscience Vol.18 No.9

The objective of this study was to evaluate the net flux response of nitrogen compounds (alpha-amino N, ammonia N, urea N, essential amino acids) across the portal-drained viscera (PDV), liver and total splanchnic tissues of mature wethers to increasing level of dietary fishmeal (FM) supplementation. Four wethers (average body weight, 64 kg) with chronic indwelling catheters into the portal, hepatic and mesenteric veins and the abdominal aorta were used in a 4${\times}$4 Latin square design. A basal diet consisting of 0.7 hay and 0.3 concentrate was fed twice daily with a fixed amount at 1.4 times maintenance energy (1.3 kg/day on a dry matter basis). The supplementation proportion of FM as treatment was 0, 0.03, 0.06 and 0.09 to the amount of the basal diet to contain 119, 137, 154 and 170 g crude protein per kg dietary dry matter, respectively. Blood flows through PDV and liver did not differ (p>0.05) among the treatments. Both net PDV release and hepatic uptake of alpha amino acid N increased linearly (p<0.05) in response to increased dietary FM, which resulted in similar total splanchnic release of alpha-amino N among the treatments. Similarly, increased dietary FM increased net PDV absorption and hepatic removal of ammonia N linearly (p<0.05). Hepatic synthesis and total splanchnic release of urea N increased linearly (p<0.01) with increased dietary FM, but PDV uptake of urea N did not respond to increased dietary FM. Linear regression equations between the increases in FM N intake and PDV net flux indicated that 0.34 and 0.30 of FM N was absorbed in the form of alpha-amino N and ammonia N, respectively. The results demonstrated that FM supplementation provides more alpha-amino N than ammonia N to the liver, but the alpha-amino acid N absorption is less than the expected metabolizable protein N from FM supplementation.

Effect of phytol in forage on phytanic acid content in cow's milk

Lv, Renlong,Elsabagh, Mabrouk,Obitsu, Taketo,Sugino, Toshihisa,Kurokawa, Yuzo Asian Australasian Association of Animal Productio 2021 Animal Bioscience Vol.34 No.10

Objective: Bioactive compounds in ruminant products are related to functional compounds in their diets. Therefore, this study aimed to explore the effect of forage sources, Italian ryegrass (IR) silage vs corn silage (CS) in the total mixed ration (TMR), on milk production, milk composition, and phytanic acid content in milk, as well as on the extent of conversion of dietary phytol to milk phytanic acid. Methods: Phytanic acid content in milk was investigated for cows fed a TMR containing either IR silage or CS using 17 cows over three periods of 21 days each. In periods 1 and 3, cows were fed CS-based TMR (30% CS), while in period 2, cows were fed IR silage-based TMR (20% IR silage and10% CS). Results: The results showed that there were no differences in fat, protein, lactose, solids-not-fat, somatic cell count, and fatty acid composition of milk among the three experimental periods. There were no differences in the plasma concentration of glucose, triglycerides, total cholesterol, and nonesterified fatty acids among the three experimental periods, while the blood urea nitrogen was higher (p<0.05) in period 2. The milk phytanic acid content was higher (p<0.05) in period 2 (13.9 mg/kg) compared with periods 1 (9.30 mg/kg) and 3 (8.80 mg/kg). Also, the phytanic acid content in the feces was higher (p<0.05) in period 2 (1.65 mg/kg dry matter [DM]) compared with period 1 (1.15 mg/kg DM), and 3 (1.17 mg/kg DM). Although the phytol contents in feces did not differ among the three feeding periods, the conversion ratio from dietary phytol to milk phytanic acid was estimated to be only 2.6%. Conclusion: Phytanic acid content in cow's milk increases with increasing phytol content in diets. However, phytol might not be completely metabolized in the rumen and phytanic acid, in turn, might not be completely recovered into cow's milk. The change of phytanic acid content in milk may be positively correlated with the change of phytol in the diet within a short time.

Response of Pancreatic Exocrine Secretion in Sheep Fed Different Type and Amount of Hay

Wang, X.B.,Taniguchi, K.,Obitsu, T. Asian Australasian Association of Animal Productio 2000 Animal Bioscience Vol.13 No.8

Three wethers fitted with silastic catheters for collection of pancreatic juice, and cannulas located in the abomasum and the duodenum were used to investigate the effects of different hay and energy intake on pancreatic exocrine secretion. The wethers were fed Italian ryegrass hay or alfalfa hay at maintenance energy requirement and alfalfa hay ad libitum. High energy intake from alfalfa significantly increased abomasal flow of dry matter and both the concentration and daily secretion of ${\alpha}-amylase $. The high energy intake also tended to increase daily secretion of lipase, trypsin and chymotrypsin through the large volume of pancreatic juice. Compared with Italian ryegrass hay, alfalfa hay at the maintenance decreased abomasal dry matter flow, but increased concentration of ${\alpha}-amylase $ in the pancreatic juice, and tended to increase daily secretion of ${\alpha}-amylase $. The secretion of the other enzymes was not different between the two hays at maintenance intake. These results suggest that the kind of hay could change the concentration of ${\alpha}-amylase $ in the pancreatic juice, and that the intake level of alfalfa hay affects the ${\alpha}-amylase $ concentration and the juice volume secreted from the pancreas.

Net Portal Fluxes of Nitrogen Metabolites in Holstein Steers Fed Diets Containing Different Dietary Ratios of Whole-crop Corn Silage and Alfalfa Hay

EL-Sabagh, M.,Imoto, S.,Yukizane, K.,Yokotani, A.,Sugino, T.,Obitsu, T.,Taniguchi, K. Asian Australasian Association of Animal Productio 2009 Animal Bioscience Vol.22 No.3

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.