Supplementation of Acacia mearnsii tannins decreases methanogenesis and urinary nitrogen in forage-fed sheep

2005 ◽  
Vol 56 (9) ◽  
pp. 961 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. E. Carulla ◽  
M. Kreuzer ◽  
A. Machmüller ◽  
H. D. Hess

The objective of this experiment was to assess the effects of a partial replacement of ryegrass (Lolium perenne) by red clover (Trifolium pratense) or alfalfa (Medicago sativa) supplemented with 0 or 41 g Acacia mearnsii extract (containing 0.615 g/g condensed tannins)/kg dietary dry matter on nitrogen turnover and methane release by sheep, using the respiration chamber technique. Across all variables, there was no significant interaction between basal diet and tannin supplementation. The partial replacement of the grass by the legumes remained without effect on the amounts of nitrogen excreted through faeces or urine. Nitrogen and energy utilisation was lower (P < 0.05) with ryegrass–alfalfa than with ryegrass alone, and methane release (kJ/MJ gross energy intake) was higher (P < 0.05) with ryegrass–red clover than with ryegrass alone. Tannin supplementation decreased (P < 0.05) ruminal ammonia concentration and urinary nitrogen excretion without affecting body nitrogen and energy retention, and reduced (P < 0.001) methane release by 13% on average. The results suggest that supplemented Acacia mearnsii tannins can be useful in mitigating methane and potential gaseous nitrogen emissions, whereas a replacement of grass by legumes obviously shows no advantage in this respect.

1974 ◽  
Vol 25 (6) ◽  
pp. 945 ◽  
Author(s):  
H Dove ◽  
GE Robards

Merino wethers received daily abomasal infusions of (a) 2.6 g DL-methionine, (b) 80 g casein protein or (c) 2.6 g DL-methionine plus 87 g maize starch, while consuming either lucerne chaff or wheaten chaff. Responses in wool growth, nitrogen metabolism and body weight were measured. Sheep fed on lucerne chaff had a higher urinary nitrogen excretion and nitrogen retention than those fed on wheaten chaff regardless of the presence or type of infusion. The infusion of methionine did not markedly alter these parameters from their original levels on either diet. On both diets, casein infusion led to increased urinary nitrogen excretion and nitrogen retention. Compared with sheep given starch plus methionine infusions, those given casein had higher urinary nitrogen excretion and nitrogen retention. Changes in fleece-free body weight gain followed a similar pattern. There were no pronounced differences in faecal nitrogen excretion. Regardless of the presence or type of infusion, sheep fed on lucerne grew more wool than those on wheaten chaff. On both diets, all infusions were accompanied by higher wool growths than on the basal diet alone. The effect of the casein infusion, compared with methionine infusion, was apparent only in sheep on wheaten chaff. Wool growth rates in sheep infused with starch plus methionine were not higher than the rates in the same sheep infused with methionine alone. The results suggest that the wool production of sheep will show a greater response to abomasal supplements of sulphur amino acids or casein if they are consuming a high quality diet such as lucerne chaff, compared with a low quality diet such as wheaten chaff. The apparent failure of starch infusion to stimulate wool growth above the level obtained with methionine infusions alone is discussed in relation to the interaction of protein and energy in the growth of wool.


1967 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 197-201 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Kay ◽  
N. A. MacLeod ◽  
G. McKiddie ◽  
Euphemia B. Philip

1. A growth trial and nitrogen balance studies were carried out on 32 early-weaned calves fed on a basal diet containing fish meal or diets in which the fish meal nitrogen was partially replaced by urea or ammonium acetate or totally replaced by urea.2. Growth rate and feed conversion efficiency were highest on the fish meal diet and fell as urea replaced the fish meal.3. Rumen ammonia levels and urinary nitrogen excretion were highest, and nitrogen retention lowest, in the calves receiving the diet in which fish meal nitrogen was completely replaced by urea nitrogen.


2021 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 104-111
Author(s):  
N. N. Umunna ◽  
W. R. Woods ◽  
T. J. Klopfenstein

THE influence of casein on urea-nitrogen utilization by cattle was investigated in two studies. In a fattening study, the inclusion of casein to a soybean meal (SBM) or urea-supplemented ration depressed both average daily gain (ADG) and average daily feed intake (P<.05}. Casein addition, on the other hand, significantly (P <.05 increased rumen :ammonia concentration. The second and metabolism study involved the use of identical rations as in the fattening study. Cattle fed rations with casein did not show any significant decrease in nitrogen retention as compared to cattle fed rations without casein. However, there was a non-significant drop in nitrogen retention, and an increase in urinary nitrogen excretion attributable to casein. Ruminal histamine observed for steers on the fattening study was higher than that noted for steers on the metabolism study. Part of the poor performance of steers on the casein diets could be attributed to the higher urinary nitrogen excreted and the elevated ruminal histamine levels observed.


PLoS ONE ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (7) ◽  
pp. e0253754
Author(s):  
Brittany E. Harlow ◽  
Michael D. Flythe ◽  
James L. Klotz ◽  
David L. Harmon ◽  
Glen E. Aiken

Subacute rumen acidosis (SARA) occurs when highly fermentable carbohydrates are introduced into the diet, decreasing pH and disturbing the microbial ecology of the rumen. Rumen amylolytic bacteria rapidly catabolize starch, fermentation acids accumulate in the rumen and reduce environmental pH. Historically, antibiotics (e.g., monensin, MON) have been used in the prevention and treatment of SARA. Biochanin A (BCA), an isoflavone produced by red clover (Trifolium pratense), mitigates changes associated with starch fermentation ex vivo. The objective of the study was to determine the effect of BCA on amylolytic bacteria and rumen pH during a SARA challenge. Twelve rumen fistulated steers were assigned to 1 of 4 treatments: HF CON (high fiber control), SARA CON, MON (200 mg d-1), or BCA (6 g d-1). The basal diet consisted of corn silage and dried distiller’s grains ad libitum. The study consisted of a 2-wk adaptation, a 1-wk HF period, and an 8-d SARA challenge (d 1–4: 40% corn; d 5–8: 70% cracked corn). Samples for pH and enumeration were taken on the last day of each period (4 h). Amylolytic, cellulolytic, and amino acid/peptide-fermenting bacteria (APB) were enumerated. Enumeration data were normalized by log transformation and data were analyzed by repeated measures ANOVA using the MIXED procedure of SAS. The SARA challenge increased total amylolytics and APB, but decreased pH, cellulolytics, and in situ DMD of hay (P < 0.05). BCA treatment counteracted the pH, microbiological, and fermentative changes associated with SARA challenge (P < 0.05). Similar results were also observed with MON (P < 0.05). These results indicate that BCA may be an effective alternative to antibiotics for mitigating SARA in cattle production systems.


2018 ◽  
Vol 39 (6) ◽  
pp. 2741
Author(s):  
Lucélia Janes Hans Dallastra ◽  
Tiago Pansard Alves ◽  
Jean Gabriel Dal-Pizzol ◽  
Bibiana Fonseca ◽  
Mauricio Camera ◽  
...  

Condensed tannins can reduce protein degradation in the rumen by increasing the duodenal flow of metabolizable proteins and consequently improving animal performance. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of the tannin extract of Acacia mearnsii on lactating ewes receiving a total mixed ration (TMR) containing two concentrations of crude protein. The experimental treatments consisted of a TMR containing 16.4% or 22.3% of crude protein in dry matter either with or without the tannin extract of Acacia mearnsii at 20 g kg-1 dry matter. The extract concentration that guaranteed the daily intake of approximately 15 g of the extract per animal was determined. Eight lactating ewes of the Texel × Lacaune breed in the second third of lactation were distributed in a 4 × 4 Latin square experimental design, with four periods of 19 days, including 14 days of adaptation and 5 days of sample collection. Urinary nitrogen excretion was increased in the animals fed a diet containing a relatively higher protein concentration compared to those receiving a diet with a lower protein concentration. However, milk production and the concentration of milk solids did not vary significantly among treatments. The tannin extract of Acacia mearnsii decreased urinary nitrogen excretion, and consequently reduced the environmental impact of the production system, but did not significantly improve animal performance.


Crop Science ◽  
1965 ◽  
Vol 5 (5) ◽  
pp. 425-428 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. J. Bula ◽  
R. G. May ◽  
C. S. Garrison ◽  
C. M. Rincker ◽  
J. G. Dean

Author(s):  
B N Harsh ◽  
B J Klatt ◽  
M J Volk ◽  
A R Green-Miller ◽  
J C McCann

Abstract The objective was to quantify the effects of the beta-adrenergic agonist (β-AA) ractopamine hydrochloride (Actogain, Zoetis, Parsippany, NJ) on nitrogen excretion and nutrient digestibility in feedlot cattle. In experiment 1, twelve Simmental × Angus steers were blocked by bodyweight (531 ± 16 kg) and used in a randomized complete block design. Dietary treatments included: 1) a control without β-AA (CON) or 2) 400 mg/steer/d ractopamine hydrochloride (RAC) for 35 d before slaughter. Diets contained (DM basis) 55% dry rolled corn, 20% corn silage, 15% modified wet distillers grains with solubles, and 10% supplement. For each block, total collection of feed, orts, feces and urine were conducted for two 5 d sampling periods during week 2 and 4 of RAC supplementation. No interaction (P &gt; 0.21) between treatment and collection period was observed for any parameter evaluated. Dietary treatment had no effect (P = 0.51) on DMI, but RAC had decreased fecal DM output (P = 0.04) compared with CON. Thus, RAC had greater apparent total tract DM digestibility (77.2 vs. 73.5%; P &lt; 0.01), N digestibility (72.4 vs. 69.4%; P = 0.01), and NDF digestibility (65.6 vs. 60.2%; P &lt; 0.01) than CON. Although treatment did not affect nitrogen intake (P = 0.52), RAC tended to reduce total nitrogen excretion (113.3 vs. 126.7 g/d; P = 0.10) compared with CON due to a tendency for decreased fecal nitrogen output (53.9 vs. 61.3 g/d; P = 0.10). However, dietary treatment had no effect (P = 0.53) on urinary nitrogen output or percentage of urinary nitrogen excreted as urea (P = 0.28). Experiment 2 was an in vitro experiment conducted to validate the effects of RAC on nutrient digestibility using Simmental × Angus heifers (451 ± 50 kg). Rumen fluid was collected individually by stomach tube from CON- (n = 9) and RAC-fed (n = 10) heifers to inoculate bottles containing a CON or RAC-containing substrate in a split-plot design. No interaction between rumen fluid source and in vitro substrate was observed. Greater IVDMD (P = 0.01) was observed in rumen fluid from RAC-fed heifers compared with rumen fluid from CON-fed heifers. Inclusion of RAC in the in vitro substrate increased IVDMD (P &lt; 0.01). Overall, feeding RAC increased microbial digestion of the dry-rolled corn-based finishing diet to increase total tract dry mater digestion by 5% and reduce nitrogen excretion by 10.6% in the 35 d period prior to slaughter.


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