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Digestibility of allergens extracted from natural rubber latex and vegetable foods.

BACKGROUND: Several cross-reactive allergens are now known to be involved in the defense responses of higher plants. Such proteins are drawing the attention of plant breeders because of their antimicrobial or stress-alleviating activities. Plants genetically modified to express defense-related proteins are being developed. The current concern is focused on the allergenicity of these intentionally expressed proteins. OBJECTIVE: It is believed that food allergens are proteins resistant to digestion. Digestibility tests have been accepted as an appropriate method for evaluating the allergenicity of newly introduced proteins. In this study we investigated the usefulness of this method for detecting allergens from natural rubber latex and vegetable foods. METHODS: Proteins were extracted from rubber latex, potato, and 5 kinds of fruits. Simulated gastric fluid (SGF) and simulated intestinal fluid (SIF) were used for the digestibility test. An aliquot of each digest was periodically withdrawn and analyzed. Allergens were detected with pooled sera from individuals with latex allergy or patients given a diagnosis of oral allergy syndrome. RESULTS: Most latex and vegetable food proteins were digested by the SGF within 4 minutes. Numerous allergens were also decomposed by the SGF within 8 minutes. Although vegetable food allergens were relatively stable in the SIF, kiwi allergens were substantially degraded by the SIF within 16 hours. CONCLUSION: The pronounced lability of the plant-derived allergens was thought to reflect the discrete sensitization and elicitation processes of patients with latex-fruit syndrome or oral allergy syndrome. These results indicate that the allergenicity of a newly expressed protein should be carefully evaluated according to not only its digestibility but also other important properties.

Allergens↗

Effects of liquid feeding of concentrate from a pail on growth and on the digestibility of the diet in young calves.

1. Studies were done on the effects of giving calves two types of concentrate diet, both in a liquid form from an open pail or in a dry pelleted form, on the closure of oesophageal groove, body-weight gains and the digestibility of rations. 2. Twenty-four Holstein calves were used in an experiment by dividing into two groups of twelve calves each. The 'dry-fed' group (DFG) was given a pelleted concentrate, F1, from 25 to 42 d of age, and then given another type of pelleted concentrate, F2, from 43 to 87 d of age, and again given F1 from 88 to 112 d of age. The 'liquid-fed' group (LFG) was given from a pail a liquid suspension of the equivalent amount of the same concentrates as those fed to DFG calves, for the same periods. F1 contained skim milk and glucose with lower levels of maize and soya-bean meal than F2 which did not contain skim milk or glucose; F1 and F2 were both supplemented with 10 g methionine/kg and also supplemented with lysine at 5 and 10 g/kg respectively. All calves were allowed free access to roughage, and digestibilities were measured at 12 and 16 weeks of age. 3. Wet weights of reticulo-rumen and abomasal tissues (% whole stomach weight) were respectively 69.8 and 17.6 in DFG, and 59.0 and 26.4 in LFG at 42 d of age; at 87 d of age, the corresponding values were 68.0 and 16.3 in DFG, and 52.8 and 36.6 in LFG, and further, LFG had significantly more developed caecums and large intestines as well as significantly less developed reticulo-rumens and omasums than DFG. 4. Free amino acid patterns in plasma did not vary in DFG, but varied in LFG in response to the change in diet from F1 to F2 and to the difference between diets in lysine supplementation. 5. Feeding F1 in a liquid form and F2 in a dry form significantly improved calf gains. The intake of roughage in DFG exceeded that in LFG especially when F2 was fed. 6. The digestibility of diethyl ether extracts did not vary with feeding procedures, but that of crude protein (nitrogen x 6.25) was significantly higher in DFG independent of the type of diet. Digestibilities of dry matter and N-free extracts were significantly higher in LFG for F1, while higher in DFG for F2. The digestibility of acid-detergent fibre did not differ significantly between groups at 12 weeks of age, but was significantly higher in LFG at 16 weeks of age, suggesting a possible compensatory contribution of the large intestine to the digestion of fibre in LFG. 7. The efficiency of liquid feeding of a concentrate diet to ruminants compared with that of dry feeding is discussed.

Age Factors↗

Protein quality in cereals and pulses. 3. Bioassays with rats and chickens on sorghum (Sorghum vulgare Pers.), barley and field beans (Vicia faba L.). Influence of polyethylene glycol on digestibility on the protein in high-tannin grain.

1. Two preceding papers in this series describe the application of microbiological and other in vitro tests in the evaluation of sorghum (Sorghum vulgare Pers.), field beans (Vicia faba L.) and barley, and in assessing the influence of polyethylene glycol (PEG 4000) on the nutritional availability of the methionine. The present paper gives for comparison the results of bioassays on some of the same test samples. Net protein utilization (NPU) in rats was measured by the nitrogen balance method, and N digestibility in chickens by the ileal analysis procedure. 2. In rat tests on sorghum, N in grain of high-tannin varieties was poorly digested. Supplementation of the test diets with 0.1 g PEG 4000/g protein gave a large improvemnet, which was partly offset by an apparent decrease in biological value (BV). With chickens N digestibility was even lower, and was similarly improved with PEG 4000. Treatment of high-tannin grain with ammonia solution was also effective in improving N digestibility. 3. With low-tannin sorghum the amino acid digestibilities were uniformly high and were not affected by addition of PEG to the test diet. With high-tannin sorghums they were low and less uniform, and were much improved by PEG 4000. 4. With field beans, the influence of the seed-coat tannin on protein utilization was much less pronounced than with sorghum. In chickens there was a significant effect (P less than 0.05) of PEG 4000 on N idgestibility in a high-tannin variety. With rats the effect was smaller and not significant. 5. In four samples of barley. N digestibility was high (0.87--0.96) and was not further improved by PEG 4000. The BV of a high-lysine cultivar proved marginally inferior to that of a normal variety. Possible reasons for this are discussed. 6. Over all, the results were closely consistent with those from microbiological tests with Streptococcus zymogenes.

Animals↗

The effect of formaldehyde or glutaraldehyde application to lucerne before ensiling on silage fermentation and silage N digestion in sheep.

The primary growth of lucerne (Medicago sativa) was ensiled after treatment with either formic acid alone (4.1 litres/t; silage F) or with formic acid and either formaldehyde (30.5 g/kg crude protein (nitrogen X 6.25; CP); silage FF), glutaraldehyde (44.2 g/kg CP; silage FG) or a mixture of the two aldehydes at approximately half their individual application rates (silage FFG). Compared with formic acid alone, both formaldehyde and glutaraldehyde reduced protein breakdown and carbohydrate fermentation during ensiling. The extent of protein protection afforded within the silo was similar for the two aldehydes, whereas formaldehyde was more effective in restricting carbohydrate fermentation. The effect of treatment FFG on silage fermentation was confounded by the silo bag bursting and the development of a clostridial-type fermentation. All aldehyde treatments reduced silage soluble-N content but N disappearance when the silages were incubated in polyester bags in the rumen was high for all silages and reductions due to the aldehydes were small. Silage digestion was studied in four mature sheep each fitted with a rumen cannula and re-entrant cannulas in the proximal duodenum and distal ileum. The apparent digestibility of organic matter (OM) in the whole tract was reduced (P less than 0.05) to a similar extent by both aldehydes, whereas rumen OM digestion was reduced (P less than 0.05) more by glutaraldehyde than by formaldehyde. The effects on digestion appeared to be due to the action of the aldehydes on the foods rather than to any adverse influences of the aldehydes on the metabolism of the rumen microbes because, although rumen ammonia levels were lower (P less than 0.05) when the aldehyde-treated silages were given, rumen casein-degrading activity, the degradation of different feedstuffs when incubated in polyester bags in the rumen and microbial N flow at the duodenum did not differ (P greater than 0.05) between silages. All aldehyde treatments decreased (P less than 0.05) the apparent digestibility of N in the whole tract. Silage N degradability in the rumen was also decreased (P less than 0.05) from 0.82 for silage F to 0.67, 0.60 and 0.62 for silages FF, FG and FFG respectively, and consequently non-ammonia-N (NAN) flow at the duodenum increased (P less than 0.05). The aldehydes did not adversely affect the apparent digestibility of NAN in the small intestine, and net NAN absorption from the small intestine increased from 8.8 g/d with silage F to 11.4, 15.3 and 14.2 g/d with silages FF, FG and FFG respectively.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Aldehydes↗

Use of a nylon-bag technique for pig feed digestibility studies.

1. The use of a nylon-bag technique for pig feed digestibility determination was studied. Bags, measuring 25 x 40 mm and containing feed samples, were introduced into the pig gastrointestinal tract through a duodenal cannula, and recovered in the faeces between 23 and 69 h later. The disappearance of organic matter and crude protein (nitrogen x 6.25) from the bags was compared with in vivo apparent digestibility, determined by conventional faecal-collection methods, and neutral-detergent-fibre content for eleven feeds. The residues left in the bags after passage through the intestine from whole-crop-pea (Pisum sativum) and barley-grain samples were analysed for starch, non-starch polysaccharide residues, Klason lignin, crude protein and ash. 2. Dry matter disappearance of barley or whole-crop peas was not influenced by increasing bag pore size from 10 to 36 microns or sample weight from 250 to 1000 mg. Pepsin (EC 3.4.2.1) pretreatment had no effect on the degradation in the bags of the feeds investigated. 3. Organic matter and crude protein disappearance from the bags exceeded in vivo apparent digestibility by up to 0.10 and 0.42 units respectively. In vivo apparent organic matter digestibility could be predicted (P less than 0.001) by the organic matter disappearance from the bags and the neutral-detergent-fibre content of the feed, while in vivo apparent crude protein digestibility was highly correlated (P less than 0.001) to all these indices but poorly to crude protein disappearance from the bags. 4. Klason lignin was the least degraded component measured in the whole-crop-pea and barley residues from the bags, while starch was completely digested.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Animal Feed↗

The digestion of fresh perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne L. cv. Melle) and white clover (Trifolium repens L. cv. Blanca) by growing cattle fed indoors.

1. Pure swards of perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne L. cv. Melle) or white clover (Trifolium repens L. cv. Blanca) were harvested daily at three and two stages of growth respectively, and offered to housed cattle. The grass diets comprised primary growth (May) and two later regrowths of contrasting morphology (i.e. leaf: stem values of 1.54 and 2.84 respectively), and were characterized by high contents of water-soluble carbohydrate and neutral-detergent fibre and comparable in vitro dry matter (DM) digestibilities (mean 0.80). Total nitrogen content was higher on primary growth grass (34 g/kg DM) than on regrowths (23 g/kg DM) but lower than values obtained for the two clover diets (38 and 43 g/kg DM, respectively). The clover diets had lower water-soluble carbohydrate contents than the grasses, comparable cellulose, but lower neutral-detergent fibre contents and in vitro DM digestibilities of 0.70 and 0.77 respectively. 2. The experiment lasted from May until August, during which time a total of twenty-one young Friesian steers (initial average live weight 130 kg) were used to determine both nutrient supply to the small intestine (twelve animals) and apparent digestibility (nine animals). Each diet was offered at three levels of DM intake (i.e. 18, 22 and 26 g/kg live weight). A further six steers, all fed at the rate of 22 g DM/kg live weight, were used to determine the metabolizable energy contents of the five diets by means of open-circuit calorimetry. 3. The three grass diets and the later-cut clover had, as intended, quite similar in vivo organic matter digestibilities, but that of the earlier-cut clover was lower, and this was associated with a large number of flower heads in this crop at the time of feeding. 4. On the clover diets, proportionately less of the ingested organic matter appeared to be digested in the rumen (0.40) compared with the grass diets (0.58) (P less than 0.001). On the high-N primary grass and the clover diets, substantial rumen losses of N were detected (P less than 0.01) compared with regrowth grasses. 5. The metabolizable energy content of the primary growth of grass was 12.2 MJ/kg DM, whilst the values for the other two grass diets were lower (11.6 MJ/kg DM), despite no marked decline in overall energy digestibility. Values for the two clover diets (mean 10.5 MJ/kg DM) were considerably lower than all values noted for the grasses.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Animal Feed↗

Determination of digestible and available amino acids in meat meal using conventional and caecectomized cockerels or chick growth assays.

1. The present study was designed to compare true digestible amino acid values for meat meal with available amino acid values. True digestible values were determined with a 48 h excreta collection assay using conventional (CONV) and caecectomized (CEC) cockerels. Available values for lysine, methionine and cystine were estimated by chick growth assays. 2. True digestibilities of all sixteen measured amino acids (expressed as a proportion of the total) were lower for CEC than for CONV cockerels, with the average difference being approximately 0.10. 3. Chick growth assays based on total weight gain indicated that the availabilities of amino acids expressed as a proportion of the total amino acids in meat meal were: 0.70 for lysine, 0.75 for methionine and 0.48 for cystine. Partitioning weight gains to reflect only growth attributable to supplemental crystalline amino acid or meat meal intake consistently yielded higher availability values than when total weight gains were used. 4. True digestibility values determined with CEC cockerels were in better agreement with chick available values than were true digestibility values determined with CONV cockerels. 5. The amounts of amino acids present in the caeca of meat meal-fed CONV cockerels at 48 h after feeding were small when compared with those levels voided in the excreta and those levels consumed in the feed. 6. Multiple regression analyses of excreta and caecal amino acid profiles at 12 and 48 h after feeding suggested that significant amounts of non-digested dietary amino acids flowed into the caeca and were subsequently metabolized by the caecal microflora.

Amino Acids↗

The effect of haemonchosis and blood loss into the abomasum on digestion in sheep.

1. An experiment was conducted to determine the effect of the abomasal parasite, Haemonchus contortus, on the pattern of digestion and nutrient utilization in Merino sheep. There were three groups of sheep: infected with H. contortus (300 larvae/kg live weight) (n 5), sham-infected by transferring blood from the jugular vein to the abomasum, and uninfected (control) sheep (n 9) which were fed daily rations equal to amounts consumed by 'paired' animals in the two other treatment groups. A diet containing (g/kg): lucerne (medicago sativa) chaff 490, oat chaff 480, ground limestone 10, urea 10, and sodium chloride 10, was given in equal amounts at 3-h intervals. 2. Continuous intrarumen infusions (8 d) of chromium and ytterbium were made in order to measure the flow of digesta through the rumen, duodenum and ileum with 15NH4Cl included in the infusate for the final 3 d. The loss of blood into the gastrointestinal tract was measured using 51Cr-labelled erythrocytes and the rate of irreversible loss of plasma urea was measured with reference to a single intravenous injection of [14C]urea. Samples of rumen fluid were taken for analysis of volatile fatty acid (VFA) concentrations. 3. The infected and sham-infected sheep developed severe anaemia during the period over which digestion and metabolism measurements were made (packed cell volume 0.118 (SE 0.0042) and 0.146 (SE 0.0073) respectively). The corresponding rates of blood loss into the gastrointestinal tracts were 253 (SE 23) and 145 (SE 17) ml/d. 4. The proportions of VFA in rumen fluid were altered (P less than 0.05) in the infected group with a decrease in the ratio, acetate: propionate (control 3.28, infected 2.58, standard error of difference (SED) 0.21). There was also an increase in rumen fluid outflow rate (P less than 0.01) from 4.05 litres/d in the control group to 5.53 litres/d in the infected group (SED 0.43). Water intake was higher (P less than 0.05) in the infected than in the control animals (2.25 and 5. There was a decrease (P less than 0.05) in apparent digestion of organic 5. There was a decrease (P less than 0.05) in apparent digestion of organic matter in the forestomachs of infected sheep (0.32 compared with 0.39 in the control, SED 0.02). There was also a decrease (P less than 0.05) in the apparent digestion of organic matter across the whole digestive tract (0.65 control, 0.61 infected, SED 0.013).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Abomasum↗

The digestion of perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne cv. Melle) and white clover (Trifolium repens cv. Blanca) by grazing cattle.

1. Pure swards of perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne cv. Melle) as a primary growth (May), trimmed primary growth (early June) and regrowth (late June), and white clover (Trifolium repens cv. Blanca) as a mature primary growth (July) and vegetative regrowth (August), were grazed by twelve Friesian steers (mean body-weights throughout experiment 152-231 kg) at daily allocation rates of forage which provided dry matter (DM) intakes ranging from 28 to 36 g/kg body-weight). 2. Total nitrogen contents of the three ryegrasses declined with season (37-20 g/kg DM), but in vitro organic matter (OM) digestibilities were relatively constant (0.76-0.79). The clovers had higher N (average 36.6 g/kg DM) and lower fibre and water-soluble carbohydrate contents than the grasses, and in vitro OM digestibilities of 0.70 and 0.76 respectively. 3. Duodenal digesta samples were obtained, using a portable sampling apparatus from the animals grazing the pasture, and estimates of the flow of nutrients into the small intestine were derived using two indigestible markers which were continuously infused into the rumen using a portable infusion apparatus. Forage intakes were calculated from estimates of faecal output of indigestible OM and the predicted in vivo OM digestibilities of the forages consumed. Coefficients of variation for OM flow to the small intestine and OM intake were 11.8 and 10.9% respectively. 4. The apparent digestion of OM in the rumen ranged from 722 to 741 g/kg digestible OM intake and from 681 to 711 g/kg digestible OM intake for the grass and clover diets respectively. Substantial losses of ingested N before the small intestine were measured on all diets except the regrowth ryegrass. Losses were 0.30 and 0.40 g/g N intake on the primary growth ryegrass and the regrowth clover respectively; N contents were 37 and 39 g/kg DM respectively. 5. Comparison of the values obtained at pasture with that obtained when similar diets were offered to housed cattle (Beever et al. 1985) indicated that combined relations relating duodenal OM and non-ammonia-N (NAN) flows to OM and N intakes respectively could be established for each diet. For two diets (primary-growth grass and regrowth clover) the relations were curvilinear; for the remaining diets, the derived relations were linear.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Animal Nutritional Physiological Phenomena↗

Digestion by pigs of non-starch polysaccharides in wheat and raw peas (Pisum sativum) fed in mixed diets.

The digestion by pigs of non-starch polysaccharides (NSP) in wheat and raw peas (Pisum sativum) fed in mixed diets was measured. In the four experimental diets, wheat was included at a constant 500 g/kg whilst peas contributed 0-300 g/kg and these were the only dietary sources of NSP. Separate estimates of digestibility for wheat and peas were obtained by using a multiple linear regression technique which also tested the possibility that the presence of peas might influence the digestibility of wheat NSP. There was little evidence of the latter and it was found that the digestibility of peas NSP (0.84) was considerably greater than that of wheat (0.65). The non-cellulosic polysaccharides (NCP) had twofold greater digestibilities than had cellulose for both foods with essentially all the peas NCP being digested. Faecal alpha, epsilon-diaminopimelic acid concentration increased with feeding of peas, suggesting stimulation of bacterial biomass production in the large intestine using the readily fermented peas NSP. All three major volatile fatty acids produced by large intestinal fermentation were detected in jugular blood and increased significantly with increasing peas inclusion rate in the diet.

Animal Feed↗

Utilization of ileal digestible amino acids by growing pigs: threonine.

An experiment was conducted to determine the utilization of ileal digestible threonine by growing pigs. Three threonine-deficient diets (0.22 g ileal digestible threonine/MJ digestible energy (DE] were formulated using cottonseed meal, meat-and-bone meal and soya-bean meal respectively, as the only source of threonine in the diet. An additional three diets were formulated with supplements of threonine to confirm that threonine was limiting in the first three diets. The growth performance and retention of threonine by pigs given the six diets over the 20-45 kg growth phase was then determined. Growth rates (g/d) of the pigs given the three diets formulated to 0.22 g ileal digestible threonine/MJ DE were significantly different (P less than 0.001): cottonseed meal 417, meat-and-bone meal 452, soya-bean meal 524 (SED 13.6). The response of pigs to the addition of threonine confirmed that threonine was limiting in these diets. Crude protein (nitrogen x 6.25) deposited by the pigs (g/d) was significantly higher (P less than 0.001) for those given soya-bean meal (75), relative to meat-and-bone meal (62) and cottonseed meal (47) (SED 3.3). The proportion of ileal digestible threonine retained by pigs given the three protein concentrates was: cottonseed meal 0.44, meat-and-bone meal 0.59, soya-bean meal 0.64 (SED 0.024). These results indicate that values for the ileal digestibility of threonine in protein concentrates are unsuitable in dietary formulations as the assay does not reflect the proportion of threonine that can be utilized by the pig. It appears that, with heat-processed meals, a considerable proportion of the threonine is absorbed in a form(s) that is (are) inefficiently utilized.

Amino Acids↗

The intake, digestion and protein degradation of grazed herbage by early-weaned lambs.

Sixty-four intact lambs and twenty-four lambs fitted with a duodenal cannula were weaned at 6 weeks of age and grazed pure species swards of either lucerne (Medicago sativa), white clover ((Trifolium repens), ryegrass (Lolium perenne) or prairie grass (Bromus catharticus) for 6 weeks. Intake and duodenal digesta flow were estimated when lambs were 8 and 12 weeks of age. Lambs grazing the two legume species grew at a similar rate, as did lambs grazing the two grass species. Legumes promoted a 38% higher growth rate than grasses. The higher growth rate of lambs grazing legumes was associated with a 36% higher digestible organic matter intake (DOMI; 29.5 and 21.7 g/kg body-weight per d for legume and grass respectively) and a 33% higher duodenal non-ammonia-nitrogen (NAN) flow (1.22 and 0.92 g/kg body-weight per d respectively). There was no species difference in the site of organic matter digestion; on average 0.56 of DOMI was apparently digested in the rumen and 0.77 of DOMI was truly digested in the rumen. There was no difference in duodenal NAN flow, relative to DOMI (average, 43 g/kg) or to organic matter apparently digested in the rumen (80 g/kg). Similarly, there was no difference in microbial N flow relative to duodenal NAN (0.50 g/g) and organic matter apparently (41 g/kg) or truly (29 g/kg) digested in the rumen. It was concluded that the higher growth rates achieved by lambs grazing legumes were due to higher intakes which increased the total quantity of nutrients supplied despite more protein being lost in the rumen of lambs consuming legumes.

Animals↗

Impact of exocrine pancreatic adaptation on in vitro protein digestibility.

An in vitro enzymic method was used to study the kinetics of digestion of casein and rapeseed proteins. After a predigestion step with pepsin (EC 3.4.23.1), the protein substrates were submitted to a 24 h hydrolysis either with pancreatin or pancreatic juices of pigs adapted either to casein or rapeseed diets and whose enzyme activities were different. After 3, 6 and 24 h of in vitro digestion, dialysates were collected and analysed for content of nitrogen, amino acids and low-molecular-weight peptides. For a long-term hydrolysis (24 h), overall digestibility of both substrates was not affected by the composition of pancreatic enzyme mixtures. However, at the beginning of hydrolysis a significant effect of pancreatic juices was observed, i.e. individual amino acid digestibility was generally higher when casein pancreatic juice was used for hydrolysis and their relative pattern of release was modified. For both substrates the proportion of amino acids released as low-molecular-weight peptides was not affected by the enzyme mixture used and made up about two-thirds of the total digested material. It is concluded that exocrine pancreatic adaptation to protein sources does not affect the total capacity of protein digestion. However, the changes in initial kinetics of release of amino acids are more dependent on the nature of the protein tested than on the composition of pancreatic enzyme mixtures.

Adaptation, Physiological↗

The digestion process of the sugar alcohol isomalt in the intestinal tract of the pig. 1. Studies with administration of isomalt in the feed.

In a study with twelve pigs of 60-70 kg live weight provided with a re-entrant cannula at the end of the ileum, and twelve intact, non-cannulated pigs, the fate of dietary doses of 100 and 200 g isomalt/kg during gastrointestinal passage was examined. From sugar analyses in ileal chyme it was calculated that 0.43 and 0.30 of the isomalt consumed was digested in the small intestine with the 100 and 200 g/kg doses of isomalt respectively. From findings on ileal energy digestibility it was calculated that, because of a secondary effect of isomalt on the digestion of the basal diet, isomalt digestibility in the small intestine was distinctly lower. In faeces no sugars were found, so faecal digestibility of isomalt was 1.00 for both doses. The bacterial fermentation in the large intestine of the isomalt not digested in the small intestine caused an increase in the faecal excretion of nitrogen and energy. This increased faecal excretion was hardly (nitrogen) or not (energy) compensated by a decreased urinary excretion.

Animal Feed↗

Utilization of ileal digestible amino acids by growing pigs: methionine.

An experiment was conducted to determine the utilization of ileal digestible methionine by growing pigs. Three methionine-deficient diets (0.09 g ileal digestible methionine/MJ digestible energy (DE)) were formulated using cottonseed meal, meat-and-bone meal and soya-bean meal respectively as the only source of methionine in the diet. An additional three diets were formulated with supplements of methionine to confirm that methionine was limiting in the first three diets. The growth performance and retention of methionine by pigs given the six diets over the 20-45 kg growth phase was then determined. Growth rates (g/d) of pigs given the three diets formulated to 0.09 g ileal digestible methionine/MJ DE were significantly different (P < 0.01): cottonseed meal 411, meat-and-bone meal 442, soya-bean meal 496 (SED 24.6). The response of pigs to the addition of methionine confirmed that methionine was limiting in these diets. Crude protein (N x 6.25) deposited by the pigs (g/d) was significantly higher (P < 0.05) for those given soya-bean meal (61) and meat-and-bone meal (57) relative to cottonseed meal (47; SED 3.3). The proportion of ileal digestible methionine retained by pigs given the three protein concentrates was: cottonseed meal 0.39, meat-and-bone meal 0.45, soya-bean meal 0.47 (SED 0.019). These results indicate that values for the ileal digestibility of methionine in protein concentrates do not reflect the proportion of methionine that can be utilized by the pig. It appears that, with heat-processed meals, a considerable proportion of the methionine is absorbed in a form(s) that is (are) inefficiently utilized.

Animal Feed↗

The effect of heat on amino acids for growing pigs. 2. Utilization of ileal-digestible lysine from heat-treated field peas (Pisum sativum cultivar Dundale).

Two growth experiments were conducted to determine the effect of heat on the utilization of ileal-digestible lysine from field peas (Pisum sativum cultivar Dundale) fed to growing pigs. Five lysine-deficient diets (0.36 g ileal-digestible lysine/MJ digestible energy (DE)) were formulated using raw field peas, and field peas heated to either 110 degrees, 135 degrees, 150 degrees, or 165 degrees for 15 min respectively in a forced-air dehydrator. Additional diets were formulated with supplements of free lysine to verify that lysine was limiting in the diets containing the raw peas, and peas heated to 150 degrees or 165 degrees. The growth performance and retention of ileal-digestible lysine by pigs given the diets was determined over the 20-45 kg growth phase. Heat had a significant quadratic effect (P < 0.01) on growth rate, with responses declining from 543 g/d with pigs given the raw peas, to 407 g/d for those given the peas heated to 165 degrees. Similarly, crude protein deposition declined in a quadratic manner (P < 0.001) from 76 to 36 g/d for pigs fed on raw peas and peas heated to 165 degrees respectively. Retention of ileal-digestible lysine was 0.85 in the pigs given the raw field peas and declined in a quadratic manner (P < 0.001) with the application of heat to 0.48 in those pigs given the peas heated to 165 degrees. Pigs fed on field peas heated to 165 degrees had increased (P < 0.05) liver weights. The results indicate that heat applied to protein concentrates, even at mild temperatures, renders lysine in a form that is apparently absorbed but inefficiently utilized by the growing pig. Consequently, ileal digestibility values for lysine in heat-processed meals are unsuitable for diet formulations.

Amino Acids↗

Utilization of ileal digestible amino acids by growing pigs: tryptophan.

The ileal digestibility of tryptophan for growing pigs was determined for cottonseed, meat-and-bone and soya-bean meals. Tryptophan in the food and digesta was measured by two analytical procedures (NaOH hydrolysis and colorimetric estimation (method 1) and LiOH hydrolysis and HPLC determination (method 2)). The results were respectively: cottonseed meal 0.46, 0.81; meat-and-bone meal 0.55, 0.65; soya-bean meal 0.74, 0.90. In the first experiment the values for method 1 were shown to be inapplicable to pigs. In a second experiment three tryptophan-deficient diets (0.05 g ileal digestible tryptophan/MJ digestible energy (DE)) were formulated using values from method 2 for cottonseed meal, meat-and-bone meal plus L-tryptophan and soya-bean meal respectively as the only sources of tryptophan in the diets. This experiment was terminated after 28 d as overall growth performance of the pigs was very low. A third experiment was conducted in a similar manner to Expt 2 except that the diets were formulated to 0.065 g ileal digestible tryptophan/MJ DE and growth responses and tryptophan retention were assessed over the 20-45 kg growth phase. Growth rates (g/d) of the pigs given the three diets were significantly different (P < 0.01): cottonseed meal 393, meat-and-bone meal plus L-tryptophan 531, soya-bean meal 437 (SED 39.0). Tryptophan retention (as a proportion of ileal digestible tryptophan intake) was significantly different (P < 0.05): cottonseed meal 0.51, meat-and-bone meal plus L-tryptophan 0.49, soya-bean meal 0.41. These results indicate (1) that the colorimetric technique for assessing tryptophan was inapplicable and (2) that ileal digestible values for tryptophan were not suitable for formulating diets containing heat-processed proteins, possibly due to absorption of some of the tryptophan in a form that was non-utilizable, and/or to underestimation of total tryptophan in the protein concentrates.

Animals↗

The role of the large intestine in post-ruminal digestion of feeds as measured by the mobile-bag method in cattle.

To study the importance of site of recovery and other factors related to mobile-bag (MB) digestion values, two consecutive experiments in which diets were applied in a 3 x 3 Latin square design, were carried out with cannulated growing heifers. In Expt 1, several types of experimental feed were exposed to intestinal digestion in mobile bags made of two cloth types and filled with intact or rumen-undegradable (RUD) feed material to be recovered either from the ileum (IB) or faeces (FB). In Expt 2, mean retention time (MRT) of Yb-labelled digesta particles within the intestine and in vivo digestibility of diets were measured. With vegetable concentrates, FB resulted generally in slight overestimation of small-intestinal dry matter and N digestion, while with meat-and-bone meal no difference between FB and IB was found. The respective N digestibility of RUD late-cut silage was clearly underestimated as measured from FB. The disappearance of neutral-detergent fibre (NDF) of all feeds under test was higher from FB than from IB. It was not possible to isolate the influence of the large intestine on the MB values by changing bag cloth type. Irrespective of the longer retention time of bags and longer MRT of Yb in the intestine on a low as compared with a high level of feeding, only NDF disappearance of feeds increased due to lower feeding level. Altering the diet type to increase large-intestinal fermentation, as indicated in vivo, usually had no effect on the MB values. It is concluded that the site of collection of bags does not practically affect small-intestinal digestion values of feed N, unless the feed is rich in fibre.

Animal Feed↗