Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-t7fkt Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-22T23:36:31.278Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

The use of the excretion of nitrogen compounds as an indirect index of the adequacy of dietary protein in chickens

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 September 2010

I. Fernández Fígares ,
R. Nieto ,
J. F. Aguilera  and
C. Prieto
I. Fernández Fígares
Affiliation:
Estación Experimental del Zaidin (CSIC), Animal Nutrition Department, Profesor Albareda 1, 18008 Granada, Spain
R. Nieto
Affiliation:
Estación Experimental del Zaidin (CSIC), Animal Nutrition Department, Profesor Albareda 1, 18008 Granada, Spain
J. F. Aguilera
Affiliation:
Estación Experimental del Zaidin (CSIC), Animal Nutrition Department, Profesor Albareda 1, 18008 Granada, Spain
C. Prieto
Affiliation:
Estación Experimental del Zaidin (CSIC), Animal Nutrition Department, Profesor Albareda 1, 18008 Granada, Spain
Get access

Abstract

An experiment was carried out to study the effect of changes in either the quality or the quantity of dietary protein intake on the excretion of nitrogen (N) compounds in the chicken. Thirty-two White Rock male broilers (1 day old) were raised in batteries and fed a commercial starter diet for 9 days. Then they were randomly divided into eight groups each of four birds, of similar body weight (mean live weight: 178 (s.e. 1·9) g), and individually housed in metabolism cages. Following a paired-feeding design based on metabolic body weight (kg M0·75), each group of birds was given, for an experimental period of20 days, each of four levels of protein (60, 120, 180 or 240 g/kg: 5 days each) in two groups of isoenergetic (14·5 kj metabolizable energy per g dry matter) and semisynthetic diets based on soya-bean meal, known to be first limiting in methionine, either unsupplemented (diets S) or supplemented with 2 g/kg DL-methionine (diets SM). Excreta were collected every 3 days for 48 h, frozen and stored at −20°C. The excreta samples were subjected to chemical analysis for uric acid by a rapid high-performance liquid chromatographic method, for urea and ammonia by a colorimetric method, and for total N by the Kjeldahl procedure. In general, the excretion of major N compounds was markedly affected by either the quality or the content of dietary protein. Overall, the excretion of total N, uric acid-N, ammonia-N and urea-N significantly (P < 0·05) decreased with improvement in dietary protein quality and significantly (P < 0·05) increased with increase in protein intake. Regression equations were obtained relating the excretion of uric acid, urea, ammonia and total N on protein supply. For the partition ofN compounds output, the ratios of uric acid-N and ammonia-N to total N significantly (P < 0·05) decreased on improving dietary protein quality and increased or remained unchanged, respectively, with the increase in dietary protein content. The use of the ratio of ammonia-N to total N is recommended as a rapid, easy and accurate indicator of dietary protein adequacy, as an alternative to measures based on total N balance, without the need for separation of urine and faeces.

Keywords

excretionfowlsnitrogen balanceprotein intakeprotein quality
Type
Research Article
Information
Animal Science , Volume 63 , Issue 2 , October 1996 , pp. 307 - 314
Copyright
Copyright © British Society of Animal Science 1996

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Aguilera, J. F. and Prieto, C. 1987. Necesidades energéticas de mantenimiento en polios en crecimiento. [Energy requirements for maintenance in growing chickens.] Archivos de Zootecnia 135:165–172.Google Scholar
Ann, M. J., Diez, M. T., Resines, J. A. and Alemany, M. T. 1990. Quantitative estimation of urinary metabolites in ruminants by high-performance liquid chromatography. Journal of Liquid Chromatography 13: 2465–2473.Google Scholar
Association of Official Analytical Chemists. 1975. Official methods of analysis of the association of official analytical chemists (ed. Horwitz, W., Senzel, A., Reynolds, H. and Park, D. L.). Washington DC.Google Scholar
Bodwell, C. E. 1975. Biochemical parameters as indices of protein nutritional value. In Protein nutritional quality of foods and feeds. Part 1. (ed. Friedman, M.). Marcel Dekker Inc., New York.Google Scholar
Boorman, K. N. 1980. Dietary constraints on nitrogen retention. In Protein disposition in animals (ed. Buttery, P. J. and Lindsay, D. B.), pp. 147–166. Butterworths, London.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Brown, J. A. and Cline, T. R. 1974. Urea excretion in the pig: an indicator of protein quality and amino acid requirements. Journal of Nutrition 104: 542–545.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
D'Mello, J. P. F. 1994. Amino acids imbalances, antagonisms and toxicities. In Amino acids in farm animal nutrition (ed. D'Mello, J. P. F.). CAB International.Google Scholar
Eggum, B. O. 1976. Indirect measures of protein adequacy. In Protein metabolism and nutrition (ed. Cole, D. J. A., Boorman, K. N., Buttery, P. J., Lewis, D., Neale, R. J. and Swan, H.), pp. 249–258. Butterworths, London.Google Scholar
García Partida, P., Díez Prieto, I., Prieto Montana, F. and Pérez García, C. C. 1982. [Hyperurycaemia and urinary uric acid in fowls.] Anales de la Facultad de Veterinaria de Leon 28: 71–81.Google Scholar
Griminger, P. and Fisher, H. 1968. Methionine excess and chick growth. Poultry Science 47:1271–1273.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Han, Y. and Baker, D. H. 1993. Effects of excess methionine or lysine for broilers fed a corn-soybean meal diet. Poultry Science 72:1070–1074.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Hevia, P. and Clifford, A. J. 1977. Protein intake, uric acid metabolism and protein efficiency ratio in growing chicks. Journal of Nutrition 107:959–964.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Johns, D. C., Low, C. K., Sedcole, J. R. and James, K. A. C. 1986. Determination of amino acid digestibility using caecectomized and intact adult cockerels. British Poultry Science 27: 451–462.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Karasawa, Y. 1986. Ammonia production and its contribution to urinary nitrogenous compounds in chickens fed low or high protein diet. Journal of Nutrition 116: 2378–2386.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Karasawa, Y., Horii, M., Miyazawa, E., Tahara, S. and Aramaki T. 1978. Liver glutamine synthetase activity and glutamine levels in the blood and tissues in chickens fed various levels of dietary protein. Japanese Journal of Zootecnical Science 49: 872–879.Google Scholar
Karasawa, Y., Umemoto, M. and Koh, K. 1993. Effect of dietary protein and urea on in vitro caecal ammonia production from urea and uric acid in cockerels. British Poultry Science 34: 711–714.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Katz, R. S. and Baker, D. H. 1975. Methionine toxicity in the chick: nutritional and metabolic implications. Journal of Nutrition 105:1168–1175.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Kiriyama, S. and Ashida, K. 1964. Effect of dietary protein on nitrogen compounds in the urine of rats. Journal of Nutrition 82: 127–134.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Kiriyama, S. and Iwao, H. 1969. An inverse relationship between liver arginase activity and urea excretion in rats. Agricultural and Biological Chemistry 33:1483–1490.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kiriyama, S., Yagishitu, Y., Suzuki, T. and Iwao, H. 1967. The surveys on the urea and allantoin excretion and other criteria from rats fed “threonine imbalanced” or “corrected” diets. Agricultural and Biological Chemistry 31: 743–749.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Krogdahl, A. and Dalsgard, B. 1981. Estimation of digestibility in poultry: content and distribution of major urinary nitrogen compounds in excreta. Poultry Science 60: 2480–2485.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
McNabb, F. M. A. and McNabb, R. A. 1975. Proportions of ammonia, urea, urate and total nitrogen in avian urine and quantitative methods for their analysis on a single urine sample. Poultry Science 54:1498–1505.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Miles, R. D. and Featherston, W. R. 1974. Uric acid excretion as an indicator of the amino acid requirement of chicks. Proceedings of the Society for Experimental Biology and Medicine 145: 686–689.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Millán, N., Brito, O. and Hevia, P. 1984. Purine enzymes and uric acid excretion as indicators of protein quality in chickens fed soy-gelatin mixtures. Nutrition Reports International 30:1367–1376.Google Scholar
Nakagawa, I. and Masana, Y. 1967. Assessment of nutritional status of men: protein. Journal of Nutrition 93: 135–141.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
O'Dell, B. L., Woods, W. D., Laerdal, O. A., Jeffay, A. M. and Savage, J. E. 1960. Distribution of the major nitrogenous compounds and amino acids in chicken urine. Poultry Science 39:426–432.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Okumura, J. and Mori, S. 1979. Effect of deficiencies of single essential amino acids on nitrogen and energy utilization in chicks. British Poultry Science 20:421–429.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Okumura, J. and Tasaki, I. 1969. Effect of fasting, refeeding and dietary protein level on uric acid and ammonia content of blood, liver and kidney in chickens. Journal of Nutrition 97: 316–320.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Prieto, C. 1979. Ensayos de metabolismo en aves. Utilizacion nutritiva de dietas adicionads con aminoacidos en polios de carne. [Metabolism assays in birds. Nutritive utilization of diets supplemented with amino acids in broilers.] Ph.D. thesis, University of Granada.Google Scholar
Rose, W. C., Haines, W. J., Warner, D. T. and Johnson, J. E. 1951. The amino acid requirements of man. II. The role of threonine and histidine. Journal of Biological Chemistry 188: 49–53.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Rose, W. C., Johnson, J. E. and Haines, W. J. 1950. The amino acid requirements of man. I. The role of valine and methionine. Journal of Biological Chemistry 182:541–550.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Rotter, B. A., Frohlich, R. G., Rotter, R. G. and Marquardt, R. R. 1989. Research note: estimation of apparent protein digestibility using uric acid-corrected nitrogen values in poultry excreta. Poultry Science 68:327–329.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Scrinshaw, N. S., Young, V. R., Schwartz, R., Piche, M. L. and Das, J. B. 1966. Minimum dietary essential amino acidto-total nitrogen ratio for whole egg protein fed to young men. Journal of Nutrition 89: 9–18.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Smith, G. H. and Lewis, D. 1963. Arginase in poultry nutrition. 2. Chick arginase. British Journal of Nutrition 17: 433–444.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Snetsinger, D. C. and Scott, H. M. 1961. Efficacy of glycine and arginine in alleviating the stress induced by dietary excesses of single amino acids. Poultry Science 40:1675–1681.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Solberg, J., Buttery, P. J. and Boorman, K. N. 1971. Effect of moderate methionine deficiency on food, protein and energy utilization in the chick. British Poultry Science 12: 297–304.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Statistical Analysis Systems Institute. 1985. SAS procedure guide for personal computers, version 6 edition. SAS Institute Inc., Cary, NC.Google Scholar
Summers, J. D. and Leeson, S. 1985. Broiler carcass composition as affected by amino acid supplementation. Canadian Journal of Animal Science 65: 717–723.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Tasaki, I. and Okumura, J. 1964. Effect of protein level of diet on nitrogen excretion in fowls. Journal of Nutrition 83: 34–38.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Tasaki, I., Sugahara, K. and Okumura, J. 1976. Effect of amino acid deficiency on energy and protein utilization in growing chicks. In Energy metabolism of farm animals (ed. Vermorel, M.). EAAP publ. no. 19, pp. 101–104. Clermont Ferrand: G: de Bussac.Google Scholar
Teekell, R. A., Richardson, C. E. and Watts, A. B. 1968. Dietary protein effects on urinary nitrogen components of the hen. Poultry Science 47:1260–1266.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Waterlow, J. C. 1969. The assessment of protein nutrition and metabolism in the whole animal, with special reference to man. In Mammalian protein metabolism (ed. Munro, H. N.), vol. III. Academic Press, New York and London.Google Scholar
Zuprizal, , Larbier, M. and Chagneau, A. M. 1992. Effect of age and sex on true digestibility of amino acids of rapeseed and soybean meals in growing broilers. Poultry Science 71: 1486–1492.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed