Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-fbnjt Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-20T01:06:05.410Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Transfer of blood urea nitrogen to cecal microbial nitrogen is increased by mannitol feeding in growing rabbits fed timothy hay diet

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  05 April 2012

L. Xiao ,
M. Xiao ,
X. Jin ,
K. Kawasaki ,
N. Ohta  and
E. Sakaguchi
L. Xiao
Affiliation:
Graduate School of Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University, Kita-ku, Tsushima-naka 1-1-1, Okayama 700-8530, Japan
M. Xiao
Affiliation:
Graduate School of Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University, Kita-ku, Tsushima-naka 1-1-1, Okayama 700-8530, Japan
X. Jin
Affiliation:
Graduate School of Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University, Kita-ku, Tsushima-naka 1-1-1, Okayama 700-8530, Japan
K. Kawasaki
Affiliation:
Graduate School of Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University, Kita-ku, Tsushima-naka 1-1-1, Okayama 700-8530, Japan
N. Ohta
Affiliation:
Graduate School of Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University, Kita-ku, Tsushima-naka 1-1-1, Okayama 700-8530, Japan
E. Sakaguchi*
Affiliation:
Graduate School of Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University, Kita-ku, Tsushima-naka 1-1-1, Okayama 700-8530, Japan
*
†E-mail: [email protected]
Get access

Abstract

The presence of the fermentable sugar d-mannitol in the diet improves nitrogen (N) utilization in rabbits. To clarify the mechanism by which d-mannitol improves N utilization, we studied the effect of d-mannitol on the fate of blood urea N in growing rabbits. Growing rabbits received a control diet or a diet containing d-mannitol, which were formulated by adding 80 g/kg glucose or d-mannitol to timothy hay. After 9 days of feeding of the experimental diets, 15N-urea was administrated intravenously under anesthesia 1 h before slaughter. The blood urea level (concentration of both urea N (43.6% of the control group (CG), P < 0.05) and 15N (95% of the CG, P < 0.05) in blood serum) was reduced in the mannitol group. The concentration and amount of N, and 15N atom % excess in the contents of the cecum and colon were higher (P < 0.05) in the rabbits fed the mannitol diet than in rabbits fed the control diet, especially in the cecum. The consumption of mannitol caused bacterial proliferation in the cecum characterized by marked short-chain fatty acid production (165% of the CG, P < 0.05), decreased cecal ammonia N (73% of the CG, P < 0.05) and elevated cecal bacterial N (150% of the CG, P < 0.05). On the other hand, addition of d-mannitol to the diet decreased N (80% of the CG, P < 0.05) and 15N (77% of the CG, P < 0.05) excretion in the urine. These results indicate that d-mannitol increases the transfer of blood urea N to the large intestine, where it is used for bacterial N synthesis.

Keywords

fermentable sugard-mannitolnitrogengrowing rabbits
Type
Nutrition
Information
animal , Volume 6 , Issue 11 , November 2012 , pp. 1757 - 1763
Copyright
Copyright © The Animal Consortium 2012

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

Belenguer, A, Balcells, J, Guada, JA, Decoux, M, Milne, E 2005. Protein recycling in growing rabbits: contribution of microbial lysine to amino acid metabolism. British Journal of Nutrition 94, 763–770.Google Scholar
Carabaño, R, Piquer, J 1998. The digestive system of the rabbit. In The nutrition of the rabbit (ed. C de Blas and J Wiseman), pp. 1–16. CABI Publishing, Wallingford, UK.Google Scholar
Carabaño, R, Villamide, MJ, García, J, Nicodemus, N, Llorente, A, Chamorro, S, Menoyo, D, García-Rebollar, P, García-Ruiz, AI, De Blas, JC 2009. New concepts and objectives for protein-amino acid nutrition in rabbits: a review. World Rabbit Science 17, 1–14.Google Scholar
Demigné, C, Rémésy, C 1979. Urea cycling and ammonia absorption in vivo in the digestive tract of the rat. Annals of Biology, Animal Biochemistry and Biophysiology 19, 929–935.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Demigné, C, Rémésy, C 1985. Stimulation of absorption of volatile fatty acids and minerals in the cecum of rats adapted to a very high fiber diet. The Journal of Nutrition 115, 53–60.Google Scholar
Djouzi, Z, Andrieux, C 1997. Compared effects of three oligosaccharides on metabolism of intestinal microflora in rate inoculated with a human faecal flora. British Journal of Nutrition 78, 313–324.Google Scholar
Dwivedi, BK 1991. Sorbitol and mannitol. In Alternative sweeteners, 2nd edition (ed. LO Nabors and RC Gelardi), pp. 333–348. Marcel Dekker, New York.Google Scholar
Forsythe, SJ, Parker, DS 1985a. Nitrogen metabolism by the microbial flora of the rabbit caecum. Journal of Applied Bacteriology 58, 363–369.Google Scholar
Forsythe, SJ, Parker, DS 1985b. Urea turnover and transfer to the digestive tract in the rabbit. British Journal of Nutrition 53, 183–190.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Fürst, P, Jonsson, A 1971. Control and modification of methods for determination of 15N in biological material. Acta Chemica Scandinavica 25, 930–938.Google Scholar
Hanieh, H, Sakaguchi, E 2009. Effect of d-mannitol on feed digestion and cecotrophic system in rabbits. Animal Science Journal 80, 157–162.Google Scholar
Hawe, SM, Walker, N, Moss, BW 1991. The effects of dietary fibre, lactose and antibiotic on the levels of skatole and indole in faeces and subcutaneous fat in growing pigs. Animal Production 54, 413–419.Google Scholar
Henningsson, M, Bjorck, ME, Marfareta, E, Nyman, GL 2002. Combinations of indigestible carbohydrates affect short-chain fatty acid formation in the hindgut of rats. The Journal of Nutrition 132, 3098–3104.Google Scholar
Hörnicke, H 1981. Utilization of cecal digesta by cecotrophy (soft feces ingestion) in the rabbits. Livestock Production Science 8, 361–366.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Jackson, AA, Picou, D, Landman, J 1984. The non-invasive measurement of urea kinetics in normal man by a constant infusion of 15N15N-urea. Human Nutrition – Clinical Nutrition 38, 339–354.Google Scholar
Kirchgessner, M, Kreuzer, M, Machmüller, A, Roth-Maier, DA 1994. Evidence for a high efficiency of bacterial protein synthesis in the digestive tract of adult sows fed supplements of fibrous feedstuffs. Animal Feed Science and Technology 46, 293–306.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Levrat, MA, Rémésy, C, Demigné, C 1993. Influence of inulin on urea and ammonia in the rat cecum: consequences on nitrogen excretion. Journal of Nutritional Biochemistry 4, 351–356.Google Scholar
Levrat, MA, Behr, SR, Rémésy, C, Demigné, C 1991. Effects of soybean fiber on the cecal digestion in rats previously adapted to a fiber-free diet. The Journal of Nutrition 121, 672–678.Google Scholar
Lobley, GE, Bremner, DM, Zuur, G 2000. Effects of diet quality on urea fates in sheep as assessed by refined, non-invasive [15N15N] urea kinetics. British Journal of Nutrition 84, 459–468.Google Scholar
Mason, VC 1984. Metabolism of nitrogenous compounds in the large gut. Proceedings of the Nutrition Society 43, 45–53.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Minato, H, Suto, T 1978. Technique for fractionation of bacteria in rumen microbial ecosystem: II. Attachment of bacteria isolated from bovine rumen to cellulose powder in vitro and elution of bacteria attached therefrom. The Journal of General and Applied Microbiology 24, 1–16.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Misir, R, Sauer, WC 1982. Effect of starch infusion at the terminal ileum on nitrogen balance and apparent digestibilities of nitrogen and amino acids in pigs fed meat-and-bone and soybean meal diets. Journal of Animal Science 55, 599–607.Google Scholar
Mortensen, PB 1992. Effect of oral-administered lactulose on colonic nitrogen metabolism and excretion. Hepatology 16, 1350–1356.Google Scholar
National Research Council (NRC) 1977. Nutrient requirements of rabbits, second revised edition. National Academy of Sciences, Washington, DC.Google Scholar
Nolan, JV, Leng, RA 1972. Dynamic aspects of ammonia and urea metabolism in sheep. British Journal of Nutrition 27, 177–194.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Obara, Y, Fuse, H, Terada, F, Shibata, M, Kawabata, A, Sutoh, M, Hodate, K, Matsumoto, M 1994. Influence of sucrose supplementation on nitrogen kinetics and energy metabolism in sheep fed with lucerne hay cubes. Journal of Agricultural Science 123, 121–127.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Regoeczi, E, Irons, L, Koj, A, Mcfarlane, AS 1965. Isotopic studies of urea metabolism in rabbits. Biochemical Journal 95, 521–532.Google Scholar
Rémésy, C, Demigné, C 1989. Specific effects of fermentable carbohydrates on blood urea flux and ammonia absorption in the rat cecum. The Journal of Nutrition 119, 560–565.Google Scholar
Sarraseca, A, Milne, E, Metcalf, MJ, Lobley, GE 1998. Urea recycling in sheep: effects of intake. British Journal of Nutrition 79, 79–88.Google Scholar
Stewart, GS, Smith, CP 2005. Urea nitrogen salvage mechanisms and their relevance to ruminants, non-ruminants and man. Nutrition Research Reviews 18, 49–62.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Viallard, V 1984. Endogenous urea as a nitrogen source for microorganisms of the rabbit digestive tract. Annals of Nutrition and Metabolism 28, 151–155.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Xiao, L, Xiao, M, Tsuzuki, Y, Sakaguchi, E 2011. Effect of indigestible sugars on nitrogen utilization in adult rabbits. Animal Science Journal 82, 296–301.Google Scholar
Younes, H, Demigné, C, Behr, S, Rémésy, C 1995a. Resistant starch exerts an uremia lowering effect by enhancing urea disposal in the large intestine. Nutrition Research 15, 1199–1210.Google Scholar
Younes, H, Garleb, K, Behr, S, Rémésy, C, Demigné, C 1995b. Fermentable fibers or oligosaccharides reduce urinary nitrogen excretion by increasing urea disposal in the rat cecum. The Journal of Nutrition 125, 1010–1016.Google Scholar
Younes, H, Alphonse, JC, Abdelkader, MH, Rémésy, C 2001. Fermentable carbohydrate and digestive nitrogen excretion. Journal of Renal Nutrition 11, 139–148.Google Scholar
Younes, H, Demigné, C, Behr, R, Garleb, A, Rémésy, C 1996. A blend of dietary fibers increases urea disposal in the large intestine and lowers urinary nitrogen excretion in rats fed a low protein diet. Journal of Nutritional Biochemistry 7, 474–480.Google Scholar