Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-8ctnn Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-26T00:24:13.816Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

The effect of size and density on mean retention time of particles in the gastrointestinal tract of sheep

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  09 March 2007

M. Kaske
Affiliation:
Department of Physiology,School of Veterinary Medicine, Bischofsholer Damrn 15, D-3000 Hannover 1, Federal Republic of Germany
W. V. Engelhardt
Affiliation:
Department of Physiology,School of Veterinary Medicine, Bischofsholer Damrn 15, D-3000 Hannover 1, Federal Republic of Germany
Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Core share and HTML view are not available for this content. However, as you have access to this content, a full PDF is available via the ‘Save PDF’ action button.

The selective retention of particles in the reticulo-rumen and in the gastrointestinal tract distal to the reticulo-rumen was studied in fistulated sheep maintained on a roughage diet. Polyethylene glycol and plastic particles of different lengths (1 and 10 mm) and densities (092, 1.03, 1.22 and 1.44 g/ml) were either fed or were introduced into the omasum. The mean retention time in the reticulo-rumen (MRTRR) of 1 mm long particles with a density of approximately 1.0 g/ml was about 67 h, that is eight times longer than the MRTRR of fluid; the heavier particles were retained only three times longer than fluid. Particles with a length of 10 mm were retained in the reticulo-rumen 19–28 h longer than 1 mm long particles of the same density. Particles with a length of 10 mm were reduced to smaller particles (0.5–4 mm) due to rumination. Multiple regression analysis indicated that particle density and particle size accounted for 59 and 28% of the total variation of MRTRR respectively. The mean retention time distal to the reticulo- rumen (MRTGut) of 1 and 10 mm long particles with a density near 1.0 g/ml was 18–19 h, similar to that of fluid (16 h). The heavier particles were retained about 3–8 h longer.

Type
Gastrointestional Motility and Function
Copyright
Copyright © The Nutrition Society 1990

References

REFERENCES

Campling, R. C. & Freer, M. (1962). The effect of specific gravity and size on the mean retention time of inert particles in the alimentary tract of the cow. British Journal of Nutrition 16, 507518.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
desBordes, C. K. & Welch, J. G. (1984). Influence of specific gravity on rumination and passage of indigestible particles. Journal of Animal Science 59. 470475.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Durkwa, L. (1983). Length and specific gravity of particles passed from the rumen and changes in ingesta specific gravity. PhD Thesis, University of Vermont, Burlington.Google Scholar
Ehle, F. R. (1984). Influence of feed particle density on particulate passage from the rumen of Holstein cows. Journal of Dairy Science 67, 693697.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ehle, F. R. & Stern, M. D. (1986). Influence of particle size and density on particulate passage through alimentary tract of Holstein heifers. Journal of Dairy Science 69, 564568.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Evans, E. W., Pearce, G. R., Burnett, J. & Pillinger, S. L. (1973). Changes in some physical characteristics of the digesta in the reticulorumen of cows fed once daily. British Journal of Nutrition 29, 357376.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Hooper, A. P., Palmer, R. H. & Welch, J. G. (1984). A method to determine specific gravity of rumen digesta or of forage samples incubated in nylon bags. Techniques in Particle Size Analysis of Feed and Digesta in Ruminants. Canadian Society of Animal Science, Occasional Publication no. 1, Edmonton, Canada, pp. 190191.Google Scholar
Hooper, A. P. & Welch, J. G. (1985). Effects of particle size and forage composition on functional specific gravity. Journal of Dairy Science 68, 11811188.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hydèn, J. E. (1955). A turbidimetric method of the determination of higher polyethylene glycols in biological material. Kungliga Lanibrukshögskolans Annaler 22, 139145.Google Scholar
Kaske, M. (1987). Die Retention von Partikeln unterschiedlicher Dichte und GröBe im Retikulorumen von Schafen. Inaugural-Dissertation, Hannover.Google Scholar
Katoh, K., Sato, F., Yamazaki, A., Sasaki, Y. & Tsuda, T. (1988). Passage of indigestible particles of various specific gravities in sheep and goats. British Journal of Nutrition 60, 683687.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
King, K. W. & Moore, W. E. C. (1957). Density and size as factors affecting passage rate of ingesta in the bovine and human digestive tract. Journal of Dairy Science 40, 528536.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lindberg, J. E. (1985). Retention time of chromium-labelled feed particles and of water in the gut of sheep given hay and concentrate at maintenance. British Journal of Nutrition 53, 559567.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Martz, F. A. & Belyea, R. L. (1986). Role of particle size and forage quality in digestion and passage by cattle and sheep. Journal of Dairy Science 69, 19962008.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Nehring, K. (1960). Agrikulturchemische Untersuchungsmethoden. (Agricultural-chemical examination methods.). 3rd ed. Hamburg/Berlin: P. Parey.Google Scholar
Nocek, J. E. & Kohn, R. A. (1987). Initial particle form and size on change in functional specific gravity of alfalfa and timothy hay. Journal of Dairy Science 70, 18501863.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Poppi, D. P., Norton, B. W., Minson, D. J. & Hendricksen, R. E. (1980). The validity of the critical size theory for particles leaving the rumen. Journal of Agricultural Science 94, 275280.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Reid, C. S. W., Ulyatt, M. J. & Monro, J. A. (1977). The physical breakdown of feed during digestion in the rumen. Proceedings of the New Zealand Society of Animal Production 31, 173175.Google Scholar
Sutherland, T. (1988). Particle separation in the forestomachs of sheep. In Comparative Aspects of Physiology of Digestion in Ruminants, pp. 4373 [Dobson, A. and Dobson, M., editors] New York: Cornell University Press.Google Scholar
Thielemans, M. F., Francois, E., Bordart, C. & Thewis, A. (1978). Mesure du transit gastrointestinal chez le porc à I'aide des radiolanthanides. Comparison avec le mouton. (Gastrointestinal transit in the pig: measurement using radioactive lanthanides. Comparison with sheep.) Annales de Biologie Animale, Biochimie, Biophysique 18, 237247.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Troelsen, J. E. & Campbell, J. B. (1968). Voluntary consumption of forage by sheep and its relation to the size and shape of particles in the digestive tract. Animal Production 10, 289298.Google Scholar
Ulyatt, M. J. (1983). Plant fibre and regulation of digestion in the ruminant. In Fibre in Human and Animal Nutrition. pp. 103107 [Wallace, A. and Bell, L., editors]. Wellington, New Zealand: The Royal Society of New Zealand.Google Scholar
Ulyatt, M. J., Dellow, D. W., John, A., Reid, C. S. W. & Waghorn, G. C. (1986). Contribution of chewing during eating and rumination to the clearance of digesta from the ruminoreticulum. In Control of Digestion and Metabolism in Ruminants, pp. 498515 [Milligan, L. P., Grovum, W. L. and Dobson, A., editors]. New Jersey: Prentice-Hall.Google Scholar
Van soest, P. J. (1975). Physico-chemical aspects of fibre digestion. In Digestion and Metabolism in the Ruminant, pp. 351365 [McDonald, I. W. and Warner, A. C. I., editors]. Armidale, Australia: University of New England Publishing Unit.Google Scholar
Welch, J. G. (1982). Rumination, particle size and passage from the rumen. Journal of Animal Science 54, 885894.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Welch, J. G. & Smith, A. M. (1978). Particle sizes passed from the rumen. Journal of Animal Science 46, 309– 312.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Wincr, B. J. (1971). Statistical Principles in Experimental Design, 2nd. ed. Tokyo: Koseido Printing Co.Google Scholar