Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-p9bg8 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-22T23:19:21.244Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Ruminal and total plant cell-wall digestibility estimated by a combined in situ method utilizing mathematical models

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  09 March 2007

Pekka Huhtanen
Affiliation:
Institute of Animal Production, Agricultural Research Centre, FIN-31600 Jokioinen, Finland
Aila Vanhatalo
Affiliation:
Institute of Animal Production, Agricultural Research Centre, FIN-31600 Jokioinen, Finland
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.

Three ruminally and duodenally cannulated non-lactating Finnish Ayrshire cows were used to investigate ruminal and intestinal digestion of cell-wall carbohydrates by a combined in situ method. Five grasses cut at 10 d intervals were incubated in the rumen for 0, 6, 12, 24, 48, 72 and 96 h, and the undegraded residues were exposed to intestinal digestion. With advancing maturity of grass both the rate and extent of cell-wall digestion decreased. At early stages of growth the decreases were faster for the rate of digestion and at late stages of growth for the extent of digestion. Applying a passage rate of 0.02/h in one compartmental rumen model resulted in digestibility values markedly lower than typically observed in vivo. However, applying a rumen model incorporating a selective retention of particles and time-dependent release of particles from the non-escapable pool resulted in much higher digestibility values. Recovery of lignin after 96 h ruminal incubation with a subsequent mobile-bag incubation was very low (from 244 to 460 mg/g). Intestinal disappearance of neutral-detergent fibre (NDF) and hemicellulose decreased with advancing maturity of grass and with increasing length of preceding ruminal incubation period, i.e. with decreasing potential digestibility of the material. Disappearance of hemicellulose was much greater than that of cellulose for intact grasses but the difference diminished with increasing length of preceding rumen incubation period. On average, 195 mg/g of potentially digestible NDF disappeared from the mobile bags in the intestines. The post-ruminal digestion as a proportion of the total NDF digestibility varied between 0.034 and 0.058. Despite methodological problems both in ruminal in situ and intestinal mobile bag techniques, these methods can be used to investigate ruminal and intestinal cell-wall digestion and to partition cell-wall digestibility between ruminal and post-ruminal digestion providing that appropriate rumen models are used.

Type
Animal Nutrition
Copyright
Copyright © The Nutrition Society 1997

References

REFERENCES

Allen, M. S. & Mertens, D. R. (1988) Evaluating constraints of fiber digestion by rumen microbes. Journal of Nutrition 118, 261270.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Beever, D. E., Coelho, da, Silva, J. F., Prescott, J. H. D. & Armstrong, D. G. (1972) The effect in sheep of physical form and stage of growth on the sites of digestion of dried grass. 1. Sites of digestion of organic matter, energy and carbohydrate. British Journal of Nutrition 28, 347356.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Beever, D. E., Losada, H. R., Cammel, S. B., Evans, R. T. & Haines, M. J. (1986) Effect of forage species and season on nutrient digestion and supply in grazing cattle. British Journal of Nutrition 56, 209225.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Bosch, M. W., Lammers-Wienhoven, S. C. W., Bangma, G. A., Boer, H. & van Adrichem, P. W. M. (1992) Influence of stage of maturity of grass silages on digestion processes in dairy cows. 2. Rumen contents, passage rates, distribution of rumen and faecal particles and mastication activity. Livestock Production Science 32, 265281.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
de Boer, G., Murphy, J. J. & Kennelly, J. J. (1987) Mobile nylon bag for estimating intestinal availability of rumen undegradable protein. Journal of Dairy Science 70, 977982.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Faichney, G. J. & Barry, T. N. (1986) Effects of mild heat exposure and suppressions of prolactin secretion on gastro-intestinal tract function and temperature regulation in sheep. Australian Journal of Biological Science 39, 8597.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Giger, S. (1985) Revue sur des méthodes de dosage de la lignine utilisées en alimentation animale (Review of the methods of lignin utilization in animal digestive tract). Anales Zootechnique 34, 85112.Google Scholar
Hecker, J. F. (1971) Metabolism of nitrogenous compounds in the large intestine of sheep. British Journal of Nutrition 25, 8595.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Hogan, J. P., Weston, R. H. & Lindsay, J. R. (1969) The digestion of pasture plants by sheep. IV. Digestion of Phalaris tuberosa at different stages of maturity. Australian Journal of Agricultural Research 20, 925940.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hoover, W. H. (1978) Digestion and absorption in the hindgut of ruminants. Journal of Animal Science 69, 27552766.Google Scholar
Huhtanen, P. & Jaakkola, S. (1994) Influence of grass maturity and diet on ruminal dry matter and neutral detergent fibre digestion kinetics. Archives for Animal Nutrition 47, 153167.Google ScholarPubMed
Huhtanen, P., Jaakkola, S. & Kukkonen, U. (1995) Ruminal plant cell wall digestibility estimated from digestion and passage kinetics utilizing mathematical models. Animal Feed Science and Technology 52, 159173.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Huhtanen, P. & Khalili, H. (1992) The effect of sucrose supplements on particle-associated carboxymethyl-cellulase (EC 3.2.1.4) and xylanase (EC 3.2.1.8) activities in cattle given grass-silage-based diet. British Journal of Nutrition 67, 245255.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Huhtanen, P. & Kukkonen, U. (1995) Comparison of methods, markers and sampling sites and models for estimating digesta passage kinetics in cattle fed at two levels of intake. Animal Feed Science and Technology 52, 141158.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Huhtanen, P., Kukkonen, U., Jaakkola, S. & Kallio, M. (1993) The effect of particle size on passage rate of indigestible and digestible fibre. Journal of Dairy Science 76, Suppl. 1, 407 Abstr.Google Scholar
Hvelplund, T. (1985) Digestibility of rumen microbial protein and undegraded feed protein estimated in the small intestine of sheep and by in sacco procedure. Acta Agriculturae Scandinavica 25, Suppl., 132144.Google Scholar
Igwuegbu, O. A. & Sutton, J. D. (1982) The effect of varying amount of linseed oil supplementation on rumen metabolism in sheep. British Journal of Nutrition 48, 365375.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Khalili, H. & Huhtanen, P. (1991) Sucrose supplements in cattle given grass silage-based diet. 2. Digestion of cell wall carbohydrates. Animal Feed Science and Technology 33, 263273.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lindberg, J. E. & Lindgren, E. (1988) Influence of cutting time and N fertilization on the nutritive value of timothy. 3. Rumen degradability of cell walls, in vivo digestibility and estimated energy and protein values. Swedish Journal of Agricultural Research 18, 9198.Google Scholar
McDonald, I. (1981) A revised model for the estimating of protein degradability in the rumen. Journal of Agricultural Science, Cambridge 96, 251252.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Mackie, R. I. & Meyer, J. (1986) Microbial evaluation of the intraruminal in sacculus technique. Applied Environmental Microbiology 51, 622629.Google Scholar
Mambrini, M. & Peuraud, J. L. (1994) Mean retention time in digestive tract and digestion of fresh perennial ryegrass by lactating dairy cows: influence of grass maturity and comparison with maize silage diet. Reproduction Nutrition Development 34, 923.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Merchen, N. R. & Bourquin, L. D. (1994) Processes of digestion and factors influencing digestion of forage-based diets by ruminants. In Forage Quality, Evaluation and Utilization, pp. 564612 [Fahey, G.C., Collins, M. Jr, Mertens, D. R. and Moser, L. E., editors]. Madison, USA: ASA, CSSA, SSSA.Google Scholar
Michalet-Doreau, B. & Ould-Bah, M. Y. (1993) In vitro and in sacco methods for the estimation of dietary nitrogen degradability in the rumen. Animal Feed Science and Technology 40, 5786.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Nozière, P. & Michalet-Doreau, B. (1996) Validation of in sacco method: influence of sampling site, nylon bag or rumen contents, on fibrolytic activity of solid-associated microorganisms. Animal Feed Science and Technology 57, 203210.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Pond, K. R., Ellis, W. C., Lascano, C. E. & Akin, D. E. (1987) Fragmentation and flow of grazed coastal bermudagrass through the digestive tract of cattle. Journal of Animal Science 65, 609618.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Pond, K. R., Ellis, W. C., Matis, J. H., Ferreiro, H. M. & Sutton, J. D. (1988) Compartmental models for estimating attributes of digesta flow in cattle. British Journal of Nutrition 60, 571595.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Poore, M. H., Moore, J. A., Eck, T. P. & Swingle, R. S. (1991) Influence of passage model, sampling site and dosing time on passage of rear earth-labelled grain through Holstein cows. Journal of Animal Science 69, 26462654.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Rinne, M., Huhtanen, P. & Jaakkola, S. (1997) Grass maturity effects on cattle fed silage-based diets. 2. Cell wall digestibility, digestion and passage kinetics. Animal Feed Science and Technology (In the Press).Google Scholar
Robertson, J. B. & Van Soest, P. J. (1981) The detergent system of analysis and its application to human foods. In The Analyses of Dietary Fibre in Foods, pp. 123158 [James, W.P. T. and Theander, O., editors]. New York, NY: Marcel Dekker.Google Scholar
Sauer, W. C., Jorgensen, H. & Berzins, R (1983) A modified nylon bag technique for estimating apparent digestibilities of protein in feedstuffs for pigs. Canadian Journal of Animal Science 63, 233237.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Smith, L. W., Goering, H. K. & Gordon, C. H. (1972) Relationship of forage composition with rates of cell wall digestion and indigestibility of cell walls. Journal of Dairy Science 55, 11401147.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Stensig, T., Weisbjerg, M., Madsen, J. & Hvelplund, T. (1994) Estimation of ruminal digestibility of NDF from in sacco degradation and rumen fractional outflow rate. Acta Agriculturae Scandinavica Section A, Animal Science 44, 96109.Google Scholar
Südekum, K.-H. (1989) Untersuchungen an Milchkühen zum Ausmass und Ort der Verdauung von Zelwandkohlenhydraten (Site and extent of digestion of cell-wall carbohydrates in dairy cows). PhD Thesis, University of Kiel, Germany.Google Scholar
Tamminga, S. (1993) Influence of feeding management on ruminal fibre digestibility. In Forage Cell Wall Structure and Digestibility, pp. 571602 [Jung, H.G., Burton, D. R., Hatfield, R. D. and Ralph, J., editors]. Madison, USA: ASA, CSSA, SSSA.Google Scholar
Tamminga, S., Robinson, P. H., Vogt, M. & Boer, H. (1989) Rumen ingesta kinetics of cell components in dairy cows. Animal Feed Science and Technology 25, 8998.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Tuori, M., Kaustell, K., Syrjälä-Qvist, L. & Kajaste, S. (1992) Digestibility of silage from meadow fescue and tall fescue grass harvested at different growth stages. Proceedings of the 14th General Meeting of European Grassland Federation, pp. 252255. Lahti, Finland: Gummerus.Google Scholar
Udén, P. & Sutton, J. D. (1994) Retention of Cr-labelled grass hay and silage in different segments of the gastrointestinal tract of dairy cows. Livestock Production Science 37, 297309.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ulyatt, M. J., Dellow, O. W., Reid, C. S. & Bauchop, T. (1975) Structure and function of the large intestine of ruminants. In Digestion and Metabolism in Ruminant, pp. 119133 [I., W., McDonald, and A. C. I. Warner, editors]. Armidale, Australia: University of New England Publishing Unit.Google Scholar
Vanhatalo, A. (1995) Assessment of intestinal feed nitrogen digestibility in ruminants by mobile-bag method. Academic Dissertation, University of Helsinki, Finland.Google Scholar
Vanhatalo, A., Dakowski, P. & Huhtanen, P. (1996) Effects of stage of growth and duration of rumen incubation time on intestinal digestibility of rumen-undegradable nitrogen of grass by the mobile-bag method in cows. Acta Agriculturae Scandinavica, Section A, Animal Science 46, 110.Google Scholar
Vanhatalo, A. & Ketoja, E. (1995) The role of large intestine in post-ruminal digestion of feeds by the mobile-bag method in cattle. British Journal of Nutrition 73, 491505.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Van Soest, P. J. (1995) Nutrition Ecology of the Ruminant, 2nd ed. Ithaca and London: Cornell University Press.Google Scholar
Van Vuuren, A. M., Bergsma, K., Frol-Kramer, F. & Van Beers, J. A. C. (1989) Effects of addition of cell wall degrading enzymes on the chemical composition and in sacco degradation of grass silage. Grass and Forage Science 44, 223230.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Varvikko, T. & Vanhatalo, A. (1990) The effect of differing types of cloth and contamination by non-feed nitrogen on intestinal digestion estimates using porous synthetic bags in a cow. British Journal of Nutrition 63, 221229.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Varvikko, T. & Vanhatalo, A. (1992) Effect of supplementary energy and protein feeding on the true digestion of grass-silage organic matter, cell walls and nitrogen by the combined-synthetic-fibre bag method. Canadian Journal of Animal Science 72, 671678.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Voigt, J., Piatkowski, B., Engelmann, H. & Rudolph, E. (1985) Measurement of the postruminal digestibility of crude protein by the bag technique in cows. Archiv für Tierernährung 35, 555562.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed