Hostname: page-component-745bb68f8f-5r2nc Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2025-02-06T07:01:21.748Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

An assessment of the value of plasma urea nitrogen and albumin concentrations as monitors of the protein status of sheep

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 September 2010

A.R. Sykes
A.R. Sykes
Affiliation:
Moredun Research Institute, Edinburgh, EH17 7JH
Get access

Extract

There are two basic aspects of protein metabolism the measurement of which may assist in improving sheep management, first, the extent to which the daily requirement of the animal is met and secondly, the extent of depletion of body reserves. The need for the latter assessment arises because in some situations in which nutrient requirement and supply are not in phase it is often desirable for economic reasons to utilize the capacity of the animal to deplete and replete its body reserves.

Of the major nutrients, the prediction of energy metabolism from plasma parameters has received most attention. Thus the work of Annison (1960), Reid and Hinks (1962), West and Annison (1964) relating Free Fatty Acid (FFA) concentration to rate of fat mobilization allowed the prediction not only of energy balance but also rate of energy reserve mobilisation in controlled nutritional situations (Russel, Doney and Reid, 1967; Russel and Honey, 1969; Robinson, Fraser and Bennett, 1971).

Type
Research Article
Information
BSAP Occasional Publication , Volume 1: The Use of Blood Metabolites in Animal Production , January 1978 , pp. 143 - 154
Copyright
Copyright © British Society of Animal Production 1978

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

REFERENCES

Abou Akkada, A.R. and Osman, H.El.S. 1967. The use of ruminal ammonia and blood urea as an index of the nutritive value of protein in some food stuffs. J. agric. Sci., Camb. 69: 25–31.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Annison, E.F. 1960. Plasma non-esterified fatty acids in sheep. Aust. J. agric. Res. 11: 58–64.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Chalmers, M.I. and Synge, R.L.M. 1954. The digestion of protein and nitrogenous compounds in ruminants. Ad. Protein Chem. 9: 93–120.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Cocimano, M.R. and Leng, R.A. 1967. Metabolism of urea in sheep. Br. J. Nutr. 21: 553–571.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Coop, R.L., Sykes, A.R. and Angus, K.W. 1976. Subclinical trichostrongylosis in growing lambs produced by continuous larval dosing. The effect on performance and certain plasma constituents. Res, vet. Sci. 21: 255–258.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
El-Shazly, K. 1958. Studies on the nutritive value of some common Egyptian feedingstuffs. 1. Nitrogen retention and ruminal ammonia curves. J. agric. Sci., Camb. 51: 149–156.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Field, A.C., Suttle, N.F. and Gunn, R.G. 1968. Seasonal changes in the composition and mineral content of hill ewes. J. agric. Sci., Camb. 71: 503–510.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Field, A.C., Sykes, A.R. and Gunn, R.G. 1974. Effects of age and state of incisor dentition on faecal output of dry matter and on faecal and urinary output of nitrogen and minerals of sheep grazing hill pastures. J. agric. Sci., Camb. 85: 151–160.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Graham, N. McC. 1968. Effects of undernutrition in late pregnancy on the nitrogen and energy metabolism of ewes. Aust. J. agric. Res. 19: 555–565.Google Scholar
Guada, J.A., Robinson, J.J. and Fraser, C. 1975. The effect of dietary energy concentration on protein utilization during late pregnancy in ewes. J. agric. Sci., Camb. 85: 175–184.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Guada, J.A., Robinson, J.J. and Fraser, C. 1976. The effect of a reduction in food intake during late pregnancy on nitrogen metabolism in ewes. J. agric. Sci., Camb. 86: 111–116.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kirk, R.D. and Walker, D.M. 1976. Plasma urea nitrogen as an indicator of protein quality. 1. Factors affecting the concentration of urea in the blood of the rire-ruminant lamb. Aust. J. agric. Res. 27: 109–116.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kirsch, R., Frith, L., Black, E. and Hoffenberg, R. 1968. Regulation of albumin synthesis and catabolism by alteration of dietary protein. Nature, Lond. 217: 578–579.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Lewis, D. 1957. Blood urea concentration in relation to protein utilization in the ruminant. J. agric. Sci., Camb. 48: 458–446.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Mcintyre, K.H. 1970. The effects of increased nitrogen intakes on plasma urea nitrogen and rumen ammonia in sheep. Aust. J. agric. Res. 21: 501–507.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Mackie, W.S. and Fell, B.F. 1971. The half-life of serum albumin in relation to liver hypertrophy in the lactating ewe. Res, vet. Sci. 12: 54–58.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Meat and Livestock Commission. 1975. Feeding the ewe. Sheep Improvement Service. Tech. Rep. No. 2. Meat and Livestock Commission, Bletchley, Bucks.Google Scholar
Mulligan, W. 1972. The effect of helminth infection on the protein metabolism of the host. Proc. Nutr. Soc. 51: 47–51.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Parkins, J.J., Holmes, P.H. and Bremner, K.C. 1973. The pathophysiology of ovine ostertagiasis: some nitrogen balance and digestibilitystudies. Res, vet. Sci. 14: 21–28.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Pfander, W.H., Grebing, S.E., Price, C.M., Lewis, O., Asplund, J.M. and Ross, C.Y. 1975. Use of plasma urea nitrogen to vary protein allowances of lambs. J. anim. Sci. 41: 647–653.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Peeston, R.L., Schnakenberg, D.D, and Pfander, W.H. 1965. Protein utilization in ruminants. 1. Blood urea nitrogen as affected by protein intake. J. Nutr. 86: 281–288.Google Scholar
Pritchard, R.K., Hennessey, D.R. and Griffiths, D.A. 1974. Endocrine responses of sheep to infection with Trichostrongylus colubriformis. Res, vet. Sci. 17: 182–187.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Reid, R.L. and Hinks, N.T. 1962. Studies on the carbohydrate metabolism of sheep. XVTI. The metabolism of glucose, free fatty acids, ketones and amino acids in late pregnancy and lactation. Aust. J. agric. Res. 13: 1112–1123.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Robinson, J.J., Fraser, C. and Bennett, C. 1971. An assessment of the energy requirements of the pregnant ewe using plasma free fatty acid concentrations. J. agric. Sci., Camb. 77: 141–145.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Roseby, F.B. and Leng, R.A. 1974. Effects of Trichostrongylus colubriformis (Nematoda) on the nutrition and metabolism of sheep. II. Metabolism of urea. Aust. J. agric. Res. 25: 363–367.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Russel, A.J.F. and Doney, J.M. 1969. Observations on the use of plasma free fatty acid concentrations in the determination of maintenance requirements of sheep. J. agric. Sci., Camb. 72: 59–63.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Russel, A.J.F., Doney, J.M. and Reid, R.L. 1967. The use of biochemical parameters in controlling nutritional state in pregnant ewes, and the effect of undernourishment during pregnancy on lamb birthweight. J. agric. Sci., Camb. 68: 351–358.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Russel, A.J.F., Gunn, R.G. and Doney, J.M. 1968. Components of weight loss in pregnant hill ewes during winter. Anim. Prod. 10: 43–51.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Somers, M. 1961. Factors influencing secretion of nitrogen in sheep saliva. 2. The influence of nitrogen intake upon blood urea nitrogen and upon the total nitrogen and urea nitrogen in the parotid saliva of sheep. Aust. J. exp. Biol. med. Sci. 39: 123–131.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Sykes, A.R. and Coop, R.L. 1976. Intake and utilization of food by growing lambs with parasitic damage to the small intestine caused by daily dosing with Trichostrongylus colubriformis larvae. J. agric. Sci., Camt. (in press).Google Scholar
Sykes, A.R. and Dingvall, R.A. 1976. The phosphorus requirement of pregnant sheep. J. agric. Sci., Camb. (in press).Google Scholar
Sykes, A.R. and Field, A.C. 1972. Effects of dietary deficiencies of energy, protein and calcium on the pregnant ewe. I. Body composition and mineral content of the ewes. J. agric. Sci., Camb. 78: 109–117.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Sykes, A.R. and Field, A.C. 1973. Effects of dietary deficiencies of energy, protein and calcium on the pregnant ewe. IV. Serum total protein, albumin, globulin, transferrin and plasma urea levels. J. agric. Sci., Camb. 80: 29–36.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Sykes, A.E. and Field, A.C. 1974. Seasonal changes in plasma concentrations of proteins, urea, glucose, calcium and phosphorus in sheep grazing a hill pasture and their relationship to changes in body composition. J. agric. Sci., Camb. 83: 161–169.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Tagaei, H., Dror, Y., Ascarelli, I. and Bondi, A. 1964. The influence of levels of protein and starch in rations of sheep on the utilization of protein. Br. J. Nutr. 18: 333–356.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Wardener, de H.E. 1973. In The Kidney, an Outline of Normal and Abnormal Structure and Function. 4th ed. p. 35. Churchill Livingstone, Edinburgh and London.Google Scholar
Weeth, H.J., Haverlahd, L.H. and Cassard, D.W. 1960. Consumption of sodium chloride water by heifers. J. Anim. Sci. 19: 845–851.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
West, C.E. and Annison, E.F. 1964. Metabolism of palmitate in sheep. Biochem. J. 92: 573–578.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed