Studies on nitrogen utilization in ruminants

• Ano de defesa: 2015
• Autor(a) principal: Batista, Erick Darlisson
• Tipo de documento: Tese
• Tipo de acesso: Acesso aberto
• Idioma: eng
• Instituição de defesa: Universidade Federal de Viçosa
• Palavras-chave em Português: Bovino - Alimentação e rações; Metabolismo do nitrogênio; Proteínas; Digestão; Nutrição e Alimentação Animal
• Link de acesso: http://www.locus.ufv.br/handle/123456789/7287

In cattle, efficiency of nitrogen (N) utilization (g N in product/g N intake) is lower compared to others species (e.g., pig, chicken). For that reason, there is an extensive loss of N in manure, leading to environmental pollution. However, understanding the key mechanisms involved in control of N metabolism, such as efficiency of N capture in the rumen from recycled N and metabolism of amino acids (AA) in the body can improve efficiency of N utilization. To understand these factors, this dissertation was developed based on three studies. The objective of the first study was to evaluate the effects of supplemental ruminally degradable (RDP) and undegradable protein (RUP) on nutrient digestion, N metabolism, urea kinetics, and muscle protein degradation in Nellore heifers (Bos indicus) consuming low-quality signal grass hay [5% of crude protein (CP), 80% of neutral detergent fiber (NDF); dry matter (DM) basis). Five ruminally and abomasally cannulated Nellore heifers (248 ± 9 kg) were used in a 5 × 5 Latin square. Treatments were: control (no supplement); and RDP supplementation to meet 100% of the RDP requirement plus RUP provision to supply 0%, 50%, 100%, or 150% of the RUP requirement. Supplemental RDP (casein plus nonprotein N) was dosed ruminally twice daily, and RUP supply (casein) was continuously infused abomasally. Jugular infusion of [ 15 N 15 N]- urea with measurement of enrichment in urine was used to evaluate urea kinetics. The ratio of urinary 3-methylhistidine to creatinine was used to estimate skeletal muscle protein degradation. Forage NDF intake (2.48 kg/d) was not affected (P > 0.37) by supplementation, but supplementation did increase ruminal NDF digestion (P < 0.01). Total N intake (by design) and N retention increased (P < 0.001) with supplementation and also increased linearly with RUP provision. Urea entry rate (UER) and gastrointestinal entry rate of urea (GER) were increased by supplementation (P < 0.001). Supplementation with RUP linearly increased (P = 0.02) UER and tended (P = 0.07) to linearly increase GER. Urea use for anabolic purposes tended (P = 0.07) to be increased by supplementation, and RUP provision also tended (P = 0.08) to linearly increase the amount of urea used for anabolism. The fraction of recycled urea- N incorporated into microbial N (MNU) was greater (P < 0.001) for control (22%) than for supplemented (10%) heifers. Urinary 3-methylhistidine:creatinine of control heifers was more than double that of supplemented heifers (P < 0.001). Control heifers reabsorbed a greater (P < 0.001) fraction of urea from the renal tubule than did supplemented heifers. Overall, unsupplemented heifers had greater mobilization of AA from myofibrillar protein, which provided N for urea synthesis and subsequent recycling. Supplemental RUP, when RDP was supplied, not only increased N retention, but also supported increased urea-N recycling and increased ruminal microbial protein synthesis. In the second chapter, urea kinetics and microbial assimilation of recycled urea N in ruminants were evaluated using a meta-analytical approach. Treatment mean values were compiled from 25 studies with ruminants (beef cattle, dairy cows, and sheep) which were published from 2001 to 2016, totaling 107 treatment means. The dataset was analyzed according to meta-analysis techniques using linear or non-linear mixed models, taking into account the random variations among experiments. Urea N synthesized in the liver (UER) and urea N recycled to the gut (GER) linearly increased (P < 0.001) as N intake (g/BW 0.75 ) increased, with increases corresponding to 71.5% and 35.2% of N intake, respectively. The UER was positively associated (P < 0.05) with dietary CP and the ratio of CP to digestible OM (CP:DOM). Maximum curvature analyses indicate that above 17% of CP there is a prominent increase on hepatic synthesis of urea N due to an excess of dietary N and NH 3 input. The GER:UER decreased with increasing dietary CP content (P < 0.05). At dietary CP ≥ 19%, the fraction of GER became constant. The fraction of UER eliminated as urinary urea N and the contribution of urea N to total urinary N were positively associated with dietary CP (P < 0.05), plateaued at about 17% of CP. The fractions of GER excreted in the feces and utilized for anabolism decreased, whereas the fraction of GER returned to the ornithine cycle increased with dietary CP content (P < 0.05). Recycled urea N assimilated by ruminal microbes (as a fraction of GER) decreased as dietary CP and CP:DOM increased (P < 0.05). The efficiency of microbial assimilation of recycled urea N plateaued at 194 g CP/kg DOM. The models obtained in this study can to contribute to the knowledge on N utilization in feeding models and optimizing urea recycling, reducing N losses that contribute to air and water pollution. The objective of the third chapter was to evaluate the efficiency of lysine (Lys) utilization by growing steers. Five ruminally cannulated Holstein steers (165 kg ± 8 kg) housed in metabolism crates were used in a 6 × 6 Latin square design; data from a sixth steer was excluded due to erratic feed intake. All steers were limit fed (2.46 kg DM/d) twice daily diets low in RUP (81% soybean hulls, 8% wheat straw, 6% cane molasses, and 5% vitamins and minerals). Treatments were: 0, 3, 6, 9, 12, and 15 g/d of L-Lys abomasally infused continuously. To prevent AA other than Lys from limiting performance, a mixture providing all essential AA to excess was continuously infused abomasally. Additional continuous infusions included 10 g urea/d, 200 g acetic acid/d, 200 g propionic acid/d, and 50 g butyric acid/d to the rumen and 300 g glucose/d to the abomasum. These infusions provided adequate ruminal ammonia and increased energy supply without increasing microbial protein supply. Each 6-d period included 2 d for adaptation and 4 d for total fecal and urinary collections for measuring N balance. Blood was collected on d 6 (10 h after feeding). Diet OM digestibility was not altered (P ≥ 0.66) by treatment and averaged 73.7%. Urinary N excretion decreased from 32.3 to 24.3 g/d by increasing Lys supplementation to 9 g/d, with no further reduction when more than 9 g/d of Lys was supplied (linear and quadratic P < 0.01). Changes in total urinary N excretion were predominantly due to changes in urinary urea-N. Increasing Lys supply from 0 to 9 g/d increased N retention from 21.4 to 30.7 g/d, with no further increase beyond 9 g/d of Lys (linear and quadratic P < 0.01). Break-point analysis estimated maximal N retention at 9 g/d supplemental Lys. Over the linear response surface of 0 to 9 g/d Lys, the efficiency of Lys utilization for protein deposition was 40%. Plasma urea-N tended to be linearly decreased (P = 0.06) by Lys supplementation in agreement with the reduction in urinary urea-N excretion. Plasma concentrations of Lys increased linearly (P < 0.001), but leucine, serine, valine, and tyrosine (P ≤ 0.02) were reduced linearly by Lys supplementation, likely reflecting increased uptake for protein deposition. In our model, Lys supplementation promoted significant increases in N retention and was maximized at 9 g/d supplemental Lys with efficiency of utilization of 40%.