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The objective of this study was to characterize ruminal degradation, intestinal digestion and total true nutrient supply to dairy cows from canola feedstock (canola seeds) and coproducts (meal and pellets) from bio-oil processing which were impacted by source origin. The feedstocks and coproducts (mash, pellet) were randomly collected from five different bio-oil processing plants with five different batches of samples in each bio-processing plant in Canada (CA) and China (CH). In situ rumen degradation kinetics were determined using four fistulated Holstein cows with incubation times at 0, 2, 4, 8, 12, 24 and 48 h. Intestinal digestions were determined using the three-step in vitro method with preincubation at 12 h. The DVE/OEB and National Research Council systems were applied to evaluate the truly absorbable nutrient supply to dairy cows and feed milk values (FMVs). The results showed that in situ undegradable fractions (U) (p = 0.025) were higher in CA meals, and potentially degradable fraction of D was higher (p = 0.016) in CH meals. CH meals had higher total digestible dry matter (TDDM, p = 0.018) and intestinal digestibility of protein (dIDP, p = 0.016). Canola meals from CA had lower MREE (microbial protein synthesized in the rumen based on available rumen degradable protein; p = 0.011) and DVME (rumen synthesized microbial protein digested in the small intestine; p = 0.011) and had higher ECP (endogenous protein in the small intestine, p = 0.001) and absorbed endogenous crude protein (truly absorbed ECP in the small intestine) than CH (p = 0.001). The FMV evaluated based on the metabolic protein and net energy showed no differences between CA and CH in both coproducts and feedstocks., (© 2024 Wiley‐VCH GmbH. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Dynamics of starch digestion in dairy cows fed extruded pellets differing in physical functional properties were investigated by measuring starch digestibility, post-prandial rumen fermentation patterns, and post-prandial duodenal starch appearance. Additionally, starch digestion effects on neutral detergent fiber (NDF) digestibility and methane (CH 4 ) emission were studied. Pure barley was extruded to produce three treatments having pellets of either low-density (LD), medium-density (MD) or high-density (HD). The experiment was conducted in a 3 × 3 Latin square design using three lactating Danish Holstein cows fitted with ruminal, duodenal and ileal cannulas. After the allocation of experimental concentrate directly into the rumen through the rumen cannula, cows were fed a basal diet low in starch. Eight samples were collected on equal time intervals (9 h) from duodenal digesta, ileal digesta and feces (grab sample) to determine digestibility. For post-prandial rumen fermentation patterns, four sample sets of rumen dorsal, medial and ventral fluid were taken from each cow, whereas for post-prandial duodenal starch appearance, 14 samples of duodenal chyme were obtained from each cow relative to morning feeding of experimental concentrate at 07:00 h. Ruminal, small intestinal, hindgut and total tract digestibility of starch did not differ among treatments. Similarly, NDF digestibility and CH 4 emission also remained unaffected by treatments. However, compared with the LD and MD treatments, the HD treatment showed higher acetate: propionate ratio at all positions in the rumen and a higher post-prandial duodenal starch appearance. This indicates lower ruminal starch degradation (RSD) and higher starch flow into the small intestine for HD treatment. In conclusion, the current study indicates that pellets' physical properties can manipulate RSD, where pellets with high density and fluid stability can partly shift starch digestion from the rumen to the small intestine. Indeed, further investigations are needed., (© 2022 The Authors. Journal of Animal Physiology and Animal Nutrition published by Wiley-VCH GmbH.)

The ruminal kinetics of protein sources may be changed by heat and sugar treatments. Thus, these processing methods may be used as alternatives to increase beef-cattle diets’ rumen undegradable protein (RUP). We aimed to evaluate the effects of processing cottonseed meals with autoclave, conventional, and microwave ovens, with and without using xylose, on the ruminal kinetics degradation parameters and intestinal digestibility (ID). In situ studies were conducted, and each sample was incubated in the rumen to determine dry matter (DM) and crude protein (CP) rumen degradation kinetics. In vitro studies were also conducted to evaluate ID. The control treatment had a greater soluble fraction for DM and CP than processed cottonseed meals (p < 0.05). The addition of xylose decreased both DM and CP water-soluble fractions (fraction A) of cottonseed meal heated in a conventional oven (p < 0.05). Compared to the control, we observed a decrease in effective degradability and increased RUP for all processed methods (p < 0.05). Furthermore, conventional and microwave ovens showed greater ID than the control. Moreover, xylose-treated groups heated in the autoclave and conventional ovens had greater ID than xylose-untreated cottonseed meal. Under these experimental conditions, cottonseed RUP was increased by the evaluated processing methods.

Peanut meal has an excellent total protein content but also has low rumen undegradable protein (RUP). High-performance ruminants have high RUP requirements. We aimed to evaluate the effects of processing peanut meal with an autoclave and conventional and microwave ovens, with and without using xylose on its ruminal kinetics degradation parameters and intestinal digestibility (ID). In situ studies were conducted to determine dry matter (DM) and crude protein (CP) rumen degradation kinetics. In vitro studies were conducted to evaluate intestinal digestibility (ID). The control treatment had a greater fraction A for DM and CP than peanut meals processed with an autoclave or conventional oven. The control had greater kd for CP compared with the microwave. The addition of xylose decreased fraction A, the degradation rate of fraction B (kd) and RUP, and increased the protein B fraction of autoclaved peanut meal. We observed a decrease in effective degradability (ED) and increased RUP for processed treatments in all experiments compared with the control. Processing methods did not affect the protein ID of autoclaved peanut meal compared to the control. An interaction between xylose and heating time was observed, where increasing heating time linearly reduced the ID of xylose-untreated treatments. Overall, these results suggest that the tested methods effectively increased the RUP content of peanut meal.

Background: The effects of growth stage (GS) and ensiling were assessed on whole-crop oat's (Avena sativa L. cv. Cantara) chemical composition, silage fermentation quality and in situ ruminal degradability. Oat was harvested and ensiled at six GS: boot, heading, water ripe, early milk, early dough and grain ripe (144, 151, 178, 234, 362 and 512 g kg -1 of dry matter (DM) of whole-crop forage, respectively)., Results: GS influenced chemical composition, silage fermentation quality and ruminal degradability of whole-crop oat. Lower DM and higher water-soluble carbohydrates (WSC) contents lead to adequate forage compaction and fermentation at early GS; however, effluent was produced until the dough stage (L and Q; P ≤ 0.003). Advancing in maturity increased (P < 0.001) crop yield (4.5 to 9.4 t DM ha -1 ), DM (144 to 512 g kg -1 ), neutral detergent fibre (NDF; 537 to 571 g kg -1 DM), lignin (44.6 to 71.3 g kg -1 DM) and starch contents (26.4 to 201 g kg -1 DM), and reduced (P < 0.001) crude protein (107 to 60 g kg -1 DM) and WSC (115 to 17.5 g kg -1 DM). DM and NDF ruminal degradability declined with maturity for fresh and ensiled forages (L and Q; P < 0.05). Density and buffering capacity decreased with GS (L and Q; P < 0.001), whereas pH and soluble protein increased (L and Q; P ≤ 0.004)., Conclusion: The growth stage of oat influenced the nutritive value and ruminal degradation to a greater extent than ensiling, and thus it can play a paramount role in whole-crop oat silage quality. © 2021 Society of Chemical Industry., (© 2021 Society of Chemical Industry.)

To effectively utilize the tropical cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz) foliage (CF) resources, the CF silages were prepared with microbial additives, including Chikuso-1 (CH1, Lactobacillus plantarum), Snow Lact L (SN, L. rhamnosus), Acremonium cellulase (CE), SN + CE and CH1 + CE. Silage fermentation, chemical composition and ruminal degradation were studied in Hainan, China. CF silages prepared with lactic acid bacteria (LAB) and CE were well preserved, with a higher (P < 0.05) lactic acid, a lower (P < 0.05) pH value, butyric acid content and NH3-N ⁄ total-N compared with the controls. The additive-treated silages showed increased crude protein (CP) content, but decreased (P < 0.05) NDF and ADF contents. Meanwhile, the additive treatment improved relative feed value and ruminal degradability of dry matter (DM), CP, neutral detergent fiber and acid detergent fiber. In addition, the combination of LAB and CE resulted in better fermentation quality and ruminal degradability compared with LAB or CE single treatment. The results demonstrated that the CF could be prepared as ruminant feed, and the combination of LAB and CE might exert beneficial synergistic effect on silage fermentation.

We evaluated the lotus rhizome as a potential ruminant feed by investigating its compositional properties, in situ degradation profile and in vitro fermentation characteristics with ruminal microbes, in comparison with cereal grains (corn, barley and wheat). The antioxidative activities in the lotus rhizome were also estimated. The soluble fraction of dry matter in lotus tuber was >70%, which was higher than those in the grains. The insoluble fraction in lotus tuber was not degraded by ruminal microbes in accord with a first-order reaction. In an in vitro experiment, lotus tuber showed lower fermentation at 8 hr compared to the grains, but exhibited higher productions of gas and VFA at 48 hr along with a lower lactate and higher pH. The lower value of final lactate production in lotus tuber, indicating the metabolic capacity for lactate utilization retained, suggests a lower risk of ruminal acidosis compared to grains. Lotus rhizome had high antioxidant activities, with the foliar bud showing the strongest ferric reducing antioxidant power, followed in order by the apical bud, node, residual tuber, edible tuber, and nodal root. For ruminants, the lotus rhizome could thus be not only an energy feed but also the source of natural antioxidants., (© 2019 Japanese Society of Animal Science.)

This work studied the effect of feeding glycerin in bulls that were fed high levels of concentrate on the ruminal environment and in situ degradability of feedstuffs. Four ruminally cannulated young bulls were assigned to a 4 × 4 Latin square arrangement of treatments. The diets consisted of 15% barley straw and 85% concentrate in dry matter (DM). There were four different concentrates: without glycerin, and with 20, 40 or 80 g of glycerin per kg of DM. Each diet was offered for 24 days, the ruminal fluid was sampled to evaluate the ruminal metabolism and to determine the ruminal bacterial population by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction analysis, and the in situ degradability of six different feedstuffs was measured. The treatment with the highest level of glycerin provided the lower pH ( p < 0.001), and the acetic/propionic molar ratio decreased ( p < 0.001) as glycerin increased. The incorporation of glycerin in the diet did not affect the DNA copies/µL of the total bacteria, Butyrivibrio fibrisolvens and Butyrivibrio proteoclasticus ( p > 0.05) in the DNA extract of rumen fluid, but at high levels increased Selenomonas ruminantium ( p < 0.01). Very few effects of glycerin incorporation were found for the in situ degradability. In young bulls that were fed high levels of concentrate, glycerin at 20 or 40 g/kg of feed could be included without affecting the ruminal pH and raising the propionic acid, but at 80 g/kg the ruminal pH dropped, despite the increase of Selenomonas ruminantium .

Background: Very limited information exists on the ruminal degradation kinetics of nutrients in garlic stalk. The present study aimed to survey the annual yield of garlic stalk in Korea and determine its feed-nutritive value for ruminants., Methods: In Experiment 1, garlic stalk was incubated in situ in the rumen of two Hanwoo steers (360 ± 15 kg body weight) and removed after 12, 24, or 48 h to determine the ruminal degradation kinetics of DM and NDF. Rice straw was also included for comparison. In Experiment 2, In Experiment 2, six male Corriedale sheep were randomized to two dietary treatments to determine the apparent digestibility of nutrients in garlic stalk. Diets included a control ration without garlic stalk (60% concentrate mix +40% ryegrass) or a treatment ration (70% control diet +30% garlic stalk)., Results: The Korean national yield of garlic stalk (sun-dried basis) in 2016 was estimated to be 31,910 tons, with the southern coastal regions producing the highest quantity. Compared with rice straw, garlic stalk had lower NDF, higher ADF, and greater effective degradabilities of DM and NDF, resulting in a greater TDN value (56.3%), which was higher than that obtained for rice straw (43.7%)., Conclusion: These results provide basic information on the ruminal DM and NDF degradation kinetics of garlic stalk, which would be helpful for the efficient utilization of this by-product in ruminant diets.

In order to improve the silage fermentation of stylo (Stylosanthes guianensis) in tropical areas, stylo silages were prepared with commercial additives Lactobacillus plantarum Chikuso-1 (CH1), L. rhamnasus Snow Lact L (SN), Acremonium cellulase (CE) and their combination as SN+CE or CH1 + CE, and the fermentation quality, chemical composition and ruminal degradation of these silages were studied. Stylo silages treated with lactic acid bacteria (LAB) or cellulase, the pH value and NH 3 -N ⁄ total-N were significantly (P < 0.05) decreased while the ruminal degradability of dry matter (DM), crude protein (CP), neutral detergent fiber (aNDFom) and acid detergent fiber (ADFom) were significantly (P < 0.05) increased compared to control. Compared to LAB or cellulase-treated silages, the DM, CP contents and relative feed value (RFV), and the ruminal degradability in LAB plus cellulase-treated silages were significantly (P < 0.05) higher, but the aNDFom content was significantly (P < 0.05) lower. CH1 + CE treatment was more effective in silage fermentation and ruminal degradation than SN+CE treatment. The results confirmed that LAB or LAB plus cellulase treatment could improve the fermentation quality, chemical composition and ruminal degradation of stylo silage. Moreover, the combined treatment with LAB and cellulase may have beneficial synergistic effects on ruminal degradation., (© 2017 Japanese Society of Animal Science.)

Background: This work aimed to study the chemical composition and in vitro digestibility of seeds and pulp from grape pomace. In sacco degradability, ruminal fermentation of grape pomace fractions and plasma lipid peroxidation were also studied in sheep fed with or without grape pomace., Results: Seed and pulp fractions of grape pomace had different values for cell walls (523 vs 243 g kg -1 dry matter (DM)), crude protein (CP, 104 vs 138 g kg -1 DM), ether extract (EE, 99.0 vs 31.7 g kg -1 DM), polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA, 69.6 vs 53.3%) and extractable polyphenols (55.0 vs 32.1 g kg -1 DM). The in vitro true digestibility, DM in sacco degradability and CP degradability of seeds and pulp were also different (0.51 vs 0.82, 0.30 vs 0.45 and 0.66 vs 0.39 respectively). The ammonia-N concentration and total volatile fatty acids (VFA) in ruminal liquid were significantly lower and plasma lipid peroxidation was also numerically lower in sheep that consumed grape pomace., Conclusion: The nutritive value of grape pomace varies depending on the proportion of seeds and pulp. The interest of this by-product in sheep feeding could be related to its polyphenol and PUFA content, which could improve meat and milk quality. © 2016 Society of Chemical Industry., (© 2016 Society of Chemical Industry.)

To test the effects of year and processing plant on the nutritional value of canola meal (CM), 3 CM samples/yr were collected from each of 12 Canadian production plants over 4yr (total=144). Samples of CM were analyzed for differences in chemical composition and for in vitro ruminal protein degradability using the Michaelis-Menten inhibitor in vitro (MMIIV) method. In the MMIIV method, protein degradation rate (kd) was estimated by 2 methods: from net release (i.e., blank corrected) of (1) ammonia plus AA determined by o-phthaldialdehyde fluorescence (OPAF) assay or (2) ammonia, AA, plus oligopeptides determined by o-phthaldialdehyde absorbance (OPAA) assay; rumen-undegradable protein (RUP) was computed assuming passage rates of 0.16 and 0.06/h for, respectively, soluble and insoluble protein. Casein, solvent soybean meal (SSBM), and expeller soybean meal (ESBM) were included in all incubations as standard proteins. Differences among years and plants were assessed using the mixed procedures of SAS. Small but significant differences were found in CM among years for chemical composition, including N solubility; some of these differences may have been related to changes in our analytical methods over time. However, adjustment of degradation activity of individual in vitro incubations based on the mean degradation activity over all incubations yielded kd and RUP that did not differ by year using either assay. Simultaneously incubating CM samples from 2yr in the same in vitro runs confirmed that no year effects existed for kd or RUP. Differences existed in chemical composition of CM among the 12 processing plants over the 4yr of sample collection. Moreover, consistent differences in kd and RUP were observed among plants: kd ranged from 0.069 to 0.113/h (OPAA assay) and 0.075 to 0.120/h (OPAF assay), and RUP estimates ranged from 51 to 43% (OPAA assay) and 49 to 41% (OPAF assay). Regression of kd on insoluble N content of CM yielded correlation coefficients (R(2))=0.40 (OPAA assay) and 0.42 (OPAF assay), and regressions of kd on NDIN and N-fraction B3 yielded R(2)<0.02. Mean estimates from both OPAA and OPAF assays for casein, SSBM, ESBM, and CM were, respectively, kd=0.764, 0.161, 0.050, and 0.093/h and RUP=18, 33, 56, and 45%. A range of 8 percentage units from lowest to highest RUP suggests that substantial differences exist in metabolizable protein content of CM produced by different processing plants., (Copyright © 2016 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

The ruminal degradability and intestinal digestibility of dry matter (DM), crude protein (CP) and amino acids (AA) in three total mixed rations with different CP levels were estimated using the modified in vitro three-step procedure (TSP) and mobile nylon bag (MNB) technique on growing lambs. The ruminal effective degradability of DM and CP did not respond with increasing dietary CP level. However, the intestinal digestibility of DM was significantly increased with increasing dietary CP level estimated by TSP (P < 0.05) or MNB method (P < 0.01). Intestinal digestibility coefficients of CP determined by TSP were lower than those of the MNB method. Histidine was extensively degraded by rumen micro-organisms, while tyrosine was the most anti-degradable AA among the samples. The ruminal AA degradability exhibited no significant differences except for threonine, tryptophan, alanine, aspartic acid and proline for the three diets. Similarly, only a few AAs (i.e. histidine, methionine, tryptophan, aspartic acid and cysteine in TSP; histidine, tryptophan, aspartic acid and serine in MNB) had significant differences in their intestinal digestibility; in addition, values of MNB were lower than that of the TSP method, indicating that intestinal digestibility of DM seems to be overestimated in TSP, while that of CP might be overestimated in the MNB method., (© 2015 Japanese Society of Animal Science.)