A new faeces collection method for pigs has been developed which allows collection of faeces into a plastic bag. This new method greatly reduces faecal losses and thereby permits virtually complete collection of faecal material. The method can be applied easily and causes less discomfort to the animals than previous methods.

Two experiments were conducted to determine apparent ileal DM and crude-protein (CP) digestibilities in rations fed to pigs. An evaluation was made of Cr,O, and HC1-insoluble ash as digestive markers. In addition, the effects of body weight (BW) on apparent ileal DM and C P (N x 625) digestibilities were studied. In Expt 1, thirteen barrows averaging 35 kg BW were fitted with post-valve T-caecum (PVTC) cannulas to determine the apparent ileal DM and C P digestibilities of a wheat glutepbran ration (B2) and a soyabean-meal ration (El). Immediately after morning feeding ileal digesta samples were collected on an hourly basis for a total of 12 h. Subsequently, N and marker contents were determined in the samples. The postprandial patterns of N and Cr passage were more similar than those of N and HClinsoluble ash. Therefore Cr,O, is more suitable as a marker than HC1-insoluble ash. The apparent ileal C P digestibility coefficient of ration B2 derived using Cr,O, as a marker was significantly (P < 0.05) higher by 0.018 compared with the value obtained using HCI-insoluble ash. The corresponding values for ration E2 obtained using Cr,O, and HC1-insoluble ash were both 0.825. In Expt 2, apparent ileal DM and C P digestibilities were determined in eighteen rations using twelve barrows also fitted with PVTC cannulas (BW from 40 to 100 kg). The protein sources for these rations were from different groups of feedstuffs. In four and three of the rations apparent ileal DM and C P digestibilities respectively were significantly different (P < 0.05) when assessed using the two markers. The digestibility coefficients were not systematically higher or lower for either marker. Absolute differences were < 0.049 on average. Significant effects of live weight on apparent ileal CP digestibilities were found.

Young and adult male rabbits were alternately fed semipurified diets and a commercial diet over a period of 57 weeks. The semipurified diets, containing either casein or soy protein, and the commercial diet were fed either ad libitum or on a restricted basis. When a restricted feeding regime was applied, both in the young and adult rabbits, significantly higher levels of serum cholesterol were observed in the animals fed casein compared with their counterparts fed soy protein. However, during the first period of feeding the semipurified diets, the hypercholesterolemic response of the casein diet was significantly greater in the young than in the adult rabbits. During the second and third period, no significant differences in cholesterolemic response were observed between young and adult rabbits fed casein diets. Further, the cholesterolemic response to semipurified diets containing casein was progressively lower during the second and third period. Similar results were found when the rabbits were fed ad libitum. However, in the adult rabbits no significant differences were observed between the rabbits fed casein and soy protein. Thus, the results of this study show that adult rabbits are less susceptible to the induction of hypercholesterolemia by feeding casein diets than are young ones.

Rabbits were fed cholesterol-free, semipurified diets containing 42% (wt/wt) casein or 21% casein plus one of the following nitrogen sources: soy isolate, amino acid mixture simulating casein, amino acid mixture simulating soy isolate, formaldehyde-treated casein or formaldehyde-treated soy isolate. Two additional groups of rabbits were fed the 42% casein diet and the diet containing casein plus soy isolate to which 0.4% (wt/wt) pure formaldehyde was added, this amount being identical to the amount of formaldehyde present in the diets with formaldehyde-treated proteins. Growth was somewhat reduced on the three diets containing 42% casein. The diet containing 42% casein to which no formaldehyde had been added induced severe hypercholesterolemia, the level of serum cholesterol after 8 weeks being about 10 mmol/L. The hypercholesterolemia was markedly reduced by the replacement of half of the casein by soy isolate, formaldehyde-treated soy isolate or formaldehyde-treated casein. No significant reduction of the concentration of serum cholesterol was seen when half of the 42% casein was replaced by an amino acid mixture imitating either casein or soy isolate. Formaldehyde per se did not significantly influence the level of serum cholesterol. We conclude that the differential tertiary structure of intact casein and soy isolate is an important factor in determining the cholesterolemic responses in rabbits to these proteins.