Gastrointestinal Tract pH and Starch in Feces of Ruminants

Wheeler, William E.; Noller, C. H.

doi:10.2527/jas1977.441131x

Cited by 83 publications

(46 citation statements)

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“…Starch that bypasses ruminal fermentation can be digested enzymatically in the small intestine and absorbed as less complex or free sugars, be digested in the large intestine and absorbed as VFA, or be excreted as part of the feces (NRC, 2001). Wheeler and Noller (1977) measured pH across the digestive tract of ruminants fed high-grain rations and determined that fecal pH is a reliable measure for intestinal pH. In the present study, the distance from fecal pH to the optimal pH for pancreatic amylase activity (6.9; Russell et al, 1981) increased with calf age.…”

Section: Particle Size Starch Content and Ph Of Fecesmentioning

confidence: 86%

Digestive development in neonatal dairy calves with either whole or ground oats in the calf starter

Suarez-Mena

Heinrichs

Jones

et al. 2015

Journal of Dairy Science

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A series of 3 trials was conducted to determine effects of whole or ground oats in starter grain on reticulorumen fermentation and digestive system development of preweaned calves. Male Holstein calves (43.1±2.3kg at birth; n=8, 9, and 7 for trials 1, 2, and 3, respectively) were housed in individual pens in a heated facility; bedding was covered with landscape fabric to prevent consumption of bedding by the calves. In trials 1 and 2 only, calves were fitted with rumen cannulas by wk 2 of life. In all trials, a fixed amount of starter (containing 25% oats either ground and in the pellet or whole) was offered daily; orts were fed through the cannula in trials 1 and 2. Calves were randomly assigned to an all-pelleted starter or pellets plus whole oats. Rumen contents (trials 1 and 2) were sampled weekly at -8, -4, 0, 2, 4, 8, and 12 h after grain feeding for determination of pH and volatile fatty acids. Calves were killed 3 wk (trial 1) or 4 wk (trials 2 and 3) after grain was offered; organs were harvested, emptied, rinsed, and weighed to gauge digestive organ development. Starter intake was not different between treatments. Weekly measurements of rumen digesta pH did not change and only subtle changes were observed in molar proportions of individual volatile fatty acids. Molar proportion of butyrate and pH linearly decreased with age, whereas acetate proportion increased. Reticulorumen weight and papillae length tended to be greater for calves fed pelleted starter, whereas abomasum weight was greater for calves fed pellets plus whole oats. Fecal particle size and starch content were greater for calves fed pellets plus whole oats. Under the conditions of this study, physical form of oats in starter grain did not affect rumen fermentation measurements; greater rumen weight and papillae length in calves fed pelleted starter may be the result of greater nutrient availability of ground oats. Under the conditions of this study with young calves on treatments for <4 wk, increasing particle size of the starter by feeding whole oats did not affect rumen fermentation nor did it improve digestive system development.

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Section: Particle Size Starch Content and Ph Of Fecesmentioning

confidence: 86%

Digestive development in neonatal dairy calves with either whole or ground oats in the calf starter

Suarez-Mena

Heinrichs

Jones

et al. 2015

Journal of Dairy Science

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“…The relatively high degree of alkalinity found in the HDC rumen was surprising: if grain content, alone, governed rumen pH, then the rumen of HDC (fed 7:3) should have a lower (not higher) pH than the rumen of Hanwoo (HGS) receiving the same diet with lower (4:6) proportion grain. The unexpected buffering may possibly be attributed to lower standing concentrations of acids with a low pKa value, such as lactate (Table 2) (59,67); alternatively, physiological characteristic of the Holstein-Friesian breed may be involved.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Comparative Survey of Rumen Microbial Communities and Metabolites across One Caprine and Three Bovine Groups, Using Bar-Coded Pyrosequencing and ¹ H Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy

Lee

Jung

et al. 2012

Appl Environ Microbiol

129

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ABSTRACTPyrosequencing of 16S rRNA genes (targetingBacteriaandArchaea) and1H nuclear magnetic resonance were applied to investigate the rumen microbiota and metabolites of Hanwoo steers in the growth stage (HGS), Hanwoo steers in the late fattening stage (HFS), Holstein-Friesian dairy cattle (HDC), and Korean native goats (KNG) in the late fattening stage. This was a two-part investigation. We began by comparing metabolites and microbiota of Hanwoo steers at two stages of husbandry. Statistical comparisons of metabolites and microbial communities showed no significant differences between HFS and HGS (differing by a dietary shift at 24 months and age [67 months versus 12 months]). We then augmented the study by extending the investigation to HDC and KNG. Overall, pyrosequencing of 16S rRNA genes showed that the rumens had highly diverse microbial communities containing many previously undescribed microorganisms. Bioinformatic analysis revealed that the bacterial sequences were predominantly affiliated with four phyla—Bacteroidetes,Firmicutes,Fibrobacteres, andProteobacteria—in all ruminants. However, interestingly, the bacterial reads belonging toFibrobactereswere present at a very low abundance (<0.1%) in KNG. Archaeal community analysis showed that almost all of these reads fell into a clade related to, but distinct from, known cultivated methanogens. Statistical analyses showed that the microbial communities and metabolites of KNG were clearly distinct from those of other ruminants. In addition, bacterial communities and metabolite profiles of HGS and HDC, fed similar diets, were distinctive. Our data indicate that bovine host breeds override diet as the key factor that determines bacterial community and metabolite profiles in the rumen.

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“…The low correlation between fecal pH and fecal starch would suggest that fecal pH may not be as indicative of fecal starch as Wheeler and Noller (1977) have suggested. Thornton et al (1978) also found a low correlation (-.24) between fecal starch and fecal pH.…”

Section: Fecal Starch and Phmentioning

confidence: 79%

Protein Levels with and without Monensin for Finishing Steers

Thompson

Riley

1980

Journal of Animal Science

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Gastrointestinal Tract pH and Starch in Feces of Ruminants

Cited by 83 publications

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Digestive development in neonatal dairy calves with either whole or ground oats in the calf starter

Digestive development in neonatal dairy calves with either whole or ground oats in the calf starter

Comparative Survey of Rumen Microbial Communities and Metabolites across One Caprine and Three Bovine Groups, Using Bar-Coded Pyrosequencing and ¹ H Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy

Protein Levels with and without Monensin for Finishing Steers

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Gastrointestinal Tract pH and Starch in Feces of Ruminants

Cited by 83 publications

References 0 publications

Digestive development in neonatal dairy calves with either whole or ground oats in the calf starter

Digestive development in neonatal dairy calves with either whole or ground oats in the calf starter

Comparative Survey of Rumen Microbial Communities and Metabolites across One Caprine and Three Bovine Groups, Using Bar-Coded Pyrosequencing and 1 H Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy

Protein Levels with and without Monensin for Finishing Steers

Contact Info

Product

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About

Comparative Survey of Rumen Microbial Communities and Metabolites across One Caprine and Three Bovine Groups, Using Bar-Coded Pyrosequencing and ¹ H Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy