Microbially corrected amino acid composition of rumen-undegraded feed protein and amino acid degradability in the rumen of feeds enclosed in nylon bags

Abstract

1. In the previous work (Varvikko & Lindberg, 1985), 15 N-labelled rapeseed (Brassica napus), barley, ryegrass (Lolium perenne) and barley straw were incubated in the rumen in nylon bags for 5, 12 and 24 h and microbial nitrogen in the residues was quantified using the feed 15 N-dilution method. In the present study, residual amino acids (AA) of these feeds were analysed, and microbially corrected AA of feed origin (feed AA) were estimated as the difference between total residual AA and respective microbial AA, assuming a constant AA composition for the microbial protein. 2. In barley and barley-straw residues, and also in ryegrass incubated in the rumen for 24 h, very large enrich- ment by microbial N and AA-N was found. The microbial enrichment was rather small in rapeseed residues and ryegrass incubated for 5 or 12 h. During the rumen incubation, feed N and AA-N (g/kg feed dry matter (DM)) decreased very clearly in all the feeds, and feed and incubation time effects were always statistically significant (P < 0.001).3. The slow degradation of essential (E) feed AA compared with the respective non-essential (NE) AA degradation increased the proportion of feed EAA (g/kg determined feed AA) in barley and barley-straw residues. In rapeseed and ryegrass, residual feed EAA: NEAA remained very similar to the original. Branched-chain (Br) AA tended to increase proportionally in all the feed residues, suggesting these AA to be, on average, more resistant against microbial degradation in the rumen than other AA. Similarly, lysine was clearly increased in barley residues. A rumen degradation faster than the average rate caused decreased residual feed glutamic acid in rapeseed; methionine, alanine and glycine in barley; arginine and alanine in ryegrass; and methionine, asparagine and tyrosine in barley straw. Feed and incubation time effects were significant (P < 0.054–001) for feed AA (g/kg determined feed AA) grouped as EAA, BrAA or NEAA, and for most individual AA, as well as for feed AA disappearance (%) and relative amounts (%) of feed AA in the respective residual AA.4. According to present findings, AA composition of the rumen-undegraded vegetable feed residues may markedly differ, either quantitatively or qualitatively (or both), from their original AA composition. When determining the feed AA composition of nylon-bag residues, the microbial error may be very large with starchy or fibrous feeds of low protein content. The microbial AA do not, however, considerably confuse the AA determination of protein-rich feeds.