A new approach to the quantitative estimation of nitrogen metabolic pathways in the rumen.

Abstract

Rumen nitrogen metabolism values were estimated by the use of a single injection of 15(NH4)2SO4 into the rumen of sheep and consecutive 15N enrichment measurements in the rumen ammonia pool, rumen non-NH3-N (NAN) pool, rumen purine pool and blood urea-N (BUN) pool for a period of 24 h. Synthesis and degradation of N compounds in the rumen and passage of N to and from the rumen were evaluated on a chemical rather than a microbial basis; microbial fractions were not separated. This model was examined in two experiments. In Expt 1 a ram (55 kg) was given a semi-synthetic diet (1067 g dry matter (DM), 22.8 g N) in which soya-bean meal provided over 90% of the N. In Expt 2, two rams (45 kg) were ..