• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.17 no.8
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• pp.1123-1130
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• 2004

Two experiments were conducted to examine the effects of dietary inclusion of xylose on growth performance, nutrient digestibility and xylose absorption in the portal-drained viscera of broiler chicks. In Exp. 1, ninety male 14 day-old broilers were used to study the effects of different inclusion levels (0, 5, 10, 20 and 40%) of D-xylose in the semi-purified diets on the growth and nutrient digestibility of broilers. In Exp. 2, One hundred and eight male broilers, fed by precision feeding at 22 day-old, were used to investigate the absorption and transportation of dietary xylose in the portal-drained viscera of broiler. The results of Exp. 1 indicated that the growth of broilers was gradually decreased as the xylose level increased (p<0.01). With the xylose supplementation increased, the moisture in broiler excreta was gradually elevated (p<0.01), AME and the digestibilities of crude protein and ether extract were significantly reduced and the digestibilities of xylose and arabinose were also decreased (p<0.01). The results of Exp. 2 showed that the concentrations of ribose, xylose and galactose in serum were significantly influenced by different dietary levels of xylose (p<0.01), but there's no apparent difference among rhamnose, glucose and arabinose (p>0.05). The xylose concentration in serum was highest in Vena Cava, middle in Portal Vein and lowest in Ulnar Vein within 6 h after precision feeding. And then the xylose concentration in Portal Vein and Ulnar Vein were higher than that of Vena Cava. The concentration of ribose, xylose and galactose in serum were also significantly changed with time prolongation (p<0.01). The concentration of xylose in serum was highest in the 40% xylose treatment, middle in the 20% xylose group and lowest in the control group. The glycogen contents in liver and muscle were linearly decreased as the level of xylose increased (p<0.01). The higher the dietary level of xylose was, the lower digestibility of dietary xylose was (p<0.10). 40% xylose markedly decreased the digestibility of dietary glucose (p<0.01). In conclusion, high levels of xylose in the diets inhibited the growth and nutrient digestibility of broiler. The outputs of xylose from the hydrolyzation of wheat-based diet by xylanase should have no adverse effects on broiler performance.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.18 no.9
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• pp.1255-1261
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• 2005

The objective of this study was to evaluate the net flux response of nitrogen compounds (alpha-amino N, ammonia N, urea N, essential amino acids) across the portal-drained viscera (PDV), liver and total splanchnic tissues of mature wethers to increasing level of dietary fishmeal (FM) supplementation. Four wethers (average body weight, 64 kg) with chronic indwelling catheters into the portal, hepatic and mesenteric veins and the abdominal aorta were used in a 4${\times}$4 Latin square design. A basal diet consisting of 0.7 hay and 0.3 concentrate was fed twice daily with a fixed amount at 1.4 times maintenance energy (1.3 kg/day on a dry matter basis). The supplementation proportion of FM as treatment was 0, 0.03, 0.06 and 0.09 to the amount of the basal diet to contain 119, 137, 154 and 170 g crude protein per kg dietary dry matter, respectively. Blood flows through PDV and liver did not differ (p>0.05) among the treatments. Both net PDV release and hepatic uptake of alpha amino acid N increased linearly (p<0.05) in response to increased dietary FM, which resulted in similar total splanchnic release of alpha-amino N among the treatments. Similarly, increased dietary FM increased net PDV absorption and hepatic removal of ammonia N linearly (p<0.05). Hepatic synthesis and total splanchnic release of urea N increased linearly (p<0.01) with increased dietary FM, but PDV uptake of urea N did not respond to increased dietary FM. Linear regression equations between the increases in FM N intake and PDV net flux indicated that 0.34 and 0.30 of FM N was absorbed in the form of alpha-amino N and ammonia N, respectively. The results demonstrated that FM supplementation provides more alpha-amino N than ammonia N to the liver, but the alpha-amino acid N absorption is less than the expected metabolizable protein N from FM supplementation.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.22 no.3
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• pp.371-377
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• 2009

The objectives of the present study were to investigate the effects of different dietary ratios of whole-crop corn silage and alfalfa hay on nitrogen (N) digestion, duodenal flow and metabolism across the portal-drained viscera (PDV) of growing beef steers, and to elucidate their relationships. Four steers (236${\pm}$7 kg BW) fitted with duodenal cannulae and chronic indwelling catheters into the portal and mesenteric veins and abdominal aorta were used in a 4${\times}$4 Latin square design. Animals were fed (at 12-h intervals) the 4 diets consisting of whole-crop corn silage (C) and alfalfa hay (A) in 80:20 (C8A2), 60:40 (C6A4), 40:60 (C4A6) and 20:80 (C2A8) ratios of which dietary crude protein (CP) was 10.5, 12.0, 13.5 and 15.0% of dry matter (DM), respectively. Feeding level was restricted to 95% of ad libitum intake to measure N digestion, blood flow and net flux of N across the PDV. Digestibility of DM and neutral detergent fiber and digestible energy intake linearly increased as the ratio of alfalfa hay increased. The N intake, duodenal flow and intestinal disappearance increased linearly with increasing alfalfa hay. Arterial and portal concentrations of ${\alpha}$-amino N showed a quadratic response to increasing levels of alfalfa hay and were the highest in steers fed the C6A4 diet. The net PDV release of ${\alpha}$-amino N and ammonia N increased linearly with increasing alfalfa hay, but urea N uptake by PDV did not differ among diets. As a percentage of apparently digested N in the total gut, net PDV release of ${\alpha}$-amino N linearly decreased from 66 to 48% with increasing alfalfa hay. Conversely, net PDV recovery of ${\alpha}$-amino N to intestinal N disappearance varied with increasing alfalfa hay accounting for 49, 50, 58 and 61% on C8A2, C6A4, C4A6 and C2A8 diets, respectively. Net PDV uptake of urea N, relative to apparently digested N, linearly decreased from 81 to 25% as alfalfa hay increased from 20 to 80% of DM intake. Considering PDV uptake of urea N, microbial efficiency and conversion of total tract digested N to PDV ${\alpha}$-amino N net supply, a diet consisting of 80% whole-crop corn silage and 20% alfalfa hay (10.5% CP) was the best, while considering the quantities of intestinal N disappearance and ${\alpha}$-amino N absorption, a diet of 20% whole-crop corn silage and 80% alfalfa hay (15% CP) would be preferred. The proportion of ${\alpha}$-amino N recovered by PDV relative to the intestinal N disappearance may vary with energy intake level of mixed forage diets.