title: Effect of dietary protein and urea on in vitro caecal ammonia production from urea and uric acid in cockerels.
abstract: 1. Single Comb White Leghorn adult cockerels were fed on 50 g/kg protein diet, 200 g/kg protein diet or 50 g/kg protein diet plus urea and in vitro ammoniagenesis from urea and uric acid in the caeca was determined. 2. Four-fold protein intake caused about 4.6-fold increase in caecal ammonia production from urea (P < 0.05), and tended to increase it from uric acid as compared with 50 g/kg protein-fed birds. 3. Dietary urea significantly increased caecal ammonia production from urea and uric acid by about 2 and 3 times as much as those of control birds, respectively (P < 0.05). 4. It is concluded that increased protein intake and the feeding of urea are able to induce ammoniagenesis from urea and uric acid in the caeca of fowls.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Animal Nutrition and Feed Science, Faculty of Agriculture, Shinshu University, Nagano-Ken, Japan.
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Karasawa
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Umemoto
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Koh
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001835:Body Weight; D002432:Cecum / Q000378:metabolism*; D002645:Chickens / Q000378:metabolism*; D004044:Dietary Proteins / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008297:Male; D000644:Quaternary Ammonium Compounds / Q000378:metabolism*; D014508:Urea / Q000378:metabolism*; D014527:Uric Acid / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D004044:Dietary Proteins; D000644:Quaternary Ammonium Compounds; D014527:Uric Acid; D014508:Urea