title: In vitro metabolism of phenylalanine by ruminal bacteria, protozoa, and their mixture.
abstract: An in vitro study was conducted to examine the metabolism of phenylalanine (Phe) by mixed rumen bacteria (B), mixed rumen protozoa (P), and a combination of the two (BP). Rumen microorganisms were collected from fistulated goats fed lucerne cubes (Medicago sativa) and a concentrated mixture twice a day. Microbial suspensions were anaerobically incubated at 39 degrees C for 12 h. Phe and some other related compounds in both supernatants and microbial hydrolysates of the incubations were analysed by HPLC. The net degradation rate (&mgr;mol/g microbial nitrogen) of Phe in B was about 1.5-fold higher than that in P. Phe was converted mainly into phenylacetic acid (PAA) and unknown compound(s) that presumably involved tyrosine in B, P, and BP during the 12 h incubation period. Small amounts of benzoic acid (BZA), and traces of phenylpropionic acid (PPR) and phenyllactic acid (PLA) were also produced from Phe. PAA production in B was found to be higher than that in P, whereas it was significantly higher in BP. Although BZA production was less than one-tenth that of PAA production, it was higher in P than in B and BP. PPR was detected in both B and BP, but not in P. PLA was detected only in B. The production of unknown compound(s) was higher in B than in P and BP.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Animal Nutrition and Biochemistry, Division of Animal Science, Miyazaki University, Miyazaki 889-21, Japan.
authors.forename: Mohammad Ruhul
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Amin
authors.forename: Ryoji
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Onodera