title: Nitrogen metabolism, digestive parameters, and protein requirements for the maintenance of buffalo growth.
abstract: The objectives of this study were to evaluate the effect of crude protein (CP) levels in the diet of growing female buffaloes on nitrogen metabolism and estimate protein requirements for maintenance. Four female buffaloes were used, cannulated in the rumen, with an average initial body weight (BW) of 355 ± 3.5 kg, in a Latin square (4 × 4) with four animals and four levels of CP in the diet (70, 90, 110, and 130 g/kg dry matter (DM)) composed of corn silage and concentrate. The increase in protein intake with increasing levels of dietary CP resulted in a higher concentration of ammonia in the rumen and higher ruminal disappearance of PB. However, omasal flow of protein increased linearly as did the efficiency of microbial protein synthesis. The CP levels affected DM intake and other nutrients positively, but there was no effect on nutrient total digestibility. Nitrogen (N) balance, when expressed relative to N intake, had an average value of 48.5 % observed across. The protein requirement for the maintenance of growing female buffaloes was 4.6 g CP/kg BW(0.75).
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Zootecnia, Universidade Estadual de Maringá, Avenida Colombo, Maringá, 5790, PR, Brazil. ericamachado27@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Erica
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Machado
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Zootecnia, Universidade Estadual de Maringá, Avenida Colombo, Maringá, 5790, PR, Brazil.
authors.forename: Emerson Henri
authors.initials: EH
authors.lastname: Yoshimura
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Zootecnia, Universidade Estadual de Maringá, Avenida Colombo, Maringá, 5790, PR, Brazil.
authors.forename: Nadine Woruby
authors.initials: NW
authors.lastname: Santos
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Zootecnia, Universidade Estadual de Maringá, Avenida Colombo, Maringá, 5790, PR, Brazil.
authors.forename: Bruna Calvo
authors.initials: BC
authors.lastname: Agustinho
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Zootecnia, Universidade Estadual de Maringá, Avenida Colombo, Maringá, 5790, PR, Brazil.
authors.forename: Lucelia de Moura
authors.initials: Lde M
authors.lastname: Pereira
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Zootecnia, Universidade Estadual de Maringá, Avenida Colombo, Maringá, 5790, PR, Brazil.
authors.forename: Rafael Barreiros
authors.initials: RB
authors.lastname: Samensari
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Zootecnia, Universidade do Estado de Mato Grosso, Rodovia BR 174, Km 209, Pontes e Lacerda, 78250-000, MT, Brazil.
authors.forename: Silvia Cristina
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: de Aguiar
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Zootecnia, Universidade Estadual de Maringá, Avenida Colombo, Maringá, 5790, PR, Brazil.
authors.forename: Lucia Maria
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Zeoula
mesh_terms: D000821:Animal Feed / Q000032:analysis*; D000824:Animal Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; D000818:Animals; D002020:Buffaloes / Q000254:growth & development*; D004032:Diet / Q000662:veterinary*; D004044:Dietary Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D004063:Digestion; D005260:Female; D009584:Nitrogen / Q000378:metabolism*; D012417:Rumen / Q000378:metabolism; D012820:Silage / Q000032:analysis
chemical_list: D004044:Dietary Proteins; D009584:Nitrogen
keywords: Microbial synthesis; Nitrogen retention; Protein omasal flow; Ruminal digestibility