The estimation of ruminal protein degradation parameters of various feeds using in vitro modified gas production technique.

This study was conducted to determine in vitro crude protein degradation (IVDP) parameters and effective crude protein degradability (EPD) of various feeds using the modified in vitro gas production (GP) technique. Feed samples were alfalfa hay, soybean meal, soybean, rapeseed meal, sunflower meal and fish meal. Rumen fluid was collected before the morning feeding from four rumen fistulated lambs (49.4 ± 3.5 kg, body weight). Approximately 90 ml of buffered rumen fluid (BRF), 400 mg of feed samples and carbohydrates (maltose, xylose and starch) at four concentrations (100, 200, 300, and 400 mg) were added to screw-cap bottles. Gas production (ml) and ammonia nitrogen concentration (mg) in each bottle were measured at 4, 8, 12, 16, 24, and 30 h post incubation and IVDP was calculated via estimated intercept of linear regression between GP (as main variable, X) and ammonia nitrogen (as dependent variable, Y) using the linear regression procedure. Feed, time and feed × time interaction had significant effect on IVDP (P<0.001). Estimated EPD values at the outflow rate of 0.06/h for alfalfa hay, soybean meal, soybean, rapeseed meal, sunflower meal and fish meal were 0.56, 0.77, 0.59, 0.45, 0.50 and 0.38, respectively.