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Transfer of blood urea nitrogen to cecal microbial nitrogen is increased by fructo‐oligosaccharide feeding in guinea pigs
Author(s) -
Kawasaki Kiyonori,
Min Xiao,
Li Xiao,
Hasegawa Ena,
Sakaguchi Ei
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
animal science journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.606
H-Index - 38
eISSN - 1740-0929
pISSN - 1344-3941
DOI - 10.1111/asj.12238
Subject(s) - urea , cecum , chemistry , blood urea nitrogen , ammonia , zoology , urea nitrogen , metabolism , urine , food science , biochemistry , medicine , biology , creatinine
The present study was conducted to determine the mechanism by which nitrogen ( N ) availability is improved by fructo‐oligosaccharide ( FOS ) in guinea pigs. Adult male guinea pigs were fed a commercial pellet diet (50 g/day) with either 5% glucose or 5% FOS for 7 days in individual metabolism cages. After 7 days of feeding the diet, 15 N ‐urea was administered intravenously 1 h before slaughter under anesthesia. The amount and concentration of total, protein, bacterial, ammonia and urea N and the 15 N atom % excess were measured in blood, liver, gut contents and urine. The 15 N atom % excess of total and protein N , and the amount of total, protein and bacteria N and 15 N in the cecum were significantly increased by the consumption of FOS . Furthermore, the concentration and amount of short‐chain fatty acids were significantly increased by the consumption of FOS . In contrast, the amount of urinary 15 N was significantly decreased by the consumption of FOS . These results suggest that consumption of FOS increases transfer of blood urea N into the large intestine for bacterial N synthesis, which is subsequently re‐absorbed by cecotrophy, and contributes to the increase of N utilization in guinea pigs.