Hostname: page-component-77c89778f8-rkxrd Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-07-17T11:00:24.724Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Chemical composition and energy value of the body, fatty acid composition of adipose tissue, and liver and kidney size in the horse

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 September 2010

J. Robb ,
R. B. Harper ,
H. F. Hintz ,
J. T. Reid ,
J. E. Lowe ,
H. F. Schryver  and
M. S. S. Rhee
J. Robb
Affiliation:
Department of Animal Science and Equine Research Program, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, U.S.A.
R. B. Harper
Affiliation:
Department of Animal Science and Equine Research Program, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, U.S.A.
H. F. Hintz
Affiliation:
Department of Animal Science and Equine Research Program, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, U.S.A.
J. T. Reid
Affiliation:
Department of Animal Science and Equine Research Program, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, U.S.A.
J. E. Lowe
Affiliation:
Department of Animal Science and Equine Research Program, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, U.S.A.
H. F. Schryver
Affiliation:
Department of Animal Science and Equine Research Program, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, U.S.A.
M. S. S. Rhee
Affiliation:
Department of Animal Science and Equine Research Program, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, U.S.A.
Get access

Summary

A study was made of the chemical composition and energy value of the whole, empty body, and of the relative size of certain organs in 11 ponies ranging in full-body weight from 81 to 259 kg. The fatty acid composition of various adipose tissues was examined in three ponies.

Ingesta-free body weight (Y) was found to be highly predictively related (r2 = 0·) to the full-body weight (X) in accordance with the equation, Y = 0·9678X–10·41. The gastrointestinal contents constituted 9·65 ± 3·44% of the full-body weight.

Despite the heterogeneous nature of the population examined and the small range in body fatness (6·6% to 18·9% of ether-extractable lipids in the empty body), 93·3 % of the variation in the concentration of body fat was associated with the variation in the concentration of water. The mean fat-free, empty body contained 70·7 % of water, 22·6 % of protein and 6·0 % of ash. Of the variation in the weights of water, fat, protein, ash and energy, 97·0%, 64·5%, 91·0%, 85·2% and 87·0%, respectively, were ascribable to the variation in empty-body weight.

For the conglomerate body, the calorific values of protein and fat were 5·381 and 9·311 kcal/g, respectively.

The ranges for the mean percentage contents of major individual acids in the fatty acids of five adipose tissues were: oleic, 29·5–33·3; palmitic, 26·1–28·0; linoleic, 17·1–24·0; palmitoleic, 6·2–9·5; and linolenic, 3·8–10·2. In one animal the depot fats contained relatively high concentrations (8·6–12·0 %) of linolenic acid; the concentrations of palmitic and linoleic acids were correspondingly lower than those of the depot fats of the other horses.

Tissue weights of various segments of the gastrointestinal tract were linear functions of body weight. About 87 % and 82 % of the variation in the weights of liver and kidneys respectively, was associated with the variation in full-body weight.

Type
Research Article
Information
Animal Production , Volume 14 , Issue 1 , February 1972 , pp. 25 - 34
Copyright
Copyright © British Society of Animal Science 1972

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

REFERENCES

Anderson, M. 1969. A study of L-(+)-lactic acid dehydrogenase and the interrelationships between enzyme activity, liver size and feed intake in sheep. Ph.D. Thesis, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York.Google Scholar
Association of Official Agricultural Chemists. 1955. Methods of Analysis. 8th ed. Association of Official Agricultural Chemists, Washington, D.C.Google Scholar
Armsby, H. P. and Moulton, C. R. 1925. The Animal as a Convenor of Matter and Energy. The Chemical Catalog Co, New York.Google Scholar
Bensadoun, A. and Reid, J. T. 1965. Effect of physical form, composition and level of intake of diet on the fatty acid composition of the sheep carcass. J. Nutr. 87: 239–244.Google Scholar
Blaxter, K. L. and Rook, J. A. F. 1953. The heat of combustion of the tissues of cattle in relation to their chemical composition. Br. J. Nutr. 7: 83–91.Google Scholar
Brody, S. 1964. Bioenergetics and Growth. Hafner Publishing Co Inc, New York.Google Scholar
Brooker, E. G. and Shorland, F. B. 1950. Studies on the composition of horse oil. 1. Composition of horse oil in relation to the depot fats of other pasture-fed animals. Biochem. J. 46: 80–85.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Crile, G. and Quirling, D. P. 1940. A record of the body weight and certain organ weights of 3690 animals. Ohio J. Sci. 40: 219–259.Google Scholar
Gupta, S. S. and Hilditch, T. P. 1951. The component acids and glycerides of a horse mesenterie fat. Biochem. J. 48: 137–146.Google Scholar
Julian, L. M., Lawrence, J. H., Berlin, N. I. and Hyde, G. M. 1956. Blood volume, body water and body fat of the horse. J. appl. Physiol. 8: 651–653.Google Scholar
Keenan, D. C. 1967. Changes in body composition, metabolism and voluntary intake resulting from caloric restriction. Ph.D. Thesis, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia.Google Scholar
Marchello, M. J., Fontenot, J. P. and Kelly, R. F. 1969. Effect of pre- and post-ruminal administration of corn oil on ovine fat. J. Anim. Sci. 29: 874–881.Google Scholar
Moulton, C. R. 1923. Age and chemical development in mammals. J. biol. Chem. 57: 79–97.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Murray, J. A. 1922. The chemical composition of animal bodies. J. agric. Sci., Camb. 12: 103–110.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ogilvie, B. M., McClymont, G. L. and Shorland, F. B. 1961. Effect of duodenal administration of highly unsaturated fatty acids on composition of ruminant depot fat. Nature, Lond. 190: 725–726.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Pitts, G. C. and Bullard, T. R. 1968. Some interspecific aspects of body composition in mammals. In Body Composition in Animals and Man, p. 45. Publ. No. 1598. Nat. Acad. Science, Washington, D.C.Google Scholar
Prentice, T. D., Siri, W., Berlin, N. I., Hyde, G. M., Parsons, R. J., Joiner, E. E. and Lawrence, J. H. 1952. Studies of total body water with tritium. J. din. Invest. 31: 412–418.Google ScholarPubMed
Reid, J. T., Bensadoun, A., Bull, L. S., Burton, J. H., Gleeson, P. A., Han, I. K., Joo, Y. D., Johnson, D. E., McManus, W. R., Paladines, O. L., Stroud, J. W., Tyrrell, H. F., Van Niekerk, B. D. H. and Wellington, G. W. 1968. Some peculiarities in the body composition of animals. In Body Composition in Animals and Man, p. 19. Publ. No. 1598. Nat. Acad. Science, Washington, D.C.Google Scholar
Widdowson, E. M. 1965. Chemical analysis of the body. In Human Body Composition. (ed. Brozek, J.), p. 31. Pergamon Press, Oxford.Google Scholar