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Comparison of non-tracer and tracer methods for determination of volatile fatty acid production rate in the rumen of sheep fed on two levels of intake

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  09 March 2007

Cécile Martin ,
Niels B. Kirstensen  and
Pekka Huhtanen
Cécile Martin*
Affiliation:
Unité de Recherche sur les Herbivores, INRA Theix, 63122 Saint-Genès-Champanelle, France
Niels B. Kirstensen
Affiliation:
Department of Animal Nutrition and Physiology, Danish Institute of Agricultural Sciences, Box 50, DK-8830 Tjele, Denmark
Pekka Huhtanen
Affiliation:
Animal Production Research, Agricultural Research Centre, FIN-31600 Jokioinen, Denmark
*
*Corresponding author: Dr Cécile Martin, fax +33 4 73 62 42 73, email cecile@clermont.inra.fr
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Abstract

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The aim of the present work was to estimate volatile fatty acid (VFA) production rate in the rumen of sheep fed two levels of intake using both a tracer (TM; by isotope dilution) and a non-tracer method (NTM; by supplementary infusion) in steady-state conditions. Six wethers received a diet containing 700 g lucerne hay and 300 g ground maize/kg in eight equal meals at 3 h intervals per d. The diet (9·8 MJ metabolizable energy (ME)/kg DM) was offered at 90 % ad libitum consumption (high intake, HI) or 45 % ad libitum consumption (low intake, LI) in a 2×2 crossover design. Each sheep received five intrarumen VFA solutions infused continuously for 24 h at rates of 250 ml and 165 ml/h for the HI and LI respectively. The first infusion, considered as a control treatment (Con), consisted of a solution of [1-13C]propionate (7 mmol/d). The four other solutions were isoenergetic (1·9 MJ ME/kg DM intake) mixtures of unlabelled propionate (C3) and butyrate (C4) at different levels: 0·90 mol C4/kg DM intake; 0·60 mol C4+0·45 mol C3/kg DM intake; 0·30 mol C4+0·90 mol C3/kg DM intake; 1·35 mol C3/kg DM intake. The VFA infusions did not affect rumen fermentation of the basal diet (pH, osmotic pressure, protozoa numbers), and comparable DM digestibility of the diet among the different treatments was observed. Both estimation methods demonstrated a similar increase (1·7-fold) in the rumen VFA production rate of sheep fed at intakes varying between 0·9 to 1·7 times maintenance. Irrespective of the intake level, the rumen production rate of individual VFA was on average 1·5-fold higher when estimated by the TM compared with the NTM. Rumen VFA production rates estimated by the NTM and TM represented 80 % and 120 % ME intake respectively. The difference between NTM and TM estimates seems likely to be caused mainly by overestimation of the VFA production rates by the TM.

Keywords

RumenVolatile fatty acidsProduction rateIntake level
Type
Research Article
Information
British Journal of Nutrition , Volume 86 , Issue 3 , September 2001 , pp. 331 - 340
Copyright
Copyright © The Nutrition Society 2001

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