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The possible use of long chain (C19-C32) fatty acids in herbage as an indigestible faecal marker

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  27 March 2009

N. D. Grace
Affiliation:
Applied Biochemistry Division, D.S.I.R., Private Bag, Palmerston North, New Zealand
D. R. Body
Affiliation:
Applied Biochemistry Division, D.S.I.R., Private Bag, Palmerston North, New Zealand

Extract

The organic matter (OM) intakes of grazing ruminants can be calculated from the digestibility of the OM and faecal OM outputs which in turn are determined indirectly by administering known amounts of indigestible markers such as Cr2O3 (Langlands, 1975). The possibility that the C19–C32 fatty acids in fresh herbage could be suitable as an indigestible marker for determining intakes of grazing animals was examined. An early report had shown that when ‘Grasslands Ruanui’ perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.) was fed fresh to sheep the C19–C32 fatty acids appeared not to be absorbed because their concentration increased from 7·2% of the total dietary fatty acids to 23·9% of the total faecal fatty acids (Body & Hansen, 1978).

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1981

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References

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