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A new protein evaluation system for horse feed from literature data
Annette Zeyner1, Susanne Kirchhof2, A Susenbeth3
1Department of Animal Nutrition , Martin-Luther-University Halle-Wittenberg , Halle (Saale) , Germany.
Journal of Nutritional Science
|June 20, 2015
Summary
Neutral detergent insoluble crude protein (NDICP) estimates indigestible protein in horses, while neutral detergent soluble crude protein (NDSCP) predicts digestible protein. This method offers a new way to assess protein and amino acid digestibility in equine diets.
Area of Science:
- Animal Nutrition
- Equine Physiology
- Digestive Biochemistry
Background:
- Limited data exists on apparent pre-caecal digestibility (APCD) of crude protein (CP) and amino acids (AA) in horses.
- Protein fractions, specifically neutral detergent insoluble CP (NDICP) and neutral detergent soluble CP (NDSCP), influence protein availability.
- NDICP is largely indigestible in the small intestine, while NDSCP is presumed digestible.
Purpose of the Study:
- To analyze the relationship between NDICP/NDSCP and pre-caecal indigestible/digestible CP in horses.
- To propose a predictive model for pre-caecal digestible CP based on protein fractions.
- To explore the preliminary application of this model to amino acid digestibility.
Main Methods:
- Literature analysis of studies reporting on protein fractions and pre-caecal digestibility in horses.
- Linear regression analysis to determine the relationship between NDICP, NDSCP, and pre-caecal digestible/indigestible CP.
- Extrapolation of findings to amino acid digestibility based on existing literature regarding AA profiles in protein fractions.
Main Results:
- A strong positive correlation was found between NDICP and pre-caecal indigestible CP.
- A significant correlation was observed between NDSCP and pre-caecal digestible CP.
- The regression analysis indicated an apparent pre-caecal digestibility of NDSCP of 90%, allowing prediction of digestible CP as 0.9 * NDSCP.
Conclusions:
- NDICP can effectively estimate the indigestible portion of crude protein in the equine small intestine.
- NDSCP can be utilized to predict pre-caecal digestible crude protein with 90% apparent digestibility.
- The proposed system offers a framework for estimating amino acid digestibility and can be refined with future research.
