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Published on: September 7, 2015
Effect of Nitrate Supplementation on Digestion, Rumen Fermentation, Plasma Metabolites, and Nitrogen Use in Sheep Fed
Keletso Ntokome1, Taketo Obitsu1, Shion Hisadomi1
1Graduate School of Integrated Sciences for Life, Hiroshima University, Higashihiroshima-shi, Japan.
Abstract:
Dietary nitrate (NO3 -) is an alternative non-protein nitrogen (NPN) source and has mitigation effects on enteric methane emission in ruminants. This study investigated the effects of NO3 - supplementation on rumen fermentation, nutrient digestibility, and nitrogen (N) utilization, focusing on urea-N and amino acid metabolism in sheep fed a high-forage diet. Six Suffolk wethers were assigned to a 2 × 2 crossover design conducted over two periods of 40 days each. Dietary treatments included supplementation with either urea (1.4% dry matter [DM]) or calcium nitrate tetrahydrate (5.8% DM). Each supplement contributed 32% of the daily crude protein supply (12% of DM). Intake, nutrient digestibility, N balance, ruminal volatile fatty acid (VFA) profiles, and plasma fluxes of urea-N and phenylalanine were not affected by NO3 - supplementation, with a trend (p = 0.075) toward reduced DM digestibility. Ruminal ammonia-N (p = 0.004) and plasma urea-N (p < 0.001) concentrations were lower, whereas ruminal NO3 --N (p = 0.045) and plasma glucose, triglycerides, and cholesterol concentrations were higher (p < 0.001) with NO3 - supplementation compared to urea. These results demonstrate that NO3 - can substitute for urea as an NPN source without affecting intake, ruminal VFA profiles, and urea-N production in sheep.
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