Changes in Nitrogenous Compounds of the Whole Corn Plant during Ensiling and Subsequent Effects on Dry Matter Intake by Sheep

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
Changes in nitrogenous fractions of chopped corn plant material during ensiling and subsequent effects on utilization were studied. Proteolysis, yielding non-protein nitrogen was rapid and reached steady state conditions by 12 hr. after ensiling. Proteolytic enzyme activity declined rapidly from ensiling to a non-measurable level after 5 days. Twenty days after ensiling, 42% of the total N was water-soluble (WSN) and 58% was insoluble (RN). WSN contained 50 to 60% amino acid N, 8 to 12% ammonia-N, 30 to 40% undetermined N, and less than 1% urea and soluble protein N. Twelve-hour in vitro cellulose digestion by rumen microorganisms was lower (P< 0.05) with WSN from corn silage as the sole nitrogen source than with the urea-N control. The difference had disappeared by 48 hours. The amino acid composition of corn silage RN was similar to that of corn kernel protein. In vitro pepsin-pancreatin digestion of silage RN was lower than that of RN from freshly chopped corn plant material, and markedly lower than the casein control. Copyright © 1974. American Society of Animal Science . Copyright 1974 by American Society of Animal Science.

This publication has 0 references indexed in Scilit: