The conversion of casein into microbial proteins in the rumen

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Abstract
A partially purified diet, suitable for adult sheep, has been devised. When casein provided 87% of the N in this diet, at least 90% of the casein was degraded in the rumen and utilized for synthesis of microbial proteins. This conclusion was based on the estimation of casein in the mixed ingesta leaving the stomach. A chemical procedure was developed for determining small amounts of casein in the presence of other proteins; this procedure relies on the removal of inorganic phosphate from the original sample by dialysis, the alkaline hydrolysis of the phosphate group of casein and the subsequent estimation of the inorganic phosphate so formed.