EFFECTS OF GRADED DIETARY PROTEIN LEVELS ON UREA RECYCLING IN THE PIG

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Abstract
The kinetics of urea recycling were determined in six female crossbred pigs utilizing a radioisotope dilution technique. The experimental animals were fed three times daily 500 g of a corn-soybean meal diet formulated to contain 8.4, 15.8 or 24.7% crude protein. Nitrogen digestibility, urinary nitrogen excretion, total nitrogen excretion and retained nitrogen were highest on the 24.7% protein diet and decreased with decreasing dietary protein. Urea pool size, entry rate and excretion rate were also highest on the 24.7% protein diet and decreased with decreasing protein intake. Expressed as a percentage of the total entry rate, a significantly higher percentage of urea was recycled in pigs fed the low protein diets compared with those fed a higher protein diet. Key words: Pig, urea, recycling, kinetics, protein