Protein and Amino Acid Digestion, Metabolism, and Utilization in Ruminants

A special issue of Animals (ISSN 2076-2615). This special issue belongs to the section "Animal Nutrition".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 September 2024) | Viewed by 2017

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Texas A&M AgriLife Research, Amarillo, TX 79106, USA
Interests: beef cattle nutrition; feed additives for ruminants; grain processing methods; by-products in beef cattle diets; feedlot management; ruminant health; nutritional immunology

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Guest Editor
Department of Animal Science, South Dakota State University, Brookings, SD 57007, USA
Interests: beef; beta-agonist; carcass; co-products; feedlot; growth; meat quality; steroidal implants

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Protein is often the first limiting nutrient when formulating diets for beef and dairy cattle. Protein is the major nitrogenous macronutrient of the diet and has structural, signaling and physiological functions. Models to estimate protein requirements for beef and dairy cattle, also called the metabolizable protein system, separate the requirements of ruminal microorganisms for nitrogenous components from the protein requirements of the host animal. Adequate characterization of rumen degradable protein, rumen undegradable protein and microbial protein, as well as the correct estimates of animal requirements for amino acids during different physiological stages (e.g., growth, gestation, lactation) is essential to improve nitrogen utilization in ruminants. The consequences of under- or over-overfeeding protein to ruminants goes beyond the economic viability of cattle operations, having environmental impacts such as the total reactive nitrogen loss (e.g., ammonia and nitrous oxide) in the atmosphere.

Due to the importance of protein nutrition for ruminants, this Special Issue aims to publish original research papers and literature reviews on protein and amino acid digestion, metabolism and utilization in ruminants, including the environmental aspects associated with nitrogen losses from beef and dairy production systems.

I invite you to share your recent findings through your contributions to this Special Issue.

Dr. Vinícius Gouvêa
Dr. Zachary Smith
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • amino acid
  • ammonia
  • beef cattle
  • by-products
  • dairy cattle
  • feedlot
  • methionine
  • milk
  • nitrogen
  • protein
  • rumen fermentation
  • urea

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

17 pages, 4023 KiB  
Article
New Technology of Rumen-Protected Bypass Lysine Encapsulated in Lipid Matrix of Beeswax and Carnauba Wax and Natural Tannin Blended for Ruminant Diets
by Claudiney Felipe Almeida Inô, José Morais Pereira Filho, Roberto Matheus Tavares de Oliveira, Juliana Felipe Paula de Oliveira, Edson Cavalcanti da Silva Filho, Ariane Maria da Silva Santos Nascimento, Ronaldo Lopes Oliveira, Romilda Rodrigues do Nascimento, Kevily Henrique de Oliveira Soares de Lucena and Leilson Rocha Bezerra
Animals 2024, 14(19), 2895; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani14192895 - 8 Oct 2024
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1512
Abstract
Tannins are compounds present in forage plants that, in small quantities in the diet of ruminants, produce protein complexes that promote passage through the rumen and use in the intestine. This study tested the hypothesis that beeswax (BW) and carnauba wax (CW) lipid [...] Read more.
Tannins are compounds present in forage plants that, in small quantities in the diet of ruminants, produce protein complexes that promote passage through the rumen and use in the intestine. This study tested the hypothesis that beeswax (BW) and carnauba wax (CW) lipid matrices are effective encapsulants for creating bypass lysine (Lys) for ruminants, with tannin extracted from the Mimosa tenuiflora hay source enhancing material protection. Microencapsulated systems were made using the fusion–emulsification technique with a 2:1 shell-to-core ratio and four tannin levels (0%, 1%, 2%; 3%). The following eight treatments were tested: BWLys0%, BWLys1%, BWLys2%, BWLys3%, CWLys0%, CWLys1%, CWLys2%, and CWLys3%. Tannin inclusion improved microencapsulation yield and efficiency. CWLys3% had the highest microencapsulation efficiency and retained Lys. Lysine in BW and CW matrices showed higher thermal stability than in its free form. Material retention was greater in BW than CW. Rumen pH and temperature remained unaffected, indicating that BW and CW as the shell and tannin as the adjuvant are efficient encapsulants for Lys bypass production. The formulation CWLys3% is recommended as it is more efficient in protecting the lysin amino acid from rumen degradation. Full article
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