Dietary supplementation with saponlns to improve rumen function and animal performance in the tropics

摘要

Nutritional status of grazing ruminants depend basically upon rumen production and balance of volatile fatty acids and microbial protein. The physiological status of greatest economical importance (i.e. early growth, late gestation an early lactation)demand a large amount of amino acids which are not fulfilled by the flow of rumen microbial protein to duodenum. However, this protein flow accounts for only 50% of the rumen potential to produce and export microbial protein to duodenum (Nolan and Stachiw, 1979). The presence of rumen ciliate protozoa reduces the nitrogen economy for the ruminant (Leng, 1990) by means of increasing significantly nitrogen recycling into the rumen compartment (Coleman, 1989).