The Effect of Diet on Ruminal Lactate Accumulation Rates in Acidotic Cattle
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Authors
White, Kimberly A.
Issue Date
1988
Type
Thesis
Language
en_US
Keywords
Alternative Title
Abstract
To maximize feed efficiency for weight gain in cattle, cattlemen feed animals
high energy grain diets. A negative consequence of feeding this type of diet is a
metabolic and physiological condition called acidosis. The starch present in grains
is readily fermented by rumen microbial populations to organic acids, including
lactic acid. When cattle consume excess grain, they may experience an acute
acidotic condition characterized by a drop in ruminal pH below 5.0 and an
accumulation of lactic acid in the rumen. This experiment compared the effect of
diet on the ruminal lactate accumulation rates in an acute acidosis animal model
for cattle. Diets used for this comparison were: (1) a readily fermented starch
source (100% ground com) and (2) a readily fermented starch source plus molasses
(10% molasses plus 90% ground com) which contains high levels of small
molecular weight sugars. The hypothesis under test in this project was that when
molasses is present in the diet, the accumulation of ruminal lactic acid is greater
than when only starch is present in the diet. Twelve Hereford X Angus crossbred
heifers previously adapted to hay/straw diets were abruptly switched to one of the
two diets. Four of the six cattle fed 100% ground com showed a decline in
ruminal pH and an accumulation of rumina I lactic add, while all six of the 10%
molasses plus 90% ground com fed cattle exhibited a decline in ruminal pH below
5.0 and ruminaI lactate accumulation rates. In vitro incubations of ruminaI
contents were collected before the induction of acidosis and four and seven hours
post-induction of acidosis. The accumulation of lactic add in these samples was
measured. Lines were fit to each in vitro lactate accumulation curve and the
slopes were used as summary variables to test for the effect of diet. It was found
that no statistically supported diet effect existed (P>0.3). However, the data
collected during this limited observation suggest that further experimentation is
necessary.
With honors.
With honors.
Description
iv, 36 p.
Citation
Publisher
Kalamazoo College
License
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