Morphology of small intestinal mucosa and intestinal weight change with metabolic type of cattle
2008
Zitnan, R.,Research Inst. for the Biology of Farm Animals, Dummerstorf (Germany) | Voigt, J.,Research Inst. for the Biology of Farm Animals, Dummerstorf (Germany) | Kuhla, S.,Research Inst. for the Biology of Farm Animals, Dummerstorf (Germany) | Wegner, J.,Research Inst. for the Biology of Farm Animals, Dummerstorf (Germany) | Chudy, A.,Research Inst. for the Biology of Farm Animals, Dummerstorf (Germany) | Schoenhusen, U.,Research Inst. for the Biology of Farm Animals, Dummerstorf (Germany) | Brna, M.,Vyskumny Ustav Zivocisnej Vyroby, Nitra (Slovak Republic) | Zupcanova, M.,Vyskumny Ustav Zivocisnej Vyroby, Nitra (Slovak Republic) | Hagemeister, H.,Research Inst. for the Biology of Farm Animals, Dummerstorf (Germany)
The objective of this study was to investigate rumen fermentation, apparent digestibility of nutrients, and morphology of ruminal and intestinal mucosa in two cattle breeds of different metabolic type. Six purebred German Holstein (H) bulls representing the secretion type and six Charolais (CH) bulls representing the accretion type were fattened under identical conditions (from 9 to 18 months of age) with semi ad libitum feeding of a high energy diet. Body weight (668 vs. 764 kg, P = 0.011), body weight gain (1,223 vs. 1,385 g/day, P = 0.043), and body protein gain (93 vs. 128 g/day, P = 0.001) were lower in H than in CH bulls. Protein expense per kg protein accretion was higher in H bulls (13.8 vs. 10.2, P = 0.001). Compared to H, the villi of CH bulls were higher in duodenum (586 vs. 495 microm, P = 0.001) and proximal jejunum (598 vs. 518 microm, P less than 0.001), the crypt were deeper in duodenum (295 vs. 358 microm, P less than 0.001) and proximal jejunum (292 vs. 344 microm, P = 0.020). In contrast, the villi in ileum were higher in H than in CH animals (522 vs. 471 microm, P = 0.006). The weight of the small intestine (as percentage of total body weight) was 1.1 in H and 0.8 in CH bulls (P = 0.002). The utilization of crude protein was positively related to the duodenal (P = 0.001) and proximal jejunal villus height (P = 0.003) and to the duodenal crypt depth (P less than 0.001), and negatively related to the small intestine weight (P = 0.004). The higher growth potential and feed efficiency in CH bulls compared to H bulls is caused by differences in size of small intestine and morphology of small intestinal mucosa. Obviously the duodenum and proximal jejunum of CH bulls adapt to increase the absorptive surface due to the increase in nutrient demand.
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