INVESTIGATIONS OF THE PROTECTION OF SOYBEAN-MEAL AND AMINO-ACIDS FROMRUMEN DEGRADATION WITH WHOLE-BLOOD TREATMENT

In order to clarify the mechanism by which whole blood protects feed p rotein from rumen degradation, time courses of the amino acid pattern similarities between soybean meal (SBM), whole blood treated SBM (WBTS BM), whole blood treated lysine (WBTLYS) and whole blood and their res idual proteins during ruminal exposure were calculated, 1 kg of goat b lood was mixed with 1 kg SBM, dried at 60 degrees C for 24 h and incub ated in nylon bags that were suspended in the rumen of Holstein steers . After 24 h of incubation, about 100% and 65% of the nitrogen (N) had disappeared from the SBM and WBTSBM, respectively. Changes in the ami no acid pattern similarities showed that the degradation of SBM protei n in the WBTSBM is more uniform compared with untreated SBM protein. T his means that the decrease in the rumen degradability of WBTSBM prote in is caused by the decrease in the degradability of SBM protein per s e, These results suggest that a mechanism other than physical encapsul ation may play an important role in the prevention of ruminal degradat ion. Almost all the lysine was diffused from WBTLYS, being prepared us ing a 1:2 or 1:1 combination (weight basis) of whole blood:lysine, by washing with water. The amounts of N and the amino acid composition of the WBTLYS residues did not change during the 24 h incubation period. The treatment of lysine with whole blood could not protect the lysine from ruminal degradation.