Effects of Rumen or Duodenal Glucose Infusions on Intake in Dairy Cows Fed Fresh Perennial Ryegrass Indoors

Abstract

The aim of this study was to determine whether the intake of fresh highly digestible ryegrass could be limited by the total amount of energy absorbed. Moreover, it investigated whether the limitation was more specific to energy absorbed as volatile fatty acids in the rumen compared with energy absorbed in the lower gastrointestinal tract. Four treatments were compared: infusion of 1.25kg of glucose into the rumen (R1.25), infusion of 2.5kg of glucose into the rumen (R2.5), infusion of 1.5kg of glucose into the duodenum (D1.5), and a control treatment consisting of water and salts. Treatments R2.5 and D1.5 were assumed to supply about 16.5 MJ of net energy for lactation. All treatments consisted of 2 infusions, one into the rumen and the other into the duodenum, with one of these infusions being a control. All infused solutions were isoosmotic with osmolarities around 340 and 330mmol/L for rumen and duodenum, respectively. Treatments were compared using 4 dairy cows in mid lactation according to a 4×4 Latin square design replicated twice during 8 periods of 7 d each. Cows were housed in tie stalls and fed ad libitum with fresh perennial ryegrass cut every morning during the spring at 28 d of regrowth. Intake and feeding behavior were measured, as well as concentrations of ruminal fermentation products and some blood metabolites. The pepsin-cellulase organic matter digestibility of the offered herbage averaged 0.76±0.011. The average dry matter intake of herbage was 15.5±0.52kg/d. The glucose infusions decreased dry matter intake by 0.95kg/d compared with the control, but had the same satiating effect regardless of site or dose of infusion. The average concentration of volatile fatty acids in rumen fluid was 97.9±2.03mmol/L and the molar proportion of propionate was 21.6±0.19mmol/100mmol. Glucose infusions into the rumen led to a decrease in the molar proportions of acetate from 64.4 on the control treatment to 60.9mmol/100mmol on R2.5 and increased the molar proportions of butyrate from 10.2 (control) to 13.5mmol/100mmol on R2.5, and minor acids (valerate and caproate), from 1.27 (control) to 2.54mmol/100mmol on R2.5, proportionally to the dose infused. These results suggested that energy nutrients can limit intake in dairy cows fed high-digestibility ryegrass and that butyrate and minor acids would have a limited satiating effect compared with propionate.