Physiological mechanism of low purine derivative excretion in urine of buffaloes compared with Bos taurus cattle
Vo Thi Kim Thanh A D , E. R. Orskov B and P. Susmel CA Hue University of Agriculture and Forestry, 102 Phung Hung, Hue City, Vietnam.
B Macaulay Institute, Aberdeen AB158QH, UK.
C Udine University, Via S. Mauro, 2 – 33010 Pagnacco, Udine, Italy.
D Corresponding author. Email: votkthanh@gmail.com
Animal Production Science 49(11) 994-997 https://doi.org/10.1071/EA08287
Submitted: 24 November 2008 Accepted: 26 May 2009 Published: 14 October 2009
Abstract
Three cattle calves (Bos taurus) and three buffalo calves (Bos bubalus) were weaned after receiving colostrum and then reared on bottle-fed milk. During the first month the animals did not have access to solid food. Urinary purine derivative concentration (PD), basal PD excretion and glomerular filtrate rate (GFR) were determined during fasting and feeding. After 1 month the animals were given access to solid feed (urea-treated rice straw 80% and molasses 20%) to stimulate rumen development. At 3 months of age, while the solid food was given, urinary PD, basal PD excretion and GFR were again determined.
Urinary PD excretion both during fasting and milk feeding did not differ significantly between buffaloes and cattle during the milk-feeding period (P > 0.05), but there were highly significant (P < 0.01) differences between cattle and buffaloes after 3 months of age and 2 months of access to solid feed (P < 0.01). The GFR was lower in buffaloes than cattle in both the milk-fed and solid-feed periods (P < 0.05).
It is suggested that the differences between buffaloes and cattle are due to differences in GFR as PD will stay longer in the blood and thus provide a greater possibility for recycling to the rumen. This, however, needs further confirmation. Whether permeability of PD from blood to rumen is an additional factor is not known.
Acknowledgements
The authors would like to thank the SIDA-SAREC agency conducted through the MEKARN project and the Vietnamese Ministry of Science and Technology conducted through the Committee of Nature Science for their financial support of the study. We would also like to thank the students from Hue University of Agriculture and Forestry for their active participation in this study. The authors also wish to thank Dr R. N. B. Kay from Aberdeen, UK for editing this manuscript.
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