A comparison of two non-radioactive digesta marker systems for the measurement of nutrient flow at the proximal duodenum of calves

Abstract

SUMMARYThe use of non-radioactive ruthenium phenanthroline (Ru-P) and chromium EDTA (Cr-EDTA) as dual phase markers of digesta flow was examined and compared with chromium sesquioxide (Cr2O3) in conjunction with spot samples of digesta collected from T-shaped cannulae situated in the proximal duodenum of weaned calves.In vitro estimates of organic matter digestibility indicated that on a cubed barley diet, Ru-P exhibited toxic effects at concentrations on 2·2 × 10–5 M and above. No such effects were noted with Cr-EDTA. Subsequently satisfactory infusion rates of 12 mg Ru and 280 mg Cr/kg dry-matter intake were established.Daily flows of organic matter, starch, nitrogen, fibre, sodium and potassium at the proximal duodenum were calculated by the dual phase marker system and by Cr2O3, and regression equations relating these two for each dietary component were calculated. Examination of the intercepts revealed that they all differed significantly from zero (P < 0·05) whilst all the regression coefficients were significantly different from unity (P < 0·05), thus indicating that Cr2O3 underestimated nutrient flows at low flow rates and overestimated them at high flow rates relative to the corresponding estimates based on Ru-P plus Cr-EDTA.