Ristianto Utomo

Flow of Nucleic Acids from the Rumen and Recovery of Purine Derivatives in the Urine of Cattle and Buffaloes

An experiment was conducted to determine the flow of nucleic acids from the rumen to duodenum. Two duodenal-cannulated each of male Ongole cattle and buffaloes aged three to four years were used and fed a mixture of king grass and rice bran (70:30 DM basis). At 95% and 60% of the voluntary intake in three weeks each before morning feeding period. Cr-mordanted alfalfa was used as a marker. The excretion of allantoin, uric acid, purine derivatives, and creatinine and the PDC index were higher in cattle than buffaloes at both levels of intake (P <0.05). There were no difference between cattle and buffaloes with regard to the flow of RNA when expressed on digestible organic matter intake (DOMI), flow rate of RNA/kg DOMI, or flow rate of crude protein/kg DOMI. It can be concluded that the differences in urine excretion of purine derivatives between cattle and buffalo is not due to the differences in the amount of rumen microbial protein synthesis, but due to differences in purine metabolism between cattle and buffaloes.