Examination of the effect of copper and molybdenum on microbial protein synthesis in rumen contents using ^3^5S - Nikolic, J.A.; Jovanovic, M.; Andric, R.; Djordjevic, D.; Krsmanovic, J. (Elsevier)
The influence of different concentrations of molybdenum and copper on microbial protein synthesis, volatile fatty acid production and other parameters has been investigated in bovine rumen contents incubated in vitro. The donor bull was fed a conventional diet based on a concentrate supplemented with urea and a hay. The concentrate contained Cu (6.5 mg/kg) and Mo (1.2 mg/kg).Firstly the concentration of molybdenum in the incubation mixture was raised from the basal level of 0.4 to 0.61 mg/L. It was found that volatile fatty acid production, net utilization of ammonia, sulphide concentration and overall protein synthesis were not significantly affected by the increase in molybdenum concentration.Secondly the concentration of copper was increased from 0.4 to 1.8 mg/L by adding copper acetate solution. The concentration of sulphide sulphur was significantly reduced when copper was added to the medium, but this appeared to have no significant effect on the utilization of sulphate sulphur for microbial protein synthesis. Ammonia utilization was not affected but volatile fatty acid production tended to be lower when copper concentrations were raised.Since the examined concentrations of copper and molybdenum were similar to those found in the rumen under normal conditions of animal production, it was concluded that these elements are unlikely to have a negative influence on the utilization of urea and sulphate for microbial protein synthesis when they are present in the diet in the amounts recommended in practice.
http://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/0020-708X(83)90097-2
Keywords: ZP; U