Induced non-enzymatic browning of soybean meal. II. Ruminal escape and net portal absorption of soybean protein treated with xylose

Non-enzymatic browning was tested as a means of increasing ruminal escape of soybean meal N. Soybean meal was treated with xylose (3 mol/mol SBM-lysine), sodium hydroxide (pH 8.5) and enough water to achieve an 83% dry matter mixture and then heated at 150 C for 30 min (XTS-30). Trial 1 evaluated ruminal escape of N from XTS-30 compared with commercial soybean meal (CS) or urea (U) in a replicated 3 X 3 Latin square design using six duodenally cannulated Angus X Hereford steers (24.7 kg). Duodenal flow of dietary N was higher (P less than for steers fed XTS-30 (47.9 g/d) than for steers fed CS (39.5 g/d). The ruminal escape estimate for XTS-30 (33.7%) was higher (P less than .10) than CS (13.1%), whereas total tract apparent N digestibility was not different among treatments. In trial 2, net portal absorption of alpha-amino N was measured in Finnsheep X Suffolk ram lambs (24.7 kg) fed U, CS or XTS-30 in a 3 X 3 Latin square design. Portal blood flow was measured by primed, continuous infusion of para-aminohippuric acid. Portal blood flow was lower (P less than .05) for U.fed lambs than for lambs fed CS or XTS-30, and tended to be lower for lambs fed CS than those fed XTS-30. Net portal absorption of alpha-amino N tended to be lowest for lambs fed U (281 mmol/d) and highest for lambs fed XTS-30 (578 mmol/d). The results are interpreted to show that non-enzymatic browning increased flow of soybean meal N to the intestine.