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Urea/Ammonia Metabolism in the Rumen and Toxicity in Ruminants

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Rumen Microbiology: From Evolution to Revolution

Abstract

Urea and other nonprotein nitrogen compounds in the ration of ruminants as an economical replacement of vegetable and animal proteins have been investigated for more than 100 years. Initially, the death of animals from urea toxicity owing to insufficient knowledge of urea feeding impeded the widespread use of urea in the diets of ruminants. However, following comprehensive research demonstrating its safety and usefulness in many feeding conditions, urea has commonly become an accepted ingredient for the diets of ruminants. A large body of information and understandings related to the mechanisms of urea and other nonprotein nitrogen compound utilization by ruminal microorganisms has been documented. This chapter discusses urea recycling in the gut, urea and ammonia metabolism by rumen microorganisms, ammonia absorption and mechanisms, and symptoms and treatments of urea/ammonia toxicity in ruminants. The ammonia/urea toxicity problems could easily be prevented through proper employment of scientific knowledge of urea feeding to ruminants discussed in this chapter. Opportunities exist for enhancing anabolic use of urea-N by the microorganisms through modulating urea-N recycling into the rumen by dietary and feeding management, which could decrease N wastage into environment and improve efficiency of N utilization in ruminants.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Animal Nutrition, West Bengal University of Animal and Fishery Sciences, 37 K. B. Sarani, Belgachia, Kolkata, 700037, India

    Amlan Kumar Patra

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. College of Dairy Science and Technology, Guru Angad Dev Veterinary and Animal Sciences University, Ludhiana, Punjab, India

    Anil Kumar Puniya

  2. Directorate of Knowledge Management in Agriculture, Indian Council of Agricultural Research, New Delhi, Delhi, India

    Rameshwar Singh

  3. Division of Animal Nutrition, ICAR-Indian Veterinary Research Institute, Izatnagar, Uttar Pradesh, India

    Devki Nandan Kamra

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Patra, A.K. (2015). Urea/Ammonia Metabolism in the Rumen and Toxicity in Ruminants. In: Puniya, A., Singh, R., Kamra, D. (eds) Rumen Microbiology: From Evolution to Revolution. Springer, New Delhi. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-81-322-2401-3_22

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