The aim of the study was to estimate how much endogenous urea nitrogen (EUN) was incorporated into various amino acids of milk protein when goats were fed low (LP), medium (MP), or high protein (HP) diets in a 3 × 3 Latin-square design. Three Alpine goats of about 35 kg body weight fitted with a catheter into the jugular vein were fed isoenergetic diets containing 11% (LP), 13% (MP), or 16% (HP) crude protein in dry matter. They were continuously infused with 15N urea into the jugular vein for 6 days. Daily milk yield was 1.58, 1.49 and 1.77 g. Milk urea concentrations were 139, 342 and 451 mg · l–1, whereas plasma urea was 178, 356 and 667 mg · l –1 in groups LP, MP and HP, respectively. Samples of milk protein were hydrolysed with 6 M HCl, and then free amino acids were converted into butyl derivatives using HCl in butanol, followed by N-acylation using trifluoroacetic acid anhydride. The amino acid derivatives were analysed using a gas chromatograph equipped with a mass detector. 15N-excess after a six-day infusion of labelled urea was significantly higher (P < 0.05) in the vast majority of amino acids of milk protein from goats fed the LP diet in comparison with goats fed the HP diet. Therefore, the protein level of diets affects the incorporation of EUN into amino acids of milk protein. EUN was incorporated primarily into glutamic acid, methionine and arginine. At all levels of nitrogen in the diets, the incorporation of 15N into phenylalanine was very low.
The aim of this study was to determine the composition of nitrogen fractions in alfalfa and red clover, which differ in proteolytic activity, and to evaluate the effect of wilting on changes in nitrogen fractions in alfalfa and red clover herbage. Total nitrogen was divided into protein and non-protein nitrogen, and the amino acid profile of protein was analyzed. Buffer-soluble nitrogen (BSN), including buffer-soluble protein nitrogen (BSPN) and non-protein buffer-soluble nitrogen (NPBSN), was determined. The NPBSN fraction was further subdivided into peptide nitrogen, amino acid nitrogen, neutral detergent-insoluble nitrogen (NDIN) and acid detergent-insoluble nitrogen (ADIN). Wilting in the field to 40% dry matter content (the swath was tedded once) did not reduce the total nitrogen content of alfalfa and red clover herbage, although it affected the concentration of the BSNfraction, in particular NPBSN, and free amino acid nitrogen. During alfalfa wilting, the soluble protein content decreased and the concentrations of non-protein nitrogen compounds increased, mostly due to an increase in free amino acid nitrogen. A reverse trend was observed during red clover wilting – the concentrations of non-protein nitrogen compounds decreased and soluble protein content increased. A decrease was also noted in peptide nitrogen, NDIN and ADIN. Wilting of alfalfa and red clover had no adverse effect on the amino acid profile of protein. The concentrations of essential amino acids that limit milk protein synthesis, i.e. Lys, Met, His and Arg, did not decrease. Legume wilting in the field contributes to an increase in the concentrations of soluble nitrogen in the plant material intended for ensiling.