Evaluation of isoquinoline alkaloid supplementation levels on ruminal fermentation, characteristics of digestion, and microbial protein synthesis in steers fed a high-energy diet.

Four Holstein steers with ruminal and duodenal cannulas were used in a 4 × 4 Latin square design to examine the effect of daily intake of 0, 2, 4 or 6 g/steer of standardized plant extract containing a mixture of quaternary benzophenanthridine alkaloids and protopine alkaloids (QBA+PA) on the characteristics of ruminal fermentation and characteristics of digestion. The basal diet consisted of a steam-flaked corn-based finishing diet that contained 62% corn and 12% sudangrass hay and the rest of diet was composed of mainly dried distillers grains, molasses, fat, and minerals. The source of QBA+PA used was Sangrovit-RS (Phytobiotics Futterzusatzstoffe GmbH, Eltville, Germany) and supplementation levels of 2, 4, and 6 g Sangrovit-RS∙steer∙d, which represented a net daily ingestion of approximately 6, 12, and 18 mg of QBA+PA compounds, respectively. Inclusion of QBA+PA linearly increased ( = 0.04) flow to the duodenum of nonammonia N and linearly decreased ( < 0.01) duodenal flows of ammonia N. Ruminal microbial efficiency (duodenal microbial N; g/kg OM fermented in the rumen) and protein efficiency (duodenal nonammonia N; g/g N intake) were increased ( < 0.05) as the level of QBA+PA increased. There were no effects of QBA+PA supplementation on ruminal, postruminal, and total tract digestion of OM, starch, and NDF, but postruminal and total tract digestion of N increased ( < 0.01) as the level of QBA+PA increased. Digestible energy of the diet tended to increase (linear affect, = 0.09) with QBA+PA supplementation. Ruminal pH and total VFA molar concentrations were not different between treatments. Ruminal NH-N concentration linearly decreased ( = 0.02) with QBA+PA supplementation. Ruminal molar proportion of acetate increased ( = 0.04) as the supplementation level of QBA+PA increased. It is concluded that QBA+PA supplementation enhances efficiency of N utilization in feedlot steers fed a steam-flaked corn-based finishing diet. This effect was due, in part, to enhanced ruminal microbial efficiency, decreased ruminal degradation of dietary nonammonia N, and enhanced postruminal N digestion.