Table 3.
Effect of cecally infused sodium caseinate on cecal pH, cecal VFA concentrations, cecal NH3 concentrations, and fecal pH in horses consuming a cool season grass hay1,2
| Item | CON | LOW | MED | HI | SEM | P-value3 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cecum | ||||||
| pH | 7.11a | 7.04b | 7.11a | 7.01c | 0.05 | <0.01 |
| Acetate, mM | 43.20 | 44.50 | 43.20 | 44.10 | 4.40 | 0.99 |
| Propionate, mM | 11.50 | 11.89 | 11.51 | 12.51 | 1.25 | 0.91 |
| Acetate:propionate ratio | 4.35 | 4.29 | 4.31 | 4.02 | 0.21 | 0.58 |
| Butryate, mM | 4.90 | 5.50 | 4.75 | 5.60 | 0.66 | 0.66 |
| Isovalerate, mM | 0.06a | 0.04a | 0.05a | 0.12b | 0.05 | <0.01 |
| Isobutyrate, mM | 0.07a,b | 0.04a | 0.07a,b | 0.10b | 0.05 | 0.02 |
| Total VFA, mM | 59.98 | 62.83 | 60.24 | 63.53 | 6.30 | 0.96 |
| NH3, mg/100 mL | 0.56 | 0.71 | 0.99 | 1.48 | 0.17 | <0.01 |
| Fecal pH4 | 6.74 | 6.72 | 6.83 | 6.83 | 0.14 | 0.84 |
1Horses in the CON group were administered 800 mL of distilled water via cecal cannulae. Horses in the LOW, MED, and HI group were administered 0.125, 0.25, and 0.5 g/kg BW sodium caseinate, respectively, solubilized in 800 mL of distilled water, via cecal cannulae. Concentrations given represent the mean of samples taken at 0700, 1300, 1900, and 0100 hours on days 12, 13, and 14 of the dosing period.
2Values with different superscripts differ (P < 0.05).
3 P-value for overall model F-test.
4pH of pooled fecal samples representing d 12, 13, and 14 of each period.