Table 2.
Effect of NAc addition on rumen pH, NH3-N and volatile fatty acids (VFA).
| Items | Treatments1 | p-value | |
|---|---|---|---|
| CON | ACE | ||
| pH | 6.90 ± 0.06 | 6.77 ± 0.05 | 0.110 |
| NH3-N, mg/dL | 10.21 ± 0.76 | 11.07 ± 0.0.71 | 0.418 |
| MCP, mg/dL | 44.33 ± 1.64 | 55.07 ± 0.92 | <0.001 |
| Total VFA, mmol/L | 82.48 ± 3.34 | 103.47 ± 4.02 | 0.001 |
| Acetate, mmol/L | 57.61 ± 2.10 | 72.90 ± 2.79 | <0.001 |
| Propionate, mmol/L | 13.98 ± 0.47 | 17.12 ± 0.71 | 0.001 |
| Iso-butyrate, mmol/L | 0.29 ± 0.01 | 0.35 ± 0.02 | 0.008 |
| Butyrate, mmol/L | 8.64 ± 0.87 | 10.67 ± 0.58 | 0.066 |
| Iso-valerate, mmol/L | 0.97 ± 0.10 | 1.26 ± 0.07 | 0.025 |
| Valerate, mmol/L | 0.98 ± 0.08 | 1.16 ± 0.05 | 0.059 |
| Acetate/propionate | 4.14 ± 0.13 | 4.28 ± 0.10 | 0.430 |
NH3-N = ammonia-N, MCP = microbial crude protein.
1
Treatments: CON = control group, basal diet plus 468 g/day oral sodium chloride; ACE = NAc group, basal diet plus 656 g/day oral NAc.