QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text (PDF) Purchase Article View Shopping Cart Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by McElroy, L. W. Articles by Goss, H. Search for Related Content PubMed Articles by McElroy, L. W. Articles by Goss, H.

A Quantitative Study of Vitamins in the Rumen Contents of Sheep and Cows Fed Vitamin-Low Diets

I. Riboflavin and Vitamin K

Four Figures>

Division of Animal Husbandry, College of Agriculture, University of California, Davis

The rumen contents of four sheep fed a ration containing less than 0.3 µg. of riboflavin per gram were found to contain 33 µg. of riboflavin per gram.

Evidence for the formation of riboflavin in the digestive tract of a cow fed the same deficient ration has been presented in two ways.

1. The dried rumen contents of this animal contained approximately 25 µg. of riboflavin per gram.

2. The skim milk contained at least 20 µg. of riboflavin per gram on a dry basis, or 1.8 µg. per cubic centimeter on a fluid basis using a figure of 9% for solids in skim milk. The average daily milk production was between 9 and 10 liters and the secretion of riboflavin in the milk was therefore estimated to be between 16 and 18 mg. per day as compared with a maximum intake of 1.8 mg. per day in the feed.

That vitamin K is not a dietary essential for the cow is indicated by the finding that, although the experimental ration was practically free from this vitamin, the rumen contents of the experimental animal proved to be a good source of the factor.