Twelve purebred and crossbred Holstein cows were allotted to three 4 x 4 Latin Squares to evaluate the nitrogen (N) balance, microbial protein production, plasma and milk urea concentration and different urine collections times. The experimental diets were based on corn silage (CS) (AG 1051) with forage:concentrate ratio (F:C) of 60:40, in dry matter (DM) basis, or in sugar cane basis (SC) (RB 855536) with F:C of 60:40 with .35 or 1% of urea+ammonium sulfate (AS) mixture or FC of 50:50 with 1% of urea+AS. Nitrogen balance (N) was higher for CS based diet, 88 g N/day, in relation to SC based diets with 40% concentrate, 67 or 69 g N/day. Among the SC diet based, difference on N balance was observed. Average total daily excretion of purine derivatives (DP), absorbed purine (AP) and estimated microbial N, 221 g/day, were higher for CS based diet, when compared to SC based diets with 40% concentrate, 180 ou 178 g microbial N/day. However, when compared to SC based diet with 50% concentrate, there was no difference for N balance, PD, AP and microbial N variables. There was no difference in the average total daily excretion of PD, AP and microbial N production among the diets containing SC. There was no difference on the daily mean urine excretion of creatinine (24 x 22 mg/ of kgLW), urea, allantoin (245 x 228 mmol/day) and uric acid relative to the urine collection of 24 or 8 hours, or else, total or partial urine collection. SC based diet, corrected for 1% of urea+AS, with 50% concentrate provided microbial protein production similar to that of CS based diet with F:C ratio of 60:40, in DM basis. N-urea plasma seems to be better indicator of the protein metabolism in dairy cows than N-urea in milk.
allantoin; creatinine; purine derivatives; uric acid
