Seven sheep fed S. guianensis hay were used to evaluate ruminal amino acid degradability, nitrogen balance and rumen volatile fatty acid (VFA) concentrations. Nylon bags technique was used for determination of the in situ degradabilities of amino acids. Bags were collected at 6, 24 and 48 hours after insertion. Duodenum and feces samples were used to determine amoniacal-N and non-amoniacal-N. To determine ruminal VFA concentrations, samples of 80 mL were collected immediately before feeding and 2, 4, 6 and 8 hours after. Nitrogen balance was 6.0 g/day. S. guianensis had 10.4 and 6.3 g of methionine and lysine, respectively, per 100 g of total amino acids. Non essential amino acids had degradation rates twice than essentials. Aminoacitic profile of undegradable protein was different than the original feed protein. The acetate:propionate ratio was 4.31. High concentrations of methionine and its low degradability make the S. guianensis an important feed when this amino acid is limiting.
amino acid; degradability; hay; legume forages; sheep
