The effect of four dietary urea levels: 0, 0.65, 1.3 and 1.95% in dry matter (DM), on the microbial protein production by means of the urinary purine derivatives was evaluated by using two collection methodologies in steers of four genetic groups: Holstein in, ½ Holstein-Guzera, ½ Holstein-Gir and Zebu. Animals were fed diets with 50:50 tifton-85 bermudagrass hay to concentrate ratio and assigned to four 4 <FONT FACE=Symbol>´</FONT> 4 latin squares (genetic groups): four animals, four experimental periods and four treatments (diets) and were. Diets approximately contained 12% CP. The urine samples, from each experimental period, were obtained from 24-h collection and spot urine collection, when the animals spontaneously urinated. Analyses of purine derivatives, allantoin and uric acid were performed in the urine. A comparison among the microbial production using the purine bases in the abomasum and urinary purine derivatives; determination of microbial production by purine derivatives using two different equations or purine bases method in the abomasum; and estimate of urinary of purine derivatives and microbial production by means of spot urine collection and by 24-h total urine collection, were performed. Production and microbial efficiency showed higher values for Holstein animals, intermediary values for crossbred and smaller values for Zebu. The estimation of microbial nitrogen compounds production could be performed from the excretion of urinary purine derivatives. The spot urine collection is a fast and efficient methodology to estimate the excretion of urinary purine derivatives and the microbial nitrogen compounds production.
microbial nitrogen; steers; purine in the urine; urea
