Babcock Institute for International
Dairy Research and Development
University of Wisconsin-Madison
5) PROTEIN METABOLISM IN DAIRY COWS
Michel A. Wattiaux
Babcock Institute
INTRODUCTION
Proteins provide the amino acids needed
for maintenance of vital functions,
reproduction, growth and lactation. Non-
ruminant animals need pre-formed amino
acids in their diets, but ruminants can
utilize many other nitrogen sources because
of their rare ability to synthesize amino
acids and protein from non-protein
nitrogen sources. This ability is associated
with the presence of the microorganisms in
the rumen. In addition, ruminants possess
a mechanism to spare nitrogen. When a
diet is low in nitrogen, large amounts of
urea (which is normally excreted in the
urine) return in the rumen where it can be
used by the microbes. In non-ruminants,
urea is always entirely lost in the urine.
Research showed that it is possible to feed
cows with diets containing non-protein
nitrogen as the only nitrogen source and
still obtain a production of 580 g of high
quality milk protein daily and 4000 kg milk
throughout the lactation.
PROTEIN TRANSFORMATION
IN THE RUMEN
Feed proteins are degraded by
microorganisms in the rumen via amino
acids into ammonia and branched chain
fatty acids (Figure 1). Non-protein nitrogen
from the feed and the urea recycled into the
rumen through the saliva or the rumen wall
contribute also to the pool of ammonia in
the rumen. If ammonia levels in the rumen
are too low there will be a nitrogen
shortage to bacteria and feed digestibility
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Dairy
Essentials
will be reduced. Too much ammonia in the
rumen leads to wastage, ammonia toxicity,
and in extreme cases, death of the animal.
The bacterial population uses ammonia in
order to grow. The extent to which
ammonia is used to synthesize microbial
protein is largely dependent upon the
availability of energy generated by the
fermentation of carbohydrates. On the
average, 20 grams of bacterial protein is
synthesized per 100 grams of organic
matter fermented in the rumen. Bacterial
protein synthesis may range from less than
400 g/day to about 1500 g/day depending
primarily on the digestibility of the diet.
The percentage of protein in bacteria varies
from 38 to 55% (Table 1). However, when
cows eat more feed, the bacteria contain
more protein and pass from the rumen to
the abomasum more rapidly.
Usually, a portion of the dietary protein
resists ruminal degradation and passes
undegraded to the small intestine. The
resistance to ruminal degradation varies
considerably among protein sources and
depends upon many factors. Usually, the
proteins in forage are degraded to a further
extent (60 to 80%) than proteins in
concentrates or industrial by-products (20
to 60%).
A portion of the bacterial protein is
broken down within the rumen, but the
majority flows to the abomasum attached to
feed particles. The strong acids secreted by
the abomasum stop all microbial activity
and the digestive enzymes start breaking
down the protein into amino acids.
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Dairy Essentials – Nutrition and Feeding
DIET RUMEN INTESTINES FECES
Grains Undigested
Forage Protein Protein feed and
bacterial
nitrogen
Non-protein Amino acids Protein Metabolic

;;;;;;
;;;;;;;
nitrogen Amino acids fecal
Branched chain
fatty acids
nitrogen
Protein
SALIVA
Ammonia Energy from Bacterial Amino acids INTESTINAL
Urea Carbohydrate protein WALL and
GLANDS

;;;;;;
;;;;;;;
fermentation
Urea

RUMINAL WALL

;;;;;;
;;;;;;;
PORTAL (Overflow)
Urea recycling

BLOOD (To the liver)

;;;;;;;
Amino acids
LIVER Ammonia Glucose
Carbohydrate
Urea metabolism

;;;;;;;
Urea
Amino
acids

BLOOD

;;;;;;;
(General
circulation)

Urea Urea Amino acids Amino acids

Amino acids
Amino acids
Urea Urea
Amino acids Energy
Energy Protein
Milk urea
Milk protein
Urine
MUSCLES
KIDNEY MAMMARY GLAND (and other tissues)
Figure 1: Overview of protein metabolism in dairy cows

18 The Babcock Institute


Table 1: Composition (%) and intestinal
nitrogen digestibility (%) of ruminal
microbes1
Bacteria
Mean Range Protozoa
Protein 47.5 38 - 55 - rich in nitrogen (2.2 to 2.6% nitrogen or the
Nucleic acids2 27.6 - -
Lipids 7.0 4 - 25 - compared to the feces of non-ruminant
Carbohydrates 11.5 6 - 23 - animals.
Peptidoglycan 3 2.0 - -
Minerals 4.4 - -
Crude Protein 62.5 31 - 78 24 - 49
Digestibility 71.0 44 - 86 76 - 85
1 Adapted from Nutritional Ecology of the ruminant.
1982. O & B Books Inc., 1215 NW Kline Place,
Oregon 97330
2 Nucleic acids = genetic material
3 Peptidoglycan = complex structure of bacterial cell
wall.
Approximately 60% of the amino acids
absorbed through the small intestine is
from bacterial protein, and the remaining
40% is from ruminally undegraded dietary
protein.
The amino acid composition of bacterial
protein is relatively constant regardless of
the composition of dietary protein. All
amino acids, including the essential ones.
are present in bacterial protein in
proportion that is fairly close to the
proportion of amino acids required by the
mammary gland for milk synthesis. Thus,
the conversion of dietary protein to
bacterial protein is usually a beneficial
process. The exception occurs when high
quality protein is fed and the ammonia
produced in the rumen cannot be utilized
due to a lack of fermentable energy.
PROTEIN IN FECES
About 80% of the protein reaching the
small intestine is digested, but the
remaining is passed into the feces. Another
major source of nitrogen in the feces comes
from digestive enzymes secreted into the
intestine and the rapid replacement of
intestinal cells (fecal metabolic protein). On
the average, for every increment of 1 kg of
University of Wisconsin-Madison
5 - Protein Metabolism in Dairy Cows
dry matter ingested by the cow, there is an
increase of 33 g of body protein lost in the
intestine and excreted in the feces.
Ruminant feces is good fertilizer because it
is rich in organic matter and is particularly
equivalent of 14 to 16% crude protein) as
LIVER METABOLISM AND
UREA RECYCLING
When fermentable energy is lacking or
when crude protein in the diet is excessive
or highly degradable, not all the ammonia
produced in the rumen may be converted
to microbial protein. Excess ammonia cross
the ruminal wall and is transported to the
liver. The liver converts the ammonia to
urea which is released in the blood. Urea in
the blood can follow two routes:
1) It can return to the rumen through the
saliva or through the rumen wall.
2) It can be excreted into the urine by the
kidneys.
When urea returns to the rumen, it is
converted back to ammonia and can serve
as a nitrogen source for bacterial growth.
Urea excreted in the urine is lost to the
animal. With rations low in crude protein,
most of the urea is recycled and little is lost
in the urine. However, as crude protein
increases in the ration, less urea is recycled
and more is excreted in the urine.
MILK PROTEIN SYNTHESIS
During lactation, the mammary gland
needs large amounts of amino acids to
syntesize milk protein. The metabolism of
amino acids in the mammary gland is
extremely complex. Amino acids may be
converted into other amino acids or
oxidized to produce energy. Most of the
amino acids absorbed by the mammary
gland are used to synthesize milk proteins.
Milk contains about 30 g of protein per kg,
but there are important variations between
cows within a breed and among breeds.
19
Dairy Essentials – Nutrition and Feeding
About 90% of the protein in milk is casein.
There are many types of casein (Table 2)
and they contribute to the high nutritive
value of many dairy products. Whey
proteins are also synthesized from amino
acids in the mammary gland. The enzyme
α-Lactalbumin is essential for the synthesis
of lactose and β−lactoglobulin is important
in curd formation during cheese
production. Some proteins found in the
milk (immunoglobulins) play a role in
passing disease resistance to the newborn
calf. The immunoglobulins are absorbed
directly from the blood and not synthesized
within the mammary gland, so their
concentration in the colostrum is high.
Milk also contains non-protein nitrogen
compounds in very small amount (e.g.,
urea: 0.08 g/kg).
Table 2: Major proteins found in normal
milk of cows
Protein Concentration (g/kg)
.......................... Caseins ............................
α-casein
β-casein
κ-casein
γ -casein
........................ Whey protein ........................
Immunoglobulins1
α-Lactalbumin
β-Lactoglobulin
1 May increase drastically during mastitis
PROTEIN AND NON-PROTEIN
NITROGEN IN DAIRY RATIONS
Recommendations for the crude protein
concentration in dairy cow rations vary
20
from 12% for a dry cow to 18% for a cow in
early lactation. As long as the diets of cows
producing about 20 to 25 kg of milk
contains about 16% crude protein, most
forage and concentrates are adequate
protein sources. However, as milk
production increases, bacterial protein
synthesis in the rumen may become
insufficient, and protein sources resistant to
ruminal degradation may be needed to
supply the required amount of amino acids.
Typical sources of proteins resistant to
microbial degradation in the rumen include
brewer's grain, distiller's grain and proteins
of animal origin (slaughter house by-
products, feather meal and fish meal).
On the other hand, non-protein nitrogen
sources may be used, especially when a
ration contains less than 12 to 13% crude
protein. Urea is probably the most popular
source of non-protein nitrogen in dairy
rations. However, it must be used with
caution because its excess may rapidly lead
to ammonia intoxication. Feeds most
14.0 successfully supplemented with urea are
6.2 high in energy, low in protein, and low in
3.7 non-protein nitrogen. A partial list of such
1.2 feeds includes cereal grains, molasses,
sugar beet pulp, hay of mature grasses and
0.6 corn silage. Urea should not be used with
0.7 feeds rich in rapidly available nitrogen.
0.3 Such feeds include oilseed meals (e.g.,
soybean, canola), legume forage and young
grasses. In addition, urea should be limited
to no more than 150 to 200 g/cow/day,
thoroughly mixed with other feed to
improve palatability and added
progressively in the ration to allow
adaptation by the cow.
The Babcock Institute