Impacts of whey protein on starch digestion in rumen and small intestine of steers

Four Korean native steers (511 ± 17.2 kg; 2 × 2 replicated crossover design) fitted with duodenal cannulas were used to investigate the influence of oral administration of soluble whey protein (WP; 82.29% crude protein) on ruminal fermentation, gastrointestinal (GI) hormone secretion in the blood, pancreatic α-amylase activity in the duodenum, and disappearance rate in each segment of the GI tract. Steers were orally fed the basal diet (control; TMR [total mixed ration] 9 kg/d) or the basal diet with enriched WP (400 g/d) for 14 days. The apparent crude protein disappearance rate in the rumen of the WP was higher than in control (p < 0.05). However, no difference between groups was observed in the apparent crude protein disappearance rate in the intestine and the apparent starch disappearance rates in the rumen, GI tract. The level of cholecystokinin, secretin, and ghrelin in serum and pancreatic α-amylase activity in the duodenum of the WP also did not change. The changes in the level of blood urea nitrogen related to protein metabolism were higher in the WP than in the control (p < 0.05). However, the levels of total protein, lipid, carbohydrate and mineral metabolites did not change. Consequently, we suggest that the oral administration of WP in steers assisted in ruminal fermentation due to the population increase of microbes in the rumen but did not improve the starch digestion rate in the small intestine because GI hormone secretion in the blood and pancreatic α-amylase activity did not change.