The objective of this work was to evaluate the kinetics parameters of nitrogen compounds degradation for 24 concentrate feedstuffs and 14 grasses, by means of an inhibitor in vitro method, using a Kjeldahl system. Ruminal fluid from steer fed diet with 60:40 forage to concentrate ratio was used. It was used a 800 mL of ruminal fluid, 2 g of NaHCO3 in 50 mL of distilled water, 3.2 g of pectin in 100 mL of McDougall, 0.234 mL of mercaptoethanol and 0.195 g of hidrazine sulfate in 25 mL of McDougall and 0.045 g of chloramphenicol in 25 mL of McDougall, to prepare 1000 mL of inoculum. It was added 3.2 g of starch, 3.2 g of xylose and 0.16 mL of Antifoam 204 (Sigma Chemical Co. A-6426) to the inoculum. The nitrogen disappearance of feedstuffs was determined at 0 and 2 hours in, approximately, 1.875 mg of N incubated on each vessel. Data of degradation rates indicated that corn gluten feed, casein, dry grounded peanut grain, broiler litter using as adsorvent coffee rind, and cassava rasp showed the highest rates of protein degradation and the slowest degradation rates were obtained with corn meal, meat and bone meal, broiler litter using elephantgrass as adsorvent, sugar cane yeast and feather meal. The degradation parameters were alike as reported in situ. This approach offered a rapid and efficient evaluation of nitrogen degradation kinetic for concentrate feedstuffs. Nitrogen degradation rates of some grasses were underestimated.
degradability; inhibitor in vitro; kinetic; nitrogen
