The small intestine is the main place of digestion. Given the special physiology of ruminants, the protein reaching the small intestine is not identical to the protein contained in the feed. Rumen microbes utilize soluble dietary protein for synthesis of microbial protein. Hence, soluble proteins are degraded by proteolytic microbial enzymes to peptides, amino acids and ammonia, whereby also vola...
Thank you Anja for this nice article. What about protease enzymes and how do you see their function in the rumen assuming they are alkaline and can stand the pH of the rumen? Thanks