Adu Emmanuel K, Awotwi Ebenezer K, Awumbila Bawa, Amaning-Kwarteng Kofi
CSIR-Animal Research Institute, P. O. Box AH 20, Achimota, Ghana.
Trop Anim Health Prod. 2013 Jun;45(5):1207-13. doi: 10.1007/s11250-012-0348-1. Epub 2013 Jan 13.
Eighteen (18) gravid uteri collected from hunters' kills during February and March 2008 were used to investigate growth and accretion of energy and protein in the gravid uterus during pregnancy in the grasscutter. Each gravid uterus was separated into foetal, placental, empty uterus and foetal fluids (amniotic and allantoic fluids combined) components. Individual tissues were weighed and analyzed for dry matter (DM), ash, crude protein (CP) and crude fat. Regression equations were fitted to the weights of each component to describe the effects of gestational age. The DM, protein and energy contents of individual uterine tissues, with the exception of the DM of the foetal fluids, increased significantly with advancing gestation age so that the DM of the gravid uterus increased ~20-fold from days 45 to 152 (3.85 v. 76.24 g). However, the average elemental N in the foetus was 8.3 g N/100 g. Percentage DM did not change with advancing gestation age. Fat content of the foetal grasscutter was 2.79 %. Changes in foetal protein and energy fitted a multi-phasic regression that consisted of two linear equations. Similarly, changes in foetal fat and water contents fitted a multi-phasic regression that consisted of two linear equations, indicating that protein and energy growth accelerated after days 95 and 97 of gestation, respectively, with increases in fat and water accelerating after days 127 and 96 of gestation, respectively. Foetal protein and energy accretions were 0.04 g day(-1) and 0.001 MJ day(-1) before days 95 and 97 of gestation, respectively, and increased to 0.31 g day(-1) and 0.009 MJ day(-1) after days 95 and 97 of gestation, respectively. Fat and water accretions were also 0.012 g day(-1) and 0.15 ml day(-1) before days 127 and 96 of gestation, respectively, and increased to 0.104 g day(-1) and 1.29 ml day(-1) after the respective days of gestation. Protein needs for tissue protein gain increased ~8-fold after day 95 of gestation. Results of this study indicate that the growth of the foetus and foetal tissues occur at different rates during gestation and points to a two-phase feeding strategy before and after day 95 of gestation for pregnant grasscutters.
2008年2月和3月期间，从猎人捕杀的动物身上收集了18个妊娠子宫，用于研究草食动物妊娠期妊娠子宫内能量和蛋白质的生长及蓄积情况。每个妊娠子宫被分离为胎儿、胎盘、空子宫和胎儿液体（羊水和尿囊液合并）部分。分别对各个组织称重，并分析其干物质（DM）、灰分、粗蛋白（CP）和粗脂肪。拟合回归方程以描述各部分重量随胎龄的变化。除胎儿液体的干物质外，各个子宫组织的干物质、蛋白质和能量含量均随胎龄增加而显著增加，因此妊娠子宫的干物质从第45天到第152天增加了约20倍（3.85克对76.24克）。然而，胎儿体内的平均元素氮为8.3克氮/100克。干物质百分比并不随胎龄增加而变化。胎儿草食动物的脂肪含量为2.79%。胎儿蛋白质和能量的变化符合由两个线性方程组成的多阶段回归。同样，胎儿脂肪和水分含量的变化也符合由两个线性方程组成的多阶段回归，这表明蛋白质和能量的生长分别在妊娠95天和97天后加速，脂肪和水分的增加分别在妊娠127天和96天后加速。妊娠95天和97天之前，胎儿蛋白质和能量的蓄积分别为0.04克/天和0.001兆焦/天，妊娠95天和97天之后分别增加到0.31克/天和0.009兆焦/天。脂肪和水分的蓄积在妊娠127天和96天之前也分别为0.012克/天和0.15毫升/天，在相应的妊娠天数之后分别增加到0.104克/天和1.29毫升/天。妊娠95天后，组织蛋白质增加所需的蛋白质需求量增加了约8倍。本研究结果表明，胎儿和胎儿组织在妊娠期的生长速度不同，这表明妊娠草食动物在妊娠95天前后需要采取两阶段的饲养策略。
