[The use of ribonucleic acid as a marker for measuring microbial protein yield in the rumen. 1. Chemical determination of ribonucleic acid].

The determination of ribonucleic acid (RNA) in the duodenal digesta and the rumen microbes was carried out colorimetrically with orcinol after extraction with hot NaCl solution, precipitation with phosphotungstic acid and alkaline hydrolysis. 96 +/- 1% of the RNA supplemented to the digesta content was recovered (y +/- s, n = 5). The methodic error (repetition accuracy) was 1.1%. The relation of RNA-N:N (mg/g) in the bacteria mass amounted to 93.8 +/- 3.99 (y +/- s(-y), n = 48) and to 16.1 +/- 0.8 (y +/- s(-y), n = 51) mg RNA/g DM in the duodenal content.