Experimental analysis identifies distinct plant pigments in feed and fecal extracts from cows, suggesting their utility as natural markers for assessing ruminant feed digestibility.
The plant pigments (“chromogens”) in extracts of fresh grass and feces from cows in 85 per cent (by volume) acetone, applied as digestion trial markers, have been separated and determined chromatographically. In the extracts of fresh grass chlorophyll (converted into pheophytin by oxalic acid), carotene, xanthophyll, and a small amount of porphyrins could be determined. In feces pheophytin, carotene, xanthophyll, phylloerythrin, and other porphyrins not yet defined could be detected. The application of naturally occurring plant pigments as Indicators in the determination of the digestibility of feed by ruminants has been discussed.
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Deijs et al. (1955) studied this question.
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