Table 3 The effect of the winged bean tuber to replace corn in concentrate mixture on ruminal pH, NH₃-N concentration, and ruminal protozoal population in beef cattle

Ruminal pH

0 h post feeding

7.16

7.17

7.16

7.14

0.02

0.27

0.54

4 h post feeding

6.88

6.93

7.04

7.07

0.03

0.01

0.84

Mean

7.02

7.05

7.10

7.11

0.03

0.01

0.62

Ruminal NH₃-N, mg/dL

0 h post feeding

16.18

16.43

16.74

16.62

0.33

0.15

0.44

4 h post feeding

17.74

17.88

18.36

19.05

0.30

< 0.01

0.22

Mean

16.96

17.16

17.55

17.83

0.22

< 0.01

0.77

Protozoa, log₁₀ cell/mL

0 h post feeding

6.02

6.08

6.08

6.09

0.03

0.05

0.06

4 h post feeding

6.05

6.09

6.11

6.14

0.01

< 0.01

0.33

Mean

6.03

6.09

6.10

6.12

0.01

< 0.01

0.19

Blood urea-N concentration, mg/dL

0 h post feeding

6.75

6.00

6.25

6.00

0.99

0.54

0.73

4 h post feeding

8.00

8.25

8.50

9.75

1.45

0.25

0.64

Mean

7.38

7.13

7.38

7.88

1.14

0.95

0.65