Nithogen Metabolism In The Ostrich

ABSTRACT

The thriving of the ostrich in an otherwise very

harsh environment has been an intriguing question to many

people. The objective of this study was to find out some

of the physiological explanations to this question.

Some aspects of nitrogen metabolism were studied in

the as trich : Major urinary nitrogen metabolites in

ostrich urine (uric acid nitrogen, urea nitrogen and

ammonia nitrogen) were partitioned. Plasma urea and

urinary ammonia levels were also determined using

commercial kits based on Berthelot's reaction while uric

acid was determined by the decrease in absorbance at 292nm

wavelenth before and after incubation with uricase.

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Nitrogen requirement for maintenance in these birds was

determined by regressing app~rently absorbed nitrogen on

the retained nitrogen. The,y-intercept of the regression

equation gave the Nitrogen maintanance requirement.

Nitrogen balance (the difference of nitrogen intake and

nitrogen output (in faeces and in urine) was determined

and used as a measure of efficiency of nitrogen

metabolism.