Characterization of the absorptive surface area of the reticulorumen and omasum of buffaloes

Abstract

The absorption of volatile fatty acids by the reticulorumen and omasum in buffaloes is poorly understood. In order to evaluate the absorption capacity of the proventriculus in buffaloes, five adult animals had their stomachs removed after slaughter, the compartments of the stomachs were dissected, and the rumen, reticulum, and omasum were separated; the rumen was separated into its several bags. Thereafter, these were digitized in a scanner and the images processed using software (UTHSCSA software Image Tool version 3.00) to determine their surface areas. In addition, a fragment of the various rumen sacs was removed to determine the area and the correlation with the total area of the compartments. The ventral sac of the rumen exhibited the largest absorption surface area, not differing from the omasum. There was no difference between the ventral, cranial, blind caudoventral, caudodorsal, and dorsal cavities of the rumen. Thus, our results confirm that the absorptive surface areaof the compartments of the proventriculus can be estimated via a biopsy of the cranial sac of the rumen.