Amino acid composition of the contents in various segments of the gastrointestinal tract of moose.

Concentrations of amino acids in various sections of the digestive tract of moose were investigated in 3 animals sampled in autumn. The concentration of amino acids in rumen contents were 1.5 to 2–fold higher when animals consumed a diet of deciduous twigs. The digesta from the small intestine, mainly from the first third of its length, had the highest concentration of amino acids per unit of dry weight. Amino acid levels continuously decreased along the length of the small intestine suggesting a transfer of amino acids across the intestinal wall. In the large intestine, slightly higher concentrations of amino acids were observed in the colon, more than likely due to the metabolic activity of microorganisms.