Effects of diaryliodonium chemicals on nitrogen utilization in growing steers.

Diaryliodonium chemicals increased nitrogen (N) absorption, utilization of absorbed N and N retention in growing steers. Fifty parts per million of the chemicals (diphenyliodonium chloride, diphenyliodonium bromide, 4,4'-difluorodiphenyliodonium chloride or 4,4'-dimethyldiphenyliodonium chloride) in the diet appeared sufficient to promote significant (P less than .05 or .10) improvements in N utilization. Diet digestibility was either not affected or improved slightly. We suggest that diaryliodonium chemicals improve N utilization by adjusting the ruminal degradation of dietary protein to yield more amino-N and less ammonia-N.