D-xylose absorption in the adult bovine.

A D-xylose absorption curve was determined on 10 apparently healthy adult cows. The D-xylose was placed directly into the abomasum by abomasocentesis. Various doses of D-xylose were placed in the abomasum of cows with rumen fistula to determine the most useful dose. By giving 0.5 gm of D-xylose per dg of body weight, a blood level was produced that peaked around 90 minutes at 13.8 +/- 3 mg/di. The technique for abomasal centesis was developed by first using embalmed cows and then cows with rumen fistulae.