Studies on slaughter animal blood plasma. I. Composition of bovine and porcine plasma

Analysis of bovine plasma, collected over three months from a local abattoir, indicated that the mean percentage concentrations of the following plasma constituents were:- total solids-8.9%, ash-2.1%, protein-6.4%, non-protein nitrogen-0.2%, fat-0.3% and a mean pH value of 7.9. Mean values for specific mineral content of bovine plasma were:- sodium-6,102ppm, potassium-203ppm, magnesium-13ppm, calcium-72ppm, iron-3ppm and chloride-2,700ppm. Mean concentrations of constituents in porcine plasma were:- total solids-8.5%, ash-1.7%, protein-6.1%, non-protein nitrogen-0.2%, fat-0.2% and a mean pH value of 7.8. Mean mineral concentrations of porcine plasma were:- sodium 2,734ppm, potassium 312ppm, magnesium 14ppm, calcium 116ppm, iron 9ppm and chloride 2,912ppm. A two-way classification of the statistical results of compositional analyses revealed a variation significant at the 0.1% level in the fat content of the two species. The interspecies total solids, ash and pH variation were significant at the 1% level, while the variation in protein was significant at the 5% level. Non-protein nitrogen did not vary significantly between the species.