Evaluation of cation-anion diets in calcium metabolism in ruminants

Ana Alix Mendes De Almeida Oliveira,Simone Raymundo De Oliveira,Cristiani Cavilhão,Marcela Abbado Neres,Paula Regina Hermes,Dorinha Miriam Silber Schmidt Vitti,Patrícia Barcellos Costa,Paula Konieczniak

doi:10.1590/s1516-35982014001100006

Abstract

The objective of this study was to evaluate the use of the dietary cation-anion balance (DCAB) on the calcium metabolism in male Nellore steers with a mean age of 10 months. Three experimental diets were tested: a cationic diet, a diet consisting of Tifton hay only, and an anionic diet with +15.2, +23.9 and −10.0 mEq/100 g DM of DCAB values in the diet. The anionic diet was calculated as the addition of salts of ammonium chloride and magnesium sulfate. Based on the isotope dilution technique, the negative DCAB value used in this study (−10.0 mEq/100 g DM) does not affect calcium metabolism, especially endogenous losses and true absorption.

Highlights

The dietary cation-anion balance (DCAB) is a subject of interest in nutrition because it can positively influence both the animal production and environmental pollution rates.The dietary cation-anion balance can be defined as the balance between the concentration in milliequivalents of cations and anions in the diet, i.e., the sum of total fixed cations of sodium (Na) and potassium (K) minus the total fixed anions of chlorine (Cl) and sulfur (S): [(Na + K) − (Cl + S)]/100 g DM (Dishington, 1975)
The objective of this study was to evaluate the use of the dietary cation-anion balance (DCAB) on the calcium metabolism in male Nellore steers with a mean age of 10 months
Based on the isotope dilution technique, the negative DCAB value used in this study (−10.0 mEq/100 g DM) does not affect calcium metabolism, especially endogenous losses and true absorption

Summary

Introduction

The dietary cation-anion balance (DCAB) is a subject of interest in nutrition because it can positively influence both the animal production and environmental pollution rates. The dietary cation-anion balance can be defined as the balance between the concentration in milliequivalents (mEq) of cations and anions in the diet, i.e., the sum of total fixed cations of sodium (Na) and potassium (K) minus the total fixed anions of chlorine (Cl) and sulfur (S): [(Na + K) − (Cl + S)]/100 g DM (Dishington, 1975). The negative DCAB has reduced the incidence of parturient paresis; when animals consume cationic diets, the metabolism of this mineral is changed. The use of anionic diets restores the sensitivity of cells to PTH and homeostatic calcium levels in blood (Schonewille et al, 1994; Setti et al, 1998)

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