Dietary Calcium Carbonate Research Articles

140 Effects of Calcium Carbonate Level on Weanling Pig Growth Performance and Fecal Dry Matter

Abstract A total of 695 barrows (DNA 200×400; initially 5.9 ± 0.02 kg) were used in 2 groups in a 28-d study to evaluate the effects of dietary calcium carbonate level on nursery pig growth performance and fecal dry matter. Upon arrival to the research facility, pigs were randomly assigned to pens with 5 pigs/pen, and pens were allotted to 1 of 5 dietary treatments with 27 or 28 pens/treatment. Dietary treatments were formulated to provide 0, 0.45, 0.90, 1.35, and 1.80% calcium carbonate added at the expense of corn, which resulted in total Ca of 0.49, 0.66, 0.84, 1.01 and 1.18%, respectively. All diets were formulated to contain 0.68% total P and 0.59% STTD P. Diets were fed in 2 phases with treatment diets fed from d 0 to 14 and a common diet fed from d 14 to 28. Treatment diets were fed in meal (group 1) and pellet (group 2) form. Feces were collected from 3 pigs/pen and dried to calculate fecal dry matter. There was no evidence for a treatment×group interaction and thus, groups were combined. From d 0 to 14 (treatment period), ADG (P = 0.010), d 14 BW (P = 0.006), and G:F (P = 0.010) decreased linearly as calcium carbonate increased. There was no evidence for a difference in ADFI (P > 0.10) between treatments. For fecal dry matter, there was a tendency for a quadratic response (P = 0.091) with the highest and lowest calcium carbonate diets having the greatest dry matter. Subsequent performance from d 14 to 28 was not influenced by previous treatment (P > 0.10). In summary, increasing dietary calcium carbonate from 0 to 1.80% decreased ADG and G:F in pigs the first 14-d after weaning.

57 Effect of Calcium Carbonate Level with or without Benzoic Acid on Weanling Pig Growth Performance, Fecal Dry Matter, and Blood Ca and P Concentrations

Abstract A total of 360 barrows (DNA Line 200×400; initially 6.2 ± 0.03 kg) were used in a 38-d study to evaluate the interactive effects of added dietary calcium carbonate and benzoic acid on nursery pig growth performance, fecal dry matter, and blood Ca and P concentration. Upon arrival to the nursery research facility, pigs were randomly assigned to pens (5 pigs/pen) and pens were allotted to 1 of 6 dietary treatments (12 pens/treatment). Dietary treatments fed from d 0 to 24 were formulated to provide 0.45, 0.90, or 1.35% calcium carbonate with or without 0.5% benzoic acid (VevoVitall, DSM Nutritional Products, Parsippany, NJ). Diets were fed in 3 phases with total Ca of 0.66, 0.83, or 1.00% Ca from d 0 to 10, and 0.54, 0.72, or 0.89% from d 10 to 24. A common diet was fed from d 24 to 38 (0.68% Ca). Serum Ca and P was analyzed on d 21. There were no calcium carbonate×benzoic acid interactions observed for any response criteria (P > 0.10). For the experimental period (d 0 to 24), there was a tendency for benzoic acid to improve ADG (P = 0.056) and ADFI (P = 0.071) with no influence on G:F (P>0.10). Increasing calcium carbonate linearly reduced (P < 0.05) G:F. For serum analysis, serum Ca increased (linear, P < 0.001) as the level of dietary calcium carbonate increased. There were no differences (P > 0.010) in fecal DM. For the overall study (d 0 to 38), pigs fed benzoic acid had increased ADG (P = 0.011) and ADFI (P = 0.030) and marginally improved (P = 0.096) G:F. Calcium carbonate level did not influence overall performance. This data suggests that lower levels of calcium carbonate may improve feed efficiency in early nursey period. Adding benzoic acid to the diet for nursery pigs increased ADG and ADFI, and tended to increase G:F regardless of the calcium carbonate level.

Dietary calcium supplementation in adult rats reverts brown adipose tissue dysfunction programmed by postnatal early overfeeding

Brown adipose tissue (BAT) dysfunction is associated with obesity and its comorbidities, such as hypertension, and the improvement of BAT function seems important for obesity management. Here we investigated the effects of dietary calcium supplementation on BAT autonomic nerve activity, sympathoadrenal function and cardiovascular parameters in adult obese rats that were raised in small litters (SL group). Three days after birth, SL litters were adjusted to three pups to induce early overfeeding. The control group remained with 10 pups/litter until weaning (NL group). At PN120, the SL group was randomly divided into the following: rats fed with standard chow (SL) and rats fed with dietary calcium carbonate supplementation (SL-Ca, 10g/kg chow). Animals were killed either at PN120 or PN180. At both ages, SL rats had higher BAT autonomic nervous system activity, mass and adipocyte area, as well as increased heart rate and blood pressure (systolic and diastolic); 2 months of calcium supplementation normalized these parameters. At PN180 only, UCP1 and TRβ1 in BAT were decreased in SL rats. These changes were also prevented by calcium treatment. Also at PN180, the SL group presented higher tyrosine hydroxylase and adrenal catecholamine contents, as well as lower hypothalamic POMC and MC4R contents. Calcium supplementation did not revert these alterations. Thus, we demonstrated that dietary calcium supplementation was able to improve cardiovascular parameters and BAT thermogenesis capacity in adult animals that were early overfed during lactation.

An Examination of the P Requirements of Broiler Breeders for Performance, Progeny Quality and P Balance 2. Ca Particle Size

A 2 x 5 factorial production and balance study with 90 broiler breeders was performed to assess the effects calcium particle size and NPP levels. Cobb 500 broiler breeders, 24 wk of age, were fed 4.68 g Ca intake at peak using 2 particle sizes of dietary calcium carbonate (185.5 microns; 58.8% solubility and 3489.7 microns; 38.5% solubility) and 5 levels of dietary %NPP (0.2% to 0.4% NPP in 0.05% increments; corresponding to a daily intake of 288, 360, 432, 504 and 576 mg at peak intake). Egg production, specific gravity and egg wt were monitored from 24 to 40 wk of age and tibia relative strength at 45 weeks. A retention study was performed at 31 wk of age to determine Ca and P balance. No differences were noted in breeder bone integrity due to NPP intake, though eggs per hen housed and egg shell quality were affected. The breeders fed 288 mg NPP produced the largest number of eggs. The % P retention showed a positive linear response to increasing dietary NPP for breeders fed large particle limestone; but no response in hens fed small particle limestone. The amount of P excreted was increased with P intake but was minimized for hens fed large particle limestone. The amount of Ca excreted was significantly increased with increasing P intake. There was a significant linear increase in excreta Ca and linear decrease in % Ca retention for breeders fed increasing P intake along with small particle calcium but the amount of Ca excreted and % Ca retention was not statistically impacted by particle size. Feeding breeders large particle calcium carbonate increased the egg weight but did not significantly improve shell quality or tibia bone strength. The increased egg weight response for breeders fed large particle calcium carbonate in this short term experiment may have reduced the opportunity for large particle Ca to significantly improve egg shell quality. It can be concluded that particulate Ca sources can improve breeder performance and that dietary levels as low as 0.20% NPP (288 mg/day NPP intake) can be fed without impacting breeder performance; however dietary levels of >0.25%NPP (360 mg/day NPP intake) ensure adequate skeletal integrity.

Acute waterborne cadmium uptake in rainbow trout is reduced by dietary calcium carbonate

The effects of elevated dietary calcium (as CaCO 3) and acute waterborne Cd exposure (50 μg/l) on whole body uptake, tissue uptake, and internal distribution of newly accumulated Cd, Ca 2+, and Na + in juvenile rainbow trout were examined. Fish were fed with three diets (mg Ca 2+/g food): 20 (control), 30 and 60 for 7 days before fluxes were measured with radiotracers. The highest dietary Ca 2+ elevation reduced waterborne whole body Ca 2+ uptake, but did not protect against inhibition of waterborne Ca 2+ uptake by waterborne Cd. Both Ca 2+-supplemented diets reduced newly accumulated Ca 2+ in the gills in relation to the control treatment, but did not prevent the Cd-inhibiting effect against accumulation of new Ca 2+ in most compartments. Fish fed with Ca 2+-supplemented diets showed markedly lower rates of whole body uptake and internalization (in some tissues) of waterborne Cd, illustrating that, while dietary Ca 2+ supplementation did not protect against the impact of waterborne Cd on waterborne Ca 2+ uptake, it did protect against the uptake of Cd. Waterborne Cd had no effect on Na + fluxes, total Cl −, and in most body compartments, newly accumulated Na + and total Na + were also not affected. Dietary supplementation with CaCO 3 had the same protective effect as demonstrated by dietary supplementation with CaCl 2 in an earlier study. Thus, the reduction of waterborne Cd uptake and internalization by dietary Ca 2+ was specifically due to Ca 2+ and not to the anion.

Pre-harvest factors influencing the acid resistance of Escherichia coli and E. coli O157:H7.

The effects of pH, acetate, propionate, or butyrate concentration, and diet on acid resistance of fecal Escherichia coli and E. coli O157:H7 were determined by in vitro and in vivo experiments. The pH tested was from 4.0 to 8.0, and the VFA concentrations tested were 0 to 100 mM. The E. coli O157:H7 used was strain 505B. In an in vivo study, cattle were fed a grain-based diet, then either not switched or switched to a grain-based diet with 3% added calcium carbonate or two fiber-based diets (soybean hulls or hay). Acid resistance was expressed as viability after acid-shock at pH 2.0 for 1 h and 4 h for fecal E. coli and E. coli O157:H7, respectively. Enumeration methods used were multitube fermentation, agar plate, and petri-film methods. The E. coli O157:H7 was not found in continuous culture inocula or in vivo samples. The viability of fecal E. coli decreased linearly (P < 0.01) as the culture pH increased, and viability of E. coli O157:H7 was highest (P < 0.01) when cultivated at pH 6.0. The viability of fecal E. coli and E. coli O157:H7 showed quadratic responses (P < 0.05) as acetate and butyrate concentrations increased at pH 7.2, with maximal acid resistance at 20 and 12 mM, respectively. As propionate concentration increased, the acid resistance was not different (P > 0.05) for fecal E. coli. Acid resistance of E. coli was induced by acetate and butyrate, even though the environmental pH was near neutral. Similar results were measured in the in vivo study, where viability after acid shock was more dependent on VFA concentration than on pH. Increasing the dietary calcium carbonate concentration also increased (P < 0.05) acid resistance of fecal E. coli. Results from these studies demonstrated that culture pH and VFA affect acid resistance of E. coli.

Influence of a High-Calcium Carbonate Diet on the Incidence of Experimental Colon Cancer in Rats

This study was done to determine whether a high dietary calcium carbonate concentration could protect against colon tumors in rats. Female Wistar rats were randomly assigned to one of four groups and maintained on an 8% lipid diet for an adaptation period of four weeks. All groups were then fed a 24% lipid diet (sunflower oil), with (Groups 2 and 4) or without (Groups 1 and 3) a 1.5% calcium carbonate supplement. They were intrarectally instilled with saline (Groups 1 and 2) or nitrosomethylurea (NMU) (Groups 3 and 4). Fecal sterol output and pH were analyzed for one week each month. Histological analysis was done at the end of the 32-week experiment. No tumors were found in the non-NMU-treated animals. The NMU-treated rats had tumors: 31% in Group 3 and 30% in Group 4. The calcium carbonate supplement had no effect on this incidence. The lipid and cholesterol excretions of the calcium carbonate-supplemented rats were significantly enhanced. The coprostanol output was not altered, although its fecal concentration of the calcium-supplemented rats was decreased. Although neither lipid overload nor NMU treatment altered the fecal pH, it was significantly increased in both calcium carbonate-supplemented groups. These findings suggest that additional calcium as carbonate has no effect on colon tumor incidence, although the fecal composition is altered. The increased pH of the feces due to the carbonate could have the opposite effect to calcium.

Effect of increased dietary calcium on the development of reduced renal mass saline hypertension in rats.

A diet fortified with calcium carbonate has been reported to reduce blood pressure in low-renin and salt-sensitive hypertensive patients. We have therefore examined the effect of increased dietary calcium on the development of reduced renal mass-saline hypertension in rats, a classical, low-renin, volume, and sodium-dependent model of hypertension. Rats with 70-75% reduction in renal mass were divided into experimental and control groups. The experimental rats were fed a sodium-free diet supplemented with calcium carbonate (2.0% calcium) and drank 1% saline for 5 weeks. Control rats consumed the salt-free diet and drank 1% saline for the same period. In control rats, as previously observed, blood pressure progressive increased from a control value of 120.0 +/- 1.2 to 174.2 +/- 1.2 mm Hg by the fifth week. In contrast, in the calcium-supplemented rats the development of hypertension was significantly attenuated; the blood pressure only increased from 117.0 +/- 1.2 to 134.0 +/- 3.8 mm Hg by the fifth week. This was associated with a 30% decrease in saline intake by the fifth week, with proportionate decreases in urine volume and sodium excretion but not potassium excretion. Urinary magnesium excretion increased. No such changes were seen in control rats. At the end of the treatment period, plasma levels of sodium, potassium, calcium, creatinine, BUN, and protein were not different, but plasma chloride and magnesium were lower in experimental rats; vascular smooth muscle cell membrane potentials were also not different. These data show that dietary calcium carbonate can attenuate the development of reduced renal mass-saline hypertension in the rat, possibly in part by altering sodium and water intake.

Effect of dietary calcium carbonate on the faecal calcium concentration

Effect of dietary calcium carbonate on the faecal calcium concentration

Diet Calcium Carbonate, Phosphorus and Acidifying and Alkalizing Salts as Factors Influencing Silica Urolithiasis in Rats Fed Tetraethylorthosilicate

Three experiments were conducted to determine the effects of excess dietary calcium carbonate, phosphorus and urine acidifying and alkalizing salts on silica urolith formation in a model using rats fed dextrose-based diets containing 2% tetraethylorthosilicate (TES). Diets containing 2% TES lowered weight gains to 91–95% of gains made by rats fed non-TES diets. Urine silica concentrations of rats fed TES were generally in the range of 50–60 mg/dl. In experiment 1, rats fed TES with no additional dietary calcium carbonate had a silica urolith incidence of 35%. With additions of 1 and 2% calcium carbonate to the basal-TES diet, respective urolith incidences were 45 and 60% (r = 0.99, P < 0.02). In experiment 2, monobasic sodium phosphate (MP) providing 0.2% additional phosphorus resulted in a mean urine pH of 6.42 and no uroliths. Dibasic sodium phosphate (DP) without and with 0.5% sodium bicarbonate (SB) resulted in respective urine pH values of 6.78 and 7.14 and urolith incidences of 15 and 20% (MP < DP and DP + SB, P < 0.05). However, the uroliths were small averaging less than 1 mg. In experiment 3, substitution of autoclaved egg albumin for casein, the protein source in experiments 1 and 2, resulted in urine pH of 7.45 and a silica urolith incidence of 46%. An equal-molar mixture of MP and DP providing an added 0.2% phosphorus resulted in a urine pH of 7.07 and reduced the urolith incidence to 4%, and 0.75% of dietary ammonium chloride either with or without the added 0.2% phosphorus gave urine acidification and complete protection from uroliths. Dietary diammonium phosphate also resulted in urine acidification and a 12% urolith incidence. The phosphate and chloride salts used in these studies did not (P > 0.05) increase urine volumes. It is concluded that supplemental dietary phosphorus offers partial protection against silica uroliths that is not associated with increases in urine volume and is only partially dependent on urine acidification. Increases in urolith incidence in rats fed calcium carbonate appear to result from an alkalization of urine and a reduction of urine phosphorus concentration.

The hypolipidemic effect of calcium-containing compounds and vitamin D 2 in the rat.

AbstractTwo per cent dietary calcium carbonate alone (Group 1), in combination with vitamin D2 (Group 2) or oyster shell calcium with vitamin D2 (Group 3), was added to an atherogenic diet containing 20% fat and 2% cholesterol and fed to adult male Holtzman strain rats to evaluate the hypolipidemic effects of these supplements. A control group received the same diet, but the calcium was replaced by sand. After 21 days the serum cholesterol concentrations were lower by 35, 27 and 22%, respectively, in experimental groups 1, 2 and 3, compared to the controls. Serum triglyceride concentrations were lower by 10% in experimental groups 1, 2 and 3, compared to the controls. Serum triglyceride concentrations were lower by 10% in groups 1 and 2, and 17% in group 3. Concomitant with these decreases in serum lipids, there were increases in fecal 3‐β‐hydroxy‐5‐ene sterol, total glyceride and free fatty acid excretion. Serum calcium was elevated in the rats fed diets containing calcium when compared with the controls, whereas serum magnesium was depressed in thesy animals. Less calcium was excreted in the feces of rats fed calcium carbonate in combination with vitamin D than in those fed calcium carbonate. The results indicate a possible means of simultaneously treating both calcium deficiency and hyperlipidemia with a single agent.

Long term human studies on the lipid effects of oral calcium.

AbstractIngestion of 2 g of supplemental dietary calcium carbonate daily over a period of one year by eight hyperlipemic men and two hyperlipemic women caused a significant 25% decrease in serum cholesterol, after these subjects had shown stable levels for the previous year, and when compared to a group without therapy. Body weights for both groups remained stable throughout the period of observation. The experimental group also showed a reversal in the cholesterol‐phospholipid ratio from a preexperimental ratio of 1.04 to a ratio of 0.92. In addition there was a 113 mg per 100 ml decrease in serum triglycerides and a 48 mg per 100 ml decrease in serum phospholipids, but these were not statistically significant due to the large between individual variations and the limited sample size. Calcium carbonate should be considered as a potential agent for usage in long term studies designed to produce hypolipemia, since it appears to be effective and without significant side effects.

The Effect of Dietary Calcium Carbonate on Feed Intake and Conversion in Laying Hens

RESULTS of a previous study (Hurwitz and Bornstein, 1966) suggested that high levels of dietary limestone depressed feed intake. Furthermore, this depression appeared to be more pronounced when the diet also contained supplementary fat.The purpose of the present study was to continue the research on this possible interaction with dietary fat and to investigate whether the depression of feed intake was a general effect of calcium carbonate supplements, or limited to the particular limestone source, as suggested by Naber et al. (1963).METHODS AND RESULTSTrial 1.—This trial was designed to test the possible interaction effect of dietary fat and calcium on feed intake. Accordingly, we used three levels of fat supplementation (1, 4 and 7%), in the form of acidulated soybean soapstock, each with two levels of dietary calcium (3.0 and 4.5%). Dietary calcium was supplied by ground limestone, added at the expense of insoluble grit of…