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The Influence of Aluminum and Zinc upon the Absorption and Retention of Calcium and Phosphorus in Lambs¹

University of Tennessee—Atomic Energy Commission, Agricultural Research Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee

Abstract

Concurrent chemical and radiochemical blood and balance studies were carried out with 12 lambs in four trials on rations containing 0, 0.5 and 1.0% of aluminum sulfate and of zinc sulfate. The results of radiocalcium and radiophosphorus behavior after oral and/or intravenous administration indicated little effects of increased dietary levels of aluminum or zinc. However, net retention and apparent and true digestibility of dietary calcium were markedly decreased at all levels of zinc feeding. Fecal endogenous calcium averaged 39.9±1.8 mg./kg/day as compared with 28.1± 1.8 and 28.2±1.8 mg., respectively, for those receiving the basal and aluminum-containing rations. Evidence is presented indicating that zinc may also affect the gastro-intestinal absorption of calcium. The effects of aluminum upon calcium behavior was without significance.

Phosphorus retention was likewise affected by dietary zinc, but not by aluminum. No dietary treatment effected any significant difference in fecal endogenous phosphorus loss, and it was concluded that any decreased retention of phosphorus was due to interference in absorption from the tract. These negligible effects of dietary aluminum upon phosphorus metabolism in the ruminant are discussed in light of previous studies and possible specie differences in absorption.

¹ Published with the approval of the Director of the Tennessee Agricultural Experiment Station. The radioisotopes were obtained from the Oak Ridge National Laboratory on allocation from the United States Atomic Energy Commission. This study was made under Contract No. AT-40-1-GEN-242 between the University of Tennessee and the U. S. Atomic Energy Commission.

² W. K. Kellogg Foundation Fellow. Present address: Agricultural Chemistry Department, University of Durham, King's College, Newcastle-Upon-Tyne, England.

³ Present address: Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, Louisiana.