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Distribution of Potassium in Steers by ⁴⁰K Measurement^{1, 2,}

University of Illinois, Urbana

Abstract

A factorial experiment involving 90 steers belonging to four breed-types and assigned to four final-weight groups, two diets, and two stilbestrol treatments, and replicated in 2 successive yr., was conducted to study the potassium distribution in the body, as estimated from ⁴⁰K gamma-ray measurements, in six body components.

The amount of radioactivity in the diet had the greatest effect on potassium distribution mainly by affecting the estimated GI potassium. In the second replicate, the feeding of a low-radioactivity diet for 7 days before whole-body counting resulted in a 56% decrease in the GI potassium concentration. Little effect of diet, stilbestrol, or year of replication was found on potassium concentration of other components.

The potassium concentration decreased in all components except bone and GI as steers increased in body mass. The highest potassium concentration was found in the carcass lean muscle, followed closely by bone. On a fat-free, fat-free dry matter, or nitrogen basis there was no significant effect of weight group on potassium content of the carcass lean. There was a tendency for potassium concentration to increase in muscle, bone, and organs, and to decrease in other components, as beef breeding increased. Angus had significantly more carcass potassium per unit of fat-free, boneless mass than the other breed-types. The biological variation of the ratio of carcass potassium per unit of lean within breed-type was found to be less than 3%.

¹ Portions of this paper are part of a thesis submitted by the senior author to the Graduate College, University of Illinois, in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Ph.D. degree.

² Department of Animal Science.