Mineral Nutrition for

Ruminants

Major Minerals

Major (macro) minerals

Ca,

P, K, Mg, Na, Cl, S

Included as % in diet

Functions
Structural
Nerve
Electrolytes
Osmotic

balance
Buffer in the rumen

Trace Minerals

Trace (micro) minerals

Cobalt,

copper, iodine, iron, manganese,

molybdenum, selenium and zinc all required
Chromium-no established requirement
Included as ppm or ppb in diet

Function
Enzyme

co-factor or component

Mineral Deficiencies

Milk Fever
Metabolic disease at/after parturition in
dairy cows
Rapid decrease in serum Ca because Ca is
lost to colostrum secretion
Symptoms included lack of appetite and
paralysis
Treatment is intravenous Ca borogluconate

Milk Fever Prevention

Include anionic salts in diet for 3-5 wks prior to

parturition
mEq(Na+

+ K+) mEq(Cl- + SO4-)

Normal

diet: +20 to +30 mEq/100g diet (electrolyte

balance)
Anionic diet: -7 to -25 mEq/100g diet

Induces mild acidosis, which increases tissue

responsiveness to PTH
Ca

release from bone to serum

Grass Tetany
Hypomagnesemia in ruminants
Usually following lush spring growth
Fertilizing with K or N make it worse
Symptoms include muscular twitching,
collapse, convulsion

Treatment

is Intravenous injection (IV) Mg

gluconate
Prevent with high Mag mineral (MagOx)

Copper, sulfur and molybdenum

High sulfur & molybdenum

thiomolybdates
Cu + thiomolybdates
insoluble complexes
Thiomolybdates can result in reduced Cu absorption and
systemic metabolism

NRC, 1996

Mineral Toxicosis

Maximum Tolerable Levels for

Ruminants

Copper Toxicosis

Sheep particularly sensitive to copper

5

ppm Cu
Excessive Cu builds up in Red Blood Cells,
causing Heinz-body formation and
methemoglobin production
Cant bind oxygen-chocolate blood
Release of hemoglobin damages kidneys

Avoid feeding cattle mineral

Copper Toxicosis Treatment

IV methylene blue to control metHb
Copper chelators

D-penicillamine
Ammonium

tetrathiomolybdate

Cu:Mo ratio of 10:1 or less

Sulfur Toxicity in Ruminants

Dietary sulfate reduced to H2S (gas)

Eructate-reinhale
Toxic in high amounts

Polioencephalomalacia

(PEM, brainers)

Brain lesions due to S toxicity

Polioencephalomalacia (PEM)

Terminology

Clinical signs

Polio = gray matter

Encephalo = brain
Malacia = tissue death

Subacute head pressing, circling, ataxia, staggering,

blindness, depression, stupor
Acute blindness, seizures, comatose

Can be caused by thiamine deficiency, lead or salt

poisoning and high sulfur diets

S induced PEM

Does not appear to be caused by thiamine or copper

deficiency

No alterations of thiamine or its mono- and diphosphate esters in

whole blood, brain, cerebrospinal fluid, or liver (Sager et al.,
1990; Gould et al.,1991)

Thiamine treatment can help reduce symptoms

Increase energy availability to the brain

plays a key role in the tri-carboxcylic acid cycle and pentose shunt

Thiamine-supplemented groups also manifested PEM, even

though clinical signs were not observed (Olkowski et al., 1992).

60% of ruminal gas that is eructated is inhaled

Pka of HS- = 7.04

S Induced PEM

Oxidative Stress

Reactive oxygen compound

Byproduct

of cellular respiration
Roles in cell signalling
Dangerous in excess

Oxygen Compound
Hydroxyl
Superoxide
Hydrogen

peroxide

Oxidative Stress

Effects
DNA damage
Lipid

peroxidation (oxidation of
polyunsaturated fatty acids)
Inactivation of some enzymes (oxidation of
metal cofactors)

Antioxidant Capacity

Superoxide dismutase
Superoxide

anion to hydrogen peroxide

Copper-Zinc SOD-cytosol
Manganese SOD-mitochondria

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Superoxide_dismutase

Antioxidant Capacity

Catalase
Hydrogen

peroxide to water and oxygen

Consists of 4 parts, each containing a heme
(iron) group

Antioxidant Capacity

Glutathione peroxidase
Hydrogen

peroxide to water
Selenium dependent enzyme-4 selenium
atoms per molecule

Iodine

Function- part of thyroid hormone

(metabolism rate)
70-80%

of body I- is in thyroid
T4 (thyroxine)
T3 (triiodothyronine)-3 times more active than
T4
Controls rate of energy metabolism in cells

Iodine
Deficiency
goiter enlarged thyroid gland

Plants

have goitrogens (goiter creating),

block use of iodine

Reduced growth
Impaired reproduction-dead, weak or
hairless young

Goiter in lamb

Selenium

Regulated by the FDA, because relatively low

levels toxic (i.e. 10x requirement)
Function
Glutathione

peroxidase (antioxidant)
Iodothyronine 5-deiodinase-1 (T4 conversion to T3)

Selenium

Deficiency
Deficient

in many areas of U.S.

Muscular dystrophy

Sheep-white muscle disease

Reproductive

problems such as retained placenta and

low fertility, weak newborns

Cobalt
Essential component of B12
Required by ruminants
Rumen microorganisms synthesize B12
from cobalt
B12 dependent enzymes

Methylmalonyl-CoA mutase
Methionine

synthetase