The decisive role of the abomasal acidic medium in the mineral absorption in gastrointestinal tract of ruminants

Abstract

The abomasum represents the “true stomach” of the ruminants and presents a significantly acid pH, which is decisive to the chemical processes that occur with mineral salts. Indeed, the pH value of the chemical medium affects decisively the precipitation or solubilization of ions as well as its complexation, which are determinant factors to the ionic absorption in the gastrointestinal tract (GIT) of the respective animal species. However, the importance of the acid medium to the metallic complexes and/or coordination compounds is not always adequately explained and emphasized in the literature focused on animal nutrition. The understanding of the relevance of the cations complexation for molecules and macromolecules present in the digesta as well as the decisive influence of the acid medium in this process constitutes fundamental aspects to the search of more efficient nutritional strategies to a higher absorption of the mineral salts that are intrinsic in the food eaten or added in the complete diet. In this way, the present approach constitutes relevant pre-requisite to viabilized new diets and/or protocols of management aiming to a lower mineral salt’s loss in the fecal matter. The biochemical and physiological relevance of several ions in the mineral salts and its great impact in the cost of the animal diet denotes the real value of a greater study and focus to this area by animal nutritionists and other researchers of similar areas.