Phosphorus (P) is one of the most important mineral elements in animal diet, and it is second only to calcium in animal body. About 80% of phosphorus is present in bones and teeth, and the rest is distributed in body fluids and soft tissues.
Phosphorus plays an important role in the body's metabolism and has more physiological functions than other mineral elements. E.g:
Promote and maintain bone tissue growth
Most of the phosphorus in the body exists in the bones in the form of hydroxyapatite (Ca10(PO4)6(OH)2), which plays a supporting and protective role. In addition to supporting the body, bones are also the storage pool of calcium and phosphorus in the body. The calcium and phosphorus in the body are continuously absorbed and released, especially during pregnancy, lactation, and egg-laying periods of hens. This calcium and phosphorus exchange is more frequent .
Maintain osmotic pressure and acid-base balance
Compared with other mineral elements, phosphorus has a very important function - to maintain body fluid osmotic pressure, buffer capacity and acid-base balance.
Energy utilization and transport
Phosphorus plays an important role in the body's energy regulation process. ATP (adenosine triphosphate) - a direct donor of free energy, exists in all cells of the body to ensure energy storage and utilization. During muscle movement, ATP is hydrolyzed, and energy is converted from chemical energy to mechanical energy in the process.
Protein synthesis, fatty acid transport, amino acid exchange
Phosphorus is directly or indirectly involved in basically all physiological functions. Oxidative phosphorylation occurs during intestinal absorption, glycolysis, aerobic sugar oxidation, renal excretion, lipid transport, and amino acid transport. At the same time, phosphorus is also a component of many coenzymes, such as NAD+, NADP+.
Growth and Cell Differentiation (DNA)
Phosphorus is the main carrier of genetic information - an important component of nucleic acid, involved in the regulation of protein synthesis and immune processes.
Affects appetite, feed utilization and fecundity.
Phosphorus requirement
When phosphorus is absorbed in the animal intestine, part of it is directly involved in various physiological processes of the body, and the other part is stored. An appropriate amount of phosphorus is necessary to achieve the health and optimal performance of livestock and poultry. Phosphorus absorption is not equal to its availability, and biological digestibility or bioavailability is usually used to determine phosphorus requirements.
The appropriate demand and supply of phosphorus are affected by many factors, among which vitamin D is the basis for ensuring the effective absorption of calcium and phosphorus, and the ratio of calcium and phosphorus directly affects the rate of phosphorus absorption. Therefore, in addition to proper phosphorus levels, proper calcium-to-phosphorus ratio and adequate vitamin D are also key points of nutritional balance.
Phosphorus Deficiency Symptoms
When animals have insufficient phosphorus intake, they will show various symptoms of phosphorus deficiency, but all of them will affect animal health and cause economic losses. The initial manifestation is decreased blood phosphorus, followed by bone disease, in addition to generally showing decreased resistance, it is also accompanied by loss of appetite, decreased feed utilization, and decreased body weight.
Phosphorus deficiency is more pronounced in poor rearing conditions.
Laying hens: Decreased egg production, shell thickness and hatchability; often with osteomalacia A proper calcium-to-phosphorus ratio is critical for laying hens' bone growth and egg production.
Broiler: Weak limbs, broken bones, tibial chondrodysplasia, osteomalacia and rickets, bone breakage during production and processing can cause many problems and economic losses.
Sows: Reduced reproductive rate, postpartum paralysis, reduced service life of sows, and economic losses.
Fattening pigs: reduce growth rate and feed utilization, rickets, resulting in economic losses.
Cattle: Reduced feed intake, reduced feed utilization, reduced fertility, resulting in irregular ovulation or even no ovulation, reduced conception rate, reduced milk production, lameness and even swelling and deformation of bones and joints.
Phosphorus supplementation
Phosphorus requirements for most animals have been determined, but determination of daily supplementation is more difficult and is influenced by a variety of factors, including:
Changes in animal performance
Differences in animal strains
Individual Differences
Changes in the composition of feed ingredients
At present, the determination of the level of phosphorus added in the diet is mainly based on animal health and production performance.
Sourced from IFP
