18 Story Idea? Contact Paul.Nolan@Farms.com Better Pork | April 2024 as part of a premix that is added to complete feed. The most commonly used trace minerals are inorganic minerals, coming either from a sulphate or oxide form. These are used mainly for economic purposes, as they are cheaper than better-quality minerals. The uncertainty that exists in the bioavailability of these minerals when included in commercial diets is compensated by using a worst-case scenario bioavailability. What people tend to forget are the other drawbacks this has, as they can increase overall nutrient inefficacy, vitamin stability and phytase activity. This is due to the unstable nature of the inorganic trace minerals, especially sulphates. Sulphate trace minerals are comprised of weak ionic bonds that are more soluble in water (pH 7), increasing the presence of reactive free minerals. These free minerals can then negatively affect other essential nutrients, like vitamins, lipids, and phytate, and hinder the availability of the mineral (Figure 1). The effects of this are strongest with copper, as copper is one of the more reactive minerals in the diet. Feeding a diet containing a well-mixed inclusion of trace minerals from an improved source can help animals make better use of all nutrients included in the diet (not only the minerals) and allow them to better respond to any stressors they may experience. Examples of these types of mineral sources are organic or hydroxy trace minerals. In the organic trace minerals, the mineral is attached to an organic ligand, providing a more stable bond to the mineral, thereby reducing the likelihood of interaction with other feed ingredients, and ensuring proper availability. The strength of the bond determines the consistency of the availability. The hydroxy type minerals have a similar type of bond as the organic trace minerals, but also have a metal complex present in a crystalline structure, which further reduces the chances of reactivity, especially in neutral pH water. As a result, the in-feed stability of essential nutrients such as vitamins can be improved, as well as the efficacy of phytase, as can be seen on Page 17 in feeds containing vitamin E (Figure 1). In some recent animal trials, results showed that the use of hydroxy trace minerals can lead to increases in individual animal performance, but also improve overall uniformity of the herd. A trial comparing hydroxy copper, manganese, and zinc to sulfate mineral sources demonstrated that hydroxy minerals (IntelliBond™) decreased the expression of serum pro-inflammatory cytokines following an acute (LPS injection) immune challenge (Figure 2). This led to a lower impact on performance, leading to a more uniform herd (Figure 3). Altogether, using hydroxy trace minerals ensures that performance is sustained and economic uncertainty is reduced. BP TRACE MINERALS GAVIN BOERBOOM Gavin Boerboom, PhD, is the global program manager for trace minerals for Trouw Nutrition. Figure 2. Effect of the use of IntelliBond, a unique hydroxy trace mineral, on serum levels of TNF-α in piglets at Day 35 post-weaning, three hours post-LPS injection and FCR for the entire period. TNF-α is a signalling protein involved in inflammation and immune response. Lower levels may indicate reduced inflammation in the body. Hr 3 - d35 726 626 526 426 326 226 126 26 b 85 a 598 ab 359 a 509 TNFα, pg/mL FCR 0-42 c 135 ab 1.42 bc 1.38 a 1.44 1.46 1.42 1.38 1.34 1.30 Control - No LPS ZnSO4 IBZ ZnO Figure 3. Effect of the inclusion of unique sources of hydroxy trace minerals on herd uniformity at slaughter in grow-finishers fed throughout the entire period in Canada. IBC: IntelliBond C; IBZ: IntelliBond Z; ZnO: Zinc oxide IBC + IBZ 10% reduction in variation IBC + ZnO IBC + IBZ 80 100 120 140 160 Body Weight
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