Influence of aluminum-citrate and citric acid on tissue mineral composition in wether sheep.

A 60-d trial was conducted to determine effects of A1-citrate and citric acid on tissue mineral composition in wether lambs. Eighteen crossbred, yearling wether lambs equipped with ruminal cannulas were fed a diet containing low (.12%) Mg and high (2.87%) K (DM basis) and were allotted to three treatments: 1) control; 2) 2,000 micrograms A1 as A1-citrate/g of diet DM and 3) citric acid equivalent to the citrate in treatment 2. Treatments were administered in 200 ml of deionized water twice daily in divided doses via ruminal cannula. At the end of 60 d, wethers were slaughtered and samples of rib and tibia bone, liver, kidney, brain, spleen, pancreas, parathyroid and pituitary gland were analyzed for mineral concentration. Concentrations of A1 increased (P less than .05) in rib, tibia, liver, kidney, spleen and pituitary gland and tended to increase in brain (P less than .13) in wethers treated with A1-citrate compared to citric acid. Magnesium was decreased in rib (P less than .01) and tended to be decreased in pituitary gland (P less than .15), whereas Ca tended to be decreased in pancreas (P less than .07), kidney (P less than .11) and parathyroid (P less than .10) by A1-citrate treatment compared to citric acid. Potassium decreased (P less than .01) in liver, Fe increased (P less than .05) in kidney, Zn decreased in pituitary (P less than .05) and tended to decrease in pancreas (P less than .10) due to A1-citrate but not citric acid.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)