Calcium-containing crystals in alfalfa: their fate in cattle.

The fate of crystals in the parenchymatous sheaths around vascular bundles in alfalfa leaves was followed through the bovine digestive tract by scanning electron microscopy. The bundle and sheath pass from the rumen largely intact. Most crystals are released from the bundle sheath postruminally. In feces, some crystals appear partially eroded and others are intact. By energy-dispersive x-ray analysis calcium is the primary crystal cation. Intact cyrstals isolated from alfalfa leaves by low-temperature ashing and from bovine feces by washing and differential specific gravity were subjected to Raman microprobe analysis. Most crystals were calcium oxalate, a few were potassium oxalate, and some contained both compounds. From 20 to 33% of calcium in alfalfa is in the form of oxalate and apparently unavailable to ruminants. Carbonate is probably in partially eroded crystals from feces. Data presented account for the poorer utilization by cattle of calcium from alfalfa than that from inorganic sources.