Trace Minerals Play Important Role
National Research Council estimates that trace minerals such as copper, manganese and zinc have low natural bioavailability from feed and absorption in the animal and must be supplemented because they play key roles in many of the animal’s biological systems.
Chelated Trace Minerals Improve Bioavailability
Traditionally-used inorganic mineral salts are prone to physical and chemical degradation due to dietary and environmental antagonisms present in the digestive tract that impair absorption. Only a small portion of the mineral is delivered to the intestinal absorption sites; much is excreted and lost to the animal.
Chelated trace minerals are chemically bound to a compound called a ligand that helps improve the bioavailability of the mineral.This type of bonding creates a stable complex in the upper gastrointestinal tract. This stability can reduce losses due to antagonisms, allowing efficient utilization by the animal.
However, not all chelated trace minerals are created equal. In order for them to be effective, they have to be stable even at low ranges of pH. In multiple studies of commercially complexed, or chelated, copper, zinc and manganese products, the minerals dissociated completely from their ligands even under mildly acidic conditions of the upper GI tract.
Novus Solutions – MINTREX®
Research has demonstrated that the MINTREX® chelated trace minerals including copper, manganese and zinc are more stable at low pH than competing products (unpublished.) The increased bioavailability of MINTREX is due to a chelated structure that firmly attaches a unique molecule to the mineral, providing both effective protection when moving through the digestive tract, and efficient transport across the intestinal wall. MINTREX has also shown performance benefits in poultry, swine, beef and dairy animals.
The MINTREX chelated trace minerals use HMTBa (methionine hydroxy analogue, the active ingredient in ALIMET® feed supplements) as the organic ligand, which remains attached to the mineral in the digestive system and at low pH, allowing the mineral to travel in protected form to the small intestine for absorption. And as a bonus, it provides residual methionine for added nutritional benefits.
Please contact us if you need further information on MINTREX chelated trace mineral programs in beef, dairy, pork, poultry or other species.