Disappearance of infused phytate from the large intestine of dairy heifers

The objective of this study was to investigate the disappearance of phytate from the large intestine of dairy heifers. Uncertainty about the availability of phosphorus (P) in different feeds may limit implementation of dietary strategies to reduce fecal P excretion by dairy cows. Increased understanding of the dynamics of phytate degradation and disappearance of P in the large intestine may improve prediction of intestinal P digestion and absorption. Eight ruminally- and ileally-cannulated crossbred dairy heifers were used in two 4 × 4 Latin square designs with 9-d periods, including 3 d of washout. All heifers were fed a high-forage diet containing 0.14% P throughout the study. Ytterbium-labeled corn silage and Co-EDTA were dosed to the rumen 4 times daily as particulate and liquid phase markers, respectively, to measure ileal digesta flow. On d 4 to 7 of each period, each heifer was infused ileally with 0, 5, 15, or 25 g/d of phytate (phytic acid) in solution and total fecal collection was conducted. When infusion ceased (d 8 and 9) ileal digesta was sampled to measure P flow to the ileum from the basal diet. Feed, digesta, and feces were dried, ground, and analyzed for phytate P, inorganic P, and total P using high performance ion chromatography, inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectroscopy, and the molybdovanadate yellow method, respectively. Phytate degradation in the large intestine was observed but was not complete, and the amount of infused phytate did not influence the degradability of phytate. Fecal excretion of total P increased with increasing total P infused. The slope coefficient for ileal P flow (dietary only) to feces was 0.56 ± 0.26 (mean ± SE), whereas the slope coefficient for infused P was 0.75 ± 0.13. These indicate net absorption of P from the large intestine and greater disappearance of P from dietary P flowing to the ileum than from the infused pure phytate (44 vs. 25%). This data will support mechanistic modeling efforts to improve prediction of P digestion, allowing more accurate estimation of P bioavailability in feeds.