Cobalt

I. Functions

A. Component of cobalamine (Vit. B-12)

B. Needed for cobalamine production by rumen microbes

II. Deficiency (similar to cobalamine)

A. megaloblastic anemia & Neurological lesions

1. weakness tiredness, progressive paralysis, mental disorders, diarrhea

B. decreased growth.

Copper & Molybdenum

I. Functions

A. Iron metabolism

1. Formation of hemoglobin

B. Enzyme activation (Co-factors)

C. Reproduction (fertility)

D. Ratio ~ 2:1 for Cu:Mo

II. Copper

A. Deficiencies (Cu)

1. Swayback (enzootic ataxia), newborn lambs

2. Falling disease, staggering, falling, sudden death

3. Stringy or Steely wool (straight – like hair)

a. “bleaching” of hair color

B. Toxicity (Cu)

1. Accumulation in the liver (ruminants)

III. Molybdenum

A. Deficiency – not a problem

B. Toxicity (same as Cu Deficiency)

1. Scours

2. Weight loss

3. Fading hair color

Iron

I. Storage form = ferritin (Iron + protein)

II. Functions

A. Iron (heme) + protein (globulin) = hemoglobin

1. Oxygen transport

B. Myoglobin, muscle protein

C. Enzyme activation (co-factor)

III. Deficiency

A. Iron deficiency anemia

1. Fewer (#) red blood cells

2. Less hemoglobin

3. Pale mucus membranes

B. Reduced appetite (pica)

C. Diarrhea

D. Labored breathing

E. Rough hair coat

F. Decreased growth

Newborn animals susceptible (pigs)

IV. Toxicity

A. Free Fe are very toxic

B. Fe always associated with a protein

C. 2 Fe + 1 ß globulin protein (transferrin) = transferritin for Fe transfer

Selenium

I. Functions

A. Component of glutathione peroxidase

1. Protect against oxidation of PUFA

B. Protect tissue from toxic substances

C. Interrelationship with Vit. E

1. Spare each other

II. Deficiency

A. White muscle disease (stiff lamb disease)

B. See Vit. E

III. Toxicity

A. Blind staggers or Alkali disease

1. Emaciation

2. Loss of hair

3. Soreness and sloughing of hooves

4. Blindness

5. Death

Mineral	Main Functions	Deficiency Symptoms	Comments
Calcium (Ca)	Bone and teeth formation; blood coagulation; muscle contraction; nerve function; cell permeability; milk production; egg shell formation	Rickets (young); osteomalacia (adult); tetany; thin-shelled eggs; reduced egg production; hypocalcemia or milk fever in dairy cattle	Vitamin D involved in absorption and bone deposition; excess PO4 decreases absorption; excess Mg decreases absorption, replaces Ca in bone and increases Ca excretion; Ca:P ratio should be 1:1 to 2:1
Phosphorus (P)	Bone and teeth formation; phosphorylation; high-energy phosphate bonds; PO4 chief anion radical of intracellular fluid; PO4 important in acid-base balance	Rickets (young); osteomalacia (adult); reduced egg production	Vitamin D involved in renal reabsorption and bone deposition; excess Ca and Mg causes decrease in absorption; Ca:P ratio should be 1:1 to 2:1; in male ruminants, excess P may cause urinary calculi
Soduim (Na)	Major cation of extracellular fluid where it is involved in osmotic pressure and acid-base equilibrium; preservation of normal muscle cell irritability; cell permeability	Reduced growth; eye disturbances with corneal lesions; reproduction impairment (infertility in males, delayed sexual maturity in females)	Salt tocicity readily occurs in nonruminants with levels above 8% in diet; staggering gait, blindness, nervous disorders and hypertension
Chlorine (Cl)	Major anion involved in osmotic pressure and acid-base balance (chlorine shift); hydrochloric acid in digestion	Hypochloremic alkalosis (usually due to physiological disturbance such as vomiting rather than deficiency); reduced growth	Toxicity unlikely
Magnesium (Mg)	Enzyme activator primarily in glycolytic system; bone formation	Vasodilation; hyperirritability with convulsions, loss of equilibrium and trembling; tetany	Excess upsets Ca and P metabolism; toxicity not likely
Mineral	Main Functions	Deficiency Symptoms	Comments
Potassium (K)	Major cation of intracellular fluid where it is involved in osmotic pressure and acid-base balance; muscle activity	Hypokalemia; lethargic condition with high incidence of comas and death; diarrhea, distended abdomen and unitidy appearance	Excess reduces Mg absorption; Mg deficiency reduces K retention leading to K deficiency
Sulfur (S)	Sulfur-containing amino acids; SH group function in tissue respiration; component of biotin and thiamine	Primarily reduced growth effect due to sulfur amino acid requirement for protein synthesis	Toxicity unlikely
Iron (Fe)	Cellular respiration (hemoglobin, cytochromes, myoglobin)	Hypochromic-microcytic anemia (less than normal amount of hemoglobin and fewer red cells); anemia may be common in baby pigs unless Fe is supplied	Ca-P ratio influences absorption; Cu required for proper metabolism; pyridoxine deficiency decreases absorption
Copper (Cu)	Cofactor in several oxidation-reduction enzyme systems; hemoglobin synthesis; bone formation; maintenance of myelin of nerves; hair pigmentation	Fading hair coat or lack of wool; nervous symptoms or ataxia; lameness, swelling of joints and fragility of bones; anemia	Excess Mo or Zn inhibit its utilization and storage; toxcity occurs at levels above 250 ppm with much the same symptoms as deficiency
Zinc (Zn)	Component or cofactor of several enzyme systems including peptidases and carbonic anhydrase; needed for bone and feather development	Poor hair or feather development and slipping of wool; rough and thickened skin or parakeratosis in swine	High Ca or phytate ties up Zn; excess Zn interferes with Cu metabolism and may cause anemia
Mineral	Main Functions	Deficiency Symptoms	Comments
Manganese (Mn)	Thought to be an activator of enzyme systems involved in oxidative phyosphorylation, amino acid metabolism, fatty acid synthesis and cholesterol metabolism; bone formation (organic matrix); growth and reproduction	Poor growth; shortened long bones; impaired reproduction (testicular degeneration of males, defective ovulation of females); perosis or slipped tendon in poultry	Excess Ca and P decreases absorption; toxicity unlikely
Cobalt (Co)	Component of vitamin B12; needed by rumen bacteria for growth and vitamin B12 synthesis	Anemia (varies from normocytic-normochromic to megaloblastic or macrocytic); deficiency in ruminants causes reduced appetite, reduced growth and body weight and eventually death	Related in vitamin B12; toxicity unlikely
Iodine (I)	Thyroxine formation	Goiter; stillbirths; hairless pigs or wool-less lambs at birth	Long-term intake of high amounts of I reduces thyroid uptake of I
Selenium (Se)	Component of the enzyme glutathione peroxidase, which reduces peroxides arising from tissue lipid oxidation; thus, protects against cellular membrane damage by the peroxides; functions are closely related to that of vitamin E	Excudative diathesis (chicks); muscular dystrophy (white muscle disease); cattle stiff lamb disease-sheep; liver necrosis (pigs, rats)	Chronic toxcity yields blind staggers at 10-20 ppm or alkali disease at 5-10 ppm; acute toxcity occurs at 20 ppm and above; sudden death; SO4 protector against toxcity
Molybdenum (Mo)	Purine metabolism; stimulates microbial activity in rumen	Lack of conversion of xanthine to uric acid but not likely to be deficient in natural diet	Excess interferes with Cu activation of enzymes; causes anemia and diarrhea; SO4 protects against toxcity
Fluorine (F)	Traces protect against teeth decay	Excesses of F are of more concern than deficiencies in livestock production	Levels above 5-10 ppm block vital oxidative enzymes by interfering with Mn; causes bone deformities enamel defects and organ degeneration; Ca and Al salts protect against toxcity; F is a cumulative poison so toxicity may not be noted for some time