Calcium phosphate supplementation increases faecal Lactobacillus spp. in a randomised trial of young adults.

The aim of the studies was to determine the effects of calcium carbonate and calcium phosphate supplementation on faecal Lactobacillus spp., with and without a probiotic supplement, in healthy adults. Study 1 comprised of a randomised, double-blind, crossover design; participants (n=15) received 2 capsules/d of 250 mg elemental calcium as calcium carbonate (Ca1) and calcium phosphate (Ca2) each for 2-week periods, with 2-week baseline and washout periods. Study 2 was a randomised, double-blind, crossover design; participants (n=17) received 2 capsules/d of Lactobacillus helveticus R0052 and Lactobacillus rhamnosus R0011 (probiotic) alone, the probiotic with 2 capsules/d of Ca1, and probiotic with 2 capsules/d of Ca2 each for 2-week periods with 2-week baseline and washout periods. In both studies, stools were collected during the baseline, intervention and washout periods for Lactobacillus spp. quantification and qPCR analyses. Participants completed daily questionnaires of stool frequency and compliance. In Study 1, neither calcium supplement influenced viable counts of resident Lactobacillus spp., genome equivalents of lactic acid bacteria or stool frequency. In Study 2, faecal Lactobacillus spp. counts were significantly enhanced from baseline when the probiotic was administered with Ca2 (4.83±0.30, 5.79±0.31) (P=0.02), but not with Ca1 (4.98±0.31) or with the probiotic alone (5.36±0.31, 5.55±0.29) (not significant). Detection of L. helveticus R0052 and L. rhamnosus R0011 was significantly increased with all treatments, but did not differ among treatments. There were no changes in weekly stool frequency. Calcium phosphate co-administration may increase gastrointestinal survival of orally-administered Lactobacillus spp.

Evaluation of the broiler's ability to adapt to an early moderate deficiency of phosphorus and calcium.

We studied the ability of broiler chickens to adapt to early moderate P and Ca deficiencies by evaluating the impact of feeding different concentrations of P and Ca, from 1 to 18 d, on performance, bone characteristics, and nutrient absorption in the grower (Gr) period (18 to 32 d). Two starter (St) diets were fed from 1 to 18 d: a control (C) diet [0.45% nonphytate P (nPP) and 0.9% Ca] and a low (L) diet (0.30% nPP and 0.6% Ca). On d 19, half of the birds fed the St C diet were switched to a Gr C diet (0.40% nPP and 0.8% Ca), and the other half were switched to a Gr L diet (0.30% nPP and 0.6% Ca), whereas those fed the L diet in the St phase were fed the L diet in the Gr phase, resulting in a total of 3 treatments. Broiler chickens fed the St L diet weighed less (P < 0.05) than those fed the St C diet at 18 d; however, by 23 d they had they caught up to the C-C birds, and no BW differences (P > 0.05) were observed at 28 and 32 d. Feeding the St L diet resulted in decreased (P < 0.05) tibia ash at 18 d, but by 32 d their tibia ash was not different from that of birds fed the St C and Gr L diets. Broilers subjected to P and Ca restriction from hatch to 18 d absorbed more P and Ca during all times sampled than birds fed the St C and Gr C diets or those fed the St C and the Gr L diet. These results demonstrated that modern broilers exhibited a high adaptive capacity when they were exposed to early dietary P or Ca restrictions.

Influence of dietary calcium and phytase on phytate phosphorus hydrolysis in broiler chickens.

The effect of Ca and phytase on phytate phosphorus (PP) hydrolysis was studied in vitro and in vivo. In vitro, PP hydrolysis by a 3-phytase and a 6-phytase was studied at pH 2.5 and 6.5 with Ca added at levels equivalent to 0, 0.1, 0.2, 0.4, 0.7, or 0.9% of the diet. Irrespective of enzyme, Ca at a level as low as 0.1% reduced (P < 0.05) PP hydrolysis at pH 6.5. To test these effects in vivo, 22-d-old male broilers were fed 1 of 6 diets (10 replicate pens of 4 birds per diet) for 30 h. The experimental design was a 3 x 2 factorial arrangement of 3 phytase treatments (0, 500 U of phytase A/kg of diet, and 500 U of phytase B/kg of diet) and 2 added Ca levels (0 and 0.5% from CaCO3) to a corn-soy basal diet. Adding Ca to the diet resulted in a reduction (P < 0.05) in ileal PP disappearance from 69.2 to 25.4% when the 0 and 0.5% added Ca diets were fed, respectively, and in apparent ileal Ca and P absorption (46.3 to 33.6% and 67.9 to 29.4% when 0 and 0.5% Ca were added, respectively). Inclusion of a 3-phytase improved (P < 0.05) ileal PP disappearance from 25.4 to 58.9% in diets containing 0 and 0.5% added Ca, but the improvement was less pronounced with a 6-phytase. Apparent ileal Ca absorption was improved (P < 0.05) when Ca, phytase, or both were added to the diet.