Physicochemical properties of phosphates applied in animal feeding

Phosphorus, in view of a wide spectrum of influences on the living beings, may be treated as a universal element. Cellular nucleus as well as enzymes, hormones and proteins contain phosphorus. 75 wt. % of total phosphorus in the organism is located in bones, the rest of it, among other things, appears in teeth, blood and phospholipids. In order to compensate the deficiency of phosphorus in animals feeding, various calcium-phosphorus compounds, different in the form and the degree of hydration produced from the phosphate rock, are applied. The influence of the physicochemical properties of the selected fodder phosphates on their solubility, therefore, on their bioavailability, has been presented in this paper. The results obtained should enable an optimization of the phosphorus content in the fodders and a subsequent less wasteful use of phosphate additives in animal feeding.