Effects of Graded Levels of Dietary Copper on Copper and Iron Concentrations in Swine Tissues

Abstract

In a dose-response study, 120 weanling, crossbred pigs were used to determine the effect of 7.5, 15, 30, 60, 120 and 240 ppm total dietary Cu on animal performance and Cu and Fe stores in selected tissues. Pigs were killed at 56 or 91 kg average body weight. Average daily gain was not affected by dietary treatment. Dietary Cu concentrations of 7.5, 15, 30 and 60 ppm had no appreciable effect on Cu and Fe concentrations in liver and kidney of pigs slaughtered at 91 kg. However, 120 and 240 ppm dietary Cu increased (P less than or equal to .01) liver Cu 4.5- and 16-fold and decreased (P less than or equal to .05) liver Fe by 50 and 60%, respectively, compared with the other dietary treatments. A fit of liver Cu and Fe data to linear plateau models resulted in an inflection point of approximately 60 ppm dietary Cu. Kidney Cu was also increased (P less than or equal to .05) by 120 and 240 ppm dietary Cu, but the magnitude of the change was smaller than that of liver Cu. Muscle Cu and Fe were not significantly affected by dietary Cu.

Effect of ingestion of copper bhasm on red cell indices, iron parameters and essential elements in chicks

“…A significant fall in TRBC with significant rise in MCV and MCH shows hemolysis with compensatory increased synthesis of heme. This finding is consistent with the report that copper induces hemolysis of RBC's (8) and increases heme synthesis in avian nucleated erythrocytes (17).…”

“…A high intake of copper was reported to decrease iron in pig liver (17,18) and plasma (18). Our findings are just the reverse.…”

Effects of Dietary Copper and Zinc Supplementation on Growth Performance, Tissue Mineral Retention, Antioxidant Status, and Fur Quality in Growing-Furring Blue Foxes (Alopex lagopus)

“…The liver is the major storage organ for Cu, and stored Cu is largely bound to metallothionein in most species [36]. In rats, pigs, and poultry, liver Cu increased with the increasing dietary copper [37][38][39]. Although the Cu absorption rate decreased with the level of dietary Cu, total retention of Cu increased with the level of dietary Cu in the present study.…”

Selenium, copper and iron in veterinary medicine—From clinical implications to scientific models

“…Other reasons for secondary Cu deficiency may arise from additional antagonistic effects. High dietary Fe was suspected to cause Cu deficiency in ruminants [29,30] and, vice versa, high Cu concentrations in the diets of pigs were shown to cause a decrease of Fe in the liver [31], supporting a Cu-Fe interaction. However, studies in man show that therapeutic Fe administration did not inhibit intestinal Cu absorption [32].…”