Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Molybdenum Exposure in Drinking Water Vs Feed Impacts Apparent Absorption of Copper Differently in Beef Cattle Consuming a High-Forage Diet

  • Published:
Biological Trace Element Research Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Twelve Angus steers were utilized to investigate the influence of molybdenum (Mo) in drinking water or feed on apparent absorption and retention of copper (Cu) and Mo. Steers were fed a low-quality grass hay diet for 14 days. Steers were then housed in individual metabolism stalls and blocked by body weight and dry matter intake (DMI) and randomly assigned within block to one of three treatments. Treatments consisted of (1) control (no supplemental Mo), (2) 5.0 mg Mo/kg DM from sodium molybdate dihydrate (Mo-diet), and (3) 1.5 mg Mo/L from sodium molybdate dihydrate delivered in the drinking water (Mo-water). Total fecal and urine output were then collected for 5 days. Dry matter, Cu and water intake, and DM digestibility were similar across treatments. Molybdenum intake was greater (P < 0.05) in Mo-water and Mo-diet steers when compared to controls but similar between Mo-water and Mo-diet steers. Apparent absorption and retention of Cu were greater (P < 0.05) in controls when compared to Mo-diet supplemented steers. Apparent absorption and retention of Cu in steers in the Mo-water treatment did not differ from controls or those receiving the Mo-diet. Molybdenum-diet and Mo-water supplemented steers had similar apparent absorption and retention of Cu. Apparent absorption and retention of Mo (% of Mo intake) was greater in controls when compared to Mo-supplemented steers. These data indicate that Mo consumed in water may impact Cu absorption and retention to a lesser extent than Mo supplemented in the diet.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) (2016) Nutrient requirements of beef cattle, 8th revised edn. The National Academies Press, Washington, DC, p 10.17226/19014

    Google Scholar 

  2. Dick TA, Bull LB (1945) Some preliminary observations on the effect of molybdenum on copper metabolism in herbivorous animals. Aust Vet J 21:70–72. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1751-0813.1945.tb04462.x

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  3. Dick TA (1952) The effect of diet and molybdenum on copper metabolism in sheep. Aust Vet J 28:30–33. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1751-0813.1952.tb05097.x

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Suttle NF (1974) Recent studies of the copper-molybdenum antagonism. Proc Nutr Soc 33:299–305. https://doi.org/10.1079/pns19740053

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  5. Price J, Chesters JK (1985) A new bioassay for the assessment of copper availability and its application in a study of the effect of molybdenum on the distribution of available Cu in ruminant digesta. Br J Nutr 53:323–336

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Ward JD, Spears JW (1997) Long-term effects of consumption of low-copper diets with or without supplemental molybdenum on copper status, performance, and carcass characteristics of cattle. J Anim Sci 75:3057–3065. https://doi.org/10.2527/1997.75113057x

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  7. Suttle NF (1991) The interactions between copper, molybdenum, and sulphur in ruminant nutrition. Annu Rev Nutr 11:121–140. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev.nu.11.070191.001005

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  8. Smith OB, Akinbamijo OO (2000) Micronutrients and reproduction in farm animals. Anim Reprod Sci 60:549–560. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0378-4320(00)00114-7

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  9. Telfer SB, Kendall NR, Illingworth DV, Mackenzie AM (2004) Molybdenum toxicity in cattle: an underestimated problem. Cattle Pract 12:259–263

    Google Scholar 

  10. Gould L, Kendall NR (2011) Role of the rumen in copper and thiomolybdate absorption. Nutr Res Rev 24(2):176–182. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0954422411000059

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  11. Dias RS, Lopez S, Montanholi YR, Smith B, Haas LS, Miller SP, France J (2013) A meta-analysis of the effects of dietary copper, molybdenum, and sulfur on plasma and liver copper, weight gain, and feed conversion in growing-finishing cattle. J Anim Sci 91:5714–5723. https://doi.org/10.2527/jas2013-6195

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  12. Kistner MJ, Wagner JJ, Evans J, Chalberg S, Jalali S, Sellins K, Kesel ML, Holt T, Engle TE (2017) The effects of molybdenum water concentration on feedlot performance, tissue mineral concentrations, and carcass quality of feedlot steers. J Anim Sci 95:2758–2766. https://doi.org/10.2527/jas/2016.1333

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  13. Tolleson DR, Erlinger LL (1989) An improved harness for securing fecal collection bags to grazing cattle. J Range Manag 42:396–399

    Article  Google Scholar 

  14. Border JR, Harris LE, Butcher JE (1963) Apparatus for obtaining sustained quantitative collections of urine from mail cattle grazing pasture of range. J Anim Sci 22:521–525. https://doi.org/10.2527/jas1963.222521x

    Article  Google Scholar 

  15. AOAC (2012) Official methods of analysis, 19th edn. Association of Official Analytical Chemists, Gaithersburg

    Google Scholar 

  16. TruSpec CN (2004) Carbon/nitrogen determination instruction. Manual. Leco Corp, St. Joseph

    Google Scholar 

  17. ANKOM Technology (2015) Filter bag technique, Method 5. AOCS Approved Procedure: Ba 6a-05

  18. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) (1994) Method 200.8, Revision 5.4: Determination of trace elements in waters and wastes by inductively coupled plasma – mass spectrometry. Office of Research and Development, Washington, DC

    Google Scholar 

  19. Hyungchul H, Archibeque SL, Engle TE (2009) Characterization and identification of hepatic mRNA related to copper metabolism and homeostasis in cattle. Biol Trace Elem Res 129:130–136. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12011-008-8293-6

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  20. Suttle NF (1975) The role of organic sulphur in the copper-molybdenum-S interrelationship in ruminant nutrition. Br J Nutr 34:411–420. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0007114575000475

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  21. Mills CF, Dalgarno AC, Bremner I, El-Gallad TT (1977) Influence of the dietary content of molybdenum and sulphur upon hepatic retention of copper in young cattle. Proc Nutr Soc 36:105A

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  22. Kincaid RL (1980) Toxicity of ammonium molybdate added to drinking water of calves. J Dairy Sci 63:608–610. https://doi.org/10.3168/jds.S0022-0302(80)82978-X

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  23. Garza FJD, Owens FN (1989) Quantitative origin of ruminal liquid with various diets and feed intakes. Okla Agr Exp Sta Res Rep MP-127:84–88

    Google Scholar 

  24. Zorrilla-Rios JJ, Garza D, Owens FN (1990) Fate of drinking water in ruminants: simultaneous comparison of two methods to estimate rumen evasion. Okla. Agr Exp Sta Res Rep 129:167–169

    Google Scholar 

  25. Garza FJD, Zorrilla-Rios J, Owens FN (1990) Ruminal water evasion and steady state. Okla Agr Exp Sta Res Rep MP-129:114–121

    Google Scholar 

  26. Grace ND, Suttle NF (1979) Some effects of sulphur intake on molybdenum metabolism in sheep. Br J Nutr 41:125–136. https://doi.org/10.1079/bjn19790019

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  27. Pereira V, Carabajales P, Lopez-Alonso M, Miranda M (2018) Trace element concentrations in beef cattle related to the breed aptitude. Biol Trace Elem Res 186:135–142. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12011-018-1276-3

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  28. Hill GM, Shannon MC (2019) Copper and zinc nutritional issues for agricultural animal production. Biol Trace Elem Res 188:149–159. https://doi.org/10/1007/s12011-018-1578-5

  29. Miller JK, Ramsey N, Madsen FC (1993) The trace elements. In: Church DC (ed) The ruminant animal-digestive physiology and nutrition. Prentice Hall, Englewood Cliffs

Download references

Funding

This research was supported in part by the Colorado State Univ. Agric. Exp. Stn. and by Climax Molybdenum Company, Empire, CO.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Animal Science, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA

    M. P. Thorndyke, O. Guimaraes, N. M. Tillquist & T. E. Engle

  2. Department of Animal Science, Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso, Cuiaba, MT, Brazil

    J. T. Zervoudakis

Authors
  1. M. P. Thorndyke
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. O. Guimaraes
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. N. M. Tillquist
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. J. T. Zervoudakis
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. T. E. Engle
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to M. P. Thorndyke.

Ethics declarations

This experiment was conducted in accordance with the Guide for the Care and Use of Agricultural Animals in Agricultural Research and Teaching and was approved by the Colorado State University Intuitional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC approval # A3572-01).

Additional information

Publisher’s Note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Use of trade names in this publication does not imply endorsement by Colorado State University or criticism of similar products not mentioned.

Mention of a proprietary product does not constitute a guarantee or warranty of the products by Colorado State University or the authors and does not imply its approval to the exclusion of other products that may also be suitable.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Thorndyke, M.P., Guimaraes, O., Tillquist, N.M. et al. Molybdenum Exposure in Drinking Water Vs Feed Impacts Apparent Absorption of Copper Differently in Beef Cattle Consuming a High-Forage Diet. Biol Trace Elem Res 199, 2913–2918 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12011-020-02440-0

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12011-020-02440-0

Keywords

Search

Navigation