Sixteen growing rams, averaging 31.6kg were studied. They were fed diets based on corn and soya meal, supplemented with different sources of calcium: limestone (CC), alfalfa hay (FA), citrus pulp (PC) and oyster shell meal (OSM). The animals received an injection of 7.4 MBq of radioactive P (32P) and after 7 days they were slaughtered for further analyses. Experimental measurements were analyzed as a completely randomized design with four treatments and three repetitions. The rate of 32P retention, the relative specific activity, the standardized specific activity and the inorganic P in tissue were similar for all treatments (P>0.05). The comparison between tissues showed that the concentration of inorganic P and rate of 32P retention was greater in bone (P<0.01) than in soft tissue. The 32P retention presented the following decreasing order: kidney, liver, heart, muscle and bone (P<0.01). P resorption in bone was higher than P accreted in bone, leading to a negative balance of P in bone for the majority of animals. The means for P accreted in bone were 1.56, 3.29, 2.74 and 2.06g/animal and the means for P resorption in bone were 2.82, 4.51, 4.09 and 3.05g/animal for limestone (CC), alfalfa hay (FA), citrus pulp (PC) and oyster shell meal (OSM), respectively. P resorption values were higher than P accretion in bone leading to a negative balance of P for the majority of animals. It was concluded that the different sources of calcium did not interfere in the kinetics of phosphorus and the amount of P absorbed did not attend P demands of the animals.
ruminant; radiophosphorus; bones; soft tissues; retention
