abundant form in the organism and the one that will be available to be metabolised and transformed mainly in the kidney in the active form of vitamin D. Due to the advantages over dietary Vitamin D3
, the 25-OH-D3
feed inclusion is a strategy currently used in animal nutrition. At the same level of inclusion, the absorption of 25-OH-D3
is
higher (74,9%) than vitamin D3 (66,5%), which is probably related to the greater polarity of 25-OH-D3. When fed, 25-OH- D3 doesn´t need to go through the transformation stage in the liver, in comparison to Vitamin D3 has a more efficient
absorption in the intestine, a greater retention, and less excretion, a biological activity of 2,0 to 2.5 times greater and doesn’t show toxic effects up to 10 times its recommended dose.
The ideal dietary level Being the 25-OH-D3
the most abundant vitamin D form in the
bloodstream, its evaluation is the metric to evaluate vitamin D status in all animal species, including humans. The evaluation of this metabolite has been used to determine the ideal dietary level and make correlations with important parameters such as: calcium and phosphorus plasma levels, bone characteristics, muscle protein synthesis, with performance variables and stablish differences between production conditions. Having a practical tool that easily allows us to measure the vi- tamin D status of an animal, at any time, will help us redirect the discussion that we have had about the ideal level of supple- mentation towards which is the optimal level for the animal.
DBS analysis At the end of the day, what really matters is how much vitamin D it is bioavailable for the animal. That tool is the “DBS” – Dried Blood Spot Test, an innovative technique developed by DSM for animals. DBS is an analysis performed by using a FTA card* (Flinders Technology Associates), which consists of collecting a drop of blood and then through mass analysis by liquid chromatography (HPLC) determine the level of 25-OH-D3
in the animal. DBS is highly correlated with the conventional HPLC test of blood plasma vitamin D3 being a
very reliable technique. The DBS technique can sample the animals in an easier and less invasive way, since only one drop of the animal’s blood is needed. Considering the issues of sending test materials, the DBS is a safer and less complicated technique because the FTA cards are a filter paper that preserves the material for longer periods of time, inhibiting the presence of any infectious agent and allowing samples to be easily transported abroad or stored at room temperature. All this helps to improve the quality and agility in sending the samples. By correlating blood 25-OH-D3
blood levels with performance
improvements it is possible to estimate the effect on economically important parameters. For example, comparing
the performance increase in various broiler trials it could be concluded that on average, a 1% increase in the plasma levels of 25-OH-D3
resulted in improvements of 0.029%, 0.173%,
0.008% and 0.296% in ADG, bone strength, breast meat yield and gait score respectively (Figure 1).
Practical management tool In conclusion, metrics through practical tools allow the decision-making process to be based on reliable data. This is very important in the modern animal production industry and crucial for having a successful business. Undoubtedly, DBS will be the tool that will enable us to determine an optimal level of vitamin D3
, that ensures all the benefits
expected from this nutrient in animal production. References available on request.
Figure 1 - Effect of Hy-D inclusion in broilers on 25OHD3 blood level and house type.
50.0 DBS: 25OHD3 Blood Level
Dark House Open House
45.0 43.2 40.0
46.9 43.5
Genetic selection has increased the modern broiler growth rate by 400% compared to birds in the 1950s.
35.0 33.0 30.0 Control DSM field trial, Colombia 2020 Hy-D p=0.0300
▶ MYCOTOXINS | NOVEMBER 2021
13
ng/dl
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