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Confirmation of the presence of calcium oxalate crystals in some tropical grasses

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  27 March 2009

R. A. McKenzie  and
K. Schultz
R. A. McKenzie
Affiliation:
Queensland Department of Primary Industries, Animal Research Institute, Yeerongpilly, Brisbane 4105, Australia
K. Schultz
Affiliation:
Queensland Department of Primary Industries, Animal Research Institute, Yeerongpilly, Brisbane 4105, Australia
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Extract

During the last decade, a calcium (Ca) deficiency syndrome, nutritional secondary hyperparathyroidism (NSH), has caused lameness and bone lesions in horses grazing certain tropical grasses in Australia. These grasses contain over 0·5% total oxalate (Walthall & McKenzie, 1976; Blaney, Gartner & McKenzie, 1981a). Blaney et al. (1981a) and McKenzie, Blaney & Gartner (1981) carried out mineral balance experiments with horses fed tropical grass hays or diets with added soluble potassium oxalate. Their results suggested that NSH was caused by the oxalate in the grasses preventing the absorption of Ca. They also suggested that the Ca in the grasses may already be in the form of the insoluble calcium oxalate (Ca(COO)2) salt and thus unavailable to grazing horses. Blaney, Gartner & McKenzie (1981b) subsequently demonstrated that horses could not absorb significant amounts of Ca from Ca(COO)2 crystals added to their diet.

Type
Short Note
Information
The Journal of Agricultural Science , Volume 100 , Issue 1 , February 1983 , pp. 249 - 250
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1983

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