[Iron deficiency in domestic animals]

Iron is essential for the organism. In ionized forms (Fe++, Fe ), it constitutes an integrated part of a lot of different functional proteins (Figure 1). The most important functions are participation in oxygen transport in blood, oxygen storage in muscle tissues and oxidation of nutrients in the mitochondria. Iron is an essential part of cytochrome C and alpha-glycerolphosphate dehydrogenase, and early stages of iron deficiency may, therefore, cause disturbances in tissue metabolism before development of anaemia. Thus, haemoglobin determinations is not very suitable for diagnosing early iron deficiency. The content of iron in roughages, apart from root crops (Table II), is usually sufficient to cover the requirement of domestic animals (Table III), which is met by about 50 mg per kg feed dry matter. Iron deficiency is very often caused by a reduced absorption in the intestinal tract because of components in the feed forming complexes with iron of very low solubility or inhibitors reducing the absorption processes. The immune status of the organism and its resistance against infections depends on the iron supply. Iron deficiency inhibits the myeloperoxidase activity and thus decreases the bacteriocide effect of the leucocytes. In spite of this, when exposed to infections the physiological mechanisms reduce the blood concentration of available iron. By this mode of action, invading pathogens, needing iron like the host animals, will be restrained. The low content of iron in milk (Table II) combined with a high content of iron binding lactoferrin, is ideal to protect newborn and milk fed young animals against intestinal infections.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)