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Toxicity of ammonium molybdate added to drinking water of calves

R L Kincaid

    Journal of Dairy Science
    |April 1, 1980
    PubMed

    Insights

    Molybdenum in calf drinking water reduced liver copper and tissue uptake, indicating toxicity between 10-50 ppm. This highlights challenges in diagnosing molybdenum-induced copper deficiency without tissue analysis.

    Area of Science:

    • Veterinary Medicine
    • Animal Nutrition
    • Toxicology

    Background:

    • Molybdenum (Mo) toxicity in livestock can impair copper (Cu) metabolism.
    • Understanding Mo's toxic threshold in calves is crucial for preventing hypocuprosis.

    Purpose of the Study:

    • To determine the minimum toxic concentration of molybdenum in drinking water for young calves.
    • To investigate the effects of supplemental molybdenum on copper status in calves.

    Main Methods:

    • Five-week-old calves were fed a basal diet with 13 ppm Cu and 0.29% sulfur.
    • Ammonium molybdate was added to drinking water at concentrations of 1, 10, or 50 ppm for 21 days.
    • Liver and plasma copper concentrations, and plasma ceruloplasmin were measured.

    Main Results:

    • Liver copper decreased significantly only at 50 ppm added Mo.
    • Plasma copper increased at 50 ppm Mo, while ceruloplasmin remained unchanged.
    • Molybdenum reduced the percentage of copper bound to ceruloplasmin, suggesting decreased copper bioavailability.

    Conclusions:

    • The minimum toxic concentration of molybdenum in drinking water for calves under these conditions is between 10 and 50 ppm.
    • Detecting molybdenum-induced hypocuprosis requires assessing tissue copper alongside plasma parameters.
    • The critical copper-to-molybdenum ratio is less than 0.5.

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