Investigations on the Effects of Different Calcium Supply Exceeding the Requirements on Mineral Serum Concentrations and Bone Metabolism in Young Warmblood Stallions

Since mineral supplements for horses commonly contain macro minerals, although the requirement for such is usually covered by roughage-based diets, the aim of this study was to investigate the effects of different dietary calcium levels on mineral serum concentrations and bone metabolism. The trial was conducted in 30 young warmblood stallions (2–3 years) that were divided into two groups for a five-month feeding trial. The groups were fed a hay- and oat-based diet and were either supplied with high (Ca-High) or moderate (Ca-Moderate) calcium excess. While in Ca-High calcium supply was about 2–2.5-fold of the requirement, in Ca-Moderate calcium requirements were slightly surpassed (1.5–1.6-fold). In order to monitor the effects of the different calcium supply, blood samples were taken during the trial and analysed for levels of macro and trace elements as well as concentrations of two bone markers. In Ca-Moderate a trend towards higher phosphorus serum levels compared to Ca-High was observed which was significant at the end of the trial (p = 0.0002). Furthermore, results showed no influence of the diet on bone markers. Results support the idea that forage-based rations for horses do not necessarily have to be supplemented with macro minerals but with trace elements.

Association of Phosphatidylinositol-Specific Phospholipase C with Calcium-Induced Biomineralization in the Coccolithophore Emiliania huxleyi

Biomineralization by calcifying microalgae is a precisely controlled intracellular calcification process that produces delicate calcite scales (or coccoliths) in the coccolithophore Emiliania huxleyi (Haptophycea). Despite its importance in biogeochemical cycles and the marine environment globally, the underlying molecular mechanism of intracellular coccolith formation, which requires calcium, bicarbonate, and coccolith-polysaccharides, remains unclear. In E. huxleyi CCMP 371, we demonstrated that reducing the calcium concentration from 10 (ambient seawater) to 0.1 mM strongly restricted coccolith production, which was then recovered by adding 10 mM calcium, irrespective of inorganic phosphate conditions, indicating that coccolith production could be finely controlled by the calcium supply. Using this strain, we investigated the expression of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) to observe the cellular events induced by changes in calcium concentrations. Intriguingly, DEG analysis revealed that the phosphatidylinositol-specific phospholipase C (PI-PLC) gene was upregulated and coccolith production by cells was blocked by the PI-PLC inhibitor U73122 under conditions closely associated with calcium-induced calcification. These findings imply that PI-PLC plays an important role in the biomineralization process of the coccolithophore E. huxleyi.

Impact of a Ration Negative in Dietary Cation–Anion Difference and Varying Calcium Supply Fed before Calving on Colostrum Quality of the Dams and Health Status and Growth Performance of the Calves

This study investigated the effect of diets negative in dietary cation–anion difference (DCAD) or restricted in Ca fed prepartum to dairy cows for three weeks on colostrum yield and composition, and the health and growth performance of their calves. Thirty-six pregnant non-lactating Holstein-Friesian cows were randomly assigned to three isoenergetic diets: (1) low Ca: 0.24% Ca, DCAD: +86 mEq/kg; (2) high Ca: 1.23% Ca, DCAD: +95 mEq/kg; and (3) low DCAD: 1.28% Ca, DCAD: −115 mEq/kg (all dry matter (DM) basis). While colostrum quality was not affected, low Ca supply prepartum tended to increase the colostrum yield compared to high Ca (low Ca = 8.81 vs. high Ca = 5.39 kg). However, calves from cows fed low DCAD showed higher serum concentrations of K, lower body weight (BW), starter feed intake and average daily weight gain before weaning compared to low Ca and high Ca calves (53.12 vs. 57.68 and 57.32 kg) but BW was similar postweaning (d 70). In addition, calves from dams fed low DCAD were more likely to develop diarrhea and had increased number of days with abnormal fecal scores. Consequently, calves from low DCAD dams had to be treated more frequently.

Nonalcoholic Beverages as Sources of Nutrients in the Average Polish Diet

The aim of the study was to analyze the sources of energy, carbohydrates, 10 minerals, and 9 vitamins from nonalcoholic beverages in the average Polish diet. For the analysis, we used data from the 2016 Household Budget Survey conducted on the representative sample of the Polish population (36,886 households, n = 99,230). According to the source of data, we included four subgroups in analyzed food category: fruit juices, vegetable juices and mixed, mineral and spring waters, and other nonalcoholic beverages. We used the cluster analysis to assess the impact of sociodemographic and economic characteristics of the households on the structure of supplying energy and nutrients from each subgroup of the nonalcoholic beverages. Our analyses have shown that nonalcoholic beverages are primarily important in providing several nutrients: vitamin C (15.9% of the total vitamin C supply), vitamin B6 (8.9% of vitamin B supply), folates (8.5% of folate supply), carbohydrates (6.8% of carbohydrate supply), calcium (5.9% of calcium supply), and magnesium (5.5% of magnesium supply). The analysis of the consumption structure of this category of food showed that the subgroup of other nonalcoholic beverages brings more than three-fourth of carbohydrates (77%), vitamin B6 and folates (76% each), and 43% of vitamin C supplied by nonalcoholic beverages. More than half (51%) of vitamin C provided by nonalcoholic beverages comes from fruit juices and the remaining 6% comes from other juices (vegetable and mixed). In the case of minerals, mineral and spring waters consumption is important as it accounts for 65% of the calcium supply and 55% of the magnesium in nonalcoholic beverages category. The share of individual subgroups of beverages in the supply of ingredients in the diet is significantly differentiated by four socioeconomic characteristics of households: family life phase, age, socioeconomic type of household, and number of people in the household. This is particularly evident in the case of other nonalcoholic beverages, that the share of this subgroup in the energy and carbohydrates supply in the households of young people, employees (both blue-collar and white-collar workers), and families with children increases to 10%. Our results show that in order to reduce the intake of free sugars and increase the intake of deficient minerals, which is crucial in preventing noncommunicable diseases (NCDs), it is necessary to encourage consumers to replace sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) with water and eat fruits instead of drinking juice.

Intensified vegetation water use under acid deposition

Despite the important role vegetation plays in the global water cycle, the exact controls of vegetation water use, especially the role of soil biogeochemistry, remain elusive. In this study, we reveal a new mechanism of soil biogeochemical control of large-scale vegetation water use. Nitrate and sulfate deposition from fossil fuel burning have caused substantial soil acidification, leading to the leaching of soil base cations. Of these, calcium has a unique role in plant cells by regulating stomatal aperture, thus affecting vegetation water use. We hypothesized that the leaching of the soil calcium supply, induced by acid deposition, would increase large-scale vegetation water use. We present evidence from a long-term whole watershed acidification experiment demonstrating that the alteration of the soil calcium supply by acid deposition can significantly intensify vegetation water use (~10% increase in evapotranspiration) and deplete available soil water. These results are critical to understanding future water availability, biogeochemical cycles, and surface energy flux and to help reduce uncertainties in terrestrial biosphere models.

Sediment contributing invasive dreissenid species in a calcareous shallow lake – Possible implications for shortening life span of lakes by filling

Although the ecosystem transforming impact of the invasive dreissenid mussels has been widely reported in short-to-mid time scale studies, little is known about the contribution of the spent shells to sediments accumulating on the lake bottom. The question whether the shell production significantly reduces the lifespan of the lake by increasing sedimentation rate is particularly interesting in those shallow lakes where the calcium supply is sufficient to maintain the high mussel biomass production permanently, and where the alkaline water does not favor shell dissolution. Lake Balaton, a large calcareous, shallow lake in Central Europe invaded by dreissenids (Dreissena polymorpha, Dreissena rostriformis bugensis), provides an ideal testing ground for this scenario. Therefore, we made calculations based on recent population abundance datasets (2000–2018), estimated the whole habitable, hard surface coastline and the muddy bottom of the pelagic area which is also gradually becoming inhabited by D. r. bugensis, using high resolution aerial photographs and analyzing seismic sections. We created four scenarios: (1) if no dreissenids are present (applying basic sedimentation rate); (2) if D. r. bugensis had not been introduced to the lake (only D. polymorpha); (3) if D. r. bugensis occupies the hard surfaces of the coastline (the current dominant situation); (4) if D. r. bugensis colonizes the entire lake bottom (a probable future model). Different sedimentation rates obtained from the literature were used to model the filling of Lake Balaton. The shell production of the new invader, D. r. bugensis can shorten the lake’s lifespan by one to two-thirds, depending on the model, and whether the mussel density currently observed at the shoreline is extended to the whole lake bottom. Attention is called to shallow calcareous lakes with low pre-invasion sedimentation rates in which the shell contribution of invasive mollusks has the potential to shorten lifespan.

Non-phytate phosphorus requirement for male broilers subjected to two calcium supply regimens from 8 to 21 days of age under thermoneutral environment conditions

The purpose of this study was to determine the non-phytate phosphorus (nPP) requirement for male broiler subjected to two calcium supply regimens from 8 to 21 d of age, based on performance and bone mineralization. Birds were distributed in a complete randomized 4 × 2 factorial design with four nPP concentrations: 0.25, 0.35, 0.45 and 0.55%, and two Ca supply regimens: Ca fixed at 9.0 g/kg of diet (CaF) or varying together with the nPP concentrations tested keeping a fixed Ca:nPP ratio (CaV), with 8 battery cages/treatment and 9 birds/battery cage. Feed intake (FI), body weight gain (BWG) and Ca:P ratio deposited in the dry defatted tibia (TibCa:TibP) were quadraticaly increased by the increasing nPP concentrations, regardless of the Ca supply regimen adopted (p<0.01). The nPP levels tested also influenced FCR and TibAsh, which presented a quadratic and linear response when CaF and CaV diets were used, respectively, and TibP and TibCa, which presented a quadratic response with both Ca supply regimen, CaF and CaV diets. Also, CaV diets provided a 2.86 and 5.02% higher FCR (p<0.05) and TibCa (p<0.01), respectively, when compared to CaF diets. Therefore, nPP nutritional requirement for male broilers reared at thermoneutral conditions from 8 to 21 d of age that provided better performance and bone mineralization were, respectively, 0.480 and 0.459% with CaF and 0.550% with CaV diets, indicating that, under thermoneutral conditions, CaV diets negatively affected growth performance of broilers, while positively affecting bone mineralization especially when low nPP levels are applied.

Effects of calcium supply on soybean plants

This paper aims to evaluate the effects that calcium application on leaves and flowers of soybean plants exerts on yield and yield components. Two experiments were carried out in the 2013/2014 crop season under field conditions. In the first experiment, two soybean cultivars – one of determinate growth habit (BMX Ativa) and another of indeterminate growth habit (BMX Alvo) – were submitted to calcium spraying with four nozzles (twin flat, twin flat fan, cone and hollow cone). In the second experiment, soybean plants (BMX Ativa cultivar) were sprayed with calcium on the leaves and flowers at R1 or R3 growth stages. Subsequently, the plants were maintained or not under a 50-percent shade protection during flowering stage. Calcium spraying on soybean leaves or flowers during the flowering stage did not increase pod set, number of seeds, or grain yield. The calcium content in soybean flowers is not affected by foliar application thereof.