Under extremes in performance or stress there may be need for the additional level of nutritional support.
In the petfood industry, inorganic forms of essential trace
minerals such as iron, zinc, copper, manganese, iodine and
selenium have been the staple. In recent years, though,
chelated forms of these minerals have found their way into a
number of petfoods. The questions are whether they provide
additional benefit to the dog or cat and if they have a place
in petfood.What are they?These so-called chelated trace minerals, also known
colloquially as organic trace minerals, are purported to be
nutritionally superior to the inorganic sources. What makes
them different is their ligand. A ligand is an atom or molecule
that forms a coordination complex with a central atom or ion.
In this case, the ion is the mineral and the ligand is the
compound to which it is bound. In their native form, most trace
mineral ions are bound to an inorganic anion like an oxide,
sulfate or chloride. But for chelated trace minerals, they are
bound in a coordinate covalent bond (chelated) to a
carbon-containing organic compound like a polysaccharide, short
chain fatty acid, protein or amino acid. They are generally
synthesized in very strong acid-base reactions under extremes
in heat and pressure.Nutritional superiority?The rationale for adding chelated trace minerals to the diet
is to improve mineral availability and animal health. Because
of its bond to an organic ligand, the mineral is supposedly
more bioavailable. There are a couple of prominent theories ...