Nitrate - A factor in animal health
G.B. Garner
University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri, USA
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Proceedings of the New Zealand Society of Animal Production.
1963, 23: 28-38
Nitrate as a substance potentially lethal to animals is widely
recognized, and the pathway of its action understood. However, no
definite intake of nitrate per animal or concentration in a ration can
be described in absolute terms. Less widely recognized is the
subclinical nitrate effect on animals. This paper reviews conditions
leading to nitrate accumulation in feedstuffs, and the consequences in
terms of animal physiology. It appears that nitrate per se is not
directly involved, but manifests its action by altering the
iodine-vitamin A-thyroid metabolism. Further studies are indicated on
the physiological effects of nitrate apart from the classical nitrate
poisoning syndrome (methaemoglobinaemia).
Keywords: NZSAPAB;
Last Updated 24-08-2000
