Studies on calcium and magnesium in the alimentary tract of sheep II. The effect of reducing the acidity of abomasal digestain vitroon the distribution of calcium and magnesium

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Abstract
1. Increasing the pH of abomasal contents of the sheepin vitroreduced the concentrations of ultrafilterable calcium and magnesium due to the binding of these ions to suspended material in the digesta. In the presence of this material such binding prevented the precipitation of calcium phosphate and magnesium ammonium phosphate which would otherwise have occurred about pH 6·0. Calcium and magnesium soap formation was eliminated as a possible factor contributing to the reduced concentrations of ultrafilterable calcium and magnesium.2. At saturation the binding capacity of the material was greater for calcium than magnesium. Although some of the binding sites were common to both ions calcium was more strongly bound. The bound and ultrafilterable forms of both elements were in equilibrium.3. The significance of these findings is discussed.