Potassium nutrient needed by a body for livnig

Potassium nutrient needed by a body for living

1. Potassium

2. •One of the highly mobile element in nature
•1.5% of earth’s crust
•Bulk K remains in soil after erosion of
potassium alumnosilicates which is imp.
Source for plant
•Essential element for plant and animals

3. •In plants
•Mostly concentrated in vegetative organs
•Present in cell protoplasm in both forms
•Essential for
–Synthesis of starch and protein
–Maintaining optimum respiration and
hydration of cell colloides

4. •K conc. depends upon
–vegetative stage of plant
–Soil type
–Doses of K and organic fertilizers

5. Sources:
•Potassium is found in a wide range of foods. Many fruits
and vegetables are high in potassium and low in sodium
and help prevent hypertension.
•Most of the potassium is lost when processing or
canning foods, while less is lost from frozen fruits or
vegetables.
•Leafy green vegetables such as spinach and lettuce, as
well as broccoli, peas, lima beans, tomatoes, and
potatoes, especially the skins, all have significant levels
of potassium.

6. •Fruits that contain this mineral include
oranges and other citrus fruits, bananas,
apples and apricots, particularly dried.
Whole grains, wheat germ, seeds, and
nuts are high-potassium foods.
•Fish such as flounder, salmon, sardines,
and cod are rich in potassium, and many
meat foods contain even more potassium
than sodium, although they often have
additional sodium added as salt.

7. •K sources
–Grasses
–Clover
–Alfalfa
–Fodder beet tops
–Potatoes
–Fodder yeast

8. Content of K in body and variation
with age
•In adult animals
–Fresh tissue 0.18-0.27%
–Dry tissue 0.55-0.80
–Ash 5-7

9. •Total K in body of adult animals
–Cow1550g
–Sheep115
–Pig 180
–Dog52
–Hen5

10. •K in newborn-less than adults
•Relative proportion of K decreases with
increasing BW
•K in muscles increases correspondingly

11. Distribution of K in carcass of pigs
of different weights
Part of carcass potassium content, % total in
animals weighing (kg)
------------------------------
23 46 6891
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Muscles 77.5 77.778.6 81.1
Fat 2.3 5.27.77.1
Bones 20.2 17.113.6 11.8
Contents of K
g/kg carcass2.30 2.081.73 1.51

12. Distribution among organs and
tissues
•Principle cation in intracellular fluid
•90% found in cell protoplasm
•Muscle serves as principle store in body
•Stable level in soft tissues during first few
weeks of life
•May be deposited in spleen, hide and
heart

13. Concentrations of K in tissues
Tissue concentration (mg% fresh tissue)
------------------------------------------------------------------
Skeletal muscles 350-450
Hide 80-140
Kidneys 200-300
Brain 300-400
Heart 220-370
Spleen 350-500

14. Concentrations of K in tissues
Tissue concentration (mg% fresh tissue)
------------------------------------------------------------------
Lungs 250-350
Liver 300-400
Intestines 300-400

15. •K increases during grazing and pregnancy
•Irregular distribution in blood
•Higher conc. in erythrocytes than plasma
•K conc. in erythrocyte than plasma
–Ruminants 2.5-3 times
–Monogastric 20 times (even more)

16. Ionic Conc. in blood fractions of
animals
Animal concentration (mEq/L)
ions plasma
Erythrocytes W.Blood
-------------------------------------------------------
CowsK
+
6.219.99.6
Na
+
16066116
Cl
-
975979
Pigs

K
+
5.610246.1
Na
+
130.413.976.3
Cl-95.55677.1

17. Ionic Conc. in blood fractions of
animals
Animal concentration (mEq/L)
ions plasma
Erythrocytes W.Blood
-------------------------------------------------------
Horses K
+
5.812050.3
Na
+
131.729.584.5
Cl
-
9554.877.5
Hens

K
+
5.511645
Na
+
134116109
Cl-12245103

18. In bone tissue K is low and varies greatly
in
–Species
–Individual animals
–Age

19. Content of K in bones of pigs
(g/kg)
100
Boneweight of pig (kg)
-------------------------------------
23466891
---------------------------------------------------------
Fresh1.761.651.21 0.98
Dry,
defatted2.652.491.72 1.39

20. Concentration of K in the bones of
broiler
Age (days) content of K in dry defatted
bone (%)
-------------------------------------
Tibia Sternum
Coracoid
-----------------------------------------------------------------
1 1.01 1.64 1.07
10 0.53 1.14 0.63
30 0.43 0.58 0.37
50 0.31 0.54 0.28

21. •Absorption of potassium from the diet is
passive and does not require any specific
mechanism.
•Absorption takes place in the small
intestine as long as the concentration in
gut contents is higher than that in the
blood.
•If food moves rapidly through the bowel
then absorption will not be sufficient.

22. •The kidneys are the main regulators of
body potassium, maintaining blood levels
by controlling excretion, even as intake
varies.
•Some potassium is excreted in sweat.
•Digestive juices contain significant
amounts of potassium but most of this is
re-absorbed in the lower gut.

23. •One of the most soluble minerals, so it is easily lost in
cooking and processing foods.
•Potassium is well absorbed from the small intestine, with
about 90 percent absorption
•Most excess potassium is eliminated in the urine; some is
eliminated in the sweat. When we perspire a great deal, we
should replace our fluids with orange juice or vegetable juice
containing potassium rather than just taking salt tablets
•The kidneys are the chief regulators of our body potassium,
keeping the blood levels steady even with wide variation in
intake. The adrenal hormone aldosterone stimulates
elimination of potassium by the kidneys. Alcohol, coffee (and
caffeine drinks), sugar, and diuretic drugs, however, cause
potassium losses and can contribute to lowering the blood
potassium. This mineral is also lost with vomiting and
diarrhea

24. Absorption, metabolism and
excretion
•K salts are readily soluble and extracted
from feeds in digestive tract
•Absorbed by diffusion in all segments of
digestive tract
•Principal source is feed
•Saliva intake is small

25. Intake of minerals into the rumen of
sheep grazing on pastures
Source NaKCaMgClP
(mEq/L)
----------------------------------------------------------
Saliva323.4.06.064.86.4
Feed2.93.57.62.2164.7
---------------------------------------------------------

26. •Maximum K in rumen fluid is 3-4h
postfeeding
•Connected with salt of diet
•Small intestine is main site of absorption
•Some absorption in forestomach
•Absorption varies with feed K.

27. •It enters into blood stream and then body
tissues
•Exchange between intracellular and
intercellular phases

28. •Metabolism takes place rapidly in muscles,
liver and brain
•Enter in milk and eggs against conc.
gradient
•K assimilation is 100%, so urinary
excretion has endogenous origin

29. Percentage of urinary excretion of K
–Cows 75-80
–Sheep 85-88
–Pigs 90

30. Limiting Conc. of ions in the urine
of ruminants
concentration (mEq/L)
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ions Cattle Sheep Deer
---------------------------------------------------------------
K
+
31-426 120-930 5-200
Na
+
4-113 6-208 8-138
Mg
+2
0-96 1-103 0-68
Ca
+2
0-39 1-24 0-39
Cl
-
18-330 28-441 18-242
----------------------------------------------------------------

31. •Sheep eliminates electrolytes, which
contains 2.6% K and 1.3% Na
•Daily loss by adult sheep through skin is
1% of intake
•K excretion in young animals is 10-15% of
intake

32. Biochemical functions and
regulation
•K maintains
–acid-base equilibrium
–Osmotic pressure
–Metabolic processes taking place in the body
• Acts as co-factor of enzymes
•Its small quantity effects heart contraction
while excess causes cardiac arrest in
diastolic phase

33. •It effects transport of O
2 and CO
2 by
haemoglobin
•Maintain a certain buffering action and
moisture level in forestomach
•It is also involved in protein synthesis
process

34. •Regulation involves mineral corticoid-
aldosterone, deoxycorticosterone
•Regulatory mechanism helps in
maintaining Na:K ratio in extracellular fluid

35. •Symptoms of severe potassium deficiency
include fatigue, vomiting, abdominal distention,
acute muscular weakness, paralysis, pins and
needles, loss of appetite, low blood pressure,
intense thirst, drowsiness, confusion and
eventually coma. Muscle spasms, tetany, heart
arrhythmias and muscle weakness can also be
caused by increased nerve excitability
associated with inadequate intake of potassium.

36. •Causes of potassium deficiency include high
sodium diets, surgical operations involving the
bowel, extensive burns and injuries, diabetes,
excessive excretion of aldosterone, chronic
diarrhea which limits gut re-absorption of
potassium, persistent vomiting, influenza,
inflammatory bowel disease, anemia, kidney
disease, heart disease, chronic respiratory
failure, prolonged fasting, therapeutic starvation,
bizarre diets, alcoholism

37. •Toxic effects of excess intake
The average body contains about 140 g of potassium.
Intakes of potassium in doses larger than 18 000 mg cause
muscular weakness, low blood pressure, mental confusion
and eventually heart attack.
•Potassium injection can be fatal.
•Lower doses can cause nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and
abdominal cramps.
•A healthy person cannot obtain toxic levels of potassium
from the diet.
•Causes of potassium excess include insufficient production
of adrenal gland hormones, acidosis, major infections, and
shock after injury in which potassium leaks out of damaged
cells into the blood. In severe kidney disease, potassium is
not excreted, and excessive levels build up in the tissue.

38. •Problems related to excess and
deficiency arise
–Ruminants are fed high Conc. or mostly
roughage feeds
–Pastures are abundantly fertilized
–Calves suffering from diarrhoea

39. •Deficiency problems include
–Impaired growth, appetite
–Less production
–Serum and blood K level decreases
–Urates accumulation in ureter
–Weakness, spasms and paralysis

40. •Problems associated with Excess
–Increased thirst
–Excessive urination
–Impaired reproductive functions
–Muscular weakness
–Impairment of blood circulation
–Edema of extremities and death