Absorption of iodotyrosine from iodized milk protein in animals

Introduction. One of the ways to the solve iodine deficiency problem is the addition of iodine to farm animal feed. It allows producing iodized livestock products. Promising sources of organic iodine are iodotyrosine-containing iodized milk proteins. Organic iodine accumulation in organs and tissues has not been sufficiently studied. Study objects and methods. We determined iodotyrosine content in rat blood plasma and in pig muscle tissue. For this purpose, high performance liquid chromatography with mass spectrometric detection and cathodic stripping voltammetry were used. Results and discussion. At the first stage of the study, we examined iodotyrosines in rat blood plasma after a single administration of iodized milk protein or potassium iodide (30 μg I/kg weight) at specific time intervals. A significant increase in the concentration of monoiodotyrosine and diiodotyrosine was recorded 4 and 24 h after the administration. At the second stage, we studied the accumulation of iodotyrosines in the muscle tissue of pigs during their fattening period (104 days). The diet of the control animal group included potassium iodide (0.6 mg I/kg of feed). The experimental groups A and B got iodized milk protein (0.3 and 0.6 mg I/kg of feed, respectively). Monoiodotyrosin content in the muscle tissue of pigs of the experimental groups was 3.0 and 5.2 times higher than that in the control group. Diiodotyrosine content was 4.9 and 8.2 times higher. In the experimental group A, iodine content in muscle tissues was 26% higher than that in the control group, in the experimental group B it was 72% higher. Calculations of iodine intake balance and its accumulation in muscle tissues showed that in animals whose diet included iodized milk protein, the iodine assimilation was much higher (0.70 and 0.53%) than in the control group (0.21%). Conclusion. Iodotyrosines from iodized milk protein are absorbed by the gastrointestinal tract in an unchanged form and accumulate in muscle tissues. The findings give more clear understanding of physiological and biochemical mechanisms of organic iodine absorption in animals.