Effect of organically bound iodine in cattle feed on health indicators

Currently, the problem of iodine deficiency is actual in the world, which may cause a large number of diseases and disorders. The problem of iodine deficiency for humans may be partly solved by enriching agricultural products with iodine, i.e. by providing animals with an increased intake of iodine during their growth. Theoretically, the most effective way to use iodine is the form bound to tyrosine, since diiodotyrosine has been proven to be a thyroxine precursor. Taking it into account, a supplement was developed containing iodine organically bound to tyrosine and histidine. In this work, we studied the effect of this supplement introduced into the diets of cattle on biochemical parameters of animal blood. In the test group, which received the supplement with organically bound iodine, an improvement in nitrogen metabolism was noted compared to the control group. This was most clearly demonstrated by the content of urea, since in the test group, its content decreased by ≈15 percentage points, and by the content of creatinine, since its increase in the test group was more than 20 percentage points. Differences in the parameters of carbohydrate and lipid metabolism between treatments were also noted, as in the blood of animals from the test group, the content of cholesterol, triglycerides, phospholipids, glucose and malondialdehyde was lower than in the control group. In mineral metabolism and morphological parameters, there was no significant difference between treatments. Among the indicators of pigment and hormone metabolism, it is important to note the reduced content of cortisol in the blood of animals from the test group. Its level was lower by ≈17.23 percentage points compared to the control group. A decrease in cortisol levels indicated a lower stress load in the test group. In general, studies have shown that the use of a feed supplement containing organically bound iodine has a positive effect on the metabolism of animals.