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Comparison of sample preparation methods and chemical assays for determination of titanium, phosphorus and calcium in broiler diets and digesta

Samat, N.¹* and H. Miller^2'

¹Livestock Science Research Centre, MARDI, Persiaran MARDI-UPM, 43400 Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia
²School of Biology, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, United Kingdom

Malaysian J. Anim. Sci. 2020 23(2): 11-19

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In understanding the effectiveness of phytase in improving nutrient digestibility, digesta samples
from each segment of the gastrointestinal tract (GIT) need to be analysed for several different
nutrients which require a large amount of dry matter. This study aimed to develop a typical sample
preparation that could minimize the amount of digesta samples required and enable sequential
chemical analyses. The specific objectives were to compare the content of titanium (Ti),
phosphorus (P) and calcium (Ca) in diet and digesta samples after being separately prepared using
different acid digestion and analysed by different chemical methods. In this study, gizzard and
terminal ileal digesta were collected from 20 d old Ross 308 male broilers fed with wheat/corn
diets either with or without supplemental phytase at 1500 FTU/kg. Diets and digesta samples were
digested in hydrochloric acid (HCl), and sulphuric acid (H2SO4) and the contents of Ti, P and Ca
were determined by colourimetry and ICP-OES methods. The present study showed that H2SO4
could be used to replace HCl in sample digestion before mineral analysis. Furthermore, digestion
of diet and digesta using H2SO4 enabled sequential analysis of Ti, P and other minerals.