Chloride

Submitted with respect to:

Dr. G. M. Gadegaonkar Submitted by:
Dept. of Animal Nutrition Mohit Jain
M.V.Sc. 1st year
 Overview

• introduction
• Sources
• Functions
• Absorption & excretion
• Deficiency
• Salt
• Reference
• The major anion in body fluids.
• Closely related to Na - Usually 1 g Na & .812 g Cl in soft tissues (i.e., 1:.812
ratio).
• Chloride is found in large concentration both within and without the cells.
• The body contains 30-50 mEq/kg fat-free wt. (15-20% bound to organic
molecules).
• The body has certain capacity to store chloride in skin and subcutaneous
tissue.
 Sources of chlorine

• The chlorine content of most foods is comparatively low except fish meal.
• The chlorine content of pasture grass varies widely and figures ranging from
3 g/kg to 25 g/kg DM.
• The main source of this element for most animals is common salt.
 functions

• ensure a proper fluid-electrolyte balance:

• Chlorine is associated with sodium and potassium in acid–base relationships
(2/3 of acidic ions in the blood) .
• osmotic regulation (1° anion in extracellular fluids).
• Chlorine also plays an important part in the gastric secretion, where it
occurs as hydrochloric acid as well as chloride salts.
• Also, Cl- may activate enzymes, especially ‘amylase’.
 Absorption & Excretion

• Readily absorbed by the GI tract regardless of sources.

• Absorbed against concentration gradient – Double exchange mechanism
• Chlorine is excreted from the body in the urine (90-95%).
• 4-8% in the feces & 2% via the skin along with sodium and potassium, in
perspiration.
 Deficiency

• A dietary deficiency of chloride may lead to an abnormal increase of the

alkali reserve of the blood (alkalosis) caused by an excess of bicarbonate,
since inadequate levels of chlorine in the body are partly compensated for
by increases in bicarbonate.
• kidney damages (e.g., extensive general cell damage, hyperplasia,
calcification etc.).
• Retard growth.
 Salt
• Since plants tend to be low in both sodium and chlorine, it is the usual practice to give common
salt to herbivores.
• Dairy cows on salt-deficient diets showed that animals did not exhibit immediate ill effects, but
eventually appetite declined, with subsequent loss in weight and lowered milk production.
• Salt is also important in the diet of hens, and it is known to counteract feather picking and
cannibalism.
• Salt is generally given to pigs on vegetable diets, but if fishmeal is given the need for added salt
is reduced.
• Too much salt in the diet is definitely harmful and causes excessive thirst, muscular weakness
and oedema.
• Salt poisoning is quite common in pigs and poultry, especially where fresh drinking water is
limited.
• When the concentration of salt in the diet of hens exceeds 40 g/kg DM and the supply of drinking
water is limited, then death may occur. Hens can tolerate larger amounts of salt if plenty of
water is available.
• Chicks cannot tolerate salt as well as adults can
 Reference

• Banerjee GC. 1988. Feeds and Principles of Animal Nutrition. Oxford & IBH.
• McDonald P, Edwards RA & Greenhalgh JFD. 1995. Animal Nutrition.
Longman.
• Reddy DV. 2003. Principles of Animal Nutrition and Feed Technology. Oxford &
IBH.
• Maynard LA, Loosli JK, Hintz HF & Warner RG. 1937. Animal Nutrition.
McGraw-Hill.