Bioavailability of calcium citrate malate added to microbial phytase-treated, hydrothermally cooked soymilk

Effects of microbial phytase on bioavailability of calcium added to corn/soy diets were investigated in chickens. No effect (P 0.17) of phytase was found for weight gain, feed intake, tibia/body weight, ash%, and ash Ca% when calcium citrate malate (CCM) was added to corn/soybean meal and corn/hydrothermally cooked (HTC) soymilk diets. Using calcium carbonate in corn/HTC soymilk diets, means for weight gain, feed intake, tibia/body weight, and ash% were less (P 0.05) without phytase. We hypothesize that CCM is less amenable to the formation of calcium phytate complexes than are other calcium salts and, therefore, should be more effective for fortification of soymilk products