
%0 Journal Article
%A Tomas, FM 
%A Moir, RJ 
%A Somers, M 
%T Phosphorus turnover in sheep
%J Australian Journal of Agricultural Research
%D 1967/08/01
%V 18
%N 4
%P 635-645
%K 
%R https://doi.org/10.1071/AR9670635
%U https://www.publish.csiro.au/paper/AR9670635 
%X Rumen fluid, serum, and parotid salivary inorganic phosphorus concentrations in sheep given four levels of dietary phosphorus (0.42&ndash;4.02 g/day) were directly related to phosphorus intake. There was a very high correlation (r = +0.91; P < 0.001) between inorganic phosphorus concentrations in centrifuged rumen fluid and in parotid saliva. Serum inorganic phosphorus concentrations were positively correlated with those of saliva (r = +0.64; P< 0.05) and also with those in centrifuged rumen fluid (r = +0.75; P<0.01). The range in the mean daily saliva volumes collected from one parotid gland in each sheep was 3.2 to 4.2 l/day. The calculated minimum total salivary phosphorus secretion ranged from 3.0 g/day on the lowest dietary phosphorus intake to 5.3 g/day on the highest, the corresponding ratios of salivary to dietary phosphorus being from 7.24 to 1 .32 g/g. It appeared that salivary phosphorus was the major source of phosphorus to the rumen, and was also the principal determinant of rumen fluid inorganic phosphorus levels. 
