Modelling the fate of phosphorus, calcium and zinc in the digestive tract of growing pig

Starting date : January 2023. Funding: Adisseo: 70%, MAPAQ (Government of Quebec): 30% 

This thesis is a part of the Adisseo Research Grant project which aims to better understand the interaction between minerals, phytate and phytase and their digestive and metabolic fate in the pig to then improve their utilisation and fine-tune their dietary levels. As a limited and non-renewable resource, phosphorus (P) conditions our capacity to produce food. Phosphorous is essential not only for growth performance and bone mineralization of animals but also for crop growth. Phytate P is the main form P is present in plant material but is poorly accessible and will impair the absorption of calcium (Ca) and zinc (Zn). The thesis aims is to understand and quantify the effect of Ca and Zn on phytate P degradation and predict P, Ca and Zn bioavaibility. The project will quantify the effect Ca:P ratio on Phytate P degradation and minerals solubility through the different parts of the digestive tract of the pig. A second experiment, in-vitro, will help to understand the effect of Zn on phytate P degradation by microbial phytase. The knowledge gained from the previous experiments will be integrated into a mechanistic model to represent the fate of P, Ca and Zn in the digestive tract of the pig.