Trace Mineral Supplementation in Livestock: Animal, Environmental, and Human Aspects

Call for Papers

Trace minerals are required for the normal functioning of basically all biochemical processes in the body. Providing adequate amounts of trace minerals to meet animal requirements is critical to maximizing health and productivity in animals. Mineral supplements are routinely incorporated into concentrate feed (even when proven not strictly necessary) at doses largely exceeding the physiological requirements. This is possible because there are fairly wide “safety margins” to avoid mineral toxicity, although toxic effects on animals can appear when given at concentrations exceeding these limits. A significant proportion of minerals that are given to livestock are excreted into urine and feces, and this proportion increases as the margin of mineral supply over mineral requirement increases. Trace mineral provision may thus impact animal health, food quality, and the environment.

We invite investigators to submit original research articles as well as review articles that contribute to define trace mineral requirements in livestock in a sustainable way. We are particularly interested in articles that explore trace mineral requirements in livestock under different production systems and the effects of supraoptimal mineral supplementation on the animal health. We also welcome articles that analyze the impact of livestock mineral supplementation on environmental pollution, the quality of animal products, and the pros and cons for human health of consuming animal products with a high mineral content. Potential topics include, but are not limited to:

• Advances in trace mineral requirements in livestock
• Effects of mineral supplementation exceeding physiological requirements on animal health
• Advances on trace element supplementation on immunity, reproduction, and productivity
• Trace element interactions
• Mineral supplementation in different production systems
• Trace element bioavailability in mineral supplements
• Assessments of trace mineral status in livestock
• Impact of mineral-enriched slurries in the environment
• Trace mineral footprints of livestock
• Toxic and trace mineral residues in animal products
• Mineral-enriched animal products

Before submission authors should carefully read over the journal's Author Guidelines, which are located at http://www.hindawi.com/journals/vmi/guidelines/. Prospective authors should submit an electronic copy of their complete manuscript through the journal Manuscript Tracking System at http://mts.hindawi.com/submit/journals/vmi/live/ according to the following timetable:

Lead Guest Editor

• Marta López-Alonso, Department of Animal Pathology, University of Santiago de Compostela, 27002 Lugo, Spain

Guest Editors

• Stephane Durosoy, Animine, 335 Chemin du Noyer 74330 Sillingy, France
• Marta I. Miranda Castañón, Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, University of Santiago de Compostela, 27002 Lugo, Spain
• Catherine Jondreville, Unité Recherches Animal et Fonctionnalités des Produits Animaux, Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique, Université de Lorraine, 54550 Vandoeuvre-lès-Nancy, France