PROBIO SBS
REDUCES STRUVITE and CALCIUM OXALATE FORMATION
Kedide idrar kesesinde taş röntgeni
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çok sayıda struvite taşları röntgeni
Reduce the risk of urinary tract disease caused by struvite and calcium oxalate stones with PROBIO SBS
Struvite (magnesium ammonium phosphate) stones are the most common urinary tract stones in cats. Sodium bisulfate effectively lowers urine pH, does not add phosphorus to the diet, and helps increase water intake, making it a healthy alternative to reduce urinary tract stones. Acidifying the urine can dissolve existing crystals and prevent the formation of new ones.
The higher the grain volume in pet food, the higher the pH of the urine. In high pH environments, struvite stones can form in the cat's lower urinary tract, leading to common lower urinary tract diseases. In some cases, complete blockage occurs. A urine pH range of 6.0 to 6.5 is an acceptable range to prevent crystal formation.
Struvite stones (magnesium ammonium phosphate) were the most common type of urolith in cats in the 1980s and have recently become the most common again. Lowering urine pH, reducing dietary magnesium and phosphorus levels, and increasing urine volume can help control struvite formation. Sodium bisulfate effectively lowers urine pH, doesn't add phosphorus to the diet, and helps increase water intake, making it a healthy alternative to reduce the risk of urinary tract disease.
Mechanism of Action of Urine Acidification
Sodium bisulfate lowers urine pH when sulfates are added to the diet. The following excerpt from the study "Estimation of Urine pH Using Dietary Cations and Anions in Cats Fed Dry and Wet Foods" explains the mechanism of action in more detail:
“Sodium bisulfate has been shown to lower urinary pH in cats. Compared to phosphoric acid, foods containing sodium bisulfate were able to maintain similar urinary pH, and no difference was observed between the two dietary acidifiers.” “When sulfur (sulfate) and other anions (chloride and phosphorus) ingested with food are absorbed, the cation-anion balance shifts to a more negative state (towards metabolic acidosis). This causes an increase in arterial hydrogen ion concentration. The body responds to this increase in hydrogen ions through four processes, attempting to maintain arterial blood pH slightly alkaline (approximately 7.4).”
These processes are as follows:
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Extracellular buffering;
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intracellular and bone buffering;
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respiratory buffering; and
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removal of excess hydrogen ions via the kidneys.
The first three processes work to minimize the increase in hydrogen concentration until the kidneys restore acid-base balance. The kidneys restore acid-base balance by excreting excess hydrogen ions through urine, thereby lowering the pH of the urine.
Calcium Oxalate Stones
Studies show that high calcium levels in the diet can increase urinary calcium concentrations, thereby increasing the risk of calcium oxalate formation. When phosphoric acid is added to the diet, additional calcium may be needed to maintain the calcium/phosphorus ratio to prevent bone loss. Phosphoric acid is used to preserve ingredients, enhance flavor, and acidify urine. The combination of these uses in the same diet may require high calcium levels to balance phosphorus. PROBIO SBS preserves ingredients, enhances flavor, acidifies urine, and encourages water consumption without adding phosphorus.
ENHANCES FLAVOR
Studies have shown that cats tend to prefer foods with an acidic pH compared to neutral or alkaline foods; this is a driving factor in animal digestion and the use of acids in flavor enhancers. SBS's high acidity helps pet food manufacturers deliver the clean, sour taste that cats desire at a lower concentration.
To determine the effects of SBS on the palatability of cat food, a major US pet food manufacturer conducted a standard two-bowl taste test on twenty cats over two days at an independent animal testing facility. A typical chicken and rice-based extruded cat food was tested to contain either 0.9% sodium bisulfate (SBS Pet) or 0.8% phosphoric acid.
The cats' first preferences and total consumption were monitored. Data showed a numerical trend toward the diet containing SBS Pet in both observations. In fact, the SBS Pet™ diet was preferred at a ratio of 2.25:1 and had a food consumption ratio of 1.42:1* compared to the phosphoric acid diet (Figures 1 and 2) (*2-day period and total consumption of 20 cats).
Taste tests conducted on animals produce information about preference and quantity consumed. However, they do not provide information about the details of taste.
CONTROLS SALMONELLA AND PATHOGENS
Sodium bisulfate (SBS) has been shown to reduce Salmonella contamination by one to two logarithms when applied to extruded pet food. Among common acids used in food production, sodium bisulfate has one of the lowest pKa values (1.99), and it is highly effective and cost-effective when used in smaller quantities compared to phosphoric acid.
Pet food has been linked to the transmission of pathogenic Salmonella strains to humans. While various strategies to control Salmonella have led to increased supplier audits, hazard analysis, critical control point (HACCP) plans, and hold-and-release programs, each manufacturer must develop its own unique control systems.
The pet food production process involves heat-killing steps (preconditioning and extruder) that keep Salmonella occurrence relatively low. However, cases of contamination continue due to recontamination after extruder.
This recontamination can result from Salmonella growth within the conveying system or from dust in the air in air handling systems. If this is the case, it is also possible that the detected Salmonella is only on the surface of the food pellets; this could allow a surfactant compound to be effective.
Multiple Benefits of Acidification with SBS
Research in independent laboratories has shown that sodium bisulfate, the main component of SBS, controls Salmonella contamination on the surface of extruded dry pet foods. In addition to Salmonella control, SBS is already used in pet foods for acidifying cat urine, lowering pH, and microbial control of soft treats and liquid digestive products (Aldrich, 2012).
SBS possesses unique properties that make it effective against Salmonella contamination on the surface of food kibbles, including its acid strength and drying physical dry state.
Acid strength is indicated by the pKa value. The lower the pKa value, the stronger the acid. For applications with pH values below 3.6, less SBS Pet is required than most commonly used acids, including phosphoric acid; this reduces costs in pet food, treats, liquid fertilizers, or any application with low pH. Sodium bisulfate has one of the lowest pKa values (1.99) among common acids used in food production.
Dry acids are advantageous for Salmonella control because they can be powdered and sprinkled onto feed kibble without reacting with the surface. Liquid acids, on the other hand, react with surface components and are neutralized by the proteins and other buffering agents they come into contact with, thus reducing their effectiveness in Salmonella control.
INCREASES STABILITY, MAXIMIZES SHELF LIFE.
SBS helps stabilize formulations of pet food, soft snacks, and digestive products thanks to its ability to rapidly lower pH; this, in turn, controls microbial growth in pet food products, maximizing their shelf life.
IT PROVIDES EASE OF FORMULATION.
Adding SBS offers advantages to pet food formulators, including enhancing palatability without affecting the calcium/phosphorus ratio and meeting cats' sodium and sulfate needs.
Calcium/Phosphorus Ratio
SBS acidifies the diet and enhances its palatability without affecting the calcium/phosphorus ratio. The ideal calcium-phosphorus ratio in the diet is 1:1. If the ratio is too high, it can impair phosphorus absorption. If it is too low, it can lead to many nutritional problems caused by calcium deficiency, including bone loss.
Sodium
Sodium is an important component of a cat's diet. Recent studies show that cats have a sodium requirement higher than the 0.5 g/kg dietary value recommended by the National Research Council (1986). A minimum dietary sodium requirement of 0.8 g/kg is recommended for the maintenance of adult cats. Cats with sodium deficiency may experience loss of appetite, weight loss, hyponatriuria, and negative sodium balance. Adding SBS to the diet can contribute to meeting this higher sodium requirement.
Sulfate
Inorganic sulfate is an essential electrolyte required for the life of all organisms and involved in various processes, including detoxification through sulfation. Sulfate is necessary for cell matrix synthesis and the maintenance of cell membranes, and is involved in the formation of sulfated glycosaminoglycans, which are the main components of cartilage. It is also involved in the formation of cerebroside sulfate, a component of the myelin membranes of the brain. Sulfate conjugation plays a role in the biosynthetic pathway for the production of steroids, neurotransmitters, and biliary agents.
Systemic phosphate balance. Based on Figure 2 from the study by Berndt and Kumar, modified and used with permission.