Impacts of Phytate on the Environment

Over decades there has been worry regarding Phytic Acid (PA) function in lowering mineral bioavailability. Given its widespread prevalence in nuts, grains, legumes and oilseeds it is important to revisit this topic in light of contemporary eating trends. The food pyramid advocates increased cereal and grain consumption as the foundation of a healthy diet. Phosphorus is also an important macro-mineral nutrient for chicken, as it promotes growth, bone formation, genomic function, highquality flesh and egg production. Imbalanced organic phosphorus sources in the diet can reduce phosphorus digestibility and increase environmental contamination.

Moreover, phytic acid is an anti-nutritional molecule present in cereals and staple crops including wheat, maize, rice and sorghum, which chelates phosphorus and important divalent cations like Fe and Ca and zinc. As a result, these cations cannot be absorbed by monogastric animals or humans and phytic acid inhibits nutritional intake, with levels inversely related to protein and starch digestibility. The environmental impact of phytate, a common organic phosphorus molecule, is substantial. It can contribute nutrients to algae blooms in lakes, causing eutrophication. Furthermore, phytate's stability in complexation with metal ions might inhibit enzymatic hydrolysis, influencing its destiny in agricultural soils. In this paper, summarizes several approaches to addressing the challenges associated with phytic acid's interaction with the environment.