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Journal of animal science2022; 100(3); skac074; doi: 10.1093/jas/skac074

Technical Note: A method for determination of titanium dioxide concentration in fecal samples.

Abstract: Titanium dioxide has been used as a marker for determining diet digestibility indirectly, but some authors have expressed difficulty in measuring TiO2 concentrations in fecal material. We developed an accurate and precise method to determine TiO2 concentrations in equine feces. The method includes dry-ashing samples, digestion with (NH4)2SO4 in concentrated sulfuric acid, followed by the addition of H2O2 to produce a yellow to orange color that can be read spectrophotometrically. Accuracy was tested by spike recovery, and precision was tested by examining the coefficient of variation (CV) between duplicates of 449 individual samples. The method described here was compared with a previously published method by examining CV between duplicates of samples analyzed using both methods and comparing them using a paired t-test. Titanium dioxide spike recovery averaged 106%, and the CV between duplicates averaged 4.0%, with 79% of sample pairs having a CV of <5%. When compared with a previously published method, the method described here had a lower CV between duplicates (P < 0.0001). The method described here provides an accurate and precise quantitative analytical procedure for TiO2 in equine fecal samples. Titanium dioxide is a marker fed to animals to help determine diet digestibility indirectly by measuring the concentration of TiO2 in fecal samples. This paper describes an accurate and precise method to analyze TiO2 in equine feces. The precision of this method is demonstrated by the low variation between sample duplicates. This method requires fewer sample replicates for analysis, leading to less labor, expense, and waste in the laboratory.
© The Author(s) 2022. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the American Society of Animal Science. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.
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Publication Date: 2022-03-10 PubMed ID: 35263430PubMed Central: PMC9030201DOI: 10.1093/jas/skac074Google Scholar: Lookup
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Summary

This research summary has been generated with artificial intelligence and may contain errors and omissions. Refer to the original study to confirm details provided. Submit correction.

The study details a new, accurate, and efficient method developed for determining titanium dioxide concentrations in horse fecal samples, an important procedure contributing to diet digestibility studies.

Understanding the Research

This study focused on solving a problem faced by scientists in measuring titanium dioxide (TiO2) concentrations in fecal samples, a process crucial to indirectly determining the digestibility of an animal’s diet.

  • Developing the Method: The researchers developed a process where they first dry-ash the samples, then digest them with (NH4)2SO4 in concentrated sulfuric acid. Following this, they add H2O2 which produces a color ranging from yellow to orange that can be read using a spectrophotometer.
  • Testing the Method: The accuracy of this new method was tested via spike recovery, i.e., they added a known amount of titanium dioxide to a sample, performed the extraction process, and then measured how much of the added TiO2 they could recover. On the other hand, the precision was tested by examining the variation between duplicates of 449 individual samples.
  • Comparison with Existing Method: The new method was compared with a previously published method by analyzing duplicates of samples from both methods and contrasting them using a statistical tool called the paired t-test.

Results of the Research

  • Spike Recovery: The average TiO2 recovery rate was 106%, indicating that the method was relatively accurate.
  • Precision Testing: The average variation between duplicates was at a low 4.0%. About 79% of the sample pairs showed an even lower variation of less than 5%, suggesting high precision.
  • Comparison Outcomes: When compared with the existing method, the new method detailed in this paper demonstrated a lower variation in results between duplicate samples, which statistically significantly proved its superiority (P < 0.0001).

The research concludes that the method developed in the study is an accurate, precise, and highly efficient technique for determining TiO2 in horse fecal samples. It offers a less labor-intensive and cost-effective process, leading to less waste creation in the laboratory. The ability to analyze the concentration of TiO2 in feces has significant value in many scientific contexts, particularly in understanding animal digestion and nutrition.

Cite This Article

APA
Fowler AL, Hayes SH, Crum AD, Lawrence LM. (2022). Technical Note: A method for determination of titanium dioxide concentration in fecal samples. J Anim Sci, 100(3), skac074. https://doi.org/10.1093/jas/skac074

Publication

Journal of animal science
ISSN: 1525-3163
NlmUniqueID: 8003002
Country: United States
Language: English
Volume: 100
Issue: 3
PII: skac074

Researcher Affiliations

Fowler, Ashley L
  • Department of Animal and Food Sciences, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40546, USA.
Hayes, Susan H
  • Department of Animal and Food Sciences, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40546, USA.
Crum, Andrea D
  • Department of Animal and Food Sciences, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40546, USA.
Lawrence, Laurie M
  • Department of Animal and Food Sciences, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40546, USA.

MeSH Terms

  • Animals
  • Digestion
  • Feces
  • Horses
  • Hydrogen Peroxide
  • Titanium

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Citations

This article has been cited 4 times.
  1. Fowler AL, Pyles MB, Hayes SH, Crum AD, Lawrence LM. A comparison of fecal output determined by total fecal collection or titanium dioxide in horses. J Anim Sci 2025 Jan 4;103.
    doi: 10.1093/jas/skaf375pubmed: 41148061google scholar: lookup
  2. Acosta JP, Espinosa CD, González-Ortiz G, Stein HH. Growth performance and total tract digestibility of nutrients for weanling pigs are improved by an exogenous xylanase and a stimbiotic regardless of maternal xylanase consumption. J Anim Sci Biotechnol 2025 May 15;16(1):68.
    doi: 10.1186/s40104-025-01205-wpubmed: 40375102google scholar: lookup
  3. Jin D, Tugiyanti E, Rimbawanto EA, Rosidi R, Widiyastuti T, Susanto A, Ismoyowati I. Effects of high-level dietary distillers dried grains with solubles supplemented with multienzymes on growth performance, nutrient utilization, intestinal morphology, and pellet quality in broiler chickens. Vet World 2024 Aug;17(8):1943-1954.
    doi: 10.14202/vetworld.2024.1943-1954pubmed: 39328431google scholar: lookup
  4. King ME, Foote AP. Technical note: Validation of energy dispersive X-ray fluorescence for determination of indigestible markers in ruminant fecal and rumen fluid samples. J Anim Sci 2023 Jan 3;101.
    doi: 10.1093/jas/skad285pubmed: 37651116google scholar: lookup
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