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Micronutrients USA LLC (Micronutrients), the market leader for hydroxy trace minerals, hosted the "No Guts No Glory" pre-symposium at the Cornell Nutrition Conference in Syracuse, New York, on October 22-24, 2019. This annual event is designed to provide industry-leading research and information to feed industry professionals and nutritional consultants. Industry-leading academics and researchers present emerging topics across the spectrum of animal nutrition. In this context, Micronutrients demonstrated its technical expertise as sponsors of the pre-symposium in four presentations on strategies to support a healthy digestive system.

Could your trace mineral program be doing more harm than good?

Dr. Sara Kvidera, Technical Manager, Micronutrients kicked off the afternoon of presentations with a talk that emphasized the importance of stability, palatability, bioavailability, and digestibility while evaluating trace mineral programs, concluding that IntelliBond® provides more predictability in diets than sulfate trace minerals.

Current concepts in fiber digestion: Focus on source of forage and trace minerals.

The second presentation contributed by Mr. Michael Miller, Research Technician, W. H. Miner Institute, focused on a study examining corn silage hybrid and trace mineral source. His research determined that cows fed IntelliBond trace minerals had higher feed intake compared to cows fed sulfate trace minerals. Furthermore, Mr. Miller's study found increased total tract fiber digestibility in cows fed IntelliBond compared to sulfate fed cows.

The effects of low feed intake on gastrointestinal function.

Dr. Greg Penner, Associate Professor, University of Saskatchewan, also talked about the results of low feed intake, and even brief periods of feed restriction and how this can lead to compromised barrier function of the gut and make cows more susceptible to ruminal acidosis.

The causes and metabolic consequences of leaky gut.

Closing out the afternoon of speakers was Dr. Lance Baumgard, Iowa State University. Dr. Baumgard presented about the many factors that can induce leaky gut: heat stress, transition stress, and feed restriction leading to immune system activation and energy directed away from productive performance. He observed that IntelliBond® Z had been shown to reduce inflammation and improve gut morphology during feed restriction challenges.

To cap off the day, the Micronutrients team entertained attendees at a cocktail reception that combined local food, beer and wine tastings, live music, games, and door prizes in a great atmosphere to network with customers and colleagues.

About Micronutrients -- Based in Indianapolis, Indiana, Micronutrients is a global mineral feed ingredient producer focused on developing, manufacturing, and marketing a full range of quality trace minerals. Micronutrients is the market leader for hydroxy trace minerals marketed under the global brand name IntelliBond. Hydroxy trace minerals are specialty trace minerals that, due to their unique chemical structure, improve the stability of premixes and feeds.