Boron is vital for animal (and human) health – Dec 2018

The vital roles of boron in animal health and production: A comprehensive review.

J Trace Elem Med Biol. 2018 Dec;50:296-304. doi: 10.1016/j.jtemb.2018.07.018. Epub 2018 Jul 24.
Abdelnour SA1, Abd El-Hack ME2, Swelum AA3, Perillo A4, Losacco C4.

PDF is available free at Sci-Hub   10.1016/j.jtemb.2018.07.018

Boron (B) has many beneficial functions in biological, metabolic and physiological processes for plants and animals. It plays a vital role in maintaining animal health and preventing nutritional disorders. Boron deficiency has been correlated with

• low immune function and
• high incidence of osteoporosis which increases mortality risk.

Extraordinary boron level causes cell damage and toxicity in human and different animal species. In the past few years, attention has been paid to clear the pleiotropic effects of boron including

• activating of immune response,
• antioxidant detoxification activities,
• affecting bone metabolism,
• enhancing animal performance and
• modulating various body systems.

Furthermore, the role of boron as

• anti-heat stress agent has been identified in plants and suggested in animals.

Liver metabolism also shows significant alterations in dairy cows in response to the dietary supplementation of boron. Likewise, adding boron to animal feed enhances

• bone density,
• wound healing and
• embryonic development.

Additionally, boron has a potential impact on the

• metabolism of numerous minerals and enzymes.

In view of the information about boron benefits, high or low level boron merits the concern.
As well, researches are required to do more in-depth investigations on boron influences, and to adjust its requirements in different animal species.