The biological properties of molybdenum are also very important. It is not only an essential trace element for plants but also animals. Molybdenum is one of the main components of molybdenum lutein protease in nitrogen-fixing bacteria in plants; it is also one of the main components of plant nitrate reductase; it can also stimulate phosphatase activity, promote the synthesis and transportation of sugar and starch in crops; it is conducive to early maturity of crops. Molybdenum is one of the seven important micronutrients. Molybdenum is also one of the basic components of xanthine oxidase and aldehyde oxidase in the liver and intestine of animals, and it is also the basic component of heparin sulfite oxidase. Studies have shown that molybdenum also has an obvious anti-caries effect, molybdenum has a strong inhibitory effect on the formation of urinary stones, and the human body is prone to kidney stones. A healthy person weighing 70kg contains 9mg of molybdenum. For humans, molybdenum is the only element known to be essential to humans among the second and third types of transition elements. Compared with similar transition elements, molybdenum is extremely low in toxicity and can even be considered basically non-toxic. Of course, excessive ingestion also accelerates the oxidation of the elastic substance-plasmalogen-in the arterial wall of the human body. Therefore, in areas with high soil molybdenum content, the incidence of cancer is low, but the incidence of gout and systemic arteriosclerosis is high. Animals that eat excessive forage containing molybdenum, especially long-horned animals, are susceptible to stomach problems.
metabolic absorption
Molybdenum compounds in diet and drinking water are easily absorbed. About 88%-93% of soluble ammonium molybdate ingested orally can be absorbed. Various sulfur-containing compounds in the diet have a strong inhibitory effect on the absorption of molybdenum, and molybdenum sulfide can only be absorbed by about 5% after oral administration. After being absorbed, molybdate remains bound to macroglobulin in the blood in the form of molybdate and loosely binds to erythrocytes. Most of the molybdenum in the blood is taken up by the liver and kidneys.
Part of the molybdate in the liver is converted to molybdenum-containing enzymes, and the rest is combined with pterin to form molybdenum-containing prosthetic groups that are stored in the liver. The body excretes molybdenum primarily in the form of molybdate through the kidneys, and renal excretion increases with increased dietary molybdenum intake. Thus, the body maintains molybdenum balance primarily through renal excretion rather than through controlled absorption. In addition, a certain amount of molybdenum is excreted with bile.