COPPER SULFATE

Soluble powder – A source of supplemental copper for chickens and turkeys

Copper sulfate functions as an algaecide, bactericide, and fungicide. The copper ion is the active component of copper sulfate with toxicological significance. Copper ions appear to bind to functional groups of protein molecules in fungi and algae, leading to protein denaturation, cellular damage, and leakage.

Copper is essential to the body as a component or cofactor in enzyme systems involved in iron transport and metabolism, red blood cell formation, and immune function. It plays a role in both cell-mediated immunity (facilitating the elimination of invading bacteria) and humoral immunity (supporting antibody production). Copper contributes to intestinal health in two ways: as an antimicrobial agent, it helps maintain the balance of the gut microflora, and it aids the gut in responding to infection, injury, and inflammation. Copper also protects cells from free radical damage as a component of superoxide dismutase and enhances iron transport through its role in ceruloplasmin.