While it is well established that active vitamin D treatment increases dietary phytatephosphate utilization, the mechanism by which intestinal alkaline phosphatase (IAP) participates in phytate-phosphate use is less clear. The ability of human IAP (hIAP) oral antibodies to prevent dietary phytate phosphate utilization in the presence of 1α -

hydroxycholecalciferol (1α-(OH) D3) in a chick model was investigated. hIAP specific chicken IgY antibodies were generated by inoculating laying hens with 17 synthetic peptides derived from the human IAP amino acid sequence and harvesting egg yolk. Western blot analysis showed all antibodies recognized hIAP and six of eight antibodies selected showed modest inhibition of hIAP activity in vitro (6-33% inhibition). In chicks where dietary phosphate was primarily in the form of phytate, four selected hIAP antibodies inhibited 1α-(OH) D3-induced increases in blood phosphate. One of which, generated against selected peptide (MFPMGTPD), was as effective as sevelamer hydrochloride in preventing the 1α-(OH) D3-induced increase in blood phosphate but ineffective in preventing an increase in body weight gain and bone ash induced by 1α- (OH) D3. These studies demonstrated that orally-delivered antibodies to IAP limit dietary phytate phosphate utilization in chicks treated with 1α-(OH) D3, and implicate IAP as a important host enzyme in increasing phytate phosphate bioavailability in 1α-(OH) D3 fed chicks.