Phytic Acid
<p ><b>Phytic acid</b> (known as <b><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inositol" title="Inositol" >inositol</a> hexakisphosphate (IP6)</b>, or <b>phytate</b> when in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salt" title="Salt" >salt</a> form), discovered in 1903,<sup id="cite_ref-0" class="reference" ><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phytic_acid#cite_note-0" >[1]</a></sup> is the principal storage form of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phosphorus" title="Phosphorus" >phosphorus</a> in many <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plant" title="Plant" >plant</a> <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biological_tissue" title="Biological tissue" class="mw-redirect" >tissues</a>, especially <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bran" title="Bran" >bran</a> and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seed" title="Seed" >seeds</a>.<sup id="cite_ref-phytochemicals_1-0" class="reference" ><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phytic_acid#cite_note-phytochemicals-1" >[2]</a></sup> </p>
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Phytate is not digestible to humans or nonruminant animals, however, so it is not a source of either inositol or phosphate if eaten directly. </p>
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Moreover, it <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chelates" title="Chelates" class="mw-redirect" >chelates</a> and thus makes unabsorbable certain important minor minerals such as <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zinc" title="Zinc" >zinc</a> and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iron" title="Iron" >iron</a>, and to a lesser extent, also macro minerals such as <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calcium" title="Calcium" >calcium</a> and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magnesium" title="Magnesium" >magnesium</a>.<sup class="Template-Fact" >[<i><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed" title="Wikipedia:Citation needed" >citation needed</a></i>]</sup></p>
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Catabolites of phytic acid are called lower inositol polyphosphates. Examples are inositol penta- (IP5), tetra- (IP4), and triphosphate (IP3).</p>