Acute toxicity of boric acid on energy metabolism of the breast muscle in broiler chickens

Abstract

Short-and long-term oral exposures to boric acid (BA) in laboratory animals and birds caused toxic effects. However, the toxicity data on adult poultry skeletal muscles of BA was not documented with metabolic studies. Livability, weight gain, and feed conversion might be adversely affected in broilers as a result of changes in energy metabolism. Therefore, this study was conducted to investigate the influences of acute BA doses on energy metabolism of chick pectoral muscle (PM). Chicks were fed by giving the aqueous solutions supplemented with BA (0, 0.27, 0.54, 1.08, 1.35, 2.25, 3.375 and 4.5 mmol B/kg b.wt.). Breast muscle samples were taken at 24, 48 and 72 h and analyzed histochemically, ultrastructurally and biochemically. Data collected in these analyses indicated that consumption of diets containing up to 2.25 mmol B/kg at 24, 48 and 72h was not detrimental to broiler PM. However, 3.375 mmol B/kg b.wt. (at 24 h) and 4.5 mmol B/kg b.wt.(at 24 and 48 h) caused decreased metabolite concentrations (glucose, glycogen, lactate and ATP) in muscle fibers (Type IIB). Subsarcolemmal (SS) mitochondria and intermyofibrillar (IM) mitochondrial damage (cristae dissolution) were also observed by toxic effect of BA (4.5 mmol B/kg b.wt.). These observations proved that BA at the high doses (3.375 and 4.5 mmol B/kg b.wt.) causes to altered energy metabolism in Type IIB as dependent on time. Based on these results we think that energy protection in muscle against BA toxicity will be the most important study subject. Thus, high BA doses will not have detrimental effects on broiler performance.

Risk and Health Effect of Boric Acid

“…Boric acid will form stable complexes with hydroxyl compounds such as carbohydrate components (Cox, 2004;Hamilton and Wolf, 2007;Strong et al, 2001). Recent research findings suggested that boric acid might reduce ATP production in chick muscle (Geyikogglu and Turkez, 2007). In a study, boric acid caused a decrease of metabolite concentrations such as glucose, glycogen and lactate due to the formation of complexes among boron and hydroxyl compounds.…”

“…Hence, destroyed mitochondria might be the reason for ATP reduction. According to Geyikogglu and Turkez (2007), 4.5 mmol B kg −1 body weight was fairly dangerous to muscle energy metabolism.…”

Cytogenetic and oxidative alterations after exposure of cultured human whole blood cells to lithium metaborate dehydrate

“…Newly, scientists and researchers are interested in the medical application of boron compounds. But the data on their physiological effects and risk potentials in animals and human is very limited (Geyikoglu and Turkez 2007;Colak et al 2011). On the other hand, lithium metaborate dihydrate (LMD) is used as nonlinear optic material, in cell phones and pagers (Schubert and Brotherton 2006).…”

Dose-dependent Effect of Boric Acid on Myogenic Differentiation of Human Adipose-derived Stem Cells (hADSCs)

“…Similarly, the results of the current study revealed that both low-and high-dose boron treatments increased myogenic lineage-specific gene expression in early stage of differentiation; high-dose boron treatment significantly decreased the myogenic differentiation potential of hADSCs. High boric acid concentration administration (4.5 mmol boron/kg) has resulted in reduced levels of important metabolites including glycogen, glucose, lactate, and ATP in chick muscles in both dose-and time-dependent manners [32]. Consistently, low glucose levels, necrotic and fragmented muscle fibers in excessive boron-fed broilers have been reported in a different study [10].…”