Analytical characterization of trace elements (zinc, copper, cadmium, lead and selenium) in saliva of pigs under common pathological conditions in the field: a pilot study

Abstract

Background: This study is focused on the measurement of trace elements (zinc, copper, cadmium, lead and selenium) in the saliva of pigs in order to study their levels on different porcine pathological conditions in the field. The experiment involved 15 pigs without clinical signs of disease and 42 diseased pigs (suffering from lameness, rectal prolapse, fatigue or growth rate retardation). Individual saliva samples were collected, allowing the pigs to chew a sponge each for trace element quantifications through atomic absorption spectrometry (AAS). Since this is the first report on the measurements of trace elements in porcine saliva, a routine analytical validation study was performed for the quantification of all the studied elements. Moreover, the acute phase proteins C-reactive protein (CRP) and haptoblobin (Hp), the total antioxidant capacity (TAC) and adenosine deaminase (ADA) were quantified in the saliva samples for the animal's health status assessment. Results: Modifications in the levels of acute phase proteins or ADA were only recorded in animals with lameness and rectal prolapse and those with fatigue respectively. Moreover, TAC level changes were observed in pigs with growth-rate retardation. However, alterations in the levels of two or more trace elements were reported for all the different groups of diseased pigs with evident variations within pathologies. Conclusions:The salivary quantification of trace elements could be considered as a complementary tool to acute phase proteins, TAC and ADA determinations for disease detection and differentiation in the pig and should be explored in greater depth.

Influence of the circadian cycle, sex and production stage on the reference values of parameters related to stress and pathology in porcine saliva

“…The present study goes further on the full characterization of these analytes to ensure that saliva could be considered as an alternative specimen to serum for detection of disease in pigs. Furthermore, these results will help to find the best combination of biomarkers to develop an optimal algorithm, for its possible implementation for disease monitoring and/or health status assessment in the field, as suggested previously [ 17 ]. However, further studies should be performed to characterize the behaviour of each biomarker under different health conditions to define optimal analytical models for detection of homeostasis dysregulation’s in field conditions.…”

“…For the measurements of Cu and Zn levels, samples were subjected to acid digestion as reported before [ 17 ] followed by atomic absorption spectrometry (Varian model SpectrAA 55B spectrometer, Palo Alto, CA, USA). The contents of Cu and Zn in the saliva samples were calculated by the interpolation of the signal in a standard curve (from 1 to 4 µg/mL of certified standard solutions for Cu and Zn (Agilent Technologies Spain, Madrid, Spain)), with standard concentration on the x-axis and signal on the y-axis drawing the best-fit curve through the standard points and taking into account the dilution of the saliva according to the digestion protocol used (0.5mL of saliva in a final volume of 2.5 mL).…”

“…Furthermore, it is known that only free cortisol is found in saliva and that there is an equilibrium between the concentration of cortisol in saliva and free cortisol in plasma, although concentration in saliva is much lower than in plasma (5–10% of the free plasma cortisol concentration) [ 4 ]. Besides cortisol, many other analytes related to stress and pathology have been determined in pig saliva including acute phase proteins (APPs) [ 5 – 7 ], α-amylase [ 8 , 9 ], carbonic anhydrase VI [ 10 ], interleukin (IL)-18 [ 11 ], immunoglobulins (Ig) A, G and M [ 12 , 13 ], adenosine deaminase (ADA) [ 14 ], chromogranin A [ 15 ], markers of the oxidative status [ 16 ] and trace elements [ 17 ].…”

The Connection Between Stress and Immune Status in Pigs: A First Salivary Analytical Panel for Disease Differentiation

“…For the measurements of Cu and Zn levels, saliva samples were subjected to acid digestion as reported previously ( 38 ), followed by atomic absorption spectrometric quantifications (using a Varian model SpectrAA 55B spectrometer, Palo Alto, CA, USA). Certified standard solutions for Cu and Zn (1g/L) (Agilent Technologies Spain, Madrid, Spain) were used for calibration.…”

Cadmium Accumulation and Depuration in the Muscle of Prussian Carp (Carassius gibelio Bloch) after Sub-Chronic Cadmium Exposure: Ameliorating Effect of Melatonin

“…Therefore, the impact of various mixtures of metals in the environment on the survival of fish may vary [ 12 ]. The toxic effects of cadmium manifest in organisms when the metal substitutes other metal ions in essential micro- and macro-elements (mainly Ca 2+ , Zn 2+ , Cu 2+ , and Fe 2+ ) that are part of metalloenzymes, and as a result of its very strong affinity to biological structures containing an –SH group, including proteins, enzymes, and nucleic acids [ 13 ]. Over the last few years, increasing attention has been given to the interactions between toxic metals and essential bioelements in the body.…”