Blood Parameters and Toxicity of Chromium Picolinate Oral Supplementation in Lambs

Abstract

The effects of oral supplementation of chromium picolinate (CrPic) on various blood parameters and their possible toxicity on the liver, kidneys, lungs, heart, and testis were investigated. Twenty-four Santa Inês (SI) lambs were treated with four different concentrations of CrPic (six animals/treatment): placebo, 0.250, 0.375, and 0.500 mg CrPic/animal/day for 84 days. The basal diet consisted of hay Panicum maximum cv Massai and concentrate. Blood and serum were collected fortnightly for analysis. On day 84, the animals were euthanized, and histopathological analysis in the liver, kidney, heart, lung, and testis was made. The liver and kidney were also submitted to electronic microscopy analysis. Differences between treatments (P < 0.05) were observed for packed cell volume (day 84), hemoglobin (day 84), total plasm protein (day 56 and day 84), and triglycerides (day 70). There was no statistically significant relationship between Cr supplementation and histopathology findings, although some animals treated with supplementary Cr showed morphological changes in the liver, kidney, and testis. Thus, the effectiveness of supplementation with Cr remains in doubt as to its physiological action and toxicity in sheep.

Dietary nano chromium picolinate can ameliorate some of the impacts of heat stress in cross-bred sheep

“…Growth and metabolic effects of Cr in ruminants are variable and this may be in part related to the level of underlying stress that the animal is exposed to ( Dallago et al., 2011 ). Interestingly, it has been hypothesized that effects of Cr on glucose metabolism may only occur when there is a stressor ( Dallago et al., 2015 ) and this may explain why the responses became most apparent during HS in the present study.…”

Association between blood chromium and hepatic steatosis assessed by liver ultrasound transient elastography: National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2017–2020

“…This phenomenon may be related to Cr deposition in the lung caused by smoking. Cr not only distributes in blood, but also deposites in lung, and the pulmonary Cr concentration increases with the elevation of the smoking time ( 38 , 39 ). Noteworthily, smoking primarily induces ectopic deposition of lipids in the liver through the induction of inflammation, oxidative stress, gut microbiota dysbiosis, disturbances in glucose and lipid metabolism and insulin resistance ( 40 , 41 ).…”

Impact of Environmental and Lifestyle Use of Chromium on Male Fertility: Focus on Antioxidant Activity and Oxidative Stress

“…Meanwhile, Dallago and colleagues supplemented 14-week-old Santa Inês male lambs with chromium picolinate (0.8, 9.0, 12.0, and 21.0 µg/kg of body mass) daily for 84 days. No morphological alterations were found in the testis of these animals, and the seminiferous tubules presented a normal conformation [ 102 ]. Horký P. and colleagues supplemented breeding boars with chromium picolinate (181.81 µg/kg of feed ration) daily for 95 days [ 103 ].…”