Concentrations of toxic metals and essential minerals in the mane hair of healthy racing horses and their relation to age.
Concentrations of trace elements (As, Al, Pb, Cd, Hg, Se, Si, P, Na, K, Ca, Mg, Fe, Cu, Zn, Mn, Cr, Ni and Mn) in the mane hair obtained from 9 female and 15 male healthy racing Thoroughbred horses aged 2-5 years were analyzed by the inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry (ICP-AES) method. No significant differences between the female and male horses were observed in the mean concentrations of those minerals. Significantly positive correlations with age were observed in Cd (r=0.546, p<0.01) and Mo (r=0.733, p<0.001). Significantly negative correlations with age were observed in Hg (r= -0.726, p<0.001), Mn (r= -0.450, p<0.05) and Fe (r=-0.642, p<0.01). This reference range of trace elements in the mane hair of racing horses should be used to assess disease and the nutritional status in equine practice.
Department of Veterinary Medicine, College of Bioresource Sciences, Nihon University, 1866 Kameino, Fujisawa, Kanagawa 252-8510, Japan.
Ryuji
R
Asano
Kazuyuki
K
Suzuki
Tomonari
T
Otsuka
Masao
M
Otsuka
Hidetoshi
H
Sakurai
D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology*; D000818:Animals; D005260:Female; D005715:Gambling; D006197:Hair / Q000737:chemistry*; D006262:Health; D006736:Horses; D008297:Male; D019216:Metals, Heavy / Q000032:analysis*; D012016:Reference Values; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D014131:Trace Elements / Q000032:analysis*
D019216:Metals, Heavy; D014131:Trace Elements