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Co-supplementation of Zinc and Calcium Suppresses Bio-absorption of Lead in Sprague Dawley Rats

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Abstract

Lead (Pb) is a widespread environmental toxicant and its toxicity causes huge health impacts. The present study was conducted to examine the protective role of zinc (Zn) and calcium (Ca) supplements against bio-absorption of Pb in blood and organs including the liver and kidney. Hence, Sprague Dawley rats were divided in to five groups. G1 served as negative control and was provided with standard diet, G2 as positive control receiving standard diet + PbAc (20 mg/kg BW), G3 was provided with standard diet + PbAc (20 mg/kg BW) + ZnSO4 (20 mg/kg BW), G4 with standard diet + PbAc (20 mg/kg BW) + CaCO3 (7.5 g/kg BW) whereas G5 was fed on standard diet + PbAc (20 mg/kg BW) + ZnSO4 (20 mg/kg BW) + CaCO3 (7.5 g/kg BW). The salts were provided as solution, dissolved in 0.5 mL distilled water via orogastric tube. After 35 days, the overnight fasted rats were decapitated, and blood and organs were collected for analysis of levels of metals and liver and kidney function tests. The results depicted significant decrease in Pb concentration in blood and organs while increase in Zn and Ca absorption was observed as a result of Zn and Ca supplementation with Zn being better than Ca alone, specially however, combined effect of these supplements was more profound in improving liver and kidney stress biomarkers and maintained the normal architecture of renal and hepatic parenchyma. It was concluded that Zn and Ca co-supplementation hinder Pb absorption in blood, the liver, and kidney thus suggesting that their intake may protect from Pb toxicity.

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Data Availability

The datasets generated during and/or analyzed during the current study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Food, Nutrition and Home Sciences, National Institute of Food Science and Technology, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, Pakistan

    Masood Sadiq Butt, Komal Javed & Urwa Tariq

  2. Kauser Abdulla Malik School of Life Sciences, Forman Christian College (A Charted University), Lahore, Pakistan

    Iahtisham-Ul-Haq

  3. Department of Human Nutrition and Dietetics, Riphah International University, Faisalabad, 38000, Pakistan

    Komal Javed & Urwa Tariq

Authors
  1. Masood Sadiq Butt
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  2. Iahtisham-Ul-Haq
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Contributions

Masood Sadiq Butt provided technical assistance in designing the study. Urwa Tariq conducted the research and gathered the data for manuscript. Iahtisham-Ul-Haq applied statistical analysis, interpreted the results, and prepared the manuscript. Komal Javed reviewed the manuscript and helped in the preparation of final draft. All the authors contributed sufficiently in making the manuscript technically sound and then approved the manuscript for publication.

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Correspondence to Urwa Tariq.

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The study was approved by the Directorate of Advance Studies, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, Pakistan, after compliance with the research/ethical standards from the scrutiny committee of the NIFSAT, UAF.

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Butt, M.S., Iahtisham-Ul-Haq, Javed, K. et al. Co-supplementation of Zinc and Calcium Suppresses Bio-absorption of Lead in Sprague Dawley Rats. Biol Trace Elem Res 201, 1317–1326 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12011-022-03233-3

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