Effect of Arsanilic Acid on Performance and Residual of Arsenic in Tissue of Japanese Laying Quail

Potential contaminants and hazards in alternative chicken bedding materials and proposed guidance levels: a review

Bedding material or litter is an important requirement of meat chicken production which can influence bird welfare, health, and food safety. A substantial increase in demand and cost of chicken bedding has stimulated interest in alternative bedding sources worldwide. However, risks arising from the use of alternative bedding materials for raising meat chickens are currently unknown. Organic chemicals, elemental, and biological contaminants, as well as physical and management hazards need to be managed in litter to protect the health of chickens and consequently that of human consumers. This requires access to information on the transfer of contaminants from litter to food to inform risk profiles and assessments to guide litter risk management. In this review, contaminants and hazards of known and potential concern in alternative bedding are described and compared with existing standards for feed. The contaminants considered in this review include organic chemical contaminants (e.g., pesticides), elemental contaminants (e.g., arsenic, cadmium, and lead), biological contaminants (phytotoxins, mycotoxins, and microorganisms), physical hazards, and management hazards. Reference is made to scientific literature for acceptable levels of the above contaminants in chicken feed that can be used for guidance by those involved in selecting and using bedding materials.

Protective effects of anthocyanin against apoptosis and oxidative stress induced by arsanilic acid in DF-1 cells

Anthocyanin is a natural plant pigment that acts as an antioxidant and scavenges free radicals. This study aimed to investigate the potential protective role of nightshade anthocyanin (NA), a natural flavonoid compound, against the arsanilic acid (ASA)-induced cell death of DF-1 cells. DF-1 cells were initially exposed to ASA, and then NA was applied to the treated cells. Cell viability, intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS), mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP), and apoptosis were examined. Results showed that NA inhibited the ASA-induced decrease in cell viability, increase in ROS, and loss of MMP in DF-1 cells. Moreover, caspase-3 activation was inhibited by ASA supplementation and NA attenuated the ASA-induced increase in the percentage of apoptotic cells. In summary, our study suggested that NA can enhance ASA-induced cytotoxicity and apoptosis, thereby providing a basis for the molecular mechanisms of NA-mediated protection.

Effects of arsenic supplementation in feed on laying performance, arsenic retention of eggs and organs, biochemical indices and endocrine hormones

1. The primary objective of this experiment was to estimate the toxic effects of arsenic (As) supplementation in feed on laying performance, As retention by eggs and organs, serum biochemical indices and endocrine hormones in laying hens. 2. A total of 320 "Jinghong Number 1" hens, 56-week-old, were randomly allocated into four treatments of four replicates with 20 layers in each. Graded arsenical was added to the basal diet in the experimental diets at As levels of 0, 17, 34 and 51 mg/kg, respectively. The trial lasted for 9 weeks including 1 week for acclimatisation. 3. Supplementation of dietary As for eight weeks had no effect on laying performance. As retention in albumen, yolk, egg, liver and kidney increased as As levels increased The level of serum phosphorus (P) was minimised at the 17 mg As/kg group. The activity of serum glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase (GOT) increased linearly. No differences were observed for levels of serum calcium (Ca), alkaline phosphatase (AKP) and serum glutamic pyruvic transaminase (GPT). Concentrations of estradiol (E₂) and progesterone (PG) declined at 34 and 51 mg/kg As levels compared with the control group. As supplementation exerted no influence on levels of serum follicle stimulating hormone (FSH), luteinising hormone (LH), triiodothyronine (T₃), thyroxine (T₄) and the ratio between T₃ and T₄. 4. In conclusion, dietary As supplementation accelerated retention in tissues and eggs, and affected the laying rate by diminishing hormone levels of E2 and PG at 51 mg/kg.

Comparative cytotoxicity of fourteen trivalent and pentavalent arsenic species determined using real-time cell sensing

The occurrence of a large number of diverse arsenic species in the environment and in biological systems makes it important to compare their relative toxicity. The toxicity of arsenic species has been examined in various cell lines using different assays, making comparison difficult. We report real-time cell sensing of two human cell lines to examine the cytotoxicity of fourteen arsenic species: arsenite (As^III), monomethylarsonous acid (MMA^III) originating from the oxide and iodide forms, dimethylarsinous acid (DMA^III), dimethylarsinic glutathione (DMAG^III), phenylarsine oxide (PAO^III), arsenate (As^V), monomethylarsonic acid (MMA^V), dimethylarsinic acid (DMA^V), monomethyltrithioarsonate (MMTTA^V), dimethylmonothioarsinate (DMMTA^V), dimethyldithioarsinate (DMDTA^V), 3-nitro-4-hydroxyphenylarsonic acid (Roxarsone, Rox), and 4-aminobenzenearsenic acid (p-arsanilic acid, p-ASA). Cellular responses were measured in real time for 72hr in human lung (A549) and bladder (T24) cells. IC₅₀ values for the arsenicals were determined continuously over the exposure time, giving rise to IC₅₀ histograms and unique cell response profiles. Arsenic accumulation and speciation were analyzed using inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). On the basis of the 24-hr IC₅₀ values, the relative cytotoxicity of the tested arsenicals was in the following decreasing order: PAO^III≫MMA^III≥DMA^III≥DMAG^III≈DMMTA^V≥As^III≫MMTTA^V>As^V>DMDTA^V>DMA^V>MMA^V≥Rox≥p-ASA. Stepwise shapes of cell response profiles for DMA^III, DMAG^III, and DMMTA^V coincided with the conversion of these arsenicals to the less toxic pentavalent DMA^V. Dynamic monitoring of real-time cellular responses to fourteen arsenicals provided useful information for comparison of their relative cytotoxicity.

A review on exposure and effects of arsenic in passerine birds

Arsenic (As) is a metalloid of high concern because of its toxic effects for plants and animals. However, it is hard to find information on this metalloid in passerines. This review presents a comprehensive overview of As exposure and effects in birds, and more particularly in passerines, as a result of an extensive search of the literature available. Internal tissues are the most frequently analyzed matrices for As determination in passerines (37.5% of the reviewed studies used internal tissues), followed by feathers and eggs (32.5% each), feces (27.5%), and finally blood (15%). A clear tendency is found in recent years to the use of non-destructive samples. Most studies on As concentrations in passerines have been done in great tit (Parus major; 50%), followed by pied flycatcher (Ficedula hypoleuca; 22.5%). Some factors such as diet and migratory status are crucial on the interspecific differences in As exposure. More studies are needed to elucidate if intraspecific factors like age or gender affect As concentrations in different tissues. The literature review shows that studies on As concentrations in passerines have been done mainly in the United States (30%), followed by Belgium (22.5%), and Finland (20%), making evident the scarce or even lack of information in some countries, so we recommend further research in order to overcome the data gap, particularly in the southern hemisphere. Studies on humans, laboratory animals and birds have found a wide range of effects on different organ systems when they are exposed to different forms of As. This review shows that few field studies on As exposure and effects in passerines have been done, and all of them are correlative so far. Arsenic manipulation experiments on passerines are recommended to explore the adverse effects of As in free-living populations at similar levels to those occurring in the environment.

CAPSULE

This review summarizes the most interesting published studies on As exposure and effects in passerines.

Organoarsenicals in poultry litter: detection, fate, and toxicity

Arsenic contamination in groundwater has endangered the health and safety of millions of people around the world. One less studied mechanism for arsenic introduction into the environment is the use of organoarsenicals in animal feed. Four organoarsenicals are commonly employed as feed additives: arsanilic acid, carbarsone, nitarsone, and roxarsone. Organoarsenicals are composed of a phenylarsonic acid molecule with substituted functional groups. This review documents the use of organoarsenicals in the poultry industry, reports analytical methods available for quantifying organic arsenic, discusses the fate and transport of organoarsenicals in environmental systems, and identifies toxicological concerns associated with these chemicals. In reviewing the literature on organoarsenicals, several research needs were highlighted: advanced analytical instrumentation that allows for identification and quantification of organoarsenical degradation products; a greater research emphasis on arsanilic acid, carbarsone, and nitarsone; identification of degradation pathways, products, and kinetics; and testing/development of agricultural wastewater and solid treatment technologies for organoarsenical-laden waste.

Evaluation of glutathione s-transferase as toxicity indicator for roxarsone and arsanilic acid in Eisenia fetida

Different compounds can induce stress response by targeting specific genes. Studies related to elucidating the detoxification and adaptive responses of proteins like glutathione-s-transferase (GST) can be helpful in better understanding toxicity. Roxarsone and arsanilic acid, which have been exhaustively used as animal and poultry feed additives, pose a threat to the environment and human health. GST enzyme bioassay revealed fluctuations in response to different concentrations of roxarsone and arsanilic acid at different time intervals. The highest GST enzyme activity (40.51%) was observed on day 15 of treatment with roxarsone. On the other hand, arsanilic acid caused the maximum enzyme activity (52.11%) on day 10 of treatment. During this study, the full-length gene sequence of GST, having the size 984 bp (Genbankno. HQ693699), was achieved from Eisenia fetida and established as a biomarker to assess the toxicity of roxarsone and arsanilic acid. The deduced protein has a computed molecular mass of 23.56 kDa and a predicted isoelectric point of 9.92. Quantitative real-time PCR revealed significant differential gene expression in response to roxarsone and arsanilic acid treatment as compared with control treatment. Roxarsone caused the highest gene expression of 7.0-fold increase over control on day 15 of treatment, whereas arsanilic acid resulted in the highest gene expression reaching to 14.56-fold as compared with control. This study is helpful in understanding the role of GST as a potential biomarker for chemicals like roxarsone and arsanilic acid, which can pollute the food chain.