Health Risk Assessment and Source Apportionment of Mercury, Lead, Cadmium, Selenium, and Manganese in Japanese Women: An Adjunct Study to the Japan Environment and Children's Study

Metalloestrogens exposure and risk of gestational diabetes mellitus: Evidence emerging from the systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

Metalloestrogens are metals and metalloid elements with estrogenic activity found everywhere. Their impact on human health is becoming more apparent as human activities increase.

OBJECTIVE

Our aim is to conduct a comprehensive systematic review and meta-analysis of observational studies exploring the correlation between metalloestrogens (specifically As, Sb, Cr, Cd, Cu, Se, Hg) and Gestational Diabetes Mellitus (GDM).

METHODS

PubMed, Web of Science, and Embase were searched to examine the link between metalloestrogens (As, Sb, Cr, Cd, Cu, Se, and Hg) and GDM until December 2023. Risk estimates were derived using random effects models. Subgroup analyses were conducted based on study countries, exposure sample, exposure assessment method, and detection methods. Sensitivity analyses and adjustments for publication bias were carried out to assess the strength of the findings.

RESULTS

Out of the 389 articles identified initially, 350 met our criteria and 33 were included in the meta-analysis, involving 141,175 subjects (9450 cases, 131,725 controls). Arsenic, antimony, and copper exposure exhibited a potential increase in GDM risk to some extent (As: OR = 1.28, 95 % CI [1.08, 1.52]; Sb: OR = 1.73, 95 % CI [1.13, 2.65]; Cu: OR = 1.29, 95 % CI [1.02, 1.63]), although there is a high degree of heterogeneity (As: Q = 52.93, p < 0.05, I2 = 64.1 %; Sb: Q = 31.40, p < 0.05, I2 = 80.9 %; Cu: Q = 21.14, p < 0.05, I2 = 71.6 %). Conversely, selenium, cadmium, chromium, and mercury exposure did not exhibit any association with the risk of GDM in our study.

DISCUSSION

Our research indicates that the existence of harmful metalloestrogens in the surroundings has a notable effect on the likelihood of GDM. Hence, we stress the significance of environmental elements in the development of GDM and the pressing need for relevant policies and measures.

Association between maternal blood or cord blood metal concentrations and catch-up growth in children born small for gestational age: an analysis by the Japan environment and children's study

BACKGROUND

Catch-up growth issues among children born small for gestational age (SGA) present a substantial public health challenge. Prenatal exposure to heavy metals can cause adverse effects on birth weight. However, comprehensive studies on the accurate assessment of individual blood concentrations of heavy metals and their effect on the failure to achieve catch-up growth remain unavailable. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of uterine exposure to toxic metals cadmium, lead, and mercury and essential trace metals manganese and selenium at low concentrations on the postnatal growth of children born SGA.

METHODS

Data on newborn birth size and other factors were obtained from the medical record transcripts and self-administered questionnaires of participants in the Japan Environment and Children's Study. The blood concentrations of lead, cadmium, mercury, selenium, and manganese in pregnant women in their second or third trimester were determined by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. These heavy metal concentrations were also assessed in pregnant women's cord blood. Furthermore, the relationship between each heavy metal and height measure/catch-up growth in SGA children aged 4 years was analyzed using linear and logistic regression methods. These models were adjusted for confounders.

RESULTS

We studied 4683 mother-child pairings from 103,060 pregnancies included in the Japan Environment and Children's Study. Of these, 278 pairs were also analyzed using cord blood. At 3 and 4 years old, 10.7% and 9.0% of children who were born below the 10th percentile of body weight had height standard deviation scores (SDSs) below 2, respectively. Cord blood cadmium concentrations were associated with the inability to catch up in growth by 3 or 4 years old and the height SDS at 3 years old. In maternal blood, only manganese was positively associated with the height SDS of SGA children aged 2 years; however, it was not significantly associated with catch-up growth in these children.

CONCLUSION

Cadmium exposure is associated with failed catch-up development in SGA children. These new findings could help identify children highly at risk of failing to catch up in growth, and could motivate the elimination of heavy metal (especially cadmium) pollution to improve SGA children's growth.

Dietary intake of methylmercury by 0-5 years children using the duplicate diet method in Japan

BACKGROUND

The developing brains are sensitive to methylmercury (MeHg). However, the exposure to MeHg in baby foods and toddler meals remains unknown. This study aimed to determine MeHg intake from baby food or toddler meals, and to investigate the relationship with child hair total mercury (THg).

METHODS

A total of 3 days of 24-hour dietary diet and hair samples were collected from 260 consenting children aged 0-5 years. We measured the concentrations of THg and MeHg in the diet and THg in the hair.

RESULTS

The results of measuring THg were below both the method detection and method quantification limits or either of both in powdered milk (93.8%), 5-6 months (53.3%), and 7-8 months (39.5%). The median daily THg intake was 20.3 (95% confidence interval 0.72-232.5) ng/kgbw. MeHg was not detected in 213 samples with dietary THg concentrations below 1 ng/g. The MeHg concentration with THg concentrations of 1 ng/g or higher was 1.70 (0.87-6.21) ng/g, and MeHg percentage in THg was 90.0%. To estimate MeHg intake, we multiplied the THg concentration by 90.0%, resulting in an estimated MeHg intake of 18.3 (0.65-209.2) ng/kgbw/day. The THg in children's hair was 1.05 (0.31-3.96) ppm, and a weak positive correlation was observed between hair THg and dietary MeHg (r = 0.170).

CONCLUSIONS

This study highlights the accurate estimation of MeHg intake in children using a duplicate method. Japanese children consume fish, the MeHg intakes exceeded the reference dose and/or provisional tolerable weekly intake in several children. Further discussion based on epidemiological data is required.

Characteristics of PM2.5-bound metals in Japan over six years: Spatial distribution, health risk, and source analysis

Air sampling campaigns were conducted at 100 survey sites across Japan from April 2014 to February 2020, and a comprehensive database of atmospheric particles was obtained. In this study, the characteristics of PM2.5 and 26 metals were investigated in depth. Spatially, the concentration of PM2.5 gradually increased from the northeast to the southwest of Japan. The pollution in Kitakyushu City was the most serious, reaching 19.8 μg m-3. As an important particle component, metals did not show obviously spatial variation in Japan, with a sum concentration of 0.4 μg m-3. Anthropogenic metals only accounted for about 8% of the total metals, but they could pose a serious threat to public health. For children, the non-carcinogenic risk and carcinogenic risk due to exposure to anthropogenic metals could not be neglected in Japan; the corresponding HI and CR values at 100 survey sites ranged from 2.7 to 15.0 and 4.1 × 10-5 to 3.4 × 10-4, respectively. Adults faced lower health risks than children, with HI values ranging from 0.2 to 2.0 and CR values ranging from 2.0 × 10-5 to 1.6 × 10-4. The integrated health risk assessment results showed that the coastal region of the Seto Inland Sea and the north Tohoku Region were the most heavily polluted areas of Japan; in this study, 20 survey sites were finally determined to be high-risk sites, among which pollution control for Niihama City, Kitakyushu City, Hachinohe City, and Shimonoseki City were of first priority. With further combination with a positive matrix factorization model, it can be known that these four cities mainly had five to seven metal sources, and their heavy pollution was mainly caused by ship emissions, industrial emissions, biomass burning, and coal combustion. Overall, our study comprehensively revealed the regional patterns of PM2.5-bound metal pollution across Japan, which can help in making cost-effective risk management policies with limited national/local budgets.

Association between blood heavy metal concentrations and skin cancer in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 2011-2018

We aimed to evaluate the associations between blood cadmium (Cd), mercury (Hg), lead (Pb), manganese (Mn), and selenium (Se) concentrations and skin cancer. This cross-sectional study was based on National Health and Nutritional Examination Survey (NHANES) data. A binomial logistic regression model was used to analyze the associations between exposure to the metal elements and the risk of skin cancer, and further stratified analyses were conducted by gender, age, body mass index, ethnicity, education, smoking, alcohol drinking, and hypertension. A total of 16,034 participants were included. After fully adjusting for multivariate, the odd ratio (OR)[95% confidence interval (95% CI)] values for skin cancer in those with blood Mn concentrations in the second, third, and fourth quartiles were 0.52 (0.33-0.82), 0.57 (0.36-0.9), and 0.56 (0.35-0.89), respectively, compared with those in the lowest quartile. The ORs (95% CI) for each 1-SD increment in log-transformed values for blood Mn concentrations were 0.79 (0.66-0.94), 0.8 (0.66-0.97), and 0.79 (0.66-0.96), respectively. A significant association between blood Hg and skin cancer was also observed in participants who drank alcohol, with a corresponding OR (95% CI) of 2.61 (1.37-5.00) (p interaction = 0.006). Our study indicated that a higher blood Mn concentration was negatively associated with skin cancer, and blood Hg was positively associated with skin cancer in participants who drank alcohol.

Periconceptional diet quality and its relation to blood heavy metal concentrations among pregnant women: The Japan environment and Children's study

BACKGROUND

Diets contain toxic chemical contaminants as well as essential nutrients, both of which influence the intrauterine environment for foetal growth. However, whether a high-quality diet that is nutritionally healthy also results in lower exposure to chemical contaminants is unknown.

OBJECTIVE

We examined associations between periconceptional maternal diet quality and circulating concentrations of heavy metals during pregnancy.

DESIGN

Dietary intake over the year prior to the first trimester of pregnancy was assessed using a validated, self-administered food frequency questionnaire among 81,104 pregnant Japanese women who participated in the Japan Environment and Children's Study. Overall diet quality was determined using the Balanced Diet Score (BDS) based on the Japanese Food Guide Spinning Top, the Healthy Eating Index-2015 (HEI-2015), the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) score and the Mediterranean diet score (MDS). We measured whole-blood concentrations of mercury (Hg), lead (Pb) and cadmium (Cd) during the second or third trimester of pregnancy.

RESULTS

After controlling for confounders, all diet quality scores were positively associated with blood Hg concentrations. By contrast, higher BDS, HEI-2015 and DASH scores were associated with lower concentrations of Pb and Cd. Although the MDS was positively associated with concentrations of Pb and Cd, when dairy products were classified as a beneficial (rather than detrimental) food component, these associations were attenuated.

CONCLUSION

A high-quality diet may reduce exposure to Pb and Cd but not Hg. Further studies are required to determine the optimal balance between mercury exposure risk and nutritional benefits of high-quality diets prior to pregnancy.

Rapid, Simultaneous, and Automatic Determination of Lead and Cadmium in Cereals with a New High Performance Composite Hollow Cathode Lamp Coupled to Graphite Furnace Atomic Absorption Spectrometry

A simple, rapid, sensitive, accurate, and automatic graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry (GFAAS) method for detecting Cd and Pb in cereals is presented. This method enables the simultaneous determination of Cd and Pb in cereals with a pre-treatment method of diluted acid extraction and a high-performance lead-cadmium composite hollow-cathode lamp (LCC-HCL), and it realizes automatic determination from sample weighing to result output through an automatic diluted acid extraction system. Under the optimization, Pb and Cd in cereals were simultaneously and automatically detected in up to 240 measurements in 8 h. The LOD and LOQ of this method were 0.012 and 0.040 mg·kg^-1 for Pb, and 0.0014 and 0.0047 mg·kg^-1 for Cd, respectively. The results of the four certified reference materials were satisfied; there was no significant difference compared with the ICP-MS method according to a t-test, and the RSDs were less than 5% for Cd and Pb. The recoveries of naturally contaminated samples compared with the ICP-MS method were favorable, with 80-110% in eight laboratories. The developed method is rapid, low-cost, and highly automated and may be a good choice for grain quality discrimination and rapid analysis of Cd and Pb in different institutions.

Evaluating postnatal exposure to six heavy metals in a Chinese e-waste recycling area

This study is the first to assess postnatal exposure to heavy metals using breast milk in an electronic waste (e-waste) recycling area. From January to April 2021, 102 and 97 breastfeeding women were recruited from an e-waste recycling area and a control area, respectively. Four weeks after delivery, medical staff collected 20 mL of breast milk from each participant. The breast milk was tested for six heavy metals (lead, cadmium, chromium, arsenic, copper, and manganese) using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). The estimated daily intake (EDI) of infants during breastfeeding was calculated to assess the impact of postnatal exposure to heavy metals on infant health. The concentrations of chromium and lead in the breast milk were significantly higher in the e-waste recycling area than in the control area. Chromium concentrations in breast milk was 34.3%, exceeding the permissible limits set by the World Health Organization (WHO), in the e-waste recycling area, which is 16 times higher than that in the control areas. The EDIs of lead and chromium in the e-waste area were twice as those in the control area. This strongly indicates that the potential impact of postnatal exposure to lead and chromium on infant and child health in e-waste recycling areas cannot be ignored. Infants and children in e-waste recycling areas are at risk of long-term exposure to heavy metals. Therefore, ongoing health monitoring is necessary.

Population attributable fraction of risk factors for low birth weight in the Japan Environment and Children's Study

BACKGROUND

Low birth weight (LBW), which is considered a birth weight of <2500  g, poses significant health problems for children. However, population attributable fraction (PAF) of risk factors for LBW have not been well studied.

OBJECTIVE

We aimed to re-evaluate associations between risk factors for LBW reported in previous studies that used the Japan Environment and Children's Study (JECS) data, and to estimate the magnitude of risk using PAF.

METHODS

Data including 91,559 mother-child dyads were obtained from JECS. Risk factors identified by previous studies that used JECS data were used to calculate odds ratios for LBW using a Bayesian logistic regression model. Based on calculated odds ratios, the PAF was calculated.

RESULTS

Parity, history of adenomyosis, hypertension disorder of pregnancy, maternal age at birth, prepregnancy body mass index, gestational weight gain (GWG), maternal smoking and lead (Pb) exposure were all significantly associated with LBW. The sum of the PAF of all factors was 79.4 %, with the largest PAF among single risk factors being GWG (16.5 %); the environmental portion of the PAF (Pb exposure, 14.6 % + maternal smoking, 12.1 %) surpassed the PAF of GWG.

CONCLUSION

Our findings suggest that the number of births classified as LBW can be reduced by approximately 27% if Pb exposure is reduced to the lowest quartile and maternal smoking is eliminated. Further investigations are needed to identify unknown risk factors for LBW.

Single and Combined Associations of Plasma and Urine Essential Trace Elements (Zn, Cu, Se, and Mn) with Cardiovascular Risk Factors in a Mediterranean Population

Trace elements are micronutrients that are required in very small quantities through diet but are crucial for the prevention of acute and chronic diseases. Despite the fact that initial studies demonstrated inverse associations between some of the most important essential trace elements (Zn, Cu, Se, and Mn) and cardiovascular disease, several recent studies have reported a direct association with cardiovascular risk factors due to the fact that these elements can act as both antioxidants and pro-oxidants, depending on several factors. This study aims to investigate the association between plasma and urine concentrations of trace elements and cardiovascular risk factors in a general population from the Mediterranean region, including 484 men and women aged 18−80 years and considering trace elements individually and as joint exposure. Zn, Cu, Se, and Mn were determined in plasma and urine using an inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometer (ICP-MS). Single and combined analysis of trace elements with plasma lipid, blood pressure, diabetes, and anthropometric variables was undertaken. Principal component analysis, quantile-based g-computation, and calculation of trace element risk scores (TERS) were used for the combined analyses. Models were adjusted for covariates. In single trace element models, we found statistically significant associations between plasma Se and increased total cholesterol and systolic blood pressure; plasma Cu and increased triglycerides and body mass index; and urine Zn and increased glucose. Moreover, in the joint exposure analysis using quantile g-computation and TERS, the combined plasma levels of Zn, Cu, Se (directly), and Mn (inversely) were strongly associated with hypercholesterolemia (OR: 2.03; 95%CI: 1.37−2.99; p < 0.001 per quartile increase in the g-computation approach). The analysis of urine mixtures revealed a significant relationship with both fasting glucose and diabetes (OR: 1.91; 95%CI: 1.01−3.04; p = 0.046). In conclusion, in this Mediterranean population, the combined effect of higher plasma trace element levels (primarily Se, Cu, and Zn) was directly associated with elevated plasma lipids, whereas the mixture effect in urine was primarily associated with plasma glucose. Both parameters are relevant cardiovascular risk factors, and increased trace element exposures should be considered with caution.

Association between whole blood metallic elements concentrations and gestational diabetes mellitus in Japanese women: The Japan environment and Children's study

BACKGROUND

Exposure to several metallic elements has been suggested as a risk factor for gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM), but inconsistent findings have been reported. This study aimed to examine the association between the maternal whole blood concentration of metallic elements (Hg, Pb, Cd, Mn, and Se) and GDM using the dataset of the Japan Environment and Children's Study (JECS), a nationwide birth cohort study, which was designed to examine the adverse effects of pre/post-natal exposure to hazardous environment.

METHODS

The data of 78,964 pregnant women who were participants of JECS were used. Blood samples were collected from the pregnant women at second/third trimester of gestation. We employed logistic regression analysis, quantile g-computation (QGC) and a distributed lag nonlinear model (DLNM) to examine the association between the blood concentration of metallic elements and the risk of GDM.

RESULTS

The prevalence of GDM was 2.1%. In the logistic regression analyses, maternal blood Hg was associated with an increased risk of GDM. In QGC analysis, although metallic elements mixtures were not related to an increased risk of GDM, Hg (52.6%) may be the main contributor. According to the results of DLNM, for maternal exposure to Hg, 4.99 ng/g was identified as its susceptible minimum window for elevated risk of GDM.

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings highlighted an association between Hg exposure and an increased risk of GDM. Studies of the underlying mechanisms and potential contributing factors, including fish intake, of this association are warranted.

Effects of maternal exposure to lead on secondary sex ratio in Japan: The Japan Environment and Children's Study

A decline in the proportion of male births (secondary sex ratio, SSR) has been seen in several countries including Japan in recent years. Although previous studies have reported that the SSR is affected by exposure to chemical substances such as dioxins and polychlorinated biphenyls, as well as heavy metals such as methylmercury, the effects of lead exposure on the SSR have been little studied. The aim of this study was to determine the association between maternal lead exposure and SSR. In a large-scale nationwide birth cohort study, maternal blood lead level (BLL) was determined using whole blood from the second or third trimester of pregnancy. The association between SSR and maternal BLL was estimated using multivariable logistic models. Binomial distribution was applied to examine the differences in SSR by dividing the participants into five groups based on BLL. The primary outcome was SSR, and the child sex was obtained from the medical record transcripts. Of 104,062 fetal records, 85,171 were examined for analysis. The median maternal BLL was 5.85 ng/g (5th-95th percentile 3.45-10.6 ng/g). The overall proportion of males among participating infants was 0.512. In logistic regression models adjusted for covariates, the analysis revealed an increased odds ratio for SSR with higher blood lead concentrations [Group 2: adjusted OR 1.082, 95% confidence interval 1.037 to 1.129, Group 3: 1.122, 1.074 to 1.171, Group 4: 1.214, 1.163 to 1.268, Group 5: 1.279, 1.224 to 1.336]. Compared to the general birth probability in Japan, the group with low BLL had a lower SSR and the group with high BLL had a higher SSR. Higher maternal lead exposures during pregnancy were associated with increased SSR. Further investigations including assessment of paternal lead exposure are necessary to understand the association between lead exposure and SSR.

Association of prenatal exposure to cadmium with neurodevelopment in children at 2 years of age: The Japan Environment and Children's Study

BACKGROUND

Prenatal cadmium exposure has been associated with adverse neurodevelopmental outcomes. However, previous findings are contradictory, and little is known about the potential modifiers of the cadmium-related neurodevelopmental risk. We investigated the associations between prenatal cadmium exposure and neurodevelopment in 2-year-old children and examined the influence of mother/child characteristics.

METHODS

We recruited 3545 mother-child pairs from the Japan Environment and Children's Study. We collected maternal blood during mid/late pregnancy and cord blood at delivery, and measured cadmium concentrations using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. Neurodevelopment was assessed using the Kyoto Scale of Psychological Development (KSPD), which includes cognitive-adaptive (C-A), language-social (L-S), postural-motor (P-M) and developmental quotient (DQ) domains. Associations between cadmium and KSPD scores were tested using multivariable models after controlling for confounders.

RESULTS

Median levels (interquartile ranges) of cadmium in maternal and cord blood were 0.70 (0.52-0.95) and 0.04 (0.03-0.06) μg/L, respectively. Maternal blood cadmium concentrations were inversely associated with P-M scores in boys (β = -1.4, 95% confidence interval (CI): -2.7, -0.038), DQ in children of mothers who smoked during pregnancy (β = -2.9, 95% CI: -5.7, -0.12), P-M (β = -5.4, 95% CI: -10, -0.67), C-A (β = -6.1, 95% CI: -11, -1.8), L-S (β = -9.0, 95% CI: -13, -4.8) and DQ scores (β = -6.4, 95% CI: -9.6, -3.1) in children born to mothers with gestational diabetes. Cord blood cadmium concentrations were negatively associated with L-S scores (β = -6.0., 95% CI: -11, -0.91) in children born to mothers with gestational diabetes.

CONCLUSIONS

Prenatal cadmium exposure was negatively associated with neurodevelopment in boys, in children whose mothers smoked, and in children born to mothers with gestational diabetes. Further studies in other populations are needed to confirm our findings.

Follow-Up of Elevated Blood Lead Levels and Sources in a Cohort of Children in Benin

Lead exposure is associated with poor cognitive development in children. Very few studies in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) have studied blood lead levels (BLLs) and non-gasoline sources of exposure in children. Data from a birth cohort in Benin (2011-2013) suggested that 58% of 1-year-old children had BLLs > 50 ug/L. We aimed to investigate the prevalence of elevated BLLs (>50 µg/L and >100 µg /L) among 425 of these children at 6 years of age in 2016-2018 and to compare BLLs between age 1 and 6 years, and study sources of lead at age 6 years. BLLs were analysed by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. Multiple linear regression and quantile regressions were used to study potential sources of lead. The prevalence of BLLs > 50 µg/L in children was 59.5% (Geometric Mean (GM) 56.4 µg/L, 95% CI: 54.1-58.7) at 6 years of age compared to 54.8% (GM 56.5 µg/L, 95% CI: 53.4-59.6) at 1 year of age. The prevalence of children with BLLs > 100 µg/L decreased from 14.4% at 1 year of age to 8.2% at 6 years of age. After adjustment for all other covariates, consumption of peanuts more than once per month was significantly associated with a 22.0% (95% CI: 4.6, 42.5) increment in BLLs at age 6 years compared with no consumption. Consumption of bushmeat killed by lead bullets at age 6 years was associated with an increase in the higher percentiles of BLLs (P75) compared with the absence of this source. Other potential sources of lead associated with BLLs with marginal significance were consumption of rice, paternal occupational exposure, and the presence of activity with the potential use of lead. This prospective cohort confirms the persistently high prevalence of elevated BLLs in children residing in a rural region in the south of Benin, as well as the presence of multiple and continuous sources of lead. These results highlight the need for prevention programs to reduce and eliminate lead exposure in children.

Hesperidin ameliorates hepatic dysfunction and dyslipidemia in male Wistar rats exposed to cadmium chloride

The ever-increasing human population with attendant industrialization poses serious global health challenge. Cadmium (Cd) with other heavy metals contribute greatly to environmental pollutions and humans are daily exposed to them, leading to diverse ailments. We explored whether Hesperidin (HSP) could protect against hepatic damage and dyslipidemia in Wistar rats exposed to Cd. Forty wistar rats were randomly assigned into five groups (n = 8). Group 1 received 2 mL/kg body weight of normal saline; Group 2 received 100 mg/kg body weight of HSP while Group 3 received 5 mg/kg body weight of Cadmium Chloride (CdCl2) for 28 days. Group 4 received 100 mg/kg body weight of HSP and after 90 min, CdCl2 (5 mg/kg) body weight was administered for 28 days. Group 5 received 50 mg/kg body weight of HSP and after 90 min, CdCl2 (5 mg/kg) body weight was administered for 28 days. The serum lipid profiles, hepatic dysfunction and oxidative stress markers were determined using standard methods. Cd toxicity in rats prominently elevated serum activities of AST, ALT, ALP and levels of total bilirubin, direct bilirubin, cholesterol, LDL-C and malondialdehyde with decreased levels of HDL-C, triglycerides, superoxide dismutase, catalase, glutathione and body weights. The pre-treatment of HSP before Cd intoxication prevented the dysregulated activities of liver enzymes and levels of lipid profiles, enzymatic and non-enzymatic antioxidants and other biomarkers investigated, thus suggesting anti-hyperlipidemic and hepato-protective potentials. HSP may have great potentials for development of therapeutics that could enhance the management of dyslipidemia and liver disorders associated with heavy metal exposure.