Male reproductive problems may derive from many reasons including the environmental toxicants which may either intaken by occupational exposure, nutrition or bad air quality. The increased exposure to these substances due to rapid industrial development and technology has raised the questions: Is there a relationship between sperm parameters and these substances, and if so, in what extent? Results of studies on the subject reported conflicting results, many of which were not investigated in the seminal plasma. The aim of the current study was to evaluate the relationship between 23 metals and trace elements in human seminal plasma and semen parameters many of

A recent trend in the use of high‐resolution accurate mass screening (HRAMS) for doping control testing in both human and animal sports has emerged owing to significant improvement in high‐resolution mass spectrometry in terms of sensitivity, mass accuracy, mass resolution and mass stability. Several HRAMS methods have been reported for the detection of multidrug residues in human or equine urine. These improved analytical technologies have led to changes in the use of prohibited substances, and the administration of more than one substance at low concentrations as a “cocktail” has become one of the methods used to alter performance in racehorses. In one of horse urine samples transferred to the analytical laboratory in Turkey for analysis, 5‐hydroxymethyl meloxicam (2.96 ng/ml), etofenamate (2.15 ng/ml), flufenamic acid (108.92 ng/ml) and cobalt (200 ng/ml) were detected. These findings reveal that more than one prohibited substance was used together as a cocktail to alter the racing performance at low doses. In this case report, flufenamic acid was detected as a metabolite of etofenamate along with the parent drug. This case study also supports the advantages of metabolite analysis for anti‐doping laboratories.

Besides being a micronutrient, cobalt is considered an erythropoietic agent. Racing authorities such as the International Federation of Horse Racing (IFHA), the International Equestrian Federation (FEI), and the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) have banned the use of cobalt because its erythropoietic effect has been demonstrated in scientific studies. However, a threshold limit has been set for plasma and urine samples due to the fact that there is some amount naturally in the body. Various studies have also been carried out by IFHA stakeholders to determine threshold limits. And a threshold limit of 100 ng/ml for urine and 25 ng/ml for plasma was determined. Since the threshold limit was determined in 2015, the increase in cobalt violations in races has led to an increase in the related sanctions. These violations pose an important problem in Turkey as well as in the world. Scientific researches on oral and parenteral applications of cobalt have been carried out in order to investigate the applications that may lead to cobalt violation, and possible risks have been tried to be revealed. In addition, the effects of cobalt on erythropoiesis have been shown and although it was used in the treatment of anemia in the past, its use was abandoned due to the occurrence of undesirable effects when applied at a certain dose and frequency. Furthermore, the erythropoietic effects seen in studies in humans and experimental animals have not been clearly demonstrated in studies performed in horses, and their effects on performance have not been reported. In this study, the pharmacological properties of cobalt, its toxic effects, cobalt requirements in horses, determination of cobalt threshold limits and applications that may lead to violations has been presented in this study.