Mitigating Fluoride, Lead, Arsenic and Cadmium Toxicities in Laboratory Animals and Ruminants through Natural Products

Abstract

Environmental pollutants are considered a serious health problem for humans and animals mainly ruminants in several regions of the world. Previously, many studies have investigated the mechanisms of toxicity of these pollutants on laboratory animals. Afterward, other studies have demonstrated that exposure to environmental pollutants may cause several adverse effects on the ruminant organs, influencing its performance and leading to socio-economic problems for breeders. Fluoride, lead, arsenic, and cadmium are the most common poisonings in ruminants, they can cause several irreversible toxic effects in many organs depending on the mode of action. The adverse effects of fluoride, lead, arsenic, and cadmium toxicities in laboratory animals and ruminants have been clearly summarized in this review. In addition, several results on protective or ameliorative effects by means of natural products against these toxicities in laboratory animals and ruminants have been illustrated.

Association between Fluoride Toxicity, Oxidative Stress, and Pregnancy Complications in Women Living in Fluorosis Areas

“…Interestingly, another study documented that hypocalcemia is associated with hypertensive disorders and can increase the risk of numerous problems such as preeclampsia 35 . On the other hand, other studies reported that fluoride can disrupt the antioxidant system via the inhibition of enzymes that have an electropositive cofactor 33 . In this study, the negative correlation between plasma fluoride levels and GPx enzymatic activity in women with pregnancy complications could be due to the binding between fluoride and selenium, which is the key cofactor of GPx.…”

“…Fluoride is a chemical halogen recognized for its high electronegativity. After its absorption, this element is acidified and oxidized, and consequently, it can readily bind to several biological molecules such as cations, proteins, and enzymes to form stable and strong bonds 33 . Additionally, due to its high affinity towards calcium, fluoride reduces calcium absorption, leading to hypocalcemia 34 .…”

An interventional clinical trial investigating the effects of Spirulina platensis on dental fluorosis and antioxidant system in lambs reared in endemic areas

“…Moreover, it has been suggested that there are many groups of enzymes that can be affected by fluoride. More precisely, several enzymes require divalent metal ions as cofactors such as magnesium, calcium, zinc and selenium which have a strong affinity with fluoride, and thus can induce oxidative stress resulting from an inhibitory interaction of these enzymes 13 , 48 , 49 . For that, recent studies focused on supplementation of animals with antioxidants such as gallic acid 50 , quercetin 51 , vitamins 7 , 46 , 52 and medicinal plants 6 , 19 , 26 .…”

“…All over the world, many regions are well known for their fluoride contamination. In certain cases, countries such as India, China, Turkey, Morocco, Mexico and Australia, sheep have gained more attention from researchers 12 , 13 . Furthermore, chronic ingestion of fluoride from drinking water, or from roughage growing in soils rich in fluoride or contaminated with fluorinated compounds from volcanic or industrial sources, has a negative impact on the growth and production of sheep 14 , 15 .…”