Assessment of 28 trace elements and 17 amino acid levels in muscular tissues of broiler chicken (Gallus gallus) suffering from arsenic trioxide

•As2O3 had a significant effect on 26-trace elements level in muscular tissues.•As2O3 resulted in redistribution of amino acids in muscular tissues of chickens.•As2O3 toxicity was associated with proline, cysteine and asparagine.•The response were different in wing, thigh and pectoral of chickens under As2O3.

The contents of 28 trace elements, 17 amino acid were evaluated in muscular tissues (wings, crureus and pectoralis) of chickens in response to arsenic trioxide (As2O3). A total of 200 one-day-old male Hy-line chickens were fed either a commercial diet (C-group) or an As2O3 supplement diet containing 7.5 mg/kg (L-group), 15 mg/kg (M-group) or 30 mg/kg (H-group) As2O3 for 90 days. The elements content was analyzed by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). Under As2O3 exposure, the concentration of As were elevated 8.87-15.76 fold, 7.93-15.63 fold and 5.94-12.45 fold in wings, crureus and pectoralis compared to the corresponding C-group, respectively. 19 element levels (lithium (Li), magnesium (Mg), aluminum (Al), silicon (Si), kalium (K), vanadium (V), chromium (Cr), manganese (Mn), nickel (Ni), copper (Cu), selenium (Se), strontium (Sr), molybdenum (Mo), cadmium (Cd), tin (Sn), antimony (Sb), barium (Ba), mercury (Hg) and lead (Pb), 9 element levels (K, Co, Ni, Cu, As, Se, Sr, Sn, Ba and Hg) and 4 element levels (Mn, cobalt (Co), As, Sr and Ba) were significantly increased (P < 0.05) in wing, crureus and pectoralis, respectively. 2 element levels (sodium (Na) and zinc (Zn)), 5 element levels (Li, Na, Si, titanium (Ti and Cr), 13 element levels (Li, Na, Mg, K, V, Cr, iron (Fe), Cu, Zn, Mo, Sn, Hg and Pb) were significantly decreased (P < 0.05) in wing muscle, crureus and pectoralis, respectively. Additionally, in crureus and pectoralis, the content of total amino acids (TAA) was no significant alterations in L and M-group and then increased approximately 10.2% and 7.6% in H-group, respectively (P < 0.05). In wings, the level of total amino acids increased approximately 10% in L-group, whereas it showed unchanged in M and H-group compared to the corresponding C-group. We also observed that significantly increased levels of proline, cysteine, aspartic acid, methionine along with decrease in the tyrosine levels in muscular tissues compared to the corresponding C-group. In conclusion, the residual of As in the muscular tissues of chickens were dose-dependent and disrupts trace element homeostasis, amino acids level in muscular tissues of chickens under As2O3 exposure. Additionally, the response (trace elements and amino acids) were different in wing, thigh and pectoral of chick under As2O3 exposure. This study provided references for further study of heavy metal poisoning and may be helpful to understanding the toxicological mechanism of As2O3 exposure in muscular tissues of chickens.

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