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​​Effect of Environmental Heavy Metal Pollution on Metabolic Profile of Buffaloes in Ludhiana

Background: The industrial hub of Punjab, Ludhiana is polluted with heavy metals. The dairy animals experience stress due to pollution of heavy metals as well as the hot summer season. The stressors lead to disturbance in metabolic profile and affect milk production. The present study aimed at evaluation of detrimental effect of environmental heavy metal pollution on the metabolic profile of buffaloes during summer and winter seasons in Ludhiana district of Punjab, India. A total of 100 buffaloes were randomly selected from heavy metal exposed (n=60) and control area (n=40) during summer and winter seasons. Methods: The location of the experimental area surveyed on the basis of levels of heavy metals. The dairy farms are located in and around Ludhiana, Punjab were identified with levels of heavy metal above the permissible limits (FSSAI, 2010) viz. Chromium-0.05 µg /ml; Nickel-0.02 µg /ml; Arsenic-0.05 µg /ml and Lead -0.05µg /ml. The plasma samples were analyzed for metabolic profile. The water levels of heavy metals were below the permissible limits; therefore, it was taken as uncontaminated or control area.
Result: Buffaloes of heavy metal exposed areas exhibited significantly (P less than 0.05) higher levels of glucose, total cholesterol, triglycerides, BUN, creatinine, AST, ALT, GGT, ALP and CK levels as compared to control area. A significant (P less than 0.05) decrease was observed in plasma total protein, albumin, A:G ratio, BUN: creatinine ratio in the buffaloes of exposed area as compared to the control area. However, significantly (P less than 0.05) higher levels of plasma glucose, BUN, creatinine, AST, ALT, GGT, ALP and CK levels were observed during summer as compared to winter season in both exposed and control areas. Significantly (P less than 0.05) decreased levels of plasma total cholesterol, triglycerides, total protein, albumin and BUN: Creatinine ratio were observed in the buffaloes during summer as compared to winter in both exposed and control areas. The Cr, Ni, As and Pb levels showed highly significant (P less than 0.01) positive correlation with plasma levels of glucose, total cholesterol, creatinine, ALT, AST, CK and GGT. Highly significant positive relationship (P less than 0.01) was observed among plasma levels of glucose, total cholesterol, creatinine, BUN, ALT, AST, ALP, CK and GGT whereas, plasma BUN had highly significant (P less than 0.01) negative correlation with plasma total protein and A:G ratio considering both the areas together. Plasma levels of total protein showed significant (P less than 0.01) negative correlation with all other metabolic profile constituents of both control and heavy metal exposed areas. Thus it may be concluded that the metabolic disturbance in heavy metal exposed buffaloes may have been mediated by heavy metal pollution.