Trace element status and storage in zebu (Bos indicus) cattle at Jimma, Ethiopia

Mineral deficiencies in cattle are a common disorder in tropical areas, with great consequences for animal health and thus, farmers’ profit. Nonetheless, the strategy that zebu (Bos indicus) cattle apply for trace element distribution during low trace element supply is still to be determined. Therefore, we evaluated Cu, Fe, Mn, Zn, Co, Mo and Se concentrations in zebu bull (n= 57) plasma, liver, kidney, semitendinosus and cardiac muscle samples, obtained around Jimma, Ethiopia, a region with previously identified bovine trace element deficiencies. Tissue trace element concentrations are summarized in table 1. Severe Cu deficiency was identified in 44 % of bulls, while 5 % was severely Se deficient. Liver was the main storage tissue for all trace elements (P ≤ 0.001), except for Se, of which the kidney contained the highest concentrations (P < 0.001) and Fe, of which concentrations did not differ between liver and kidney. Liver, the sample of choice for evaluation of general trace element status, and kidney concentrations of some minerals were highly correlated (Co: r= 0.81, Fe: r= 0.64, Cu: r= 0.54, all P < 0.001) but were not correlated for Se. However, cardiac Se concentrations were highly related with liver Se concentrations (r= 0.68, P < 0.001). Future analyses should reveal whether organ and muscle storage of trace elements was reflected in plasma concentrations. Types of muscles differed in trace element concentrations: cardiac muscle contained higher Cu, Fe, and Se concentrations, while lower Zn concentrations than semitendinosus muscle (P ≤ 0.01). On the contrary, Mn concentrations did not differ between types of muscles. Overall, our results indicate trace element deficiencies as well as differences in storage patterns between trace elements in zebu cattle. Apart from the physiological importance for these cattle, this information is likely to provide new insights on human trace element supply through consumption of zebu cattle organs and meat