The Role of Lead and Molybdenum and Their Effects on Oxidative Stress in Ruminant Animals: Subject Review
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.21070/nabatia.v13i2.1665Keywords:
Ruminants, Oxidative stress, Heavy metals, Lead (Pb), Molybdenum (Mo)Abstract
Ruminant animals have significantly improved global food security, particularly in rural and semi-arid lands, where milk, meat, and wool are food producers, among other items. Their production and health may be altered by several environmental conditions. There is also critical exposure to heavy metals and trace elements. Oxidative stress is an important biological process that links environmental pollution to reduced physiological actions. The imbalance between reactive complimentary radicals and antioxidants causes cellular damage to essential tissues lowering growth and condition, affecting immune functions, and reducing ruminant reproductive efficiency. Lead increases reactive oxygen species production while reducing antioxidant enzymes superoxide dismutase and catalyze effectiveness, increasing the formation of several oxidative stress markers, including malondialdehyde. Molybdenum, however, is a trace element that helps activate several important enzymes in this study, including sulfur and purine metabolism aggravation. With a protective potential, it can have a dual role in oxidative stress: a beneficial for ruminant animals when applied the recommended doses and degradation: it can help and compromise other minerals while provided unreasonably. It analysis recent original research on the performance of ruminants based on current high-level research evidence concerning lead and molybdenum. Further, I will explain a physiological concept, groundbreaking research, and expert views to offer an explanation of how these two elements work and influence their oxidative balance in ruminants.
References
[1] FAO, Livestock in food security and sustainable development, Rome: Food and Agriculture Organization, 2020.
[2] B. Halliwell and J. M. C. Gutteridge, Free Radicals in Biology and Medicine, 5th ed., Oxford University Press, 2015.
[3] E. Birben, U. M. Sahiner, C. Sackesen, S. Erzurum, and O. Kalayci, “Oxidative stress and antioxidant defense,” World Allergy Organization Journal, vol. 5, p. 9, 2012.
[4] S. J. S. Flora, G. Saxena, and A. Mehta, “Reversal of lead-induced neuronal apoptosis by chelation treatment in rats: Role of reactive oxygen species and intracellular Ca2+,” Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, vol. 322, no. 1, pp. 108–116, 2007.
[5] L. M. Sordillo, “Nutritional strategies to optimize dairy cattle immunity,” Journal of Dairy Science, vol. 99, no. 6, pp. 4967–4982, 2016.
[6] U. Farooq, S. Ahmad, M. A. Khan, and Z. Shah, “Effect of subclinical lead exposure on oxidative stress in Damani sheep,” Pakistan Journal of Zoology, vol. 56, no. 1, pp. 123–129, 2024. https://doi.org/10.17582/journal.pjz/20240112101714
[7] N. Singh, A. Kumar, V. K. Gupta, and B. Sharma, “Biochemical and molecular bases of lead-induced toxicity in mammalian systems and possible mitigations,” Chemical Research in Toxicology, vol. 36, no. 1, pp. 1009–1021, 2023.
[8] S. J. S. Flora, “Lead-induced oxidative stress and its reversibility,” Free Radical Biology and Medicine, vol. 51, no. 2, pp. 257–281, 2011.
[9] S. Bashir, I. Hussain, M. Ahmad, and M. Khan, “Heavy metal impacts on antioxidants in cow blood from wastewater irrigated areas,” Scientific Reports, vol. 14, p. 11020, 2024.
[10] K. Bischoff, W. Higgins, B. Thompson, and J. G. Ebel, “Lead excretion in milk of accidently exposed dairy cattle,” Food Additives & Contaminants: Part A, vol. 31, no. 5, pp. 839–844, 2014.
[11] V. Cowan and B. Blakley, “Acute lead poisoning in western Canadian cattle – a 16-year retrospective study of diagnostic case records,” Canadian Veterinary Journal, vol. 57, no. 4, pp. 421–426, 2016.
[12] A. M. Hassan and A. E. Abdel-Moneim, “Protective effect of selenium against lead toxicity in broiler chickens,” Environmental Science and Pollution Research, vol. 24, no. 28, pp. 22559–22566, 2017.
[13] R. Gupta and P. Bhatia, “Role of molybdenum in animal nutrition: A review,” Biological Trace Element Research, vol. 199, no. 10, pp. 4210–4220, 2021.
[14] H. Jiang, Y. Liu, and S. Wang, “Effects of dietary molybdenum on the antioxidant status of ruminants,” Veterinary Research Communications, vol. 46, no. 2, pp. 345–354, 2022.
[15] A. Mukherjee, I. Kar, and A. K. Patra, “Lead toxicity in livestock and poultry: illuminating the molecular pathomechanism, bioaccumulation and effective mitigation strategies,” Indian Journal of Animal Health, vol. 61, no. 2, pp. 103–118, 2022.
[16] Y. Joun, D. Kim, and S. Lee, “Antioxidative effects of molybdenum and its association with reduced prevalence of hyperuricemia in the adult population,” PLOS ONE, vol. 19, no. 3, p. e0306025, 2024. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0306025
[17] G. Flora, D. Gupta, and A. Tiwari, “Toxicity of lead: A review with recent updates,” Interdisciplinary Toxicology, vol. 5, no. 2, pp. 47–58, 2012.
[18] S. Chhabra, N. Chhillar, and R. Kumar, “Role of molybdenum in heavy metal interaction and detoxification,” Environmental Science and Pollution Research, vol. 28, pp. 1–10, 2021.
[19] A. Kumar, A. K. Puniya, and P. Shukla, “Detoxification of heavy metals in livestock: A review,” Journal of Environmental Biology, vol. 33, no. 2, pp. 399–410, 2012.
[20] A. Kasperczyk, M. Dobrakowski, Z. P. Czuba, S. Horak, and S. Kasperczyk, “Environmental exposure to lead induces oxidative stress and modulates the function of the antioxidant defense system and the immune system in the semen of males with normal semen profile,” Toxicology and Applied Pharmacology, vol. 284, no. 3, pp. 339–344, 2015.
[21] L. M. Sordillo and S. L. Aitken, “Impact of oxidative stress on the health and immune function of dairy cattle,” Veterinary Immunology and Immunopathology, vol. 128, no. 1–3, pp. 104–109, 2009.
[22] P. Celi, “The role of oxidative stress in small ruminants’ health and production,” Revista Brasileira de Zootecnia, vol. 40, suppl. spe, pp. 138–146, 2011.
[23] Z. M. R. K. Palani, H. I. Al-Jaf, and S. M. Raheem, “Effect of addition of selenium to Kurdi sheep and its interactions with some necessary and toxic elements on health and the environment,” Plant Archives, vol. 19, no. 2, pp. 3963–3970, 2019.
[24] Z. M. R. Palani, M. H. A. Al-Obaidy, K. Hameed, and K. Sirwan, “Effect of selenium and zinc supplements on each individual or mixture on some carcass characteristics and glutathione activity in male lambs Kurdi breed sheep,” Plant Archives, vol. 20, pp. 231–234, 2020.
[25] E. B. Kurutas, “The importance of antioxidants which play the role in cellular response against oxidative/nitrosative stress: Current state,” Medical Sciences, vol. 5, no. 4, p. 47, 2016.
[26] S. Bashir, U. Farooq, and N. Ahmed, “Interactive effects of molybdenum and lead exposure in ruminants,” Toxicology Letters, vol. 384, pp. 115–124, 2024.
[27] J. Feng, X. Li, Y. Wang, and Z. Zhou, “Molybdenum induces mitochondrial oxidative damage in kidney of goats,” Biological Trace Element Research, vol. 196, no. 2, pp. 478–486, 2020. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12011-019-01947-y
[28] Z. M. R. Palani, W. A. Khalil, H. E. I. Kutaibani, and F. A. M. Amin, “Effect of Sodium Selenite and Zinc Sulphate on the Weight, Size, Seminal Fluid Traits, and Histological Changes of the Testis and Epididymis in Kurdi Rams,” Indonesian Journal of Innovation and Applied Sciences (IJIAS), vol. 4, no. 3, pp. 283–294, 2024. https://doi.org/10.47540/ijias.v4i3.1672
[29] Z. M. R. Palani, M. H. A. Al-Obaidy, D. M. R. Palani, and K. A. Ahmed, “Effect of changes in some beneficial elements and dangerous heavy metals in cow and sheep manure on human and animal health and the environment,” International Journal of Health Sciences, vol. 6, no. S1, pp. 6250–6256, 2022. https://doi.org/10.53730/ijhs.v6nS1.6295
[30] Z. M. R. Palani, K. A. Ahmed, M. H. A. Al-Obaidy, and D. M. R. Palani, “Cooperative and antagonistic reactions of heavy metallic elements and its impact on health that are supplemented with selenium and zinc in Kurdi sheep,” International Journal of Health Sciences, vol. 6, no. S2, pp. 5236–5246, 2022. https://doi.org/10.53730/ijhs.v6nS2.6304
[31] S. G. Solaiman, K. A. Beguesse, and B. R. Min, “Effect of high molybdenum diet on copper status, growth performance, blood metabolites, select liver and kidney minerals, and immune responses of Boer crosses,” Animals, vol. 14, no. 11, p. 1604, 2024. https://doi.org/10.3390/ani14111604
[32] R. S. Dhaliwal and S. Chhabra, “Plasma heavy metals and their effect on oxidative stress parameters of buffaloes inhabiting Buddha Nallah area of Ludhiana district in Punjab,” The Indian Journal of Animal Sciences, vol. 90, no. 5, pp. 773–777, 2020.
[33] J. Pareja-Carrera et al., “Interactions between blood lead (Pb) concentration, oxidative stress, cellular immune response and reproductive status in livestock from a mining area,” Environmental Pollution, vol. 363, pt. 2, p. 125240, 2024. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2024.125240
[34] J. N. Ihedioha, P. O. Ukoha, and N. R. Ekere, “Modulation of lead toxicity by molybdenum and selenium in ruminants,” Journal of Environmental Science and Health, Part B, vol. 55, no. 9, pp. 872–880, 2020.
[35] A. S. Alwan, A. F. Majid, and H. I. Ismail, “The effect of using some hormonal treatments on some reproductive performance traits in Awassi ewes,” Kirkuk University Journal for Agricultural Sciences, vol. 9, no. 4, pp. 17–23, 2018.
[36] A. S. Alwan, A. F. Majid, and H. I. Ismail, “The effect of a hormonal program on some physiological and biochemical blood traits in Awassi ewes,” Kirkuk University Journal for Agricultural Sciences, vol. 9, no. 4, pp. 52–59, 2018.
[37] M. A. Shareef, “Effect of yeast supplemented with selenium or zinc on some antioxidant indices and liver and kidney functions in local Iraqi goats,” Kirkuk University Journal for Agricultural Sciences, vol. 16, no. 1, pp. 191–200, 2025. https://doi.org/10.58928/ku25.16126
[38] D. Gao et al., “Multi-omics profiling of dairy cattle oxidative stress identifies hindgut-derived Phascolarctobacterium succinatutens exhibiting antioxidant activity,” npj Biofilms and Microbiomes, vol. 11, no. 1, p. 61, 2025. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41522-025-00698-7
[39] B. K. Maiti, I. Moura, and J. J. G. Moura, “Molybdenum-Copper antagonism in metalloenzymes and anti-copper therapy,” ChemBioChem, vol. 25, no. 6, p. e202300679, 2024. https://doi.org/10.1002/cbic.202300679
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Zirak M R Palani, Gulala W Ameen, Dawod Noori M Shekhani
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Copyright Notice
Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgement of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.
