A review of metal-induced effects on vitamins A, E and D3 in birds
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MINI-REVIEW
A review of metal-induced effects on vitamins A, E and D3 in birds Silvia Espín
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Pablo Sánchez-Virosta
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Accepted: 19 October 2020 © Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature 2020
Abstract Birds have been historically affected by metals and are considered powerful sentinels of environmental pollution. Some toxic elements (Pb, Cd, Hg, As) have been broadly studied in avian species and are well known for their accumulation capacity and deleterious effects, including alterations in vitamin levels. Vitamins A, E and D3 are fat-soluble nutrients involved in multiple physiological functions (e.g., immune function, vision, reproduction, growth and development). Publications reporting metal-induced effects on vitamins in birds are growing and, in some cases, results seem contradictory, making them difficult to interpret. Therefore, a clear view of the overall picture is needed. This mini-review article aims to compile relevant data and describe current knowledge on the effects of the most toxic elements (i.e., Pb, Cd, Hg, As) on vitamins A, E and D3 in birds. Although vitamins are diet dependent, they are strongly regulated and transformed in the organism, and metal-related disruption in their homeostasis may provoke alterations in different directions. Moreover, vitamin status and form in vivo is the result of complex interacting processes in the organism and metal exposure may produce cascade effects. Different factors that may contribute to the variable response of vitamins to metals in birds are discussed. Some final remarks and recommendations are provided for future studies. This mini-review shows an overview of the current knowledge in metal-induced alterations in vitamins of special concern for avian ecotoxicology, a research discipline facing important challenges in the coming years. Keywords Retinol Tocopherol Cholecalciferol Toxic elements Avian species Ecotoxicology ●
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Introduction Birds are a group of vertebrates historically adversely affected by metals and other pollutants (Ratcliffe 1970; Burger and Gochfeld 1997; Sánchez-Virosta et al. 2015; Pain et al. 2019). Different avian species have been used as powerful sentinels of environmental pollution (Burger and Gochfeld 2004; Dauwe and Eens 2008; García-Fernández 2014; Espín et al. 2016a; García-Fernández et al. 2020). Some metals, such as lead (Pb), cadmium (Cd), mercury (Hg) and arsenic (As, a metalloid that will be referred to as a metal hereafter for the sake of simplicity) have been broadly studied in avian species and are well known for their accumulation capacity and deleterious effects in birds, including alterations in reproduction, behavior, growth,
* Silvia Espín [email protected] 1
Area of Toxicology, Department of Socio-Sanitary Sciences, University of Murcia, Campus de Espinardo, 30100 Murcia, Spain
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immune function, and survival (Burger and Gochfeld 1997; Sánchez-Virosta et al. 2015; Pacyna et al. 2018; Pain et al. 2019). These elements have been ranked in
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