Assessment of some heavy metals concentration in turkey meat in Kurdistan province and their relationship with oxidative stress and human health indicators

The accumulation of heavy metals is closely related to biochemical parameters and the overall health of both animals and humans. Given the high nutritional value of turkey meat, this study aimed to assess the concentrations of toxic and non-toxic heavy metals in the breast, thigh, and liver tissues of turkeys and examine their relationship with oxidative stress biomarkers. In this cross-sectional study, 150 samples of turkey breast, thigh, and liver from Kurdistan province were collected using a cluster random sampling method. The concentrations of toxic and non-toxic heavy metals were measured using ICP-MS. The correlation between oxidative stress parameters and metal concentrations was investigated. Additionally, the target hazard quotient (THQ) and total risk (TR) for toxic heavy metals were calculated as health indicators. The results indicated that toxic heavy metals, including arsenic, cadmium, and mercury, had significantly higher accumulation in the liver compared to other turkey tissues (P < 0.05). Non-toxic metals, except for magnesium, also demonstrated higher levels in the liver (P < 0.01). The lowest antioxidant enzyme activities of SOD and GPx were observed in the liver, while the highest activities were found in the breast. However, the MDA concentration in the liver (8.96 ± 1.67) was significantly higher than in other tissues (P = 0.016). There was a significant negative correlation between the concentrations of arsenic, cadmium, and mercury and the activities of SOD and GPx enzymes. Conversely, the correlation between MDA and non-toxic metals, including selenium, zinc, and magnesium, was negative (P < 0.05). The accumulation of metals such as arsenic, mercury, copper, and cobalt exceeded permissible levels. The THQ for toxic metals was acceptable; however, the TR for arsenic in the breast, thigh, and liver tissues was within the carcinogenic range. Therefore, reducing and controlling the sources of arsenic as a toxic metal with oxidative effects in turkeys in Kurdistan province requires stringent monitoring and management.