Abstract

The study evaluated the sub lethal effects of selected heavy metals; Cd, Fe, Mn, Pb and Zn utilising metallothionein (MT) induction and Lipid perioxidation (LPO) as biomarker indice using a Albino mice model, Mus musculus. The assessment of MT and LPO was evaluated using standard methods. Mice were orally feed with sublethal (1/10th of 96 hrLC50) concentrations of heavy metals. Iron induced the highest concentration of MT in exposed mice followed by Cd > Mn > Pb > Zn based on the 28th day exposure periods, relative to the control. The lipid peroxidation assay revealed that the levels of melanoaldehyde (MDA) in the liver, kidney, heart and brain of exposed mice was significantly (P < 0.05) higher than levels detected in control group. On the 28th day of exposure, it was established that Zn induced the highest MDA in the liver and heart whereas Cd induced the highest levels in the kidney and brain. The implication of this study is that biological responses such as metallothionein induction, and lipid peroxidation can act as battery of biomarkers for early detection and diagnosis of heavy metals complex pollution in mammals.