Comparative study of inorganic elements determination in whole blood from Crioula breed horse by EDXRF and NAA analytical techniques

Abstract

The World Health Organization states that envenomation is responsible for a high number of deaths per year, especially in equatorial areas. The only effective spe- cific treatment is the use of hyperimmune serum (antiven- om). In Brazil, Crioula breed horses are used for antivenom production, with great importance in the maintenance of public health programs. A strict biochemical and metabolic control is required to attain specificity in antiserum. Inor- ganic elements represent only a small fraction of whole blood. Nonetheless, they play important roles in mammalian metabolism, being responsible for controlling enzymatic reactions, respiratory and cardiac functions and ageing. In this work, whole blood samples from Crioula breed horses were analyzed by EDXRF technique. The reference interval values were determined for the elements Na (1955- 2013 l gg -1 ), Mg (51-75 l gg -1 ), P (523-555 l gg -1 ), S (1628-1730 l gg -1 ), Cl (2388-2574 l gg -1 ), K (1649- 1852 l gg -1 ), Ca (202-213 l gg -1 ), Cu (4.1-4.5 l gg -1 ) and Zn (2.4-2.8 l gg -1 ) and a comparative study with NAA results was outlined. The samples were obtained from In- stituto Butantan. Both techniques showed to be appropriate for whole blood sample analyses and offer a new perspective in Veterinary Medicine.