T Kosla

Magnesium concentrations in the tissues of free-ranging European bison

The European bison (Bison bonasus) is the only living species of the bison genus in the Old World. It is the largest, wild, herbivorous mammal living in Europe. As a result of the efforts of biologists, the European bison has been saved as a species. In Poland, they were reintroduced into the natural conditions of the Bialowieza Forest. By 2011, this herd of free-living bison comprised more than 700 animals. The aim of the present work was to determine tissue levels of magnesium in free-living bison. Samples for the investigations were collected during the winter, from 20 European bison aged from five months to five years culled as part of the annual management programme. Segments of rib, muscle, liver, kidney, hoof and hair were collected. With regards to the gender and age of the animals studied, magnesium content in particular tissues was as follows: in the liver, magnesium content was significantly higher in the group of males; in rib, muscle and kidney there were no statistically significant differences between groups; in hair and hoof wall, a significantly higher magnesium content was found in the group of calves.

Dependence between Cu concentration in the liver, kidneys and skeletal muscles of canine females

The aim of the investigations was the determination of the Cu contents in the liver, kidneys and skeletal muscles of canine females. Material for research was collected post mortem from 45 animals aged 1 to 18 years coming from the Warsaw area. The effect of the health state, age and life conditions on the distribution of copper in the investigated organs was estimated. That element was determined using the method of inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission spectrometry (ICP-AES). In the liver, the average Cu contents amounted to 24.04 mg kg−1 wet weight, in kidneys to 2.90 mg kg−1 wet weight and in muscles to 0.94 mg kg−1 wet weight. The highest values of copper content in particular tissues and organs were noted in the group of animals with neoplastic changes. In respect to the animal age the highest mean values of the copper content were noted in the oldest animals. They amounted to 30.97 mg kg−1 in the liver, 3.34 mg kg−1 in kidneys and 1.18 mg kg−1 wet weight in muscles. Considering life conditions of the dogs it was observed that the higher mean values in all the investigated organs occurred in dogs coming from the urban areas.