Feathers, eggs, and blood as bioindicators of heavy metals and their impact on DNA damage in captive Pavo cristatus

Figures & data

Figure 1. Map of Jallo Wildlife Park Lahore, Wildlife Park Murree and Wildlife Park Bahawalnagar.

Table 1. Comparisons of Means ± SD, (µg/g) of heavy metals in the blood and feather samples of P. cristatus kept at three wildlife parks on wet weight basis.

Metals	Samples	Jallo Wildlife Park Lahore Means ± SD	Wildlife Park Murree Means ± SD	Wildlife Park Bahawalnagar Means ± SD	P-value
Cr	Blood	3.79 ± 0.23 ^a	2.02 ± 0.37 ^b	0.20 ± 0.02 ^c	0.000*
	Feather	4.87 ± 1.22 ^a	0.74 ± 0.27 ^b	0.47 ± 0.08 ^c
	Eggshell	51.02 ± 19.05^a	13.05 ± 4.66^b	6.62 ± 1.29^c
	Egg content	13.59 ± 0.83 ^a	11.69 ± 1.88 ^b	0.78 ± 0.07 ^c
Mn	Blood	0.30 ± 0.01 ^a	0.25 ± 0.11 ^b	0.14 ± 0.06 ^c	0.000*
	Feather	0.49 ± 0.20 ^a	0.421 ± 0.06 ^b	0.30 ± 0.06 ^c
	Eggshell	1.32 ± 0.10^a	0.99 ± 0.12^b	0.85 ± 0.02^c
	Egg content	1.21 ± 0.16^a	0.70 ± 0.15^b	0.31 ± 0.08^c
Pb	Blood	0.18 ± 0.02^a	0.19 ± 0.02^a	0.13 ± 0.02^b	0.000*
	Feather	0.43 ± 0.03^a	0.420 ± 0.05^a	0.38 ± 0.03^b
	Eggshell	3.60 ± 1.48^a	0.79 ± 0.13^b	0.69 ± 0.04^c
	Egg content	1.30 ± 0.12^a	0.71 ± 0.22^b	0.53 ± 0.07^c
Ni	Blood	0.19 ± 0.02^a	0.15 ± 0.01^b	0.11 ± 0.02^c	0.000*
	Feather	0.50 ± 0.08^a	0.31 ± 0.03^b	0.21 ± 0.02^c
	Eggshell	1.03 ± 0.06^a	0.78 ± 0.06^b	0.51 ± 0.04^c
	Egg content	0.87 ± 0.17^a	0.62 ± 0.05^b	0.46 ± 0.11^c
Co	Blood	0.08 ± 0.03^a	0.06 ± 0.03^b	0.06 ± 0.03^b	0.000*
	Feather	0.40 ± 0.08^a	0.28 ± 0.04^b	0.13 ± 0.02^c
	Eggshell	0.43 ± 0.11^a	0.29 ± 0.13^b	0.14 ± 0.02^c
	Egg content	0.30 ± 0.04^a	0.23 ± 0.03^b	0.11 ± 0.06^c

* = P < 0.01 = highly significant difference.

Figure 2. Comparative concentration of all selected heavy metals(µg/g) in the blood, feather and egg samples of P. cristatus kept at three wildlife parks on wet weight basis.

Table 2. Assessment of Comet parameters in blood of captive P. cristatus at three wilflife parks.

Factors	Jallo Wildlife Park Lahore	Wildlife Park Bahawalnagar	Wildlife Park Murree	P-value
	Mean ± S.D	Mean ± S.D	Mean ± S.D
LHead	22.20 ± 4.61^a	16.36 ± 4.99^b	23.88 ± 17.67^a	0.00**
LTail	4.96 ± 3.01^a	3.28 ± 1.05^b	4.44 ± 2.177^a	0.00**
LComet	27.16 ± 6.04^a	19.64 ± 4.89^b	28.32 ± 7.791^a	0.00**
HeadDNA	94.79 ± 7.78^a	92.53 ± 20.35^b	87.36 ± 11.91^ab	0.03*
TailDNA	5.21 ± 7.78^b	7.47 ± 11.91^ab	12.64 ± 20.35^a	0.03*
TM	0.41 ± 0.84^a	0.34 ± 1.02^a	0.76 ± 1.43^a	0.15
OTM	0.64 ± 1.17^a	0.50 ± 0.75^a	0.80 ± 1.37^a	0.39

* = P < 0.05 = Significant difference; ** = P < 0.01 = highly significant difference.

Figure 3. Microscopic examination of blood specimens from captive P. cristatus following Comet Assay kept at (a) JWPL (b) WPB (c) WPM.