Levels of Cu, Zn, Fe and Mn in livers of different species of animals in Serbia

Jasna Đinović-Stojanović; Saša Janković; Ivana Branković Lazić; Danijela Vranić; Damjan Gavrilović; Munevera Begić

doi:10.18485/meattech.2025.66.3.92

Jasna Đinović-Stojanović Institute of Meat Hygiene and Technology, Belgrade, Serbia https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4602-0835
Saša Janković Institute of Meat Hygiene and Technology, Belgrade, Serbia https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5223-6993
Ivana Branković Lazić Institute of Meat Hygiene and Technology, Belgrade, Serbia https://orcid.org/0009-0005-5844-9278
Danijela Vranić Institute of Meat Hygiene and Technology, Belgrade, Serbia https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7192-488X
Damjan Gavrilović Institute of Meat Hygiene and Technology, Belgrade, Serbia https://orcid.org/0009-0000-3786-496X
Munevera Begić University of Sarajevo, Faculty of Agriculture and Food Science, Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9425-8568

DOI: https://doi.org/10.18485/meattech.2025.66.3.92

Keywords: micro elements, liver, chicken, pork, beef, lamb

Abstract

Liver samples (n=67) of chicken, pork, beef and lamb were analyzed for levels of Cu, Zn, Fe and Mn. Livers were gathered from different meat processing facilities within the Serbian National Residue Monitoring Program in 2024. Analysis of micro elements was performed by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). Our data show that the mean level of Cu was significantly higher in lamb liver, while Zn and Fe were significantly higher in pork liver. The mean Mn levels determined in the liver samples were not statistically different between the animal species. The distribution of the elements in liver samples was studied by applying principal component analysis (PCA). The differing mineral status in livers of different species of animals implies differences in their nutritional benefits for the human diet.