Hepatorenal and Cerebral Toxicity Induced by Consumption of Cow Meat Singed with Scrap Tyres: An Experimental Study in a Rat Model

Abstract

Background: The practice of singeing cow meat employing various fuel sources such as firewood, liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), and scrap tyres is prevalent across West Africa. This practice raises significant food safety concerns due to the potential for toxic chemical contamination.

Aims: This study aimed to investigate the toxicological effects of consuming cow meat singed with LPG, firewood, or waste tyres on hepatic, renal, and cerebral functions in a controlled rat model.

Methods: A 90-day experimental study was conducted using sixty male Wistar rats, randomly allocated into ten groups (n = 6). The animals were fed diets containing various proportions (5:15, 10:10, 15:5) of singed cow meat and standard laboratory feed. Biochemical assays were performed to assess oxidative stress markers (malondialdehyde [MDA], 4-hydroxynonenal [4-HNE], total antioxidant capacity [TAC], glutathione [GSH]), hepatic function indices (alanine aminotransferase [ALT], aspartate aminotransferase [AST], bilirubin, total protein, albumin), and renal biomarkers (blood urea nitrogen [BUN], creatinine, uric acid). Histopathological analyses of liver, kidney, and brain tissues were also conducted.

Results: Rats fed a diet containing tyre-singed meat exhibited significant (p < 0.01) increases in oxidative stress markers (MDA, 4-HNE) and biomarkers indicative of hepatic (ALT, AST, bilirubin) and renal (BUN, creatinine, uric acid) dysfunction compared to those fed LPG- or firewood-signed meat. Antioxidant parameters (GSH, TAC) were markedly depleted. Histopathological examination revealed severe hepatic necrosis, renal tubular degeneration, and neuronal damage in the tyre-singed meat group, whereas LPG-singed meat caused minor alterations.

Conclusions: These findings indicate that consumption of tyre-singed cow meat poses substantial risk of hepatotoxicity, nephrotoxicity, and systemic oxidative stress, raising critical food safety hazard. Strict regulatory enforcement and public awareness campaigns are urgently required to eliminate the use of hazardous materials such as tyres in meat processing.

Keywords: Singed cow meat; Oxidative stress, Nephrotoxicity, Hepatotoxicity, Food safety, Scrap tyres.