Lifetime minimally invasive assessment of iron in the pig liver

Microelements are an integral part of the mammalian body, and their content in organs and tissues is associated with other components of a complex biological system. Based on this, it is feasible to evaluate the concentration of specific chemical elements within the structures of the body in non-invasive or minimally invasive methods. The meat and by-products of farm animals serve as a readily assimilateable source of iron, which is one of the reasons for potentially defining the quality of agricultural products in conditions of widespread iron deficiency. Landrace pigs were raised in standard conditions at an industrial complex located in the Altai Territory in order to fatten up to a live weight of 100 kg. Venous blood was collected using the acute method from the jugular vein in accordance with the principles of asepsis and pre-analytical guidelines. The hematologic and biochemical examination of the blood and serum of animals was performed by apparatus. After slaughter, liver samples were collected, and the method of atomic emission spectral analysis using inductively coupled plasma on iCAP-PRO equipment (Thermo Fisher Scientific) was used to estimate the iron level in them. To manipulate the data, Microsoft Office Excel software and RStudio data analysis environment version 2023.03.1 (RStudio, PBC) were employed. For regression analysis, the least squares approach was used. The model was fitted using a stepwise selection of predictors in both directions using the Akaike information criterion, Bayesian information criterion, and adjusted coefficient of determination. The linear regression assumptions were evaluated. The final regression model used for determining iron levels in pig liver contains mean hemoglobin content in erythrocytes, hemoglobin, and serum inorganic phosphorus as predictors. There is no evidence that there is multicollinearity between the predictors of the final model. The proposed model satisfies the requirements for a normal distribution of residuals, the absence of their correlation, and influential observations. The proposed multiple regression model has the capability to estimate iron levels in pig liver in vivo for various purposes.