Determination of Selected Mineral Concentrations in Sheep Wool and Their Relationship with Geographical Location: A Comparative Study of Two Regions in Northeastern Algeria
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.48165/ijapm.2026.42.03.09Keywords:
ICP-OES, Macroelements, Sheep, Trace elements, WoolAbstract
Animal health is closely linked to environmental factors such as climate and geography, which affect the quality and availability of local feed. Since nutrition has a direct impact on the composition of biological materials such as wool, it is important to understand how these conditions influence elemental concentrations. This study evaluates and compares the contents of selected chemical elements (calcium, potassium, magnesium, sodium, copper and zinc) in Ouled Djellal sheep wool collected from two Algerian regions characterized by hot arid desert (Biskra) and semi-arid (Batna) climates. Wool samples were analyzed using inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES), and the data were statistically evaluated using the Mann-Whitney U test. Element concentrations varied slightly between the two regions depending on the element; however, only copper significantly differed between the two regions, with markedly higher concentrations in the semi-arid region (P < 0.001). This exploratory study provides baseline data on the mineral composition of wool from the Ouled Djellal breed in northeastern Algeria and suggests that environmental factors may influence the accumulation of certain mineral elements in wool, which may serve as a non-invasive indicator in environmental and field studies. However, further research with larger sample sizes is needed to confirm its practical applicability.
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