The study examines the levels of total mercury (Hg) and selenium (Se) in the muscle tissue of 12 commercially important fish species (n = 717) from 48 locations in the eastern Adriatic Sea, as a ...function of fish species, size and habitat. Risks and benefits of fish consumption regarding Hg and Se in children (7 years) and women of reproductive age (30 years) were also evaluated. All samples but one were compliant with the European regulatory limit for Hg in fish muscle. Concentrations (μg g−1 ww) of Hg (range: 0.014–1.37) and Se (range: 0.184–1.12) and Se:Hg molar ratios in fish were associated with habitat type. Demersal species had the highest Hg and the lowest Se concentrations, while pelagic species had the lowest Hg concentrations, highest Se concentrations and Se:Hg molar ratios. All species had Se:Hg molar ratios above 1 (range: 1.4–66.9) and a selenium health benefit value (HBVSe) above zero (range: 3.3–9.3), indicating Se excess after Hg sequestration. The intake of two meals per week of small pelagic-neritic and bento-pelagic fish is estimated to be a valuable source of essential Se, and does not pose a risk from toxic Hg exposure in children and women during the vulnerable reproductive period. Due to the low Hg and favorable Se:Hg molar ratio and HBVSe index, small pelagic species offer a good risk to benefit ratio of fish consumption and could be considered an optimal choice in these sensitive subpopulations.
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•Hg and Se in muscle tissue of 12 fish species from the eastern Adriatic Sea.•Concentrations were within 0.014–1.37 μg g−1 for Hg and 0.184–1.12 μg g−1 for Se.•Hg levels decreased in order: demersal > bento-pelagic > pelagic-neritic species.•Hg and Se were associated with habitat and fish body size.•In all species, the median Hg was below the EU regulatory limit for fish muscle.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UILJ, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZAGLJ, ZRSKP
The rowan (
L.) is a small tree in the Rosaceae family with characteristic orange-red fruits. The raw fruits can be used for making jams, juices and puree, while the dried fruits are used for teas. ...In folk medicine, they have been used to prevent scurvy and bleeding or as a diuretic and laxative. The aim of this study is to characterize the proximate chemical composition, antioxidant potential and macro- and trace elements of the rowan fruits for their potential use as a functional food.
The fruits were collected from 12 populations in the Alpine-Dinaric region of Croatia. After collection, the samples were transported to the laboratory, cut into small pieces, placed in plastic containers and stored at -20 °C until analysis. Proximate chemical composition, including ash, water, cellulose, crude fat and crude protein, was determined according to standard methods and total carbohydrates as non-structural carbohydrates. Total phenolic content (TPC) and antioxidant capacity (TAC) were also measured. For multielement analysis, fruits were cleaned from the dust, lyophilised, homogenised and acid-digested in a microwave system. Concentrations of elements were determined using the inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry.
The basic constituents in the analysed fruits were (in %): water 76.53, total carbohydrates 17.45, crude proteins 2.98, crude fats 1.49, cellulose 1.07 and ash 1.29. On average, the TPC was 932 mg/100 g and the TAC was (60.1±14.5) % and (4.1±1.2) mmol/100 g, determined by DPPH and FRAP assay, respectively. Mass fractions of elements decreased as follows (in mg/kg): K 2485>Ca 459>P 206, Mg 193>Na 6.29>Fe 3.68>Mn 3.58>Zn 1.11>Cu 0.731>Mo 0.098>Co 0.003>Se 0.001. Compared to the literature, the phenolic and element content of the rowan fruits is similar to that of blueberry and raspberry. The obtained results suggest that rowan fruits have valuable nutritional properties and could be useful for fortification in the food industry.
The importance of the obtained results is reflected in filling in the gaps in the literature on the composition of elements, especially on the content of essential macro- and trace elements as well as the antioxidant potential of rowan fruits.
Human metallothioneins are a superfamily of low molecular weight intracellular proteins, whose synthesis can be induced by essential elements (primarily Zn and Cu), toxic elements and chemical ...agents, and stress-producing conditions. Of the four known isoforms in the human body MT2 is the most common. The expression of metallothioneins is encoded by a multigene family of linked genes and can be influenced by single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in these genes. To date, 24 SNPs in the
gene have been identified with the incidence of about 1 % in various population groups, and three of them were shown to affect physiological and pathophysiological processes. This review summarises current knowledge about these three SNPs in the
gene and their associations with element concentrations in the body of healthy and diseased persons. The most investigated SNP is rs28366003 (
−5 A/G). Reports associate it with longevity, cancer (breast, prostate, laryngeal, and in paranasal sinuses), and chronic renal disease. The second most investigated SNP, rs10636 (
+838G/C), is associated with breast cancer, cardiovascular disease, and type 2 diabetes. Both are also associated with several metal/metalloid concentrations in the organism. The third SNP, rs1610216 (
−209A/G), has been studied for association with type 2 diabetes, cardiomyopathy, hyperglycaemia, and Zn concentrations. Metallothionein concentrations and
polymorphisms have a potential to be used as biomarkers of metal exposure and clinical markers of a number of chronic diseases. This potential needs to be studied and verified in a large number of well-defined groups of participants (several hundreds and thousands) with a focus on particular physiological or pathological condition and taking into consideration other contributing factors, such as environmental exposure and individual genetic and epigenetic makeup.
Dipeptidyl peptidase III (DPP III, EC 3.4.14.4) is a monozinc metalloexopeptidase that hydrolyzes dipeptides from the N-terminus of peptides consisting of three or more amino acids. Recently, DPP III ...has attracted great interest from scientists, and numerous studies have been conducted showing that it is involved in the regulation of various physiological processes. Since it is the only metalloenzyme among the dipeptidyl peptidases, we considered it important to study the process of binding and exchange of physiologically relevant metal dications in DPP III. Using fluorimetry, we measured the Kd values for the binding of Zn2+, Cu2+, and Co2+ to the catalytic site, and using isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC), we measured the Kd values for the binding of these metals to an additional binding site. The structure of the catalytic metal’s binding site is known from previous studies, and in this work, the affinities for this site were calculated for Zn2+, Cu2+, Co2+, and Mn2+ using the QM approach. The structures of the additional binding sites for the Zn2+ and Cu2+ were also identified, and MD simulations showed that two Cu2+ ions bound to the catalytic and inhibitory sites exchanged less frequently than the Zn2+ ions bound to these sites.
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Various metals have been associated with the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease (AD), principally heavy metals that are environmental pollutants (such as As, Cd, Hg, and Pb) and essential metals ...whose homeostasis is disturbed in AD (such as Cu, Fe, and Zn). Although there is evidence of the involvement of these metals in AD, further research is needed on their mechanisms of toxicity. To further assess the involvement of heavy and essential metals in AD pathogenesis, we compared cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) AD biomarkers to macro- and microelements measured in CSF and plasma. We tested if macro- and microelements' concentrations (heavy metals (As, Cd, Hg, Ni, Pb, and Tl), essential metals (Na, Mg, K, Ca, Fe, Co, Mn, Cu, Zn, and Mo), essential non-metals (B, P, S, and Se), and other non-essential metals (Al, Ba, Li, and Sr)) are associated with CSF AD biomarkers that reflect pathological changes in the AD brain (amyloid β
, total tau, phosphorylated tau isoforms, NFL, S100B, VILIP-1, YKL-40, PAPP-A, and albumin). We used inductively coupled plasma mass spectroscopy (ICP-MS) to determine macro- and microelements in CSF and plasma, and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA) to determine protein biomarkers of AD in CSF. This study included 193 participants (124 with AD, 50 with mild cognitive impairment, and 19 healthy controls). Simple correlation, as well as machine learning algorithms (redescription mining and principal component analysis (PCA)), demonstrated that levels of heavy metals (As, Cd, Hg, Ni, Pb, and Tl), essential metals (Ca, Co, Cu, Fe, Mg, Mn, Mo, Na, K, and Zn), and essential non-metals (P, S, and Se) are positively associated with CSF phosphorylated tau isoforms, VILIP-1, S100B, NFL, and YKL-40 in AD.
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Chronic stress has been related to impaired body composition (bone, muscle, adipose tissue), and disturbed autonomic nervous system (ANS), the latter regulated by hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) ...axis. Our objective was to investigate the relationship between salivary cortisol, body composition and heart rate variability (HRV-highly influenced by ANS), in a young student population.
Body composition and HRV parameters were measured using two portable devices based on multi-frequency bioelectrical impedance and photoplethysmography. Body composition included measurement of bone, lean/muscle and adipose tissues. HRV included time domain and frequency domain indices. Salivary cortisol, immediately after awakening, 60 min post awakening and late night was collected and analyzed by ELISA.
Participants included n = 43 healthy university students (39 women, 4 men); 21.1 ± 1.3 years, BMI = 21.8 ± 3.4 kg/m
. Skeletal muscle was reduced in most of the participants, bone mass was at the lower normal range, while the fat tissue parameters were normal with only 7% participants being overweight. Cortisol and HRV parameters of sympathetic predominance (low frequency-LF and low frequency/high frequency ratio-LF/HF) were significantly associated with higher fat tissue parameters (fat mass-FM% and intramuscular adipose tissue-IMAT%) (p <0.001 and p = 0.035, respectively) and with lower skeletal muscle (p = 0.002) and bone mass (p = 0.025).
The results point to a role of cortisol and ANS in the control of all three body composition compartments, suggesting that the stress can result in adverse effects on body composition, even in young, apparently healthy individuals.
Tissue element investigations of apex terrestrial mammals are very scarce in Europe. We quantified 16 essential and nonessential elements in the kidney cortex, liver, and muscle tissue of 467 brown ...bears (
Ursus arctos
), 125 gray wolves (
Canis lupus
), one Eurasian lynx (
Lynx lynx
), and three golden jackals (
Canis aureus
) from Croatia by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). Renal cadmium (0.6% of animals) and lead (1%) and hepatic lead (5%) were found in toxicologically relevant levels for mammals only in bears, while the other elements were within normal range. The association of age, sex, season, and region with measured tissue elements in bear and wolf was estimated by multiple regression analyses. Age-related accumulation of cadmium was observed in bears and wolves. Lead tissue content increased with the age of bears but declined in wolves. Female bears and wolves had higher arsenic, iron, and thallium than males in some tissues. Also, cadmium, mercury, copper, zinc, selenium, molybdenum, and uranium were more abundant only in female bears. Male bears had higher potassium, zinc, and magnesium, while male wolves had higher calcium in some tissues compared to female wolves. Seasonal differences were mainly observed for bears’ tissues and region-specific differences only in wolves. The bear kidneys had the highest levels of cobalt, copper, molybdenum, cadmium, and lead among the four studied species. The element levels reported for bears and wolves represent baseline values for the Dinaric population.
Chromium (Cr) and vanadium (V) are micronutrients playing a role in carbohydrate and lipid metabolism but can be toxic at high concentrations, especially in specific forms. The study documents the ...effect of Cr and V concentrations on glucose and lipid metabolism in workers exposed to coal fly ash. We quantified selected metals (Cr, V) in the blood and serum of workers from a thermal power plant in Kosovo and compared them with the reference biological values. We determined fasting serum glucose and lipid profiles using a biochemical analyzer Synchron CX7 (Beckman Coulter). We quantified blood and serum Cr and V by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. We also evaluated the association between carbohydrate and lipid metabolism biomarkers (glucose, cholesterol, and triglycerides) and co-exposure to coal fly ash. Power plant workers had significantly higher blood Cr and V levels (p < 0.0001) and significantly lower serum Cr and V levels (p < 0.0001) than the controls. We also found statistically significant (p < 0.0001) correlations between high blood Cr levels and low glucose/blood Cr ratios as well as between high serum Cr levels and low glucose/serum Cr ratios. Finally, in power plant workers, high blood V levels significantly correlated with low triglycerides/blood V and cholesterol/blood V ratios (p < 0.0001), while high serum V levels correlated with low cholesterol/serum V ratios (p = 0.005). Based on these findings, we concluded that the glucose/Cr, triglycerides/V and cholesterol/V ratios should be considered when evaluating carbohydrate and lipid metabolism disorders in occupationally-exposed workers.
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DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
Heavy metals are dangerous systemic toxicants that can induce multiple organ damage, primarily by inducing oxidative stress and mitochondrial damage. Clinoptilolite is a highly porous natural mineral ...with a magnificent capacity to eliminate metals from living organisms, mainly by ion-exchange and adsorption, thus providing detoxifying, antioxidant and anti-inflammatory medicinal effects. The in vivo efficiency and safety of the oral administration of clinoptilolite in its activated forms, tribomechanically activated zeolite (TMAZ) and Panaceo-Micro-Activated (PMA) zeolite, as well as the impact on the metallic biodistribution, was examined in healthy female rats. Concentration profiles of Al, As, Cd, Co, Pb, Ni and Sr were measured in rat blood, serum, femur, liver, kidney, small and large intestine, and brain using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) after a 12-week administration period. Our results point to a beneficial effect of clinoptilolite materials on the concentration profile of metals in female rats supplemented with the corresponding natural clinoptilolite materials, TMAZ and PMA zeolite. The observed decrease of measured toxicants in the kidney, femur, and small and large intestine after three months of oral intake occurred concomitantly with their most likely transient release into the bloodstream (serum) indicative of a detoxification process.
Concentrations of macro- and microelements in animal organs indicate the animal health status and represent reference data for animal experiments. Their levels in blood and tissues could be different ...between sexes, and could be different with and without blood in tissues. To test these hypotheses, in adult female and male rats the concentrations of various elements were measured in whole blood, blood plasma, and tissues from blood-containing (nonperfused) and blood-free liver, kidneys, and brain (perfused in vivo with an elements-free buffer). In these samples, 6 macroelements (Na, Mg, P, S, K, Ca) and 14 microelements (Fe, Mn, Co, Cu, Zn, Se, I, As, Cd, Hg, Pb, Li, B, Sr) were determined by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry following nitric acid digestion. In blood and plasma, female- or male-dominant sex differences were observed for 6 and 5 elements, respectively. In nonperfused organs, sex differences were observed for 3 (liver, brain) or 9 (kidneys) elements, whereas in perfused organs, similar differences were detected for 9 elements in the liver, 5 in the kidneys, and none in the brain. In females, perfused organs had significantly lower concentrations of 4, 5, and 2, and higher concentrations of 10, 4, and 7 elements, respectively, in the liver, kidneys, and brain. In males, perfusion caused lower concentrations of 4, 7, and 2, and higher concentrations of 1, 1, and 7 elements, respectively, in the liver, kidneys, and brain. Therefore, the residual blood in organs can significantly influence tissue concentrations of various elements and their sex-dependency.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZRSKP
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