Biometals最新文献

Cryptosporidium is a food and water-borne enteric protozoan that infects a wide range of vertebrates, causing life-threatening complications, particularly in immunocompromised hosts. The absence of effective anti-cryptosporidial medications could be attributed to the parasite's specific intestinal location, as well as the lack of research into the mechanism by which the protozoan impairs intestine cellular function. The present work aimed to evaluate the in vivo efficacy of zinc nanoparticles in the treatment of experimental cryptosporidiosis infection in immunosuppressed mice. Small-sized ZnO-NPs revealed better treatment efficacy than Large-sized ZnO-NPs in all studies. Nitazoxanide-treated group revealed the highest percentage reduction of the oocyst's counts followed by the small-sized ZnO-NPs treated group. The small-sized ZnO-NPs treated mice group showed a minimal inflammatory effect in all examined treated tissues when compared to the infected non-treated group. The morphological structure of the oocysts was examined using SEM indicating variable degrees of morphological changes in the treated mice. Moreover, the levels of biochemical analyses were significantly lower in the treated group. The histopathological study revealed the significant effect of small-sized ZnO-NPs in treating cryptosporidiosis.

Developmental toxicity is the disruption of an organism's normal development which may occur in either the parent before conception or in the growing creature itself. Zebrafish (Danio rerio) are being employed as effective vertebrate models to evaluate the safety and toxicity of chemicals because they can breed multiple times in a year so we can observe the toxic effects in the next generation and their development mental stages can be observed and define clearly because their 1 cell stage to prime stage is transparent so we can observe the development of every organ also they have nearly about 80% genetic similarity with humans and shares the similar neuromodulatory structure along with multiple neurotransmitter. The recent research endeavours to examine the harmful outcome of various heavy metals such as cadmium, chromium, nickel, arsenic, lead, mercury, bismuth, iron, manganese, and thallium along with microplastics on zebrafish embryos when subjected to environmentally acceptable levels of every single metal in addition to co-exposure at various points in time. These heavy metals can alter the mRNA expression levels, increase the reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation, decrease antioxidant expression, damage neuronal function, alter neurotransmitter release, alter the expression of several apoptotic proteins, interfere with the different signalling pathways, decrease heat rates, increase malformations like - pericardial oedema, heart oedema, reduce in length tail bending abnormal formation in fins. Thereafter we concluded that due to its involvement in the food chain, it also causes severe effects on human beings.

Contamination of vegetables with heavy metals and microplastics is a major environmental and human health concern. This study investigated the role of taurine (TAE) in alleviating arsenic (As) and polyvinyl chloride microplastic (MP) toxicity in broccoli plants. The experiment followed a completely randomized design with four replicates per treatment. Plants were grown in soil spiked with MP (200 mg kg^‒1), As (42.8 mg kg^‒1), and their combination (As + MP) with or without taurine (TAE; 100 mg L^‒1) foliar supplementation. Results demonstrated that MP, As, and As + MP toxicity markedly decreased growth, chlorophyll content, photosynthesis, and nutrient uptake in broccoli plants. Exposure to individual or combined MP and As increased oxidative damage, indicated by elevated methylglyoxal (MG), superoxide radical (O₂^⋅‒), hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂), hydroxyl radical (⋅OH), and malondialdehyde (MDA) levels alongside intensified lipoxygenase (LOX) activity and leaf relative membrane permeability (RMP). Histochemical analyses revealed higher lipid peroxidation, membrane damage as well as increased H₂O₂ and O₂^•‒ levels in the leaves of stressed plants. Micropalstic and As toxicity deteriorated anatomical structures, with diminished leaf and root epidermal thickness, cortex thickness, and vascular bundle area. However, TAE improved the antioxidant enzyme activities, endogenous ascorbate-glutathione pools, hydrogen sulfide and nitric oxide levels that reduced H₂O₂, O₂^⋅‒, ⋅OH, RMP, MDA, and activity of LOX. Taurine elevated osmolyte accumulation that protected membrane integrity, resulting in increased leaf relative water content and plant biomass. Plants supplemented with TAE demonstrated improved anatomical structures, resulting in diminished As uptake and its associated phytotoxicity. These findings highlight that TAE improved redox balance, osmoregulation, ion homeostasis, and anatomical structures, augmenting tolerance to As and MP toxicity in broccoli.

Heavy metals such as lead, mercury, cadmium, magnesium, manganese, arsenic, copper pose considerable threats to neuronal health and are increasingly recognized as factors contributing to aging-related neurodegeneration. Exposure to these environmental toxins disrupts cellular homeostasis, resulting in oxidative stress and compromising critical cellular processes, particularly the autophagy-lysosomal pathway. This pathway is vital for preserving cellular integrity by breaking down damaged proteins and organelles; however, toxicity from heavy metals can hinder this function, leading to the buildup of harmful substances, inflammation, and increased neuronal injury. As individuals age, the consequences of neurodegeneration become more significant, raising the likelihood of developing disorders like Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease. This review explores the intricate relationship between heavy metal exposure, dysfunction of the autophagy-lysosomal pathway, and aging-related neurodegeneration, emphasizing the urgent need for a comprehensive understanding of these mechanisms. The insights gained from this analysis are crucial for creating targeted therapeutic approaches aimed at alleviating the harmful effects of heavy metals on neuronal health and improving cellular resilience in aging populations.

Iron deficiency is a widespread nutritional problem affecting millions of people globally, leading to various health issues including anemia. Iron fortification of meat and meat products has emerged as an effective strategy to combat this issue. This review explores the process and benefits of iron fortification, focusing on the types of iron compounds suitable for fortification, such as ferrous sulfate and ferric pyrophosphate, their bioavailability, and their impact on the sensory and nutritional qualities of meat products. Technological challenges and solutions, including encapsulation, chelation, and microencapsulation techniques, have been examined to minimize their negative impacts on sensory qualities. This review also discusses the regulatory framework governing iron fortification and consumer acceptance. Analytical methods for determining iron content, such as spectrophotometric and colorimetric detection, are discussed. Although iron-fortified meat products offer health benefits, sensory aspects and consumer acceptance are important considerations. This review provides a comprehensive understanding of the role and significance of iron fortification in meat products as a public health intervention to address iron deficiency.

Exposure to individual metals has been inconsistently associated with adiposity. However, populations are exposed to more than one metal at a time, thus recent studies have been conducted to assess more comprehensively metal exposure through a mixture approach. To explore the association between Body Mass Index (BMI), Waist-Hip Ratio (WHIR) and Waist-Height Ratio (WHER) with urinary metal concentrations, using individual and mixture approaches, as well as identifying the most important metals within the mixtures, in women from Northern Mexico. This is a secondary cross-sectional analysis that included 439 women residents of five states in Northern Mexico. We weighed and measured participants to estimate BMI, WHIR, and WHER. We determined the concentrations of 19 urinary metals using inductively coupled plasma triple quadrupole. We used Weighted Quantile Sum regression to evaluate the association between adiposity indicators and metal mixtures, as well as to identify the metals of concern within the mixtures. We identified a mixture of metals that was negatively associated with BMI (ß:-0.96, 95% CI:-1.90,-0.01), where the most prominent were lead, molybdenum and magnesium. Furthermore, WHIR was negatively and suggestively associated with a mixture where the predominant metals were aluminum, cadmium, arsenic and nickel (ß:- 7.12, 95% CI: - 1.75,0.00), likewise WHER was associated with a mixture where the important metals were arsenic and nickel (ß: - 1.03, 95% CI: - 2.24,0.00). Our results provide evidence about the associations between metal mixtures and some anthropometric indicators of adiposity. Experimental studies are warranted to identify the underlying biological mechanisms.

Mercury is widely known for its detrimental effects on living organisms, whether in its elemental or bonded states. Recent comparative studies have shed light on the biochemical implications of mercury ingestion, both in low, persistent concentrations and in elevated acute dosages. Studies have presented models that elucidate how mercury disrupts healthy cells. Mercury's unique ability to interfere with crucial enzymatic processes at deposition sites is a vital feature of these models. The strong affinity for the sulfhydryl moieties of enzyme catalytic sites leads to enzyme inactivation through permanent covalent modifications. This inactivation can have catastrophic effects on an organism's metabolic functions. Moreover, it has been found that mercury's binding to sulfhydryl moieties is highly nonspecific and can occur in various ways. This review aimed to explore the effects of mercury on a broad spectrum of enzymes with a specific focus on how these alterations can detrimentally affect several metabolic pathways.

The objective of the present study was to assess serum and cancerous tissue biometal levels in colorectal cancer (CRC) patients, and its relation to disease severity. A total of 90 CRC patients and 97 controls were involved in the present study. The level of biometals in blood serum and colon tissues (only in CRC cases) was evaluated by inductively-coupled plasma mass-spectrometry. CRC patients are characterized by lower serum Ca, Fe, Se, and Zn, as well as higher serum Co, Cu, Mg, V, and Cu/Zn ratio compared to healthy controls. The lowest serum Zn levels and the highest Cu concentration and Cu/Zn ratio were observed in patients with the largest tumor size. Regression analysis demonstrated that tumor size is a significant negative predictor of serum Se levels, being positively associated with serum Cu/Zn values. The degree of metastasis to regional lymph nodes was inversely associated with circulating Ca, Co, Mg, Zn, and Mn levels. Serum Mg and Mn levels were positively associated with the stage of the disease and tumor location, respectively. Cancerous tissue Ca and Mo levels were lower, while Mg content was higher compared to healthy adjacent tissues. In cancerous tissues a constant but non-significant trend to elevation of tissue Zn content with increasing tumor size was observed. In addition, serum Cu, Zn, and Cu/Zn values positively correlated with the respective tumor values. These findings demonstrate that altered biometal metabolism is associated with CRC, while systemic Cu/Zn ratio may be indicative of Cu and Zn imbalance in cancerous tissue.

Zinc is an essential metal to living organisms, including corals and their symbiotic microalgae (Symbiodiniaceae). Both Zn(II) deprivation and overload are capable of leading to dysfunctional metabolism, coral bleaching, and even organism death. The present work investigated the effects of chemically defined Zn species (free Zn, ZnO nanoparticles, and the complexes Zn-histidinate and Zn-EDTA) over the growth of the dinoflagellates Symbiodinium microadriaticum, Breviolum minutum, and Effrenium voratum, and on the trypsin-like proteolytic activity of the hydrocoral Millepora alcicornis. B. minutum was the most sensitive strain to any form of added Zn. For the other strains, the complex [Zn(His)₂] better translated metal load into growth. This complex was the only tested compound that did not interfere with the trypsin-like activity of Millepora alcicornis extracts. Also, histidine was able to recover the activity of the enzyme inhibited by zinc. [Zn(His)₂] is a potential biocarrier of zinc for microalgae or coral cultivation. These findings suggest that the control of chemical speciation of an essential metal could lead to useful compounds that assist autotrophy, while not affecting heterotrophy, in the coral holobiont.

A novel biosynthesis approach was used to develop zinc selenite (ZnSeO₃) catalysts from the plant extracts of Nephrolepis cordifolia (ZnSeO₃:NC) and Ziziphus jujube (ZnSeO₃:ZJ) using hydrothermal method. This study investigates the structural, morphological, and optical properties of pure and biosynthesized ZnSeO₃ catalysts. X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis confirms the presence of an orthorhombic phase in both catalyst types. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) reveals the incorporation of secondary metabolites in the biosynthesized ZnSeO₃ catalysts, indicating successful green synthesis. Field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) demonstrates the formation of needle-shaped nanorod morphology in the prepared catalysts. UV-visible spectroscopy shows a red shift in the optical band gap, with values ranging from 2.40 to 1.60 eV for the biosynthesized ZnSeO₃ catalysts, suggesting enhanced light absorption properties. Barrett-Joyner-Halenda (BJH) analysis highlights the significant influence of plant extract on the surface area of the biosynthesized catalysts. The synthesized ZnSeO₃ catalysts were analyzed for the degradation of Oxytetracycline (OTC) and Rhodamine B (RhB) dyes as well as for their antibacterial activity. Notably, ZnSeO₃:ZJ catalysts demonstrated enhanced OTC degradation (99%) within 100 min. and RhB dye degradation (99%) within 120 min. The improved kinetic energy, effect of pH, catalysis dosage concentration and scavenger performance for ZnSeO₃:ZJ catalysts against OTC and RhB dyes compared to pure and ZnSeO₃:NC photocatalysts. ZnSeO₃:ZJ exhibits improved growth of inhibition zone against bacterial pathogen B. subtilis (3.30 ± 0.00) followed by E. coli (2.73 ± 0.06). This enhanced degradation efficiency is attributed to the presence of secondary metabolites in the Ziziphus jujube plant extract. These results suggest these catalysts could effectively eliminate wastewater contaminants and innovative antibacterial medications, benefiting the pharmaceutical sector.