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Zinc serves critical catalytic, regulatory, and structural roles. Hosts and their resident gut microbiota both require zinc, leading to competition, where a balance must be maintained. This systematic review examined evidence on dietary zinc and physiological status (zinc deficiency or high zinc/zinc overload) effects on gut microbiota. This review was conducted according to PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses) guidelines and registered in PROSPERO (CRD42021250566). PubMed, Web of Science, and Scopus databases were searched for in vivo (animal) studies, resulting in eight selected studies. Study quality limitations were evaluated using the SYRCLE risk of bias tool and according to ARRIVE guidelines. The results demonstrated that zinc deficiency led to inconsistent changes in α-diversity and short-chain fatty acid production but led to alterations in bacterial taxa with functions in carbohydrate metabolism, glycan metabolism, and intestinal mucin degradation. High dietary zinc/zinc overload generally resulted in either unchanged or decreased α-diversity, decreased short-chain fatty acid production, and increased bacterial metal resistance and antibiotic resistance genes. Additional studies in human and animal models are needed to further understand zinc physiological status effects on the intestinal microbiome and clarify the applicability of utilizing the gut microbiome as a potential zinc status biomarker. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Zinc is a crucial trace element that plays a vital role in various physiological functions, including immune function, growth, and reproduction in livestock. Zinc deficiency can lead to various health problems in livestock, such as decreased growth rates, impaired reproductive performance, and increased susceptibility to diseases. In contrast, supplementing livestock diets with zinc can promote health and enhance microbiome balance, leading to improved animal welfare and productivity. Objectives: This review seeks to provide valuable information for researchers, veterinarians, and livestock producers on the effects of dietary zinc supplementation. Current knowledge on the importance of dietary zinc for livestock and microbiome health as well as mechanistic insights are discussed.

BackgroundAlthough the association of zinc (Zn) with cardiovascular disease (CVD) has been studied, no consensus has been reached on this relationship, particularly dietary Zn intake. The purpose of this study was to assess the effect of dietary Zn intake on the risk of CVD and to analyze whether this effect varied according to zinc consumption using representative data from China.Methods11,470 adults from the China Health and Nutrition Survey (CHNS) were eventually enrolled. The dietary information was collected by the 3 day 24-h dietary recalls combined with dietary weighting method. CVD was defined as participants with self-reported physician-diagnosed apoplexy and/or myocardial infarction during the follow-up. Cox regression was used to calculate the hazard ratios (HRs) of CVD with 95% confidence intervals. Restricted cubic spline function plus Cox regression was used to visualize the influence trend of dietary Zn intake on new-onset CVD and to test whether this trend is linear. 2-segment Cox regression was established to address the nonlinear trend.Results431 participants developed CVD, including 262 strokes and 197 myocardial infarctions. Compared with the lowest quintile (Q1), the adjusted hazard ratios and 95% confidence interval (CI) of CVD in Q2 to Q5 of dietary Zn intake were 0.72 (0.54, 0.97), 0.59 (0.42, 0.81), 0.50 (0.34, 0.72) and 0.44 (0.27, 0.71), respectively. The influence trend of dietary Zn intake on new-onset CVD was nonlinear and L-shaped. When dietary Zn intake

Previous studies have suggested a possible association among dietary zinc and vitamin B6 intake and CVD mortality and all-cause mortality. However, evidence on the association of dietary zinc and vitamin B6 intake and their interactions with CVD mortality and all-cause mortality remains unclear. This prospective study utilized data from the US National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) from 1999 to 2016. After a median follow-up of 10.4 years, 4757 deaths were recorded among 36,081 participants. Higher dietary zinc intake levels (≥9.87 mg/day) were associated with lower CVD mortality (hazard ratio (HR) = 0.85, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.83–0.87). Vitamin B6 intake levels (≥1.73 mg/day) were associated with lower CVD mortality (HR = 0.91, 95% CI: 0.86–0.96) and all-cause mortality (HR = 0.91, 95% CI: 0.90–0.93). Higher dietary zinc intake and higher vitamin B6 intake were associated with a lower risk of CVD mortality, with an interaction between dietary zinc intake levels and vitamin B intake levels (LZLV group (HR, CI): 1.21,1.12–1.29; LZHV group (HR, CI): 1.42, 1.34–1.50; LZHV group (HR, CI): 1.28, 1.14–1.45; HZHV group (HR, CI): ref). There was also a J-type association (p for nonlinear < 0.001) between the dietary zinc–vitamin B6 ratio and CVD mortality, with a high dietary zinc–vitamin B6 ratio increasing the risk of CVD mortality (HR = 1.27, 95% CI: 1.19–1.35), whereas a moderate dietary zinc–vitamin B6 ratio appeared to be beneficial for CVD mortality. These results suggest that increasing the appropriate proportion of dietary zinc and vitamin B6 intake is associated with a lower risk of CVD mortality. Furthermore, precise and representative studies are needed to verify our findings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Both copper and zinc are known to be important for maintaining health, but most research has focused on deficiencies of these elements. Recent studies have shown that high levels of Cu can be toxic, especially to the cardiovascular (CV) system. However, little research has been done on the effects of higher levels of Zn on the CV system. In this study, male Wistar rats aged 12 months were given a diet with twice the recommended daily allowance of zinc (31.8 mg/kg of diet) and compared to a control group (15.9 mg/kg of diet) after 8 weeks. Blood plasma and internal organs of both groups were examined for levels of copper, zinc, selenium and iron, as well as several key enzymes. Aortic rings from both groups were also examined to determine vascular functioning. There were very few changes in the vascular system functioning after chronic exposure to zinc, and only one enzyme, heme oxygenase–1 (HO–1) was elevated, whereas vascular contraction to noradrenaline decreased with no changes in vasodilation to acetylcholine. Of the micronutrients, zinc and selenium were elevated in the blood plasma, while copper decreased. Meanwhile, the total antioxidant status increased. These were not observed in the liver. Therefore, it is proposed that there is a mechanism in place within the vascular system to protect against the overproduction of heme, caused by chronic zinc exposure. • Heme oxygenase–1 increased (1.3–fold) together with increasing dietary Zn in the blood; • Vascular contraction to noradrenaline decreased in Zn supplemented rats; • Vascular relaxation to acetylcholine was not modified; • Zn (1.11–fold), Se (1.13–fold) and TAS (1.77–fold) increased in the blood; • Cu (0.68–fold), and the Cu/Zn (0.63–fold) and Cu/Se (0.61–fold) ratios decreased. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT Group B Streptococcus (GBS) in the vaginal tract is a risk factor for preterm birth and adverse pregnancy outcomes. GBS colonization is also transient in nature, which likely reflects the contributions of pathogen determinants, interactions with commensal flora, and host factors, making this environment particularly challenging to understand. Additionally, dietary zinc deficiency is a health concern on the global scale that is known to be associated with recurrent bacterial infection and increased rate of preterm birth or stillbirth. However, the impact of zinc deficiency on vaginal health has not yet been studied. Here we use a murine model to assess the role of dietary zinc on GBS burden and the impact of GBS colonization on the vaginal microbiome. We show that GBS vaginal colonization is increased in a zinc-deficient host and that the presence of GBS significantly alters the microbial community structure of the vagina. Using machine learning approaches, we show that vaginal community turnover during GBS colonization is driven by computationally predictable changes in key taxa, including several organisms not previously described in the context of the vaginal microbiota, such as Akkermansia muciniphila. We observed that A. muciniphila increases GBS vaginal persistence and, in a cohort of human vaginal microbiome samples collected throughout pregnancy, we observed an increased prevalence of codetection of GBS and A. muciniphila in patients who delivered preterm compared to those who delivered at full term. These findings reveal the importance and complexity of both host zinc availability and native microbiome to GBS vaginal persistence. IMPORTANCE The presence of group B Streptococcus (GBS) in the vaginal tract, perturbations in the vaginal microbiota, and dietary zinc deficiency are three factors that are independently known to be associated with increased risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes. Here, we developed an experimental mouse model to assess the impact of dietary zinc deficiency on GBS vaginal burden and persistence and to determine how changes in GBS colonization impact vaginal microbial structure. We have employed unique animal, in silica metabolic, and machine learning models, paired with analyses of human cohort data, to identify taxonomic biomarkers that contribute to host susceptibility to GBS vaginal persistence. Collectively, the data reported here identify that both dietary zinc deficiency and the presence of A. muciniphila could perpetuate an increased GBS burden and prolonged exposure in the vaginal tract, which potentiate the risk of invasive infection in utero and in the newborn.

Introduction: Pandemics have been known to influence many markers associated with socio-economic status. This is especially true of micronutrients, including zinc. Yet despite the importance of zinc in the human body, there is a paucity of data on the zinc status of Nigerian children. The aim of this study was to determine serum zinc levels, anthropometry, dietary zinc content and socioeconomic status (SES) of school-aged children in the cities of Osogbo and Ogbomoso in South West Nigeria during the COVID-19 pandemic. Materials and methods: One hundred and forty-one children (aged 9-17) were recruited for the study, 76 children from Osogbo and 65 children from Ogbomoso. Serum zinc levels were determined using atomic absorption spectrometry. Information on SES and dietary zinc content were obtained using a structured questionnaire. Anthropometric indicators - height, weight, body mass index (BMI), and mid-upper arm circumference (MUAC) were also measured. Data were analysed statistically using Student's t-test and Pearson's correlation coefficient p < 0.05 was considered significant. Results: Results of the study showed that there were no significant differences in the values of zinc, BMI, and MUAC, when both groups were compared. Majority of the students in each group were of medium SES. Sixty percent (Ogbomoso) and 43% (Osogbo) did not consume food rich in zinc, although calculated BMI-for-age percentiles revealed that 89.23%) (Ogbomoso) and 71.05%) (Osogbo) were of normal weight. Mid-upper arm circumference of <22.0 cm for both groups suggests moderate acute malnutrition despite the fact that a correlation was observed between MUAC and BMI. Conclusions: The results of the study indicate that moderate zinc deficiency is still prevalent among school-aged children in South West Nigeria and this requires urgent intervention from different stakeholders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Acrodermatitis enteropathica (AE) is a rare, autosomal-recessive disorder of neonatal zinc deficiency due to SLC39A4 (intestinal zinc transporter, Zip4) gene mutation with onset after weaning while breastfeeding during this period will be protective. Transient symptomatic zinc deficiency is also acquired rarely in breastfed infants with increased zinc requirements and/or inadequate concentration of zinc in breast milk. The nursing mothers of transient symptomatic zinc deficiency infants show SLC30A2 (mammary epithelial zinc transporter, ZnT-2) gene mutation and abnormally low zinc levels in the breast milk despite normal serum zinc levels, which do not improve after zinc supplementation. A 2-month-old breastfed male infant had AE-like clinical features of zinc deficiency for two weeks. His symptoms and low serum zinc levels improved rapidly after zinc supplementation. The mother also had low serum and breast milk zinc concentration and both improved after oral zinc therapy indicating a non-heritable phenotype. The relevant literature is reviewed and significance of dietary zinc supplementation during pregnancy/lactation is emphasized.

It is widely accepted that the zinc element is crucial in human beings. Zinc has gained more attention during the COVID-19 pandemic due to its utilization for the treatment and prevention of respiratory tract infections. However, some studies also pointed out that zinc intake might cause unwanted side effects and even be dangerous when overdosed. To reveal the relationship between zinc intake and health outcomes, we performed an umbrella review from human studies. In total, the umbrella review included 43 articles and identified 11 outcomes for dietary zinc intake and 86 outcomes for supplementary zinc intake. Dietary zinc intake in the highest dose would decrease the risk of overall and specific digestive tract cancers, depression, and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) in adults. Supplementary zinc consumption in adults was linked to an improvement of depression, antioxidant capacity and sperm quality, higher serum zinc concentration, and lower concentration of inflammatory markers. Zinc supplementation in children would reduce the incidence of diarrhea and pneumonia, improve zinc deficiency and boost growth. However, zinc might not decrease all-cause mortality in adults or the in-hospital mortality of COVID-19. And better maternal and neonatal outcomes may not derive from pregnant women who consumed higher or lower doses of zinc supplementation (>20 mg/day and

ABSTRACT Zinc (Zn) imbalance is a common single-nutrient disorder worldwide, but little is known about the short-term and long-term effects of imbalanced dietary zinc in the intestinal microbiome. Here, 3-week-old C57BL/6 mice were fed diets supplemented with Zn at the doses of 0 (low Zn), 30 (control Zn), 150 (high Zn), and 600 mg/kg of body weight (excess Zn) for 4 weeks (short term) and 8 weeks (long term). The gut bacterial composition at the phyla, genus, and species levels were changed as the result of the imbalanced Zn diet (e.g., Lactobacillus reuteri and Akkermansia muciniphila). Moreover, pathways including carbohydrate, glycan, and nucleotide metabolism were decreased by a short-term low-Zn diet. Valeriate production was suppressed by a long-term low-Zn diet. Pathways such as drug resistance and infectious diseases were upregulated in high- and excess-Zn diets over 4-week and 8-week intervals. Long-term zinc fortification doses, especially at the high-Zn level, suppressed the abundance of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs)-producing genera as well as the concentrations of metabolites. Finally, Melainabacteria (phylum) and Desulfovibrio sp. strain ABHU2SB (species) were identified to be potential markers for Zn status with high accuracy (area under the curve [AUC], >0.8). Collectively, this study identified significant changes in gut microbial composition and its metabolite concentration in altered Zn-fed mice and the relevant microbial markers for Zn status. IMPORTANCE Zn insufficiency is an essential health problem in developing countries. To prevent the occurrence of zinc deficit, zinc fortification and supplementation are widely used. However, in developed countries, the amounts of Zn consumed often exceed the tolerable upper intake limit. Our results demonstrated that dietary Zn is an essential mediator of microbial community structure and that both Zn deficiency and Zn overdose can generate a dysbiosis in the gut microbiota. Moreover, specific microbial biomarkers of Zn status were identified and correlated with serum Zn level. Our study found that a short-term low-Zn diet (0 mg/kg) and a long-term high-zinc diet (150 mg/kg) had obvious negative effects in a mouse model. Thus, these results indicate that the provision and duration of supplemental Zn should be approached with caution.

Epidemiological studies have suggested that there is an association between diet and mental health. The aim of the current study was to explore the association between dietary zinc intake and risk of depression, anxiety, and sleep quality distortion among female students of the Semnan University of Medical Sciences in a cross-sectional study. From January through October 2019, 142 female students were randomly selected from the Department of Nutrition and Food Science at the Semnan University of Medical Sciences by simple random sampling. Food frequency questionnaires (FFQs) were used to assess participants' dietary intake over the past 12 months. Depression, anxiety, and sleep quality were examined by the Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II), Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI), and Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), respectively. In the analysis, the crude model was adjusted for total energy intake (kcal), while the model was adjusted for energy intake (kcal), age, economic status, physical activity level, serum vitamin D level, and body mass index. Dietary zinc intake is significantly associated with depression (odds ratio (OR) (95% confidence interval (CI)): 2.34 (0.38–4.30)) and anxiety (OR (95% CI): 3.43 (2.36–4.50)), sleep disorders (OR (95% CI): 3.65 (2.16–5.13)), sleep duration (OR (95% CI): 2.62 (0.39–4.86)), and daytime dysfunction (OR (95% CI): 5.31 (2.84–7.78)) in the model, as well as sleep delay (OR (95% CI): 1.80 (1.05–2.55)) and mental quality of sleep (OR (95% CI): 1.63 (1.10–2.15)) in the crude analysis. This cross-sectional study supports the inverse association between dietary zinc intake and mood disorders, including depression and anxiety, and some indices of sleep disturbance in the Iranian female students. Further cohort or intervention studies are required to draw a firm link between dietary zinc intake and mental health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Acrodermatitis enteropathica (AE) is a rare, autosomal-recessive disorder of neonatal zinc deficiency due to SLC39A4 (intestinal zinc transporter, Zip4) gene mutation with onset after weaning while breastfeeding during this period will be protective. Transient symptomatic zinc deficiency is also acquired rarely in breastfed infants with increased zinc requirements and/or inadequate concentration of zinc in breast milk. The nursing mothers of transient symptomatic zinc deficiency infants show SLC30A2 (mammary epithelial zinc transporter, ZnT-2) gene mutation and abnormally low zinc levels in the breast milk despite normal serum zinc levels, which do not improve after zinc supplementation. A 2-month-old breastfed male infant had AE-like clinical features of zinc deficiency for two weeks. His symptoms and low serum zinc levels improved rapidly after zinc supplementation. The mother also had low serum and breast milk zinc concentration and both improved after oral zinc therapy indicating a non-heritable phenotype. The relevant literature is reviewed and significance of dietary zinc supplementation during pregnancy/lactation is emphasized. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: To assess the state and trends of global nutrition, our best tools are nationally representative assessments using human biomarker assays, yet these are expensive and logistically challenging. We instead often rely on more easily produced global nutrient datasets-measures of nutrients provided by the diet-as a proxy for nutritional intake and deficiency, due to their greater geographic and temporal coverage. However, the accuracy of global nutrient datasets is questionable., Objective: We aimed to test whether estimates of inadequate dietary intake derived from existing global nutrient datasets reliably associate with biophysical deficiency., Design: We performed linear regressions of estimates of inadequate dietary nutrient intake derived from three global nutrient datasets-Global Dietary Database, Global Nutrient Database, and Global Expanded Nutrient Supply (GENuS) model-against the existing suite of nationally representative biomarker survey data for three key nutrients of global concern in two vulnerable demographic groups: zinc, folate, and vitamin A in females of childbearing age; and zinc and vitamin A in children younger than 5 y., Results: We found significant associations (P < 0.1) for only 3 of 22 regressions between global nutrition datasets and biophysical deficiency: zinc for females of childbearing age from GENuS and Global Dietary Database, and zinc for children under 5 y from GENuS. Folate and vitamin A show no reliable relationship between nutrient datasets and independent biomarker surveys. Applying the successful models for zinc to the accompanying full datasets yield estimates of global zinc deficiency of 31%-37% for these demographic groups., Conclusions: We found that few estimates of nutritional inadequacy from global dietary datasets are associated with more direct measures of biophysical deficiency from biomarker studies. Researchers and policymakers must be cautious when applying global nutrient datasets to questions of global health and use them for limited applications., (Copyright © 2023 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background and Objectives: Alanine aminotransferase (ALT) is generally used for evaluating liver function, and its concentrations are closely associated with sex and nutritional status. This study investigates the relationships between dietary components and serum ALT activity in Taiwanese adolescents.Methods and Study Design: Data were collected from 1,941 adolescents aged 13-18 years who participated in the fourth National Nutrition and Health Survey in Taiwan (2010-2011, adolescents).Results: The mean age was 15.3±0.1 y (15.3±0.1 y for boys and 15.2±0.1 y for girls). Mean serum ALT was 14.8±13.3 U/L (17.7±16.3 U/L for boys and 12.1±8.7 U/L for girls; p<0.001). Multivariate analysis revealed that, among girls, a single-unit increase in dietary zinc was associated with 1.12- and 1.11-fold increases in risk for increased serum ALT tertile 2 (T2) and T3, respectively, compared with T1; and a single-unit increase in vitamin B-2 intake increased risk by 1.71- and 1.54-fold, respectively. Further analysis revealed that the risk increase for boys and girls who consumed the highest amounts of dietary zinc and vitamin B-2 (T3) was 1.97- and 2.62-fold, respectively; they were also more likely to have higher serum ALT (>11 U/L for boys and >9 U/L for girls) than those of the reference (presented as zinc T1 and vitamin B-1 T1).Conclusions: Increased dietary zinc and vitamin B-2 intake is associated with higher serum ALT in adolescents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hyperthermia in boars reduces growth performance and sperm production. Zinc is an essential trace element in animal nutrition. Here we investigate the effects of dietary zinc on epididymal structure and function in Bama miniature pigs treated with heat exposure and investigate approaches to improve the reproductive performance in summer. Male Bama miniature pigs (n=18; aged 6 months; bodyweight=10.79±0.06 kg) were randomly allocated to 3 groups: control group (Control), heat treatment group (HT), and the diet-supplemented and heat treatment group (H+Zn). The Control and HT groups were fed with basal diet and the H+Zn group were fed with basal diet plus 1500 mg/kg zinc daily. After being fed with these 2 different diets for 30 days, pigs in the HT and H+Zn groups were exposed to 5 h of 40 °C heat treatment for 8 days. Rectal temperature and jugular venous blood were collected 3 h after onset of heat exposure on days 1, 4 and 8. Pigs were sacrificed after the termination of heat exposure. Heat treatment increased serum testosterone concentration on day 1 and 4 ( P <0.01). In addition, the HT group displayed an increase in the clear cell count and a decrease in epithelium thickness in the caput epithelium ( P <0.01, P <0.05), and dietary zinc protected the boars from these impairments ( P <0.01, P =0.29). Evaluation of oxidative states showed that heat exposure increased the levels of malondialdehyde (MDA) and glutathione (GSH) in the epididymis ( P <0.01, P <0.05), while dietary zinc reduced this elevation ( P <0.01, P <0.01). Heat exposure enhanced the glucocorticoid receptor (GR) expression in the nuclei of principal and basal cells ( P <0.01, P <0.01) while dietary zinc attenuated the GR immunoreactivity intensity ( P <0.01, P <0.01). These results demonstrate that dietary zinc protects the epididymis from high temperature-induced impairment, alleviates oxidative stress, restores the integrity of the caput epithelium and decreases the stress response. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: There is increasing evidence on the association between lower serum zinc levels and metabolically unhealthy status in normal weight individuals’. Aim: Our aim was to investigate serum zinc levels in a sample of siblings of patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus and to ascertain its relation with metabolic syndrome components. Materials and Methods: Serum zinc was determined in 331 apparently healthy individuals, 201 were siblings of patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (type 2 DM) and 130 individuals with negative family history of diabetes (healthy controls), with age range 20-40 years. The association between components of metabolic syndrome and serum zinc levels was examined. Results: The siblings of patients with type2 DM exhibited significantly lower serum zinc levels than did the healthy controls (94.1±20.8 ug/dl vs. 103.2±15.6 ug/dl, p=0.012). The mean serum zinc levels were lower in siblings exhibited higher levels of waist circumference, fasting blood glucose and triglycerides. Those categorized as metabolically obese, normal weight (MONW) exhibited lower serum zinc levels than did the non-MONW, but the difference was not significant (93.7+20.9 ug/dl vs. 96.2+18.1ug/dl, p=0.059). The correlation between serum zinc levels and fasting blood glucose was inverse among the siblings (r=- 0.233, p=0.001). Conclusion: A low zinc status is present in 13.9% of the siblings of patients with type 2 DM, particularly among MONW individuals. This finding may have clinical implications due to the increased risk of future metabolic disease.