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The addition of marine macroalgae to animal feed has garnered interest due to the demonstrated benefits of gut health in many livestock species. Most macroalgae have a higher mineral content than terrestrial vegetables, making them an attractive, sustainable source of minerals. However, some macroalgae contain elevated concentrations of iodine and arsenic, which may be transferred to the meat of livestock fed with macroalgae. This study evaluated the mineral profile of rabbit serum, muscle, liver, and kidney of rabbits fed diets supplemented with different marine macroalgae, with the goal of improving post-weaning gut health and reducing reliance on antibiotics. We found increased deposition of iodine in muscle, liver, and kidney due to macroalgae supplementation, which is particularly promising for regions with low iodine endemicity. Higher, though relatively low arsenic concentrations, compared to those in other animal meats and food sources, were also detected in the muscle, liver, and kidney of macroalgae-fed rabbits. The absence of apparent interactions with other micronutrients, particularly selenium, suggests that the inclusion of macroalgae in rabbit diets will not affect the overall mineral content. Enhanced bioavailability of elements such as phosphorus and iron may provide additional benefits, potentially reducing the need for mineral supplementation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study was to investigate the concentrations of essential trace and toxic elements in the milk of Lacaune sheep during lactation in intensive rearing systems. This research was conducted with 30 Lacaune sheep that were monitored in the early (60 days of lactation), medium (120 days of lactation), and late (180 days of lactation) stages of lactation. The sheep were fed a pelleted feed mixture (1 kg/day), a cereal mixture (600 g/day), and alfalfa hay (ad libitum). The essential (Fe, Zn, Cu, Co, Mn, Mo, Se, Cr, and Ni) and toxic element (heavy metals: Cd, Pb, As, and Hg) concentrations in the feed and milk were determined using an inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometer. Significant variations in the main essential trace and toxic elements, except for the Mo, Se, Ni, As, and Hg concentrations, were found in the milk of Lacaune sheep during lactation. As lactation progressed, in the late stage of lactation, significantly higher concentrations of Co, Mn, Mo, Cr, and Pb were found, while Zn and Cu in the milk of Lacaune sheep decreased significantly (4.15 and 0.21 mg/kg) compared to their concentrations in the early stage of lactation (5.66 and 0.43 mg/kg). Significantly lower concentrations of Fe and higher concentrations of Cd were found in the medium stage (0.23 mg/kg and 1.08 µg/kg) of lactation compared to both the early and late stages of lactation. An analysis of the correlation coefficients between the essential trace and toxic elements in Lacaune sheep milk during lactation determined a significantly positive correlation between Fe:Cr, Fe:Mn, Fe:Co, Fe:Se, Zn:Ni, Zn:Se, Cr:Mn, Cr:Co, Cr:Se, Cr:Mo, Mn:Co, Mn:Pb, Co:Ni, Co:Se, Ni:Se, Se:Mo, Se:Pb, and Cd:Pb. A significantly negative correlation was also found between Cu:Mn, Zn:Mo, Cg:Hg, and Hg:Pb. Based on the obtained results, it is recommended that the influence of the stage of lactation, as well as the breed of sheep, should be included when designing experiments. In general, sheep milk is rich in essential trace elements, but it also contains a very low content of toxic elements, which provides justification for increasing the breeding of Lacaune sheep and indicates the convenience of consuming their milk without risking the consumer's health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The addition of marine macroalgae to animal feed has garnered interest due to the demonstrated benefits of gut health in many livestock species. Most macroalgae have a higher mineral content than terrestrial vegetables, making them an attractive, sustainable source of minerals. However, some macroalgae contain elevated concentrations of iodine and arsenic, which may be transferred to the meat of livestock fed with macroalgae. This study evaluated the mineral profile of rabbit serum, muscle, liver, and kidney of rabbits fed diets supplemented with different marine macroalgae, with the goal of improving post-weaning gut health and reducing reliance on antibiotics. We found increased deposition of iodine in muscle, liver, and kidney due to macroalgae supplementation, which is particularly promising for regions with low iodine endemicity. Higher, though relatively low arsenic concentrations, compared to those in other animal meats and food sources, were also detected in the muscle, liver, and kidney of macroalgae-fed rabbits. The absence of apparent interactions with other micronutrients, particularly selenium, suggests that the inclusion of macroalgae in rabbit diets will not affect the overall mineral content. Enhanced bioavailability of elements such as phosphorus and iron may provide additional benefits, potentially reducing the need for mineral supplementation.

This review presents literature data on the presence of heavy metals in commercial fish species from the Amur River basin. The results of the research show that the trace element composition of fish differs in different parts of the Amur basin; it can exceed permissible concentrations for standardized elements. However, a lack of actual fresh data on heavy metal content of hydrobionts makes it difficult to assess the ecological state of the Amur River or analyze the risks to public health.

Background and Aim: Micronutrient imbalances pose a severe threat to the health and productivity of livestock and poultry. In this regard, a further stage in feeding science development will control and optimize the intake of mineral substances, including determining the elemental composition in some biosubstrates. One of these biosubstrates can be a feather. However, the amount of available information on the content of trace elements in laying hens is limited, complicating the laboratory data interpretation. Therefore, this study established reference intervals for the concentrations of the main essential and toxic elements in laying hens in different periods of ontogenesis. Materials and Methods: The study was conducted on clinically healthy Hisex Brown laying hens at the age of 10 (n=150), 30 (n=150), 120 (n=150), 150 (n=150), and 210 (n=150) days. All examined birds were born and raised on the territory of the South Ural biogeochemical province of Russia. The sampling of feathers was carried out by plucking the flight feathers of the wing. Inductively coupled plasma dynamic reaction cell mass spectrometry determined the elemental composition of the feather according to 25 parameters. Results: The results showed that at the minimum age (10 days), the highest concentrations of chemical elements were observed in laying hens. Subsequently, as they grew older, in the period from the 30th to the 120th day, there was a significant decrease in these indicators. Later, from the 120th to the 150th day, a statistically significant increase in concentrations was replaced. Little growth and relative concentration stability were observed in the last part of the experiment (150-210 days). Chemical element concentrations in feathers were computed in reference ranges for each age group. Conclusion: The calculated ranges of chemical element concentrations in laying hens can be used to compile norms for their content in the body; however, it is worth noting that these ranges can vary depending on the biogeochemical province of breeding and the bird's age.

The aim of this study was to investigate the concentrations of essential trace and toxic elements in the milk of Lacaune sheep during lactation in intensive rearing systems. This research was conducted with 30 Lacaune sheep that were monitored in the early (60 days of lactation), medium (120 days of lactation), and late (180 days of lactation) stages of lactation. The sheep were fed a pelleted feed mixture (1 kg/day), a cereal mixture (600 g/day), and alfalfa hay (ad libitum). The essential (Fe, Zn, Cu, Co, Mn, Mo, Se, Cr, and Ni) and toxic element (heavy metals: Cd, Pb, As, and Hg) concentrations in the feed and milk were determined using an inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometer. Significant variations in the main essential trace and toxic elements, except for the Mo, Se, Ni, As, and Hg concentrations, were found in the milk of Lacaune sheep during lactation. As lactation progressed, in the late stage of lactation, significantly higher concentrations of Co, Mn, Mo, Cr, and Pb were found, while Zn and Cu in the milk of Lacaune sheep decreased significantly (4.15 and 0.21 mg/kg) compared to their concentrations in the early stage of lactation (5.66 and 0.43 mg/kg). Significantly lower concentrations of Fe and higher concentrations of Cd were found in the medium stage (0.23 mg/kg and 1.08 µg/kg) of lactation compared to both the early and late stages of lactation. An analysis of the correlation coefficients between the essential trace and toxic elements in Lacaune sheep milk during lactation determined a significantly positive correlation between Fe:Cr, Fe:Mn, Fe:Co, Fe:Se, Zn:Ni, Zn:Se, Cr:Mn, Cr:Co, Cr:Se, Cr:Mo, Mn:Co, Mn:Pb, Co:Ni, Co:Se, Ni:Se, Se:Mo, Se:Pb, and Cd:Pb. A significantly negative correlation was also found between Cu:Mn, Zn:Mo, Cg:Hg, and Hg:Pb. Based on the obtained results, it is recommended that the influence of the stage of lactation, as well as the breed of sheep, should be included when designing experiments. In general, sheep milk is rich in essential trace elements, but it also contains a very low content of toxic elements, which provides justification for increasing the breeding of Lacaune sheep and indicates the convenience of consuming their milk without risking the consumer’s health.

Background and Aim: Micronutrient imbalances pose a severe threat to the health and productivity of livestock and poultry. In this regard, a further stage in feeding science development will control and optimize the intake of mineral substances, including determining the elemental composition in some biosubstrates. One of these biosubstrates can be a feather. However, the amount of available information on the content of trace elements in laying hens is limited, complicating the laboratory data interpretation. Therefore, this study established reference intervals for the concentrations of the main essential and toxic elements in laying hens in different periods of ontogenesis. Materials and Methods: The study was conducted on clinically healthy Hisex Brown laying hens at the age of 10 (n=150), 30 (n=150), 120 (n=150), 150 (n=150), and 210 (n=150) days. All examined birds were born and raised on the territory of the South Ural biogeochemical province of Russia. The sampling of feathers was carried out by plucking the flight feathers of the wing. Inductively coupled plasma dynamic reaction cell mass spectrometry determined the elemental composition of the feather according to 25 parameters. Results: The results showed that at the minimum age (10 days), the highest concentrations of chemical elements were observed in laying hens. Subsequently, as they grew older, in the period from the 30th to the 120th day, there was a significant decrease in these indicators. Later, from the 120th to the 150th day, a statistically significant increase in concentrations was replaced. Little growth and relative concentration stability were observed in the last part of the experiment (150-210 days). Chemical element concentrations in feathers were computed in reference ranges for each age group. Conclusion: The calculated ranges of chemical element concentrations in laying hens can be used to compile norms for their content in the body; however, it is worth noting that these ranges can vary depending on the biogeochemical province of breeding and the bird's age. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There has been a concern of metal contamination from the mining areas which could expose the population to toxic metal through consumption of food products in the regions. Therefore, the study was conducted to analyze 18 elements using X-ray fluorescence analyzer and to assess for metal exposure through dietary intakes. Dietary recall survey instrument was used to collect consumption, demographic, and anthropometric data from 308 consumers in life-stage groups: toddlers, adolescents, and adults. Cassava, maize, rice, tomato, and yam indigenous diet samples (66) from the gold mining regions of Ghana were obtained by purposively sampling from street vendors. Principal component analysis was used to apportion pollution source. Health risks due to dietary elements were quantified using US EPA probabilistic protocols for cancer and non-cancer disease endpoints. Deficiency and overage risks of essential elements were tested against reference nutrient intakes. The element-diet-location mode of principal component analysis separated cassava and maize diets as significant vehicles for both essential and toxic elements apportioned to mining pollution source. The chronic daily intake trend revealed a preponderance for arsenic (maize: toddlers 0.009, adolescents 0.025 adults 0.010 mg/kg−d) and lead (maize: toddlers 0.009, adolescents 0.026, adults 0.010 mg/kg−d) exposure through maize diets compared to cassava diets. The hazard quotient showed (HQ > 1) life-stage risk differentiation for barium, although there were cumulative and pervasive health risks for all age groups based on the hazard index (Ag, Ba, Cd, Co, Hg, Mn, Mo, Sb, Sn, Sr, U, V, W, and Zr). The likely cancer risk (mode) for all life-stage groups (3 × 10–6–1 × 10–2) were also high in that they exceeded the 1 × 10–6 safety threshold. The modal margin of exposure (MoE < 1) alerted high public health concern due to lead-induced toxicities among all life-stage groups through all diet vehicles. Regarding nutritional adequacy, there were possible overage risks associated with selenium, including deficiency risks for calcium, potassium, and zinc for all life-stage groups. Toddlers and adolescents were susceptible to iron deficiency risks through cassava diets and iron overage risks through maize diets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Most essential elements present in infant formula have received very little attention. In this study, an improved methods was validated for the determination of some essential and toxic elements (cadmium (Cd), chromium (Cr), cobalt (Co), copper (Cu), iron (Fe), lead (Pb), manganese (Mn), nickel (Ni), tin (Sn) and zinc (Zn)) using inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometer (ICP OES) and graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometer (GFAAS). The validation procedure was applied for the evaluation of the limit of detection, and quantification, recovery, linearity, accuracy, and measurement uncertainty. The method showed that the detection limits varied between 0.001 and 0.217 mg/kg, and the quantification limits varied between 0.005 μg/kg and 1 mg/kg. The mean recoveries at different spiking levels varied between 82.74 ± 0.87 and 116.31 ± 3.08%. The method accuracy was confirmed by using three reference materials (RM), and all obtained results were within satisfactory ranges and had acceptable Z-score values. The method precision, in terms of relative standard deviation, was below 8.76%. The method uncertainty expressed as expanded uncertainty was found to be ≤27.3%. The proposed procedure was applied to the analysis of Eight-Three samples covering eighteen different brands of popular milk formula in Egypt to assess whether the intakes complied with the permissible levels for toxic metals and recommended desired levels for essential elements. The results showed that the concentration ranges, in mg/kg, were as follows: < 0.005–0.017 (Cd), < 1–8.76 (Cu), 32–86.87 (Fe), < 1–7.11 (Mn), and 22.46–87.3 (Zn).On the other hand, all tested samples were free from any detectable amount of Cr, Co, Ni, and Pb. The daily intakes of essential elements (Cu, Fe, Mn, and Zn) are lower than the recommended desirable levels (infant's nutritional requirement). Similarly, the weekly intakes of Cd were also significantly below the recommended tolerable levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this study was to determine the concentration and the reference ranges of essential and toxic elements in amniotic fluid (AF) and maternal serum (MS) at birth. This study was conducted among 175 healthy pregnant Caucasian European women aged 18–42. AF and maternal blood samples were collected during delivery. An inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) technique was used to determine the levels of Mg, Co, Cu, Zn, Sr, Cd, Ba, Pb, U, Ca, Cr, Al, Mn, V, Fe, As, Se and Sb in AF and MS. The range of reference values was calculated for all analyzed elements in the serum and AF. The mean concentrations of elements, except Pb, were generally higher in MS than in AF. Multiple regression analysis showed that the maternal/newborn body mass (MBM/NBM) ratio was a strong negative predictor (among maternal age and gravidity) of Mg concentration in amniotic fluid. In the serum, MBN/NBM ratio was a strong positive predictor of Cu concentration. Moreover, regression analysis showed that maternal age was an independent positive predictor of the Se level in maternal serum. The reference value ranges of 18 essential and toxic elements were established in AF and MS among a population of healthy pregnant Polish women at delivery. The level of Mg, Co, Cu, Ca and Se in AF and MS can be determined by maternal age and MBM/NBM ratio. These results can be useful in counseling individuals with pregnancies affected by exposure to one of the parameters under investigation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study was to determine the levels of iron (Fe), manganese (Mn), chromium (Cr), copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), mercury (Hg), cadmium (Cd) and lead (Pb) in several types of honey purchased from the local consumer markets in Central Italy by Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS). Lead and Cd were also determined by Atomic Absorption Spectrometry with graphite tube atomization (AAS-GTA). The degree of humidity, sugar content, pH, free acidity, combined acidity (lactones) and total acidity were also measured. These elements were found to be present in honeys in various proportions depending upon (1) area foraged by bees, (2) flower type visited for the collection of nectar, and (3) quality of water in the vicinity of the hive. The honeys consumed in Italy were of good quality, but not completely free of heavy metal contamination. Compared with established recommended daily intakes, heavy metals or trace element concentrations in samples investigated, however, do not pose any serious concern to human health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Chocolate is an appreciated food derived from cacao fruit. The flavonoids and minerals present in the chocolate have benefits to health, and some specific minerals are known to be toxic. Because of differences in their production systems, organic chocolate has a distinguishable pattern in mineral concentrations than conventional chocolate. Aiming for authenticity and study of the toxic elements in organic chocolate, we present in this work a simple method to classify organic chocolate samples based on elemental fingerprint profiling and multivariate data analysis. Thirty‐eight elements (toxic and essential) were determined in 36 chocolate samples (organic and conventional) by using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry to establish reference ranges and to identify differences in patterns of elements in both type of samples. Our results showed that Al, Zn, Mn, Cu, and Ba are the most present components for both types of chocolate, and higher concentrations of essential elements Fe, Zn, and Mg are found in conventional type, opposing the idea that organic food is rich in essential elements. Principal component analysis and linear discriminant analysis were used for multivariate data analysis, and sample differentiation was possible with 83% accuracy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this study was to analyze the effect of heat treatment on the bioaccessibility of major (K, Ca, Mg, P) and trace elements (As, Ba, Cu, Fe, Mn, Cd, Cr, Hg, Mo, Ni, Pb, Se, Sb, Sn, and Zn) in three different pulse species: Vigna unguiculata L. Walp (cowpea beans), Cajanus cajan L. (pigeon pea) and Lablab purpureus L. Sweet ( mangalo ). Analyte concentrations were determined in the samples by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry and inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry. The results showed that thermal processing can affect the concentrations of the elements investigated in pulse samples. The influence of the heat treatment can range between legume species and chemical elements, as well as with the type of heat treatment, dry, wet, conductive heating and using microwaves. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Amniotic fluid is the substantial factor in the development of an embryo and fetus due to the fact that water and solutes contained in it penetrate the fetal membranes in an hydrostatic and osmotic way as well as being swallowed by the fetus. Elemental composition of amniotic fluid influences the growth and health of the fetus, therefore, an analysis of amniotic fluid is important because the results would indicate abnormal levels of minerals or toxic elements. Inductively coupled plasma mass spectroscopy (ICP-MS) is often used for determination of trace and ultra-trace level elements in a wide range of matrices including biological samples because of its unique analytical capabilities. In the case of trace and ultra-trace level analysis detailed characteristics of analytical procedure as well as properties of the analytical result are particularly important. The purpose of this study was to develop a new analytical procedure for multielemental analysis of 18 elements (Al, As, Ba, Ca, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Mg, Mn, Ni, Pb, Sb, Se, Sr, U, V and Zn) in amniotic fluid samples using ICP-MS. Dynamic reaction cell (DRC) with two reaction gases, ammonia and oxygen, was involved in the experiment to eliminate spectral interferences. Detailed validation was conducted using 3 certified reference mterials (CRMs) and real amniotic fluid samples collected from patients. Repeatability for all analyzed analytes was found to range from 0.70% to 8.0% and for intermediate precision results varied from 1.3% to 15%. Trueness expressed as recovery ranged from 80% to 125%. Traceability was assured through the analyses of CRMs. Uncertainty of the results was also evaluated using single-laboratory validation approach. The obtained expanded uncertainty ( U ) results for CRMs, expressed as a percentage of the concentration of an analyte, were found to be between 8.3% for V and 45% for Cd. Standard uncertainty of the precision was found to have a greater influence on the combined standard uncertainty than on trueness factor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Environment, sex, and age are the main factors which determine the elemental composition of hair. The objective of the study is to determine the contents of calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg), zinc (Zn), copper (Cu), iron (Fe), lead (Pb), and cadmium (Cd) in girls' and boys' hair in five age groups (within 1-19-year range) corresponding to successive human ontogenesis phases as well as to evaluate the relationships between these elements. Quantitative analysis has been carried out using atomic absorption spectrometry (AAS). Experimental results were analyzed using classic and principal component (PCA) statistical analyses. In particular, differences between contents of particularly Ca, Mg, and Zn in girls' and boys' hair were found, and substantial differences between age groups were stated. In general, larger amounts of Ca, Mg, and Zn as compared to boys' hair have been observed for girls' hair and higher toxic element (Pb, Cd) contents for boys were measured in some age groups. An increasing trend was found for bioelements (Ca, Mg, Zn) both for girls and boys in all age groups, while for Cu and Fe content, changes are insignificant and even decreasing for teenagers. The most frequently correlating element pairs are Ca-Mg, Ca-Zn, Mg-Zn, and Pb-Cd. Classic and PCA statistics show, in general, a satisfactory consistence. The elemental composition of hair varies depending on the gender and age of children and young people. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

About 10 heavy elements were determined in 90 samples of baby food collected from Spanish and Serbian market. The results indicated that iron, manganese and copper were most frequently detected. Tin was the predominant toxic element in both Spanish and Serbian samples, with occurrence frequencies of 12.5% and 10.0%, respectively. Element intake for Spanish and Serbian infants were estimated and compared with the recommended reference values, for the majority of elements being lower than one. However, iron and manganese intake through consumption of infant/follow-on formulas were assessed to be higher than the respective daily intakes. Particular attention should be paid to the exposure of infants who consume porridges made of vegetables and fish or chicken, because they may ingest certain elements, particularly arsenic and lead, at levels that exceed the reference toxicological values. Principal component analysis (PCA) was applied to classify and distinguish the different types of baby food. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Rice is a major dietary source of essential trace elements required for the human body but also can be an exposure pathway to different potentially toxic trace elements. This study determined various essential and toxic trace elements in rice from Bangladeshi markets and their possible health risks. Concentrations of essential and toxic trace elements in rice varied significantly from location to location. Mean concentrations (mg kg−1 as dry weight) of essential trace elements were found in the following order - Zn>Mn>Cu>Fe>Mo>Se>Co - and were within their maximum allowable limits. The average concentrations (mg kg−1) of toxic trace elements were as follows: As: 0.17, Cr: 0.18, Ni: 0.55 and Pb: 0.18, while 7% and 40% of the rice samples surpassed, respectively, the EU recommended limits of As and Pb. This study revealed that rice could be a primary exposure pathway of toxic elements, leading to either noncarcinogenic or carcinogenic health problems for daily rice consumers. The non-carcinogenic health risk was mainly associated with As which contributed 77% to the hazard index. The carcinogenic risk measured as incremental lifetime cancer risk (ILCR) was high (>10−4) with As, Cr and Ni, while Pb showed a moderate (<10−4) carcinogenic risk to adults. Rice can substantially be contaminated by trace elements other than As with potential human health risks. Consequently, regular monitoring of the marketed rice grain is demanded, backed up by viable mitigation strategies for reducing toxic elements uptake by rice grains. [Display omitted] • Concentrations of essential and toxic elements in rice from Bangladeshi markets. • 7% and 40% of rice surpassed the EU limits of inorganic As and Pb, respectively. • Rice can be an exposure route for As, Cr, Ni, and Pb to Bangladeshi inhabitants. • Non-carcinogenic health risk from rice was mainly associated with As. • Carcinogenic risk was high (> 10−4) for As, Cr and Ni from rice consumption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Eleven elements (Cu, Zn, Mn, Fe, K, Ca, Mg, Ni, Cd, Pb and Cr) in seven herbal drugs (Salviae folium, Menthae piperitae folium, Melissae folium, Lavandulae flos, Basilici herba, Marubii herba and Origani herba) and in rhizosphere soil samples were determined. Amicrowave digestion procedure preceded the measurements by the flame and electrothermal atomic absorption spectroscopy techniques (FAAS, ETAAS). For potentially hazardous elements and their bioavailability, BCF values were also calculated and discussed in order to identify possible sources of specific elements.

Eleven elements (Cu, Zn, Mn, Fe, K, Ca, Mg, Ni, Cd, Pb and Cr) in seven herbal drugs (Salviae folium, Menthae piperitae folium, Melissae folium, Lavandulae flos, Basilici herba, Marubii herba and Origani herba) and in rhizosphere soil samples were determined. A microwave digestion procedure preceded the measurements by the flame and electrothermal atomic absorption spectroscopy techniques (FAAS, ETAAS). For potentially hazardous elements and their bioavailability, BCF values were also calculated and discussed in order to identify possible sources of specific elements. .

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of GDF5 (growth differentiation factor 5) gene polymorphism on metabolism of chemical elements and milk production of cows. The studies were performed on Holstein cows (n=100). To determine the single nucleotide polymorphism of GDF5 (T586C in exon 1), blood samples were taken. DNA samples were isolated from whole blood using the IsoGeneLab reagent kit. The thermal cycler "MyCycler" was used for DNA amplification. The elemental composition of blood serum was estimated according to 13 chemical elements (Al, As, Pb, Sn, Sr, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, I, Mn, Se, Zn) by ICP AES and ICP MS. The frequency of occurrence of polymorphic groups in the GDF5 gene was established, which was for homozygous alleles: TT (n=41), CC (n=10), heterozygous (TS)-(n=49). The analysis of the data obtained showed that blood serum of cows with the CC genotype, relative to animals with the TT and TC genotypes had a greater concentration of I - by 19.3 (P£0.001) and 10.4% (P£0.01), Se - by 18.3 (P£0.001) and 11.7% (P£0.01), Zn - by 15.8 (P£0.01) and 13.2% (P£0.01), while relatively low concentrations of Al were registered - by 10.8 (P£0.001) and 21.2% (P£0.01), Pb - by 16.4 (P£0.01) and 23.7% (P£0.001) respectively. In terms of milk fat yield (kg/day), animals with CC genotype advanced over animals with the TT and TC genotypes by 4.8 (P£0.05) and 5.2% (P£0.01), protein by 1.2 and 1.4% (P£0.05), milk yield - by 4.8 (P£0.05) and 5.3% (P£0.01). Thus, we can conclude that the metabolism of chemical elements and the milk productivity of cows are significantly determined by the polymorphism of the GDF5 gene. In order to select cows of the Holstein breed according to the GDF5 gene polymorphism, it is advisable to select homozygous animals for the CC genotype. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Hair analysis may be used both in the assessment of element deficiencies in humans as well as environmental and occupational exposure to heavy metals. Materials and methods: This paper evaluates the correlation of a test subject's age to the content of elements such as calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg), zinc (Zn), copper (Cu), iron (Fe), lead (Pb), and cadmium (Cd) in human hair. The content of elements was determined in the hair of 1,038 females and males for five age groups. Quantitative measurements have been performed using atomic absorption spectrometry (AAS). The results were processed using statistical analysis methods including Principal Components Analysis (PCA). Results: The overall mean concentrations of elements in hair were as follows (μg/g): Ca - 431, Mg - 19, Zn - 161, Cu - 13, Fe - 10, Pb - 0,8, Cd - 0,06. The most frequently correlated elemental pairs are: Ca and Mg, Ca and Zn, Mg and Zn, as well as Pb and Cd. In some cases correlations were found for Fe-Pb and Fe-Cd. The content of investigated elements in hair both for females and males differs in the selected age groups. However, for Cd and Cu the differences are not very significant. The smallest amounts of Ca, Mg, and Zn, but the larger contents of toxic metals in hair were observed for children, elderly people and males in comparison to adults and females. Conclusions: Taking into account the high variability of results, further research on the content of elements in human hair should be continued, especially in the case of children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To develop a simple and precise method for the determination of the levels of both essential and toxic elements in jujube collected from different locations in China. Methods: Dried jujube fruits collected were digested by optimized microwave procedure. Inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry was employed to evaluate essential elements, viz, calcium, magnesium, manganese, iron and copper (Ca, Mg, Mn, Fe and Cu) and toxic elements, namely, aluminum, lead and cadmium (Al, Pb and Cd) in four jujube fruits. Results: The results show that the jujube fruits were rich in essential elements and had low contents of toxic elements. The levels of the elements varied significantly amongst the four jujube fruits (p < 0.05). Method validation indicates that the proposed method was accurate and precision. The detection limits were 0.0005 - 0.0100 µg/mL while recovery ranged from 91.6 - 105.0%, with relative standard deviation (RSD) < 5%. Conclusion: Five essential elements and two toxic elements (except cadmium) varied widely in their contents in the four jujube fruits. Knowledge of the contents of these elements would provide consumers with information on the quality of jujube fruits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The intake of leafy vegetables in daily diet is very important to meet our nutritional needs. Vegetables provide the essential elements which are necessary and recommended for human growth. However, due to rapid industrialization and urbanization our environment becomes polluted and this affects the normal growth of agricultural products and composition of environmental species. The elemental concentrations present in the environmental samples are good indicators to assess the toxicological levels due to pollution affects. In the present work we have analysed several vegetable plant samples by instrumental neutron activation analysis to determine the elemental concentrations at major, minor and trace levels. The leafy vegetables like spinach, red leafy veagetable, pui, gourd leaf, lettuce and katoua were chosen as these are extensively consumed by local peple in eastern part of India. We have determined 15 elements in the above mentioned vegetable samples and some of these are essential elements and some are toxic elements. It was found that Na and K were present as major elements, Fe and Zn as minor elements and As, Ce, Cr, Co, La, Mo, Rb, Sc, Sm, Sr as trace elements. The concentration level of Cr was found to be higher than that of recommended value certified by WHO and National environment quality control for human consumption. The validation of our analytical results have been performed by the Z-score tests through the determination of concentrations of the elements of interest in certified reference materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study is to evaluate the sensitivity of Ko-method of Instrumental Neutron Activation Analysis for minor, trace and toxic elements in the most consumed foodstuff purchased from large commercial markets in Kenitra’s city (Morocco) which has been chosen for a pilot project on food monitoring in the west of Morocco. Samples have been analyzed by Ko-INAA method using TRIGA Mark II reactor at Josef Stefan Institute in Slovenia. The quality control of results was assessed using the Standard Reference Material SRM 1547 (Peach leaves). Results show an adequate sensitivity for the most studied elements in foodstuffs except for beef, onion and whole wheat which show a high sensitivity factor for Cd and As. INAA seems to be an adequate choice for element analysis in foodstuffs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Concentrations of Na, K, Ca, Mg, Fe, Cu, Zn, Mn, Se and Cd were determined in 58 specimens of molluscs belonging to two species: Mytilus chilensis and Perunytitus purpuratus , collected on the coast of San Juan in the Strait of Magellan (Chile). Perunytitus purpuratus presented higher concentrations for all the minerals and trace elements except K, with significant differences for Mg, Fe, Cu, Se and Cd. A 100g serving of these molluscs was shown to provide a high contribution of these minerals and trace elements to the daily dietary intake; especially noteworthy were Fe, Zn, Mg and Se in the case of P. purpuratus. In addition, the consumption of these molluscs makes a large contribution to daily Cd intake. Significant differences were observed among the mean concentrations for most of the metals studied, according to the date that the samples were collected. The application of linear discriminant analysis (LDA) to the minerals and trace elements studied makes it possible to differentiate reasonably between these two mollusc species. For specimens belonging to each mollusc species, the application of LDA made the differentiation of the specimens according to their weight range possible. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Bioaccessibility of trace elements (Li, Be, Ti, Ga, Cu, Ag, Hg, Cd, Cs, Pt, Tl, Pb, As, Cr, Co, Ni, V, Se, Sn and Sb) and major elements (Rb, Ba, Al, Fe, Zn, Si, Ca, Mg, Mn, Mo, Sr, P and K) in tea infusions has been assessed using an in vitro dialyzability protocol. Gastric simulation (using pepsin solution) and intestinal simulation (using pancreatin and bile salts) were used to perform the in vitro digestion. ICP-MS, ICP-OES and FAES were used for elements determination in digested tea leaves, their infusions and the dialyzate fractions from tea infusions. Microwaves assisted acid digestion was used for the total element determination in tea leaves, while tea infusions were prepared by brewing tea leaves for 5 min in boiling water. The LODs for elements determined in tea leaves were in the range of 0.11–656 ng g−1 and 0.02–145.6 μg g−1 for trace and major elements, respectively. For elements' determination in tea infusions, the LODs were ranged between 0.23 and 399.9 ng L−1 for trace elements and 0.2–1248 μg L−1 for major elements. The LODs for the elements in the dialyzable fraction varied from 0.018 to 142 μg L−1. The accuracy of the total element determination was evaluated using certified reference materials (Tea Leaves INCT-TL-1 and Rye Grass). The analytical recoveries were also assessed for analyzed elements in digested tea leaves (95–114%) and their infusions (92–115%), showing good recoveries. Among the studied elements, K was the most abundant element in tea leaves and tea infusions in almost all samples, followed by Ca, Mg, and P. Zn, Cs, and K showed the highest dialyzability percentages up to 84%, 76%, and 54%, respectively, followed by Si and Ca and K that show moderate to high dialyzability percentages. The accuracy of the dialysis process was evaluated using a mass-balance study. Image 1 • Element determination in tea leaves, tea infusion and dialyzable fractions samples by ICP-MS, ICP-OES and FAES. • In vitro bioaccessibility study of trace and major elements in tea infusion using dialysis membranes. • Mass balance was used to evaluate the accuracy of the dialysis procedure. • Tea could be considered a rich dietary source of K, P, Mg, Mn, Ca, Si and Rb. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Primary open angle glaucoma (POAG) is the most common form of chronic, progressive optic neuropathies characterized by slow degeneration of the retinal ganglion cells and their axons, resulting in visual field loss. Risk factors for this disease are elevated intraocular pressure (IOP), increased age, European and African ethnicity, family history, myopia and decreased corneal thickness. In addition, studies indicated that levels of trace elements are also significantly related to the POAG. The association between toxic and essential elements and POAG was explored in a population-based case–control study in the Sardinia Island (Italy). The aqueous humor levels of Al, Cd, Cu, Fe, Hg, Mn, Ni, Pb and Zn were measured in 25 POAG patients compared to 20 age- and gender-matched healthy controls by sector field inductively coupled mass spectrometry. Risk factors as gender, age and increased IOP were also explored. The concentrations of Fe, Hg and Zn were significantly higher in POAG patients than in control subjects, showing these elements as possible determinants in POAG development or degeneration. Other findings were the increased Cu and Fe levels in glaucomatous patients with age less than 70 years. Levels of Ni were found elevated in POAG females. Mercury accumulated more in POAG females, in patients over 70 years and in those with higher levels of IOP in the left eye. Moreover, the positive associations Cu Fe and Mn- Zn may indicate synergistic effects of elements. Altogether, these findings suggested a multifactorial role in the risk for POAG disease. The present study documented the levels of trace elements in aqueous humor of Sardinian POAG patients for the first time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Developing tailor-made fortified farmed fish is a promising solution to overcome nutritional deficiencies and increase consumer confidence in these products. This study evaluated the supplementation of three fortified diets with I-rich seaweed and selenised-yeast on essential and toxic elements levels in gilthead seabream (Sparus aurata) and common carp (Cyprinus carpio). Fortified diets resulted in increased I, Se and Fe in fish muscle. Biofortified seabream and carp revealed lower Cu and Br. The reduction of fishmeal and fish oil in fortified diets resulted in lower Hg and Cd in seabream muscle. Contrarily, fortified diets increased As and Hg in carp fillets. The consumption of 150 g of fortified seabream enabled a significantly higher contribution to the daily recommended intake (DRI) of I (10%) and Se (76%) than non-fortified fish, whereas fortified carp fulfilled 23% of I DRI and 91% of Se DRI. Moreover, the exposure to Pb decreased with the consumption of biofortified seabream (23–82% BMDL 01) and carp (26–92% BMDL 01). These results support the strategy of developing eco-innovative biofortified farmed fish using sustainable, natural, safe and high-quality ingredients in feeds, to enable consumers to overcome nutritional deficiencies without significantly increased feed costs. • Farmed fish biofortification was successfully achieved through I and Se enriched diets from natural and sustainable sources. • Biofortified fish fillets yielded a lower exposure to toxic elements, including Hg, Cd and Pb. • Iodine fortification was more efficient in common carp, while Se biofortification was more efficient in gilthead seabream. • Consumption of biofortified fish provides higher contribution to the DRI of I and Se, without compromising consumer safety. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The raw concentration data for the research article entitled "Essential and non-essential trace elements in fish consumed by indigenous peoples of the European Russian Arctic" (Sobolev et al., 2019) [1] are herein presented. Fifteen fish species were collected in the Nenets Autonomous and Arkhangelsk Regions of the Russian Federation and were analysed for 9 elements (As, Cd, Co, Cu, Hg, Ni, Pb, Se and Zn). The sampling sites were located in the European parts of the Russian Arctic and sub-Arctic territories. Within these territories, Nenets indigenous peoples commonly catch and consume local fish. Based on questionnaire data, local fish sources constituted ∼ 90% of the total fish consumed by endemic individuals living in these regions. The data summarized in this publication fill a gap in knowledge., (© 2019 The Author(s).)