Urinary Mineral Research Articles

Maternal loss of 24-hydroxylase causes increased intestinal calcium absorption and hypercalcemia during pregnancy but reduced skeletal resorption during lactation in mice.

Inactivation of 24-hydroxylase (CYP24A1) causes mild hypercalcemia in humans that becomes severe and life-threatening during pregnancy through unclear mechanisms. We studied Cyp24a1 null mice during pregnancy, lactation, and post-weaning. We hypothesized that Cyp24a1 nulls have a much greater increase in calcitriol during pregnancy and lactation, leading to markedly increased intestinal calcium absorption and reduced lactational bone loss. WT and Cyp24a1 null sisters were mated to Cyp24a1+/- males. Timepoints included baseline (BL), late pregnancy (LP), mid-lactation (ML), late lactation (LL), and weekly x4 weeks of post-weaning recovery (R1-4). Assessments included intestinal calcium absorption (IntCaAbs) by gavage of 45Ca, bone mineral content (BMC) by DXA, microCT of femurs, 3-point bending tests of tibias, serum hormones, serum and urine minerals, milk analysis, and intestinal gene expression. At LP, whole body BMC increased equally by ~12% in null and WT. Calcitriol was 2.5-fold higher in nulls vs WT, accompanied by 3-fold increased IntCaAbs, hypercalcemia, hypercalciuria, and 6.5-fold higher FGF23. PTH was suppressed in both. Twenty percent of null dams died during delivery but their serum calcium at LP did not differ from Cyp24a1 nulls that survived. At ML, calcitriol, IntCaAbs, and FGF23 declined in both genotypes but remained higher than BL values in Cyp24a1 nulls. By LL, nulls were still hypercalcemic vs WT, and had lost less mean whole body BMC (11% vs. 21%, P<.02), but by micro-CT there were no differences from WT in cortical or trabecular bone mass. Lactational losses in BMC, cortical thickness, and trabecular number were restored by R4 in both genotypes. In summary, ablation of Cyp24a1 increased IntCaAbs and caused hypercalcemia during pregnancy and lactation, late gestational mortality in some nulls, and reduced lactational BMC loss. Treating women with gestational hypercalcemia from CYP24A1 mutations should focus on reducing calcitriol or IntCaAbs, since increased bone resorption is not the cause.

Unraveling the role of gut microbiota by fecal microbiota transplantation in rat model of kidney stone disease

Emerging research on the microbiome highlights the significant role of gut health in the development of kidney stones, indicating that an imbalance in gut bacteria or dysbiosis can influence the formation of stones by altering oxalate metabolism and urinary metabolite profiles. In particular, the overabundance of specific bacteria such as Enterococcus and Oxalobacter spp., which are known to affect oxalate absorption, is observed in patients with urolithiasis. This study investigates the effects of gut dysbiosis on urolithiasis through fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) from patients to rats and its impact on urinary mineral excretion and stone formation. Fecal samples from eight patients with calcium oxalate stones and ten healthy volunteers were collected to assess the gut microbiome. These samples were then transplanted to antibiotic-pretreated Wistar rats for a duration of four weeks. After transplantation, we evaluated changes in the fecal gut microbiome profile, urinary mineral excretion rates, and expression levels of intestinal zonula occluden-1 (ZO-1), SLC26A6 and renal NF-κB. In humans, patients with urolithiasis exhibited increased urinary calcium and oxalate levels, along with decreased citrate excretion and increased urinary supersaturation index. The fecal microbiota showed a notable abundance of Bacteroidota. In rodents, urolithiasis-FMT rats showed urinary disturbances similar to patients, including elevated pH, oxalate level, and supersaturation index, despite negative renal pathology. In addition, a slight elevation in the expression of renal NF-κB, a significant intestinal SLC26A6, and a reduction in ZO-1 expression were observed. The gut microbiome of urolithiasis-FMT rats showed an increased abundance of Bacteroidota, particularly Muribaculaceae, compared to their healthy FMT counterparts. In conclusion, the consistent overabundance of Bacteroidota in both urolithiasis patients and urolithiasis-FMT rats is related to altered intestinal barrier function, hyperoxaluria, and renal inflammation. These findings suggest that gut dysbiosis, characterized by an overgrowth of Bacteroidota, plays a crucial role in the pathogenesis of calcium oxalate urolithiasis, underscoring the potential of targeting the gut microbiota as a therapeutic strategy.

Urinary concentrations of mineral elements and their predictors in pregnant women in Jinan, China

BackgroundThe essential mineral elements play important roles in proper growth, development and maintenance of physiological homeostasis of an organism. Women are at greater risk of mineral deficiency during pregnancy. However, the predictors of mineral element levels in pregnant women remain unclear. This study was conducted to determine the urinary levels of calcium (Ca), iron (Fe), copper (Cu), manganese (Mn) and selenium (Se) in women during early pregnancy and to explore the predictors of urinary exposure to each mineral element and high co-exposure to mineral element mixture. Methods298 pregnant women in first trimester were recruited when they attended antenatal care in a hospital in Jinan, Shandong Province, China. We collected their spot urine samples and questionnaire data on their sociodemographic characteristics, lifestyle habits, food and dietary supplement intake, and residential environment. The concentrations of Ca, Fe, Cu, Mn and Se in all urine samples were measured. LASSO regression, multiple linear regression and binary logistic regression were used to analyze the predictors affecting mineral element levels. ResultsThe geometric means of creatinine-corrected Ca, Fe, Cu, Mn and Se concentrations were 99.37 mg/g, 1.75 µg/g, 8.97 µg/g, 0.16 µg/g and 16.83 µg/g creatinine, respectively. Factors that influenced the concentrations of individual mineral element were as follows: (1) Se and Ca concentrations increased with maternal age; (2) women taking tap water as family drinking water had higher Ca levels and those taking polyunsaturated fatty acids intermittently had higher Cu levels; (3) Fe was adversely related to consumption frequency of barbecued foods; (4) Pregnant women with more frequent consumption of shellfish/shrimp/crab and living near green spaces or parks had higher Mn exposure, and those with higher frequency of meat consumption had lower Mn exposure. In addition, maternal age and the frequency of egg consumption were associated with odds of exposure to a mixture of high Ca, Fe, Cu and Se. ConclusionsThe pregnant women in this study had comparable concentrations of urinary Cu and Se but lower concentrations of Ca, Fe and Mn compared with those in other areas. Predictors of urinary mineral elements included maternal age (Se and Ca), type of domestic drinking water (Ca), consumption frequency of barbecued food (Fe), polyunsaturated fatty acid use (Cu), the presence of urban green spaces or parks near the home and frequency of meat and shellfish/shrimp/crab intake (Mn). Moreover, maternal age and egg consumption frequency were significant predictors of high-level co-exposure to urinary Ca, Fe, Cu and Se.

Evaluating mineral biomarkers as mediators and moderators of behavioural improvements in a randomised controlled trial of multinutrients for children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder.

Essential minerals are cofactors for synthesis of neurotransmitters supporting cognition and mood. An 8-week fully-blind randomised controlled trial of multinutrients for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) demonstrated three times as many children (age 6-12) had significantly improved behaviour ('treatment responders') on multinutrients (54 %) compared with placebo (18 %). The aim of this secondary study was to evaluate changes in fasted plasma and urinary mineral concentrations following the intervention and their role as mediators and moderators of treatment response. Fourteen essential or trace minerals were measured in plasma and/or urine at baseline and week eight from eighty-six participants (forty-nine multinutrients, thirty-seven placebos). Two-sample t tests/Mann-Whitney U tests compared 8-week change between treatment and placebo groups, which were also evaluated as potential mediators. Baseline levels were evaluated as potential moderators, using logistic regression models with clinical treatment response as the outcome. After 8 weeks, plasma boron, Cr (in females only), Li, Mo, Se and vanadium and urinary iodine, Li and Se increased more with multinutrients than placebo, while plasma phosphorus decreased. These changes did not mediate treatment response. However, baseline urinary Li trended towards moderation: participants with lower baseline urinary Li were more likely to respond to multinutrients (P = 0·058). Additionally, participants with higher baseline Fe were more likely to be treatment responders regardless of the treatment group (P = 0·036.) These results show that multinutrient treatment response among children with ADHD is independent of their baseline plasma mineral levels, while baseline urinary Li levels show potential as a non-invasive biomarker of treatment response requiring further study.

Nutrient Characterization and Mineral Composition of Aruana in a Silvopastoral System with Nitrogen Fertilization

The objective was to characterize the nutrient and mineral composition of M. maximus cv Aruana grazed by lambs in a silvopastoral system or full sun with added nitrogen. The treatments are: (1) Aruana grazed in full sun with nitrogen fertilization, (2) Aruana grazed in full sun without nitrogen fertilization, (3) Aruana grazed in a silvopastoral system with nitrogen fertilization and (4) Aruana grazed in a silvopastoral system without nitrogen fertilization. The nutrient dynamics, urinary excretion of N and the amount returned of the nutrient were determined from four sheep in a Latin square experimental design; the analysis of the mineral composition of the leaves and stalks of the grass was carried out by collecting samples from the plots used, totaling six in each treatment evaluated. The silvopastoral system provided high levels of P and K in forage plants. Urinary N excretion and urine mineral contents were influenced by the systems evaluated and the use of N fertilizer. N did not show differences for leaves and canes.

A new system of phosphorus and calcium requirements for lactating dairy cows.

Accurately predicting phosphorous (P) and calcium (Ca) dietary requirements is critical for optimizing dairy cattle performance, and minimizing mineral excretions and ecosystems eutrophication. This study provides a new factorial system to determine net and dietary P and Ca requirements for maintenance and lactation, derived from a meta-regression of mineral trials involving lactating dairy cows. A comprehensive global database was constructed from 57 peer-reviewed articles of mineral balance trials, with a wide range of dietary and animal performance data. We estimated the net requirements for maintenance from the intercept of a nonlinear equation between mineral intake and the sum of total fecal and urinary excretions, which is an estimate of endogenous mineral loss. Mineral secreted in milk was used to obtain net requirements for lactation. The mineral metabolizable coefficient was quantified through observed (treatment means) mineral intake and total fecal and urinary excretions, discounting the estimated endogenous excretions from our proposed models. The nonlinear models of total fecal and urinary mineral excretion were evaluated (observed versus predicted values) using a 5-fold cross validation approach. The models to estimate the sum of endogenous fecal and urinary excretions of P (0.135±0.043 g P/kg BW0.75) and Ca (0.360±0.144 g Ca/kg BW0.75) exhibited suitable precision and accuracy; r = 0.89 and 0.79, concordance correlation coefficient = 0.85 and 0.77, and root mean square prediction error = 24.1 and 20.5% observed means, respectively. Dietary variables (forage level, fiber, starch, crude protein, and ether extract) did not affect the metabolizable coefficient (MC) of P and Ca; therefore, an overall dietary MC of P (0.69±0.01) and Ca (0.65±0.02) were proposed. Our new system estimates lower net and dietary P requirements for lactating dairy cows compared to the NASEM-2021 and NRC-2001 models, but slightly higher Ca requirements than NASEM-2021.This proposed system holds potential to reduce the use of phosphorus in diets for dairy cows, and thus to enhance economic efficiency and environmental sustainability of the dairy industry.

Goats in a comfortable and stressed environment consuming saline water: performance, digestibility, nitrogen balance, and urinary mineral concentrations

Goats in a comfortable and stressed environment consuming saline water: performance, digestibility, nitrogen balance, and urinary mineral concentrations

Association of proton pump inhibitor use with risk of kidney stones: an analysis of cross-sectional data from the US National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2007–2018)

ObjectiveSeveral studies have suggested a potential link between use of proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) and the risk of kidney stones, attributed to alterations in urine mineral levels. Our study aimed...

Negative dietary cation-anion difference and amount of calcium in prepartum diets: Effects on urine and serum minerals

Negative dietary cation-anion difference (DCAD) diets fed prepartum induce a compensated metabolic acidosis, which stimulates metabolic Ca flux before calving and decreases clinical and subclinical hypocalcemia after calving. Effects of low or high dietary Ca in these diets are unclear. Our objective was to determine the effects of inducing a prepartum metabolic acidosis and the amount of dietary Ca on urinary mineral excretion and serum mineral concentrations during the transition period in multiparous Holstein cows (n = 81). Treatment diets fed during the last 28 d before calving were (1) positive DCAD, +6 mEq/100 g of dry matter (DM), target urine pH >7.5, low dietary Ca (0.40% DM; CON); (2) negative DCAD, −24 mEq/100 g of DM, target urine pH 5.5 to 6.0, low dietary Ca (0.40% DM; ND); or (3) negative DCAD, −24 mEq/100 g of DM, target urine pH 5.5 to 6.0, high dietary Ca (2.0% DM; NDCA). Urine was sampled on −21, −14, −7, +1, +2, and +7 d relative to calving. Blood samples were collected on d −30, −21, −14, −7, −4, −2, −1, 0, 1, 2, and 4 relative to parturition. Preplanned treatment contrasts were (1) CON versus ND and NDCA, and (2) ND versus NDCA. Cows fed ND or NDCA had increased urinary volume and excretion of Ca, Cl, and SO4−2, along with decreased excretion of K. Supplementation of Ca to the acidogenic diet increased urinary excretion of Ca at d −21, but this difference lessened as cows approached parturition. Additional Ca increased prepartum urinary excretion of K and Cl. Differences in excretion decreased quickly after parturition, although urinary excretion of Cl remained greater for cows previously fed negative DCAD diets. Acidogenic diets increased serum K and Cl concentrations prepartum. Supplemental Ca decreased serum P relative to ND. During d 0 to 4, serum P and K were greater for cows fed ND or NDCA than for cows fed CON; these differences disappeared by d 4. Acidogenic diets increased serum Ca by increasing Ca flux and excretion in urine. Supplemental Ca in the acidogenic diet modestly increased Ca excretion early in the close-up period.

Bioavailability of bioactive phytochemicals in selected tissues and excreta from goats fed hempseed cake (Cannabis sativa L.) finisher diets

Hempseeds are rich in bioactive phytochemicals, yet little is known about their bioavailability in tissues and excreta of animals fed hemp seed cake. The study evaluated the bioactive phytochemicals and their antioxidant activity in the blood, liver, meat, feces, and urine from goats fed finishing diets containing graded inclusions of hempseed cake (HSC). Twenty-five wether goats (26.8 ± 2.9 kg) of 4–5 months were randomly allocated to five experimental diets containing increasing levels of HSC (0, 25, 50, 75, 100 g/kg DM) substituted for soybean meal (SBM) as the main protein source. Goats were allowed for period of 21 days for adaptation, and blood, fecal, and urine samples were collected on the 28th day of the experiment. The liver and right longissimus thoracis et lumborum were respectively collected at 60 min and 24 h after slaughter. Linear increases (P ≤ 0.05) in blood, liver, and urine magnesium; fecal manganese; and fecal copper were observed with increasing HSC inclusion in the diet. Liver and fecal selenium exhibited a decreasing linear trend (P ≤ 0.05) with HSC increment in diets. Diet did not affect (P > 0.05) meat and urine mineral contents, except urine magnesium. The 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl, and 2,2′-azino-bis (3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) of the blood, liver, and meat linearly increased (P ≤ 0.05) with dietary inclusion of HSC. Blood and liver ferric reducing antioxidant power quadratically increased (P ≤ 0.05) with HSC inclusion reaching a maximum at 50 g/kg dry matter. Current results suggest that inclusion of HSC up to 100 g/kg substituting SBM in goat diets can improve bioavailability of bioactive phytochemicals in the blood, liver, and meat.

Application of Kronecker convolutions in deep learning technique for automated detection of kidney stones with coronal CT images

Kidney stone disease is a serious public health concern that is getting worse with changes in diet, obesity, medical conditions, certain supplements etc. A kidney stone also called a renal calculus, is a hard buildup of urine minerals that form in the kidneys. Computed tomography (CT) is one of the imaging models used to identify kidney stones by clinical experts. Due to the low resolution of these images, sometimes detecting kidney stones is tedious with the naked eye, which may lead to false alarms. In this work, a computer-based diagnosis system with a deep learning technique has been developed as a practical solution to aid clinicians in their diagnosis. The traditional convolutional neural network (CNN)-based deep learning technology can detect stones in the kidney. Still, it suffers from the performance and standard implementation of the convolution operations in convolution layers. A Kronecker product-based convolution technique is incorporated in the proposed deep learning architecture to reduce the redundancy in feature maps without convolution overlapping. Our proposed method helps to make the network more effective by extracting abstract and in-depth features from the input images. The publicly available GitHub kidney stone CT scans are utilized to develop the proposed architecture. Our automated model detected kidney stones with an accuracy of 98.56% utilizing CT images. Our system is more effective than the most recent and cutting-edge techniques developed for identifying kidney stones of any size, including the smallest ones.

Assessment of minerals in biological fluids in people with obesity: A pilot study

Background and AimObesity is a multifactorial disease that can lead to nutritional metabolic disorders, in which the general state of trace elements and minerals are altered. Thus, research involving biological fluids to assess the metabolic nutritional status of minerals Manganese (Mn); Selenium (Se); Strontium (Sr); Zinc (Zn); Molybdenum (Mo); Copper (Cu); Iron (Fe); Calcium (Ca); Magnesium (Mg) and Chromium (Cr) are essential in people with obesity. Therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate the concentrations of these trace elements and minerals in different biological fluids (plasma, erythrocytes, saliva, urine and tear) from people with and without obesity. MethodsThe experimental sample consisted of 28 volunteers divided into two groups: Obesity Group (OG, n = 14) and Non-Obese (NO, n = 14), who were clinically evaluated by anthropometry, body composition and biochemical tests. Minerals were assessed in different biological fluids (plasma, erythrocyte, saliva, urine and tear) using the ICP-MS methodology. A significance level of 5% (p < 0.05) was considered. Data were shown as mean ± standard deviation. ResultsAnthropometric evaluation, body composition and LDL-cholesterol were significantly higher in the OG (p < 0.05), as expected. Plasma minerals were significantly lower in OG than the NO (Se = 184±102 vs 229±83 µg/L (p= = 0.027); Fe= 578±346 vs 1099±529 µg/L (p = 0.005), respectively). Erythrocyte and salivary minerals were significantly higher in, in OG than the NO, (erythrocyte Mg = 5.8 ± 0.8 vs 5.0 ± 0.7 mg/dL (p = 0.041) and salivary Ca = 2.7 ± 0.9 vs 1.8 ± 1.0 mg/dL (p = 0.027), respectively). Furthermore, urine minerals were significantly lower in OG than the NO, (Se = 17.4 ± 5.6 vs 26.0 ± 12.7 µg/L (p = 0.034) and Mo = 27.0 ± 14.3 vs 52±39.2 µg/L (p = 0.041), respectively). Regarding tears, there was no difference between groups (p > 0.05). ConclusionOur study provides a better understanding of minerals concentrations in different biological fluids in people with obesity. Besides, this study may contribute to future identification of potential minerals biomarkers. However, considering our study's major limitation was its small sample size, caution should be taken when interpreting the results.

Bone metabolism during strict head-down tilt bed rest and exposure to elevated levels of ambient CO2

Astronauts on the International Space Station are exposed to levels of atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) above typical terrestrial levels. We explored the possibility that increased levels of ambient CO2 further stimulate bone resorption during bed rest. We report here data from 2 ground-based spaceflight analog studies in which 12 male and 7 female subjects were placed in a strict 6° head-down tilt (HDT) position for either 30 days at 0.5% ambient CO2 or 60 days with nominal environmental exposure to CO2. Bone mineral density (BMD) and bone mineral content (BMC) were determined using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA). Blood and urine were collected before and after HDT for biochemical analysis. No change was detected in either BMD or BMC, as expected given the study duration. Bone resorption markers increased after bed rest as expected; however, elevated CO2 had no additive effect. Elevated CO2 did not affect concentrations of minerals in serum and urine. Serum parathyroid hormone and 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D were both reduced after bed rest, likely secondary to calcium efflux from bone. In summary, exposure to 0.5% CO2 for 30 days did not exacerbate the typical bone resorption response observed after HDT bed rest. Furthermore, results from these strict HDT studies were similar to data from previous bed rest studies, confirming that strict 30–60 days of HDT can be used to evaluate changes in bone metabolism. This is valuable in the continuing effort to develop and refine efficacious countermeasure protocols to mitigate bone loss during spaceflight in low-Earth orbit and beyond.

Bone Metabolism During Strict Head-Down Tilt Bed Rest and CO2 Exposure

ObjectivesCarbon dioxide (CO2) levels on board the International Space Station reach 10× those of outdoor terrestrial levels. We report here studies assessing whether increased levels of ambient CO2 contribute to elevated bone resorption characteristically observed with bed rest as an analog for skeletal unloading during spaceflight.MethodsData are reported from two ground-based studies which included 12 male and 7 female subjects placed in a strict −6° head-down tilt (HDT) position for 30 days at 0.5% ambient CO2 or 60 days with nominal environment (0.04% CO2). Subjects were neither afforded a pillow nor allowed to use an elbow while eating to increase headward fluid pressure. Bone mineral density (BMD) and bone mineral content (BMC) were measured with dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. Blood and urine were collected before and during HDT for analysis.ResultsThere was no change in BMD or BMC. Excretion of collagen crosslinks increased during HDT (p < 0.001) with no additive effect of CO2. Serum and urine mineral concentrations were not affected by CO2. Serum PTH and 1,25-deoxyhydroxyvitamin D were both reduced during bed rest (p < 0.0001), likely secondary to calcium efflux from bone, but with no additive effect of CO2 exposure. These changes reinforce the impact of decreased mechanical loading on bone and mineral homeostasis and the efficacy of the strict HDT model.ConclusionsExposure to 0.5% CO2 for 30 days did not exacerbate bone resorption during strict HDT bed rest. Future research on bone metabolism at varied CO2 levels is needed to clarify a risk ceiling for bone resorption, especially as missions progress beyond low-Earth orbit.Funding SourcesThe data reported here were from the NASA Human Research Program Standard Measures Cross-Cutting Project. Funding was provided by the NASA Human Research Program's Human Health Countermeasures Element. ERM was funded through a NASA Summer Science Institute Fellowship.

The human pathogenic 91del7 mutation in SLC34A1 has no effect in mineral homeostasis in mice

Kidneys are key regulators of phosphate homeostasis. Biallelic mutations of the renal Na+/phosphate cotransporter SLC34A1/NaPi-IIa cause idiopathic infantile hypercalcemia, whereas monoallelic mutations were frequently noted in adults with kidney stones. Genome-wide-association studies identified SLC34A1 as a risk locus for chronic kidney disease. Pathogenic mutations in SLC34A1 are present in 4% of the general population. Here, we characterize a mouse model carrying the 91del7 in-frame deletion, a frequent mutation whose significance remains unclear. Under normal dietary conditions, 12 weeks old heterozygous and homozygous males have similar plasma and urinary levels of phosphate as their wild type (WT) littermates, and comparable concentrations of parathyroid hormone, fibroblast growth factor 23 (FGF-23) and 1,25(OH)2 vitamin D3. Renal phosphate transport, and expression of NaPi-IIa and NaPi-IIc cotransporters, was indistinguishable in the three genotypes. Challenging mice with low dietary phosphate did not result in differences between genotypes with regard to urinary and plasma phosphate. Urinary and plasma phosphate, plasma FGF-23 and expression of cotransporters were similar in all genotypes after weaning. Urinary phosphate and bone mineral density were also comparable in 300 days old WT and mutant mice. In conclusion, mice carrying the 91del7 truncation do not show signs of impaired phosphate homeostasis.

The plasma and urine mineral status of lambs offered diets of perennial wheat or annual wheat, with or without lucerne

The development of perennial wheat is proposed to increase resource-use efficiency and sustainability of crop production. Annual dual-purpose winter wheat and perennial wheat offer grazing potential, however they both have mineral imbalances due to excess forage K and deficient Na, which may lead to metabolic diseases such as hypocalcaemia and hypomagnesaemia. Notwithstanding a low forage Na concentration, it was hypothesised that the addition of forage lucerne (alfalfa), high in forage Ca and Mg, may overcome calcium and magnesium deficiencies of the wheat varieties. A pen feeding study was conducted using 10-month-old Poll Dorset × Merino ewe lambs (46.4 ± 1.8 kg) to test the effect on plasma and urine mineral status with the addition of lucerne to perennial wheat or annual wheat forage. The lambs (n = 48) were individually fed one of four diets, including perennial wheat (PW), annual wheat (W), perennial wheat + lucerne (alfalfa) (PW + L) or annual wheat + lucerne (W + L) and feed intake was calculated daily. Individual blood and urine sampling commenced on entry to the pens and were repeated at 7-day intervals for 3 further weeks. The addition of lucerne increased the dietary supply of Ca, Mg and Na and decreased K and P. When compared to W, PW offered more Ca, Mg, K, and less Na and P. There were mineral intake differences over time (P < 0.001) for all minerals. All diets offered high dietary cation anion difference (45.0 – 94.9), K: (Na + Mg) (7.3 – 12.8), K: Na (305 – 1137) ratios, while the addition of lucerne increased the Ca: P ratio and improved the K: (Mg + Ca) (Tetany index). Plasma Mg, Na, K and P declined significantly throughout the study, under all diets, to varying degrees. In Week 1, plasma Mg was significantly lower in PW lambs when compared to all other diets, but no further diet effects were observed thereafter. By contrast, plasma Ca increased throughout the study, but without dietary effects. The urinary excretion of Mg was higher with the addition of lucerne in the PW + L and W + L diets after 1-week, although this effect declined in subsequent weeks. The excretion of Ca, Na and P was very low in urine and decreased, while K excretion increased during the study. Taken together the results indicate that the greater dietary intake of Ca, Mg and Na due to the addition of lucerne was insufficient to overcome the primary mineral imbalance of high dietary K and low Na in the cereal forages. Furthermore, the addition of lucerne to the diet further decreased P intake and greatly increased the Ca: P ratio. Our calculations suggest lambs grazing any of the diets in the present study still required supplementation with Na and Mg, but the addition of lucerne alleviated the need for Ca supplementation. The need for supplementation with a source of dietary P requires further investigation.

Sustainable bio‐bricks prepared with synthetic urine enabled by biomineralization reactions

In this study, mineralization during brick preparation was performed with ureolytic bacterium, Lysinibacillus fusiformis that use urine as a substrate, omitting the heat that is normally required. Artificial urine for reasons of standardization was used to grow the bacterium for bio-bricks made of clay and cement, but their mineralization was enabled by biological activity instead of by heat. Scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersion X-ray spectroscopy were conducted to analyse the microstructures formed by L. fusiformis that precipitated various minerals in synthetic urine. The brick specimens were tested for compressive strength that was 59% more than control ones, whereas porosity of bio-bricks was 13% compared to 22% of control specimens. The minerals formed in the bio-bricks confirmed as struvite, apatite and calcite by Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction spectra, were responsible for improved strength and reduced porosity. The research provided evidence in utilizing ureolytic bacteria as a mode to mineralize clay in brick production with the use of (artificial) urine as a substrate.

Urinary minerals excretion among primary schoolchildren in Dubai-United Arab Emirates.

Urinary excretion of calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg), phosphorus (P), iodine and fluoride is used to assess their statuses and/or the existence of metabolic abnormalities. In the United Arab Emirates (UAE), the urinary concentration of these minerals among children have not been documented. A cross-sectional study, including 593 subjects (232 boys and 361 girls), was conducted among healthy 6 to 11-year-old Emirati children living in Dubai. Non-fasting morning urine samples and anthropometrical measurements were collected and analyzed. Results were expressed as per mg of creatinine (Cr). On average, estimated Cr excretion was 17.88±3.12 mg/kg/d. Mean urinary Ca/Cr, Mg/Cr and P/Cr excretions were 0.08±0.07 mg/mg, 0.09±0.04 mg/mg, and 0.57±0.26 mg/mg respectively. Urinary excretion of Ca, Mg and P were found to decrease as age increased. Urinary excretion and predicted intake of fluoride were lower than 0.05 mg/kg body weight per day. Surprisingly, more than 50% of the children were found to have urinary iodine excretion level above adequate. The Emirati schoolchildren had comparable levels of urinary Ca, Mg and P excretion to other countries. The 95% percentile allows the use of the current data as a reference value for the detection of mineral abnormalities. Fluoride excretion implies that Emirati children are at low risk of fluorosis. The level of urinary iodine excretion is slightly higher than recommended and requires close monitoring of the process of salt iodization to avoid the harmful impact of iodine overconsumption.

Effects of Different Supper Times on Urinary Mineral Excretion in Young Adult Women

Effects of Different Supper Times on Urinary Mineral Excretion in Young Adult Women

The use of "kaun" (Local Potash) as a mineral source in the diet of West African Dwarf sheep

The study was conducted for 48 days to assess the use of kaun as a source of mineral for Hest African Dwarf sheep. The study was in two parts. Experiment l involved the use of milled kaun mixed with formulated concentrate consisting of wheat offal (50%), palm kernel cake (25%) and dried brewer's grains (25%). Experiment II was the use of dissolved kaun administered to the animals in form / drenching. Each group of animals in experiment 1 was allocated to experimental diet containing milled kaun (0.00, 0.14, 0.28, 0.45 and 0.56g/kg body weight/ram. day) and to kaun solution (0,2,4,6 and 8g: 10ml of water/ram/day) in experiment II. In Experiment I, significant (P&lt;0.05) effects of the diets were observed on average daily gain, dry matter intake and water consumption. The rams on D3 significantly (P&lt;0.05) performed better in daily gain, dry matter intake and feed efficiency than those on other dietary treatment. Water consumption increased with increasing level of kaun in the diets. Animals on D5 had the highest water consumption. No significant (P&gt;0.05) effects of the diets were observed on faecal and urinary mineral outputs of the rams fed kaun supplemented diet. The concentration of these minerals was higher at the end of the experiment than at the beginning thereby giving positive balance. Significant (P&lt;0.05) negative mineral balance was noticed between serum mineral before and after the experiment. This could suggest that mineral utilization was encouraged by kaun inclusion in the concentrate feed. In Experiment II, there were significant (P&lt;0.05) effects of the test diets on average daily gain, dry matter intake and water consumption. Diet 4 (g/10ml of water/ram/day) and D5 (8g:10ml of water/ram/day) performed better with an average daily gain of 100g/d and 92.9g/d; dry matter intake, 70g W0.7kg and 66g/W0.75kg; feed efficiency 0.700 and 0.710, respectively. Water consumption also increased with increase in the concentration of kaun solution but water consumption in treatment groups was lower than in the control (0.10L/kg body weight). The results of this study suggest that 0.28g kaun kg body weight ram/d) promoted better performance in experiment / while 6g kaun/10ml of water, or 8g kaun 10ml of water/ram/d promoted better performance in experiment II. These levels of kaun as a source of mineral in sheep production are therefore recommended for optimum performance.