Non-essential Elements Research Articles

Dietary Exposure to Essential and Non-essential Elements During Infants’ First Year of Life in the New Hampshire Birth Cohort Study

Even the low levels of non-essential elements exposure common in the US may have health consequences especially early in life. However, little is known about the infant’s dynamic exposure to essential and non-essential elements. This study aims to evaluate exposure to essential and non-essential elements during infants’ first year of life and to explore the association between the exposure and rice consumption. Paired urine samples from infants enrolled in the New Hampshire Birth Cohort Study (NHBCS) were collected at approximately 6 weeks (exclusively breastfed) and at 1 year of age after weaning (n = 187). A further independent subgroup of NHBCS infants with details about rice consumption at 1 year of age also was included (n = 147). Urinary concentrations of 8 essential (Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, Mo, Ni, and Se) and 9 non-essential (Al, As, Cd, Hg, Pb, Sb, Sn, V, and U) elements were determined as a measure of exposure. Several essential (Co, Fe, Mo, Ni, and Se) and non-essential (Al, As, Cd, Hg, Pb, Sb, Sn, and V) elements had higher concentrations at 1 year than at 6 weeks of age. The highest increases were for urinary As and Mo with median concentrations of 0.20 and 1.02 µg/L at 6 weeks and 2.31 and 45.36 µg/L at 1 year of age, respectively. At 1 year of age, As and Mo urine concentrations were related to rice consumption. Further efforts are necessary to minimize exposure to non-essential elements while retaining essential elements to protect and promote children’s health.

Tissue dynamics of potential toxic elements in the Pacific hake (Merluccius productus): distribution and the public health risk assessment

This study aimed to establish the distribution of As, Cd, Pb, Cu, and Zn in the main tissues (muscle, liver, gonads, and gills) of the Pacific hake (Merluccius productus) from the northern Gulf of California to establish baseline bioavailability levels in the northern stock. The results for Pb and Cd were the lowest in the studied tissues (Pb < 0.005mgkg-1 in the liver and gonads and 1.43mgkg-1 for Cd in the liver), followed by levels of Cu and As (muscle > liver > gonads > gills) and Zn with the most abundant levels in all the tissues. The sex of the organisms was not a factor that influenced the bioaccumulation and distribution of the potential toxic elements (PTEs) nor total length, except for As in gills and Cd in muscle and the liver. Important interactions among Zn and non-essential elements were established. The Pacific hake intake of PTEs was probably through the diet via bioaccumulation of the elements in their prey and less by pollution of the water column. In the muscle, a major distribution and storage of As, Zn, and Pb were observed, but in the liver, higher loads were from Cd and Cu. The maximum tolerable weekly intake must be very high to be at health risk for the essential elements and Cd. However, the population might be at risk for Pb and As consumption if more than 124g of M. productus in adults and 35g in children are consumed per week. Further investigations are required to understand the dynamics of PTEs in M. productus as it could be proposed as a biomonitor species.

Nickel uptake in hydroponics and elemental profile in relation to cultivation reveal variability in three Hypericum species

The Hypericum species (H. perforatum, H. olympicum, and H. orientale) were cultured in hydroponics with excess nickel (Ni, 1 or 100 μM Ni) to compare the metallic and metabolite content. Identical species were collected outdoor to assess the same parameters (including uranium and lanthanides) with total of 53 elements. The results showed that Ni was less accumulated in shoots in hydroponics (translocation factor of 0.01–0.25) and the highest absolute amount was detected in H. olympicum. Essential elements were typically depleted by Ni excess, but Co and Na increased. Soluble phenols, sum of flavonols and catechin rather increased in response to Ni but quercetin glycosides and free amino acids decreased in the shoots of H. olympicum mainly. Comparison of laboratory and outdoor growing plants showed more phenols in outdoor samples but not in H. olympicum and individual metabolites differed too. Plants cultured in hydroponics contained lower amount of non-essential, toxic and rare earth elements (30–100-fold) and shoot bioaccumulation factor in outdoor samples was low for most elements (<0.01) but not for Cd and Pt. Data reveal that H. olympicum is a potent source of phenolic metabolites whereas H. orientale accumulates many elements (38 out of 53 elements).

Growing media effect on essential and non-essential mineral composition of lettuce

The composition of the environment in which vegetables are grown or their interaction with the applied fertilizer or nutrient solution determines the essential and non-essential element contents of the vegetables. The main purpose of this study is to evaluate variations of essential and non-essential mineral concentrations of lettuce plants (Lactuca sativa L. cv. Sementel) grown under soil and soilless media. The plants were grown in: low calcareous soil (LCS) and high calcareous soil (HCS), or rockwool or cocopeat. The best growth was from plants grown in cocopeat followed by rockwool, LCS, and HCS. Nitrogen, P, and Zn concentrations of rockwool and cocopeat grown plants were higher than in plants grown in the soils. The Ca, Ti, Sr, Al, Zr, and Ba concentrations of soilless grown plants was lower than that of soil-grown plants. Potassium and S concentrations of lettuce plants were higher in HCS, rockwool or cocopeat than for plants grown in LCS. The Mg and Mn concentrations were highest in plants in cocopeat and LCS. Copper concentration of lettuce plants was highest in HCS. Growing media had no effect on Co, As, Pb, W, Hg, Cr, Nb, Cd, In, I, Cs, Ta, Th, Ga, and Ce concentrations. Concentrations of Br, Rb, V, Se was highest in HCS, cocopeat, HCS, LCS and rockwool, respectively. In conclusion, essential element contents and the growth of lettuce plants was better in cocopeat and rockwool medium than the soils. Zirconium, Ba, Ni, Rb, Al and Ti that are not necessary for plants and humans are lower in the lettuce plants growing in rockwool and cocopeat. According to these results, vegetables grown without soil should be considered as an important advantage for human health.

Patterns of changes in the mineral composition of Agaricus bisporus cultivated in Poland between 1977 and 2020

Since 1979 world production of mushrooms has increased almost 10-fold, but it is not known whether the mineral composition profile of fruit bodies has changed over time and if so, what the patterns of changes are. This work attempts to determine alterations in the mineral composition of Agaricus bisporus produced in Poland in the years 1977–2020. The obtained results indicated a general decrease in the content of most of the analysed elements, which was most likely associated with changes in the growing substrate (horse manure in the first years, followed by the production of compost containing straw and poultry manure). The observed alterations in the content of elements in around 2010 probably resulted from the introduction of supplements during the optimisation of mushroom cultivation. Consuming A. bisporus fruiting bodies produced in Poland has never caused a risk to human health or life. Despite fluctuations in the content of elements in selected years, the results indicate a gradual reduction in the content, especially of nonessential and toxic trace elements. The results obtained from the archival and unique research material reflect current cultivation trends described by changes in the mineral profile of white button mushroom production.

A Review on the Toxicological Elements of Commercial Pediatric Food and its Long-Term Bodily Effects

Commercial food has been an essential part of any pediatric individual’s diet since the minerals and vitamins help sustain their dietary requirements and is given as early as being a newborn. However, it also contains toxicological elements which are associated with long-term bodily effects. These elements can be essential and non-essential. Essential elements found in pediatric food given as early as infancy play a part in the development of pediatric individuals. On the other hand, non-essential elements which include the heavy metals and other toxins may have long-term effects with their brain development. Pediatric individuals, but most especially newborns, infants, and young children are the most vulnerable to these contaminants since their brain and organ systems are yet undeveloped. This article aims to identify the long-term bodily effects and the risk factors of toxicological elements found in commercial pediatric food, which will either hinder or suppress the proper growth of these individuals.

Trace and rare earth element bioaccumulation in the spotted dogfish (Scyliorhinus stellaris).

Metals (trace elements and rare earth elements, REEs) were analysed by inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry in blood, the liver, the kidney and muscle of ex situ spotted dogfish (Scyliorhinus stellaris). The controlled environment in which these elasmobranchs were hosted allowed to assess a baseline level of metals in the different organs since exposure via water and food can be easily monitored. The highest arsenic, chromium, copper, and iron values were found in the liver, cobalt in the kidney, and cadmium and rubidium in muscle. The highest total trace elements content was found in the trend liver (75mgkg-1) > blood (33mgkg-1) > muscle (31mgkg-1) > kidney (10mgkg-1), while the ΣREEs was the liver (30μgkg-1) > muscle (15μgkg-1) > kidney (13μgkg-1) > blood (4.1μgkg-1). Between REEs, the most represented element was scandium. Significant differences in the concentration of metals among organs were observed for almost all elements. Nonessential elements were generally lower and essential elements higher in the examined specimens compared to wild elasmobranchs, suggesting a close relationship between a balanced diet and animal welfare.

Irrigation water salinity and silicon negatively interfere with the physiology and delay the flowering of ornamental sunflowers

Although silicon is considered a non-essential element for plants, its application can mitigate the harmful effects of salt stress. In this sense, the objective was to evaluate the physiological and flowering responses of ornamentalsunflower depending on the application of silicon and irrigation with saline water. The experiment was carried out in a greenhouse in a completely randomized design with six replications, in a 4 x 5 factorial scheme, referring to four electrical conductivities of irrigation water (ECw): 0.5; 1.5; 2.5 and 3.5 dS m-1 and silicon doses: 0, 50, 100, 150 and 200 mg L-1, with potassium silicate as the source. The following were evaluated: internal carbon concentration, transpiration, rate of liquid photosynthesis, instant efficiency of carboxylation, leaf indexes of chlorophyll a, b, chlorophyll a/b ratio, total chlorophyll, external and internal diameter of the chapter, number of petals, appearance of floral bud, beginning of flowering and full opening of the floral bud. Salinity negatively affects photosynthetic activity and flowering of ornamental sunflower plants, so that plants irrigated with saline water (3.5 dS m-1) delayed the appearance of the flower bud, the flowering index and the total opening of the floral button. The application of silicon in ornamental sunflower plants is not effective to mitigate the deleterious effects of salinity on the plant’s physiology. In addition, the addition of silicon is also not able to repair the losses in terms of flowering caused by salt stress in the species.

Variability of lead in urine and blood in healthy individuals

BackgroundLead is a non-essential toxic trace element. Lead in blood (BPb) is the most common biomarker of lead exposure but lead in urine (UPb) has also been used. There is, however, limited data on the variability of UPb in the general population and the association with BPb. ObjectivesOur aims were to assess variability of lead in repeated blood and urine samples. The diurnal variation of UPb was also examined as well as associations with BPb. MethodsWe established an openly available biobank including 60 healthy non-smoking individuals, 29 men and 31 women, 21–64 years of age (median 31 years), with repeated sampling of blood and urine. Timed urine samples were collected at six fixed time points in two 24 h periods, about one week apart, and adjusted for creatinine and specific gravity (SG). BPb and UPb were analyzed by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. The within- and between-individual variabilities and intra-class correlation coefficients (ICCs; ratios of the between-individual to total observed variances) were calculated using mixed-effects models. ResultsThe ICCs for UPb samples were mostly above 0.5, when adjusted for creatinine or SG, and higher for overnight samples compared with daytime samples. The highest ICCs were obtained for BPb (ICC = 0.97) and for urine samples corrected for dilution by SG or creatinine. The ICC was 0.66 for overnight samples adjusted for creatinine. High correlations with BPb were found for 24 h UPb (rs = 0.77) and overnight samples, e.g. rs = 0.74 when adjusted for SG. There was diurnal variation of UPb with lowest excretion rate in overnight samples. There was also a significant association between the Pb excretion rate and urinary flow rate. ConclusionsIn addition to BPb, UPb adjusted for creatinine or SG seems to be a useful biomarker for exposure assessment in epidemiological studies.

Assessment of Multi-Nutrients and Heavy Metals in Inorganic Fertilizers Widely Used by Indonesian Farmers Using NAA

This research aims to determine the concentration of multi-nutrients and heavy metals and investigate the correlation among them in the seven inorganic fertilizers in Indonesia. Sample analysis was carried out using the NAA method. The highest concentrations of macro-nutrients were K (36.54 %) and Cl (18.09%) found in the KCl sample, while Ca (23.01%) was observed in the TSP sample. In the case of micro-nutrients, the highest concentrations of Se (0.36 mg/kg), Ti (597 mg/kg), Br (1.84%), and Ni (2.46 mg/kg) detected in the NPK sample. Meanwhile, the highest concentrations of Co (19.57 mg/kg) and Na (1.40%) were measured in the ZA sample, while Mg, with the highest concentration of 1.78%, was found in the KMgS sample. The micro-nutrients with the highest concentration detected in the TSP sample were Cr (45.96 mg/kg), Zn (342.6 mg/kg), and Mn (1331 mg/kg). Non-essential elements such as U, V, La, Sb, Sm, Th, Hf, Sr, Cs, Tb, Sc, Rb, Ta, and Eu were also detected in the fertilizer samples with the highest concentrations in the TSP sample. Statistical tests of multi-nutrient and heavy metals concentrations indicated that multi-nutrient and heavy metals in fertilizers are complex.

Extraction Induced by Emulsion Breaking for Ca, Cu, Fe, Mn, Ni, and Zn Determination in Chocolate by Flame Atomic Absorption Spectrometry.

Chocolate is a rich source of essential and non-essential elements. A new liquid-liquid extraction (LLE) approach, extraction induced by emulsion breaking (EIEB), is proposed in which the analyzed elements are transferred from the organic phase to the aqueous phase before measurement by flame atomic absorption spectrometry (FAAS). To compare EIEB to microwave digestion (MWD) for extraction of elements from chocolate prior to FAAS. EIEB parameters were varied to optimize the procedure. EIEB-FAAS was then compared to MWD-FAAS for the analysis of Ca, Cu, Fe, Mn, Ni, and Zn in milk and dark chocolate samples. A certified reference material (NIST 2384, baking chocolate) was analyzed to determine the recoveries of Ca, Cu, Fe, Mn, and Zn by the two methods. The optimized EIEB extraction method involves dilution of tempered chocolate with toluene, ultrasonic emulsification with acidified Triton X-114, breaking the emulsion by heating, and centrifugation to produce two well-defined phases. Analysis of dark and milk chocolate samples showed similar repeatability by EIEB-FAAS (RSDr 0.3 to 6.6% in dark and 0.5 to 8.7% in milk) and MWD-FAAS (RSDr 0.5 to 5.4% in dark and 0.7 to 10.2% in milk), with no significant difference detected between the methods for analysis of Ca, Cu, Fe, Mn, Ni, and Zn based on Student's t-test. Analysis of NIST 2384 baking chocolate certified reference material for Ca, Cu, Fe, Mn, and Zn demonstrated recoveries of 98.6 to 99.5% for EIEB-FAAS compared to 95.8 to 98.6% for MWD-FAAS. EIEB-FAAS was shown to provide high recovery and excellent repeatability for accurate determination of Ca, Cu, Fe, Mn, Ni, and Zn from dark and milk chocolates. The EIEB-FAAS method is simpler and requires fewer reagents compared to other sample preparation methods and allows the calibration to be carried out using aqueous calibration solutions.

Daily Dose Standardization Based on Essential and Nonessential Trace Element Presence in Berberis baluchistanica Ahrendt Bark, Leaf, and Root.

Medicinal plants have great importance to the consumer health, as beside beneficial compounds, plants can accumulate essential and nonessential metals from soil and surrounding environments, leading to consumer health risks. Assuming this, the present study is aimed at evaluating the elemental composition and daily dose standardization based on essential and nonessential trace element presence in of bark, leaves, and roots of Berberis baluchistanica Ahrendt, a common medicinal plant used as a folk medicine in the region. Atomic absorption and flame emission spectroscopy were performed to analyze the presence of essential and nonessential elements manganese (Mn), copper (Cu), lead (Pb), nickel (Ni), iron (Fe), sodium (Na), and potassium (K). Among the essential elements, K was present at high concentrations in the bark (8926.98 ± 0.32 μg/g), leaves (7922.77 ± 0.42 μg/g), and roots (6668.5 ± 0.96 μg/g) of the plant. The estimated concentration of Na was higher in leaves (1782.56 ± 0.13 μg/g), followed by roots (1089.5 ± 0.71 μg/g) and bark (572.8 ± 0.62 μg/g). The Fe concentration varied in the range of 394.7 ± 0.3 μg/g in bark, 1298.3 ± 0.54 μg/g in leaves, and 1208.9 ± 0.7 μg/g in roots. The trace transition element Mn was highest in leaves (42.7 ± 0.99 μg/g), followed by roots (33.5 ± 0.94 μg/g) and bark (22 ± 1 μg/g). The Cu concentration was low, ranging from 20.1 ± 0.63 to 22.67 ± 0.7 μg/g in leaves, bark, and roots. The obtained concentration of nonessential element Pb was relatively lower than the permissible range (10 mgL–1) established by the World Health Organization. The elemental concentrations in all parts were within the set limits for provisional tolerable daily maximum intake (PTDMI) and provisional tolerable weekly intake (PTWI), and the hazard quotient index (HQ) was below 1 for all toxic metals. The micro and macroelemental distribution and the overall medicinal potential of any medicinal plant can be correlated for dose risk estimation, which will be useful in providing knowledge regarding the contraindication associated with folk medicines. In the present study, based on the elemental composition, it was calculated that the daily safe dose for Berberis baluchistanica is approximately 2-5 g/day of raw powder for an adult, which must not be exceeded to this safe range.

A Mini Review on Arsenic and Cadmium Ion Detection Using Fluorescent-Colorimetric Sensors

Heavy metals with high atomic numbers, mass, and density are five times greater than water. They are naturally occurring elements and widely distributed in the environment due to their numerous applications like agricultural, industrial, domestic, technological, and medical fields increasing issues about their potential impact on the environment and human health. In this mini review, we focused on cadmium and arsenic metals. Cadmium is also the non-essential toxic heavy metal element found naturally in the earth's crust, and it is easily affected by plants’ movements through the food cycle and also causes harm to live beings. Arsenic is a common element found in low amounts in almost all environmental compartments. Chemosensors play a pivotal role in environmental and analytical chemistry. Chemosensors can detect enzymes, anions, and hazardous heavy metal ions with excellent selectivity and sensitivity at a low cost. Colorimetric chemosensors are instruments that convert chemical data into analytically relevant signals that can be viewed with the naked eye. Fluorescent-based chemosensors for cations, anions, and neutral analytes have been used in a wide range of applications.

Quantifying maternal transfer of trace elements and stable isotopes in the endangered pelagic thresher shark (Alopias pelagicus)

To quantify maternal provisioning of nutrients in the pelagic thresher shark (Alopias pelagicus) and the potential for negative impacts, the concentrations of trace elements (essential: Co, Cr, Cu, Mn, Ni, Se, and Zn; nonessential: As, Ba, Cd, Hg, and Pb) and fractionation of stable isotopes (13C and 15N) were analyzed in the muscle and liver of 10 pregnant females and 18 associated embryos. Essential trace elements were observed to be offloaded at higher concentrations to embryos, with the exception of Zn and Ni in liver, while nonessential trace elements were unevenly distributed between maternal-embryo tissues. Observed Hg concentrations were at levels considered toxic in A. pelagicus, but the Se: Hg molar ratios in all embryonic tissues were all greater than one. A negative correlation was observed between transfer ratios and concentrations of all elements in maternal tissue, indicating the existence of a regulatory mechanism in maternal ovaries of A. pelagicus. Compared with maternal specimens, associated embryos had higher δ13C and δ15N values in muscle and liver tissue. Negative correlations were observed between δ13C, δ15N, and Δδ13C values and precaudal length in embryonic muscle tissue potentially reflecting either a dietary-habitat shift in pregnant females during the latter period of gestation or a physiological change modifying fractionation. Higher concentrations of essential elements are linked to potential benefits for embryos during early development, levels of Hg suggested a degree of anthropogenic impact with unknown consequences while the directionality of isotopic fractionation could suggest a potential reproductive migration as a protective mechanism for birthing.

Elemental composition in commercial dry extruded and moist canned dog foods

The aim of the study was to investigate elemental contents in commercial pet foods for adult dogs at maintenance. The elemental composition of 15 dry extruded diets (DED) and 22 moist canned diets (MCD) collected from a pet shop were analyzed in triplicate with inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectroscopy and with mass spectrometry for Se. Significantly higher contents of Ca, P, (P < 0.05), K and Na (P < 0.0001) were measured in MCD than in DED, whilst the contrary was observed for Cu and Zn (P = 0.001). All the analyzed foods supplied on average micro minerals above the recommended daily requirements of FEDIAF, except for Cu (mean supply of foods 85%+12) in the MCD and Se both in DED (mean supply in foods 21%+4) and MCD (mean supply in foods 34%+7) samples. All the analyzed foods supplied macro elements above the recommended daily allowances except for K (73%+6) in the DED and Mg (92%+5) in MCD. Principal component analysis with essential elements (EE) as input variables (Ca, P, K, Na, Mg, Fe, Mn, Zn, Cu, Se) explained 63.85% of total variance with the first two components and clustered DED and MCD. Factor scores of Cu, Zn, Mg and Mn were higher for MCD and Ca, P, K and Na for DED. Significantly higher (P < 0.01) frequency of presence of non essential elements (NEE) Cd, Cr, Li and Pb (p < 0.01) were observed in MCD in comparison to DED. Although there are limitations in this study, the results showed a wide variability of elemental contents among per foods and suggest the need of routinely analysis to accomplish with the recommended daily allowances and for the safeguard of companion animals health.

Effect of different fertilizers on peppermint - Essential and non-essential nutrients, essential oils and yield

Peppermint (Mentha x piperita L.) plant was grown in this study using different mineral fertilizers combinations. Effects of fertilizer treatments on green and drug herb yields, herb essential nutrients (N, P, K, Ca, Na, Mg, Fe, Zn, Mn, Cu), essential oil yield, essential oil components (menthol, menthone, 1,8 cineole and menthofuran) and non-essential elements (heavy metal) (Pb, Ni, Co, Cr and Cd) were determined in two successive years (2011-2012). The highest green and drug herb yields were obtained from mono ammonium phosphate (MAP) treatments (24,980 kg ha–1 and 3070 kg ha–1) in the first year and from 15:15:15 treatments (16,950 kg ha–1 and 3080 kg ha–1) in the second year. Nutrient elements nitrogen 2.70% in MAP application, phosphorus 0.55% in mono potassium phosphate (MKP) application, potassium 3.12% in MAP application, calcium 1.47% in di ammonium phosphate (DAP) application, magnesium 0.36% in 15:15:15 application, iron 106 mg kg–1 in 15:15:15 application, copper 11.83 mg kg–1 in MAP application, zinc 35 mg kg–1 in MKP application and manganese 89 mg kg–1 in MAP application the highest value were respectively obtained from treatments. Concentrations of non-essential elements (Pb, Ni, Cr and Cd) in herb were found to be below toxic values. In both years, the highest essential oil yields were obtained from MAP treatments (4.10% in the first year and 2.90% in the second year). The essential oil components of peppermint were menthol, menthone, 1,8 cineole and menthofuran and menthol was the major component in both years. Highlights- Nitrogen fertilizer applications increased herb yield.- In terms of plant nutrients, mono ammonium phosphate and 15:15:15 fertilizers were more effective than other fertilizer applications.- Heavy metal concentrations of peppermint herb were determined below the limit values.- The main compound in peppermint essential oils was menthol in both years.

Non-Essential Elements and Their Role in Sustainable Agriculture

Agricultural systems are constantly under environmental pressure, and the continuous rise of the global population requires an increasingly intensification of agronomical productivity. To meet the current global food demand, particularly in depleted ecosystems under adverse climate conditions, the development of novel agronomical practices, which ensure crop productivity while safeguarding minimal impact to the environment, must be encouraged. Since aluminium (Al), cobalt (Co), selenium (Se), silicon (Si) and sodium (Na) are not essential to plant metabolism, their benefits are often neglected or underestimated in agriculture; however, several studies support their advantages in sustainable agriculture when properly employed. The agronomical uses of these elements have been studied in the last decades, delivering important cues for the improvement of food and feed production worldwide due to beneficial effects in plant growth and productivity, nutrient balance, pest and pathogen resistance, water stress management, heavy-metal toxicity alleviation, and postharvest performance. However, their application has not been addressed as part of a holistic conservation strategy that supports the sustainability of agroecosystems. Here, we discuss the potential use of these elements in sustainable agriculture, and the knowledge gaps that hinder their effective integration into agronomical practices, which result in equally profitable applications while supporting environmental sustainability.

Competitive metal-binding stoichiometry between calcium and strontium by cell wall proteins of Neurospora crassa.

Cell wall proteins from Neurospora crassa were isolated and evaluated to demonstrate their metal ability to bind Ca2+ /Sr2+ by loading the solubilized protein fraction on to immobilized metal affinity chromatography (IMAC) column pre-equilibrated with Ca2+ /Sr2+ . The sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis analysis IMAC eluent, revealed ∼18 proteins with a similarity in the proteome pattern of Ca2+ /Sr2+ fractions. Diethyl aminoethyl chromatography showed five proteins in common in binding to Ca2+ and Sr2+ , were subjected to N-terminal sequencing. The sequence analysis was studied for the determination of metal-binding site prediction by CHED software indicating that all five were found to have a high affinity toward Ca2+ . From these five, two were randomly selected and denoted as CWP-A (possess five Ca binding sites of six metal-binding sites) and CWP-B (possess six binding sites of eight metal-binding sites). They were selected for further characterization studies to determine their Ca2+ bound Sr2+ binding properties. Surprisingly, these proteins were able to bind Sr2+ ions (29 μmol) with equal affinity as to Ca2+ ions (42 μmol) by means of direct binding, and/or by displacing calcium as observed in metal-dependent proteolytic protection, fluorescence-based metal exchange assays, and molecular simulation studies. From the results, we demonstrate for the first time, that there is a stoichiometry between Ca2+ (an essential macro elemental metal ion) and Sr2+ ions (a nonessential element for which no reported metabolic activity is reported) for the metal-binding sites on cell wall proteins. This stoichiometry could be due to similar atomic dimensions and metal-protein structure stabilizing properties of Sr2+ compared to Ca2+ .

Occurrence, distribution, and associations of essential and non-essential elements in the medicinal and edible fungus “Fuling” from southern China

In Asian countries, the sclerotia of the wild-grown fungus Pachyma hoelen (“Fuling”), have been used as food and as medicinal products for centuries. To close the knowledge gaps about the value and possible environmental impacts, the occurrence, distribution, and associations of a range of elements (Ag, Al, As, Ba, Cd, Co, Cr, Cs, Cu, Li, Mg, Mn, Ni, Pb, Rb, Sb, Sr, Tl, U, V, and Zn) were studied in the inner (core) and outer (shell) morphological parts of the sclerotia from a diverse collection in Southern China. Quality of forest and agricultural soil in terms of a geogenic element source and composition can be considered as the main factor determining the occurrence of minerals in sclerotia through the host wood, largely of Pinus yunnanensis, while the anthropogenic impact (basically at remote rural areas of cultivation) in Southern China was negligible. In general, the mean concentration of each element in the outer part was significantly higher than that in the inner part (t-test, p < 0.01), except for Ag. The concentration of a given element in the outer part tended to have a positive relationship with that in the inner part, except for Cu, Se, Ag, and Zn. The elements in different morphological parts of sclerotia present different relation patterns. Compared to the outer part, there were stronger associations of elements in the inner part, suggesting homeostatic regulation of multiple elements in the inner parts. Further study on the sclerotia, infected wood substrate, and surrounding soil from a range of wild sample collections and intentional cultivation should provide a more complex view and allow assessment of the relationship between minerals and bioactive organic compounds produced by P. hoelen.

UTILIZING INDUCED MUTAGENESIS IN KAZAKHSTANI WHEAT BREEDING

Mutagenic effect of physical factors and chemical substances (aziridine or ethylene imine, nitrosoethylurea, nitrosoethyleneurea) leads to increase of the spectrum of hereditary variability for breeding purposes, which however is not studied in full extent. Ecological study of anthropogenic factors action leading to disruption of certain links between chemical elements and their combinations, raise of heavy metals concentration in soil, facilitate examination of mutagenic and toxic properties of heavy metals. Increase in wheat yields by improving its genotype is one of the most urgent problems of agriculture and economy. At present, using traditional methods of selection and genetic studies, such as backcross selection, distant hybridization, and experimental mutagenesis, increased efficiency of obtaining genetically modified and improved forms of wheat [1-5]. Heavy metals are defined as metals having a density higher than 5 g/cm3. Of the total 90 naturally occurring elements divided into three classes by the degree of their threat, 53 are considered heavy metals and few are of biological importance. Accumulation of heavy metals such as cadmium (Cd) in the environment is now becoming a major cause of environmental pollution. Toxic metals can inactivate proteins, shifting metal cofactors, blocking active centers or causing allosteric changes. Besides, large number of those possesses ability of inducing mutagenic changes, tumors and causing macroscopic changes. Molecular mechanism of heavy metals toxicity is not completely understood. Cd is non-essential element that negatively affects plant growth and development, released into the environment by power stations, heating systems, metal working industries or urban traffic, which has high cumulative effect with almost no biodegradation. In plants it affects such processes as stomata opening, transpiration and photosynthesis, consequently chlorosis, leaf rolls and stunting are the main symptoms of Cd toxicity in plants accompanied by root browning, leaf red-brownish discoloration. It can also reduce the absorption of nitrate from root to shoot by inhibiting the nitrate reductase activity in shoots. The negative effect of Cd on plant growth was accompanied by an increase in dry to fresh mass ratio in all organs. Several researches have suggested that an oxidative stress could be involved in cadmium toxicity, by either inducing oxygen free radical production, or by decreasing enzymatic and non-enzymatic antioxidants [6-9]. On the other hand, the use of induced mutagenesis showed high efficiency in the production of forms with high yield, quality bakery, lodging resistance, modified plant height and resistance. And, this paper is an attempt of summarizing results performed by our group in this direction.