Zinc Deficiency Research Articles

Diabetes-induced alteration of metal ion levels declines the activity of MMPs to decrease aortic aneurysm risk

AimsDiabetes mellitus (DM) links the risk of cardiovascular diseases. Inverse to the enhanced expression of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs), the development of aortic aneurysm is lower in diabetic population. We examined the hypothesis that DM-induced alteration of metal ion levels declines the activity of MMPs to decrease aortic aneurysm risk. Methods & ResultsBy culturing vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) or macrophages with different concentrations of glucose in the medium, we confirmed that high glucose significantly increased the expression of fibronectin and CTGF in VSMCs, and induced MMP2 expression and MMP9 secretion in macrophages. We also established an abdominal aortic aneurysm model in streptozotocin-induced diabetic mice and evaluated aneurysm development six weeks later. Compared to the healthy controls, diabetic mice had significantly lower levels of Zn2+ and Mg2+ in serum and developed significantly smaller sizes of aneurysms with higher expression of fibronectin and CTGF; but dietary zinc supplementation to diabetic mice effectively neutralized these differences. Gelatin zymography assay indicated that the enzymatic digestion activity of MMP2 was changed under different concentrations of ZnSO4 and MgSO4. Clinical data analysis also confirmed that DM, serum Zn2+ level, and aortic aneurysm risk closely correlated with each other. ConclusionIt seems that DM-induced alteration of metal ion levels declines the activity of MMPs to negate aortic aneurysm development. Our data provide novel mechanistical insight and therapeutic strategy for aortic aneurysms.

Therapeutic Dose of Zinc Aspartate and Zinc Citrate Attenuates Disease Activity Indices in Rheumatoid Arthritis.

Zinc aspartate and zinc citrate have been used as zinc supplements in different health conditions. Taking into consideration their anti-inflammatory, immunomodulatory, anti-oxidant and antimicrobial properties, the present study has been designed to analyse the effect of zinc aspartate and zinc citrate treatment at therapeutic dose level on disease severity index, haematological, serological, antimicrobial and radiological markers of rheumatoid arthritis in Wistar rats. Bactericidal potential of the two organic zinc compounds was analysed in vitro in clinically isolated Escherichia coli. Arthritis was induced in male Wistar rats by intradermal injection of an emulsion containing collagen type II and Complete Freund's Adjuvant (CFA) containing 1mgmL-1 Mycobacterium tuberculosis H37Ra. Zinc aspartate and zinc citrate were orally administered after the onset of the disease for 4weeks. Ameliorative effect of zinc aspartate and zinc citrate was evaluated by analysing indices of severity and disease activity markers of rheumatoid arthritis. The liver and kidney function tests were performed to evaluate any possible adverse effect of compounds. Antimicrobial activity of the zinc compounds was assessed in clinically isolated E. coli by MTT assay. Zinc aspartate and zinc citrate equivalent to a therapeutic dose of 50mg/day of elemental zinc attenuated the clinical characteristic of rheumatoid arthritis in the animal model of arthritis, collagen-induced arthritis (CIA). Both zinc salts also exhibited antimicrobial effects against E. coli. The selected dose of zinc aspartate and zinc citrate showed no adverse effects in treated rats. This study highlights the potentiality of zinc compounds as antiarthritic agents and also point to its preventive effects on microbial growth that has been observed in rheumatoid arthritis patients due to their increased sensitivity for bacterial infection.

Pulses as a Key Component in Conservation Agriculture: Impacts on Soil Health and Sustainability

Intensive agriculture poses several challenges such as soil degradation, reduced soil organic matter, and increased soil nutrient imbalances including nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, sulfur, zinc, iron, and manganese deficiencies and nutrient toxicities (Tiwari KN, 2002). It also contributes to degradation of groundwater quality, declining groundwater levels (Humphreys E et al, 2010), and issues like sodicity and salinization (Tiwari VM et al, 2009), resulting in reduced crop productivity. Many of these limitations can be addressed by adopting conservation agriculture, which supports sustainable productivity while safeguarding natural resources (Sharma AR et al, 2012). Pulses are particularly beneficial in conservation agriculture as they align well with its principles: diversified crop rotations, minimum soil disturbance and continuous soil cover. They serve as a resource-conserving technology that mitigates the adverse impacts of modern agricultural practices.

Drought stress mitigation and improved yield in Glycine max through foliar application of zinc oxide nanoparticles

The impact of climate change on agricultural production is apparent due to declining irrigation water availability vis-à-vis rising drought stress, particularly affecting summer crops. Growing evidence suggests that zinc (Zn) supplementation may serve as a potential drought stress management strategy in agriculture. Field studies were conducted using soybean (Glycine max var. Saba) as a model crop to test whether foliar application of zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO-NPs) or conventional Zn fertilizer (ZnSO4) would mitigate drought-related water stress and improve soybean yield. Each fertilizer was foliar applied twice at a two-week interval during the flowering stage. Experiments were concurrently conducted under non-drought conditions (70% field capacity) for comparison. Results showed drought significantly reduced relative water content, chlorophyll-a, and chlorophyll-b in untreated control plants by 35.7%, 47.7%, and 41.4%, respectively, compared to non-drought conditions (p < 0.05). Under drought conditions, ZnO-NPs (200 mg Zn/L) led to 33.1% and 20.7% increase in chlorophyll-a and chlorophyll-b levels, respectively, compared to ZnSO4 at 400 mg Zn/L. Likewise, catalase, peroxidase and superoxide dismutase activities increased by 62.6%, 39.5% and 28.5%, respectively, with ZnO-NPs (200 mg Zn/L) under drought compared to non-drought conditions. Proline was significantly increased under drought but was remarkably suppressed (~ 54% lower) with ZnO-NPs (200 mg Zn/L) treatment. More importantly, the highest seed yield was observed with ZnO-NPs (200 mg Zn/L) treatment under drought (39% higher than untreated control) and non-drought (79.4% higher than control) conditions. Overall, the findings suggest that ZnO-NPs could promote seed yield in soybean under drought stress via increased antioxidant activities, increased relative water content, decreased stress-related proline content, and increased photosynthetic pigments. It is recommended that foliar application of 200 mg Zn/L as ZnO-NPs could serve as an effective drought stress management strategy to improve soybean yield.

Exchangeable Copper Excess and Zinc Deficiency in the Serum of Patients with Colorectal Cancer.

Copper (Cu) and Zinc (Zn) are altered in colorectal cancer (CRC) but their association with the clinical classification of the tumor has not been fully explored. To examine the association of Cu and Zn homeostasis in the onset and severity of CRC, we performed an exploratory case-control study comparing the serum levels for Cu, the exchangeable component of Cu in serum (CuExc), Zn, the ratio between them (CuExc:Zn), ceruloplasmin [Cp, concentration (iCp) and its activity (eCp), Cp specific activity (eCp:iCp)], and the Cu:Cp, assessed in 31 consecutive CRC patients before surgical resection to those obtained from 37 healthy controls (CTRL). Additionally, we correlated the analyte levels with the indices of the pathological tumor, node, and metastasis (TNM) staging, namely tumor (T), node (N), and metastasis (M), evaluated at the histopathological examination. We found that Cu, CuExc, CuExc:Zn, iCp, eCp, eCp:iCp, and Cu:Cp ratios increased while Zn decreased in CRC patients. In addition, correlation analyses showed that CuExc and Zn levels confirmed the CRC diagnosis. Specifically, CuExc:Zn further increased the discrimination between the individuals of the two groups, providing an area under the curve (ROC AUC) = 0.94. Elevated CuExc was the strongest factor associated with CRC resulting in 15-fold increased odds. These data were confirmed through a multivariable regression model revealing an effect of Zn and CuExc on the CRC risk, with the CuExc resulting in 11-fold increased odds of having the disease. We also found that most of the Cu biological variables analyzed were associated with T, while the CuExc was associated with M. The current pilot study demonstrates that excess labile Cu pool, Zn deficiency, and even further their combination in the CuExc:Zn provide information about CRC in terms of diagnosis, risk of having CRC, and CRC disease stage.

IMPACT OF ZINC SUPPLEMENTATION ON DURATION OF HOSPITALIZATION IN CHILDREN WITH PNEUMONIA

Zinc supplementation is known to reduce pneumonia incidence among infants; however, its role in improving treatment outcomes for pneumonia in hospitalized children remains inconclusive. Objective: This study investigates the effect of zinc supplementation on the duration of hospitalization and symptom severity in pediatric patients diagnosed with pneumonia. Methods: A randomized controlled trial was conducted at the Balochistan Institute of Child Health Service, Quetta, Pakistan. A total of 100 children diagnosed with pneumonia were enrolled and randomized into two groups: a zinc supplementation group and a control group. Data were analyzed using SPSS software, employing regression and correlation analyses to assess the impact of zinc on hospitalization duration and symptom severity. Results: Statistical analysis revealed no significant difference in hospitalization duration or symptom severity between the zinc-supplemented group and the control group (p-values of 0.741 and 0.402, respectively). The findings suggest that zinc supplementation does not significantly alter treatment outcomes in terms of reducing hospital stay or symptom intensity for children with pneumonia. Conclusion: While zinc supplementation is recognized for its role in pneumonia prevention, this study does not support its efficacy in reducing hospitalization duration or symptom severity for children already diagnosed with pneumonia. Further research is recommended to explore alternative therapeutic strategies for enhancing recovery outcomes in pediatric pneumonia cases.

General dermatology and dermatology in primary health care.

Young boy with high output diarrhea, who was extremely lethargic and irritable, presented with unusual peri-anal plaques extending to thighs. Close clinical examination and basic laboratory investigation clinched the diagnosis of acrodematitis enteropathica. Oral zinc supplementation resulted in rapid resolution of skin lesions and improvement in altered mental status, within 72 hours, which is pathognomonic.

Zinc and its binding proteins: essential roles and therapeutic potential.

Zinc is an essential micronutrient that participates in a multitude of cellular and biochemical processes. It is indispensable for normal growth and the maintenance of physiological functions. As one of the most significant trace elements in the body, zinc fulfills three primary biological roles: catalytic, structural, and regulatory. It serves as a cofactor in over 300 enzymes, and more than 3000 proteins require zinc, underscoring its crucial role in numerous physiological processes such as cell division and growth, immune function, tissue maintenance, as well as synthesis protein and collagen synthesis. Zinc deficiency has been linked to increased oxidative stress and inflammation, which may contribute to the pathogenesis of a multitude of diseases, like neurological disorders and cancer. In addition, zinc is a key constituent of zinc-binding proteins, which play a pivotal role in maintaining cellular zinc homeostasis. This review aims to update and expand upon the understanding of zinc biology, highlighting the fundamental roles of zinc in biological processes and the health implications of zinc deficiency. This work also explores the diverse functions of zinc in immune regulation, cellular growth, and neurological health, emphasizing the need for further research to fully elucidate the therapeutic potential of zinc supplementation in disease prevention and management.

Zinc Deficiency Leads to Reproductive Impairment in Male Mice Through Imbalance of Zinc Homeostasis and Inflammatory Response.

Zinc is an essential trace element crucial for growth and development and plays a significant role in male reproductive function. The aim of this study was explore the mechanism of male reproductive damage caused by different degrees of zinc deficiency. Thirty male ICR mice were randomly assigned to three groups: zinc-normal diet group (ZN, n = 10, Zn content = 30mg/kg), low zinc-deficiency diet group (LZD, n = 10, Zn content = 15mg/kg), and high zinc-deficiency diet group (HZD, n = 10, Zn content = 7.5mg/kg). The mice were maintained for 8weeks. At the end of the experiment, they were sacrificed, and their blood, testicular, and epididymal tissues were collected for further study. Zinc-deficient diet led to weight loss, testicular structural disorder, decreased semen quality, imbalance of zinc homeostasis, and inflammatory damage in mice. Semen quality, testosterone, serum Zn, testicular tissue Zn, testicular free Zn ions, Zrt-, Irt-like protein8 (ZIP8), Zrt-, Irt-like protein5 (ZIP5), and interleukin-10 (IL-10) were significantly decreased; zinc transporter 4(ZnT4), NF-κB p65, P-NF-κB p65, NLRP3, Caspase-8, and Caspase-3 were significantly increased in both LZD and HZD group mice. While compared with the LZD group, Zrt-, Irt-like protein13 (ZIP13), TNF-α, NF-κB p65, P-NF-κB p65, NLRP3, Caspase-1, and GSDMD were significantly increased in the HZD group. Both low and high zinc-deficiency diets can disrupt zinc homeostasis in mice, leading to heightened inflammatory responses, the activation of the NF-κB pathway, and increased apoptosis in testicular cells. Notably, a high zinc-deficiency diet led to an up-regulation of ZIP13 expression, exacerbated inflammation, and induced testicular pyroptosis, resulting in more severe reproductive damage in male mice.

ZIP10 (SLC39A10) Is an Important Transport Protein in Acute Myeloid Leukemia

Introduction: Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) represents a challenging hematologic malignancy characterized by a high rate of relapse after initial remission and significant mortality. Despite improvements in understanding genetic and epigenetic drivers of AML progression, the impact of micronutrients such as zinc on disease pathogenesis remains poorly understood. Transport proteins, including ZIP10 (SLC39A10), play a crucial role in cellular zinc homeostasis and are implicated in various cellular processes critical for cancer biology, including proliferation and apoptosis resistance. A recent study highlighted zinc's potential role in enhancing immune reconstitution after allogeneic stem cell transplantation (Iovino et al., Blood, 2022). Hence, we sought to further investigate the relevance of zinc in AML pathogenesis. Methods: In this study, we employed a comprehensive approach utilizing AML cell lines (MV4-11, THP-1, NB-4) and samples obtained from AML patients at diagnosis or relapse (n=43). All patients provided written informed consent. The protocol was approved by the Ethics Committee at RWTH Aachen University Hospital (Germany) (EK 206/09; project #11-2022). All experiments were conducted in accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki. Cellular zinc levels were quantified using flame atomic absorption spectrometry. Gene expression of zinc transporters (ZIP1-ZIP14 and ZnT1-ZnT10) and metallothioneins (MT1/2) were analyzed by qRT-PCR. Additionally, cellular responses to zinc deficiency were evaluated by using the zinc chelator N,N,N′,N′-tetrakis(2-pyridinylmethyl)-1,2-ethanediamine (TPEN) or zinc-deficient medium (ZDM) generated by Chelex 100-treated RPMI 1640. The efficacy of zinc depletion was verified by comparing zinc concentrations in ZDM vs. untreated medium (0.066mg/l vs. 0.199mg/l, n=5; p=0.0001). Results: Patients were between 29 and 80 years old (19 female and 24 male). Our study revealed elevated protein-adapted zinc levels in peripheral blood (AML: n=6, Control: n=3; p=0.0069) and bone marrow (AML: n=8, Control: n=6; p=0.0215) from AML patients. RNA analysis of bone marrow cells demonstrated a significant upregulation of ZIP6 (SLC39A6) (p=0.0429), ZIP9 (SLC39A9) (p=0.0070), and ZIP10 (SLC39A10) (p=0.0171) in AML (AML: n=7, Control: n=6), whereas expression of MT1/2 was notably reduced (AML: n=10, Control: n=9; p=0.0253). This was accompanied by increased staining of free intracellular zinc in CD34+ AML blasts via the zinc-specific dye Zinpyr-1 (n=6; p=0.0488). An increased amount of the ZIP10 surface protein was observed by Western Blot analyses (AML: n=10, Control: n=9; p=0.0002) and immunohistochemical staining (n=3). In addition, overexpression of ZIP10 (SLC39A10) in AML was confirmed by data from the BeatAML2.0 (n=805) and Leukemia Mile (n=542) study. Functional studies showed impaired colony formation after treatment of AML cells for 72h under zinc deficient conditions via TPEN (n=5; p=0.0016) or ZDM (n=5; p=0.0443). Experiments with MV4-11, THP-1, and NB-4 cells demonstrated that zinc deficiency caused decreased cell proliferation and increased apoptosis in myeloid cell lines. Furthermore, ZDM impaired myeloid signaling after stimulation with G-CSF and improved differentiation of NB-4 cells. ZDM induced an upregulation of ZIP10 (SLC39A10) in MV4-11 (n=7; p=0.0438) and THP-1 (n=11; p=0.0207). Blocking the ZIP10 transporter with an anti-ZIP10 antibody led to decreased intracellular zinc levels in MV4-11 cells (n=11; p=0.0081) accompanied by a dose-dependent decrease in cell growth (n=13, p&amp;lt;0.0001) and cell viability (n=11, p&amp;lt;0.0001). Conclusions: Our findings underscore a critical role of zinc homeostasis, particularly as mediated by ZIP10, in AML pathogenesis. Dysregulated zinc metabolism, characterized by elevated zinc transporter expression and altered zinc storage mechanisms, appears to be essential to AML biology. Targeting the ZIP10 transporter, thereby reducing zinc uptake, offers further evidence that zinc modulation disrupts myeloid cell proliferation and increases apoptosis. These results suggest that blocking zinc transporters deserves being further investigated as a supplementary therapeutic approach in AML management and advocates further exploration of the role of zinc and other micronutrients in the progression of myeloid malignancies.

Zinc Deficiency and Impact on Lipid Profiles in Malnourished Children in Senegal

Aims: Zinc is an important element for the body because of the role it plays in the structure but also in the catalytic activity of several metabolic enzymes. The aim of this study is to evaluate the zinc status in malnourished children and its association with lipid profile parameters. Study Design: This is a cross-sectional and prospective analytical study. Place and Duration of Study: This is a fifteen-month study, conducted at the Diamniadio Children's Hospital. Children under five years of age, malnourished according to the weight/height ratio were selected after parental. Methodology: The study population comprised 176 children with a sex ratio of 1, of whom 49% with severe acute malnutrition, 41% moderately malnourished and 10% undernourished. Zinc was determined using Biosystem's® 5 Br PAPS colorimetric method. To compare the groups, we used the Chi-squared test (X2) or the Fisher's exact test. For the comparison of quantitative variables between the targeted groups, we used the ANOVA test. Zinc, total cholesterol (TC), HDL cholesterol (HDLc) and LDL cholesterol (LDLc) were significantly lower in the malnourished. Hypozincemia was found in 66% of children. TC, HDLc and triglycerides (TG) are significantly lower in malnourished patients with hypozincemia with a mean average of 2.99 ± 1.31 mmol/L (p&lt; 0.001), 0.56 ± 0.36 mmol/L (p=0.007) and 1.73 ± 0.85 mmol/L (p=0.004), respectively. There is a positive correlation between zinc and the various lipid profile parameters. TC (r=0.314; &lt; 0.001), HDLc (r=0.326; p&lt; 0.001), LDLc (r=0.200; p=0.008) and TG (r= 0.229; p=0.002). Conclusion: The management of hypozincemia is essential within the follow-up of malnourished children. Zinc supplementation can prevent dyslipidemia, which is secondary to malnutrition and serve as a preventive measure against dyslipidemia in malnourished children.

Canned complementary porridges for infants and young children (6-23 months) based on African indigenous crops; nutritional content, consistency, sensory, and affordability compared to traditional porridges based on maize and finger millet.

Child malnutrition is a major health problem in Sub-Saharan Africa. Complementary foods made from African indigenous and locally available raw materials are often low in protein and nutrients. It is, therefore, important to supply complementary foods that are nutritious and affordable, and with an acceptable consistency and taste. The objective of this study was to develop, on a pilot scale, food-to-food fortified, convenient, canned complementary porridges based on blends of African indigenous crops, i.e., orange fleshed sweet potato (OFSP) flour, and leguminous (i.e., cowpea, and Bambara groundnut) and cereal flours (i.e., teff, finger millet, maize, and amaranth), and milk powder. Plant-based, African complementary foods are often lacking in vitamin A, zinc, iron, and energy. Porridge with OFSP on a 32% dry weight (dw) basis achieved recommended levels of vitamin A (530 µg per 100 g dw). Satisfactory energy (431 Kcal per 100 g dw) was obtained by supplementation of vegetable oil. A nutritious, low-cost porridge (costing 0.15 € per 100 g can) that fulfills consistency constraints was obtained by including supplements of zinc and iron salts as ingredients. The solids content and thus protein/energy could be significantly increased using protein fractionated or germinated cowpea flours without compromising on viscosity. The sensory profile was characterised by more intense vegetable, leguminous, and malty flavours as compared to traditional reference porridges.

Does BMI Predict Zinc Deficiency and Its Association with Anemia?

Does BMI Predict Zinc Deficiency and Its Association with Anemia?

Identifying and Treating Zinc Deficiency Anemia in the Elderly

Identifying and Treating Zinc Deficiency Anemia in the Elderly

Zinc Deficiency Anemia Associated with Proton Pump Inhibition

Zinc Deficiency Anemia Associated with Proton Pump Inhibition

Overlapping Transcriptome Alterations Reveal the Mechanism of Interaction between Selenium and Zinc and Their Common Effect on Essential Nutrient Metabolism in Mung Bean (Vigna radiata L.).

Selenium (Se) and zinc (Zn) deficiencies have become serious global food security and public health problems. Biofortification through foliar fertilizer is a nonspecific, low-tech, and cost-effective strategy. Se and Zn have overlapping physiological roles and interacting relationships in plants. Mung bean is superior for Se enrichment and an excellent Zn carrier. However, the molecular mechanism underlying the interaction between Se and Zn in the mung bean remains unclear. Herein, Se and Zn accumulation, antioxidant activities, physiological determination, and transcriptomic analysis were performed under both Se and Zn treatments. Common essential roles of Se and Zn in mung bean were reflected by the comprehensively altered ten physiological indexes under both Se2 (24 g·ha-1) and Zn1 (1.2 kg·ha-1) treatments. Overlapping transcriptome changes and common DEGs in two compared groups revealed that the upregulated expression of sulfate transporters (SULTRs), phosphate transporters (PHTs), and Zinc-regulated/Iron-regulated-like protein (ZIP) family genes under Se and Zn treatments directly promoted both Se and Zn intakes. Furthermore, the altered Se/Sulfur, nitrogen, and carbohydrate metabolisms are closely interlinked with the uptake and assimilation of Se and Zn via the 20 key genes that we filtered through the protein-protein interaction (PPI) network analysis. Further analysis indicated that l-methionine γ-lyase (E 4.4.1.11) genes may play an important role in the transamination of selenomethionine and its derivatives; glutamine synthetase (GS), nitrate reductase (NR), and starch synthase (SS) genes may regulate the nitrogen assimilation and carbohydrate metabolism, which provide more carriers for Se and Zn; glutathione peroxidase (GPx), glutamate-cysteine ligase catalytic subunit (GCLC), and serine acetyltransferase (SAT) genes may accelerate the GSH-GSSH cycle and promote Se and Zn storages. This study provides new molecular insights into the comprehensive improvement of the nutritional quality of mung beans in Se and Zn biofortification productions.

The Correlations of Vitamin D and Zinc Deficiency with Neck Pain, Fatigue, and Tremors of Muscle: A Case Report and Review of Article

The Correlations of Vitamin D and Zinc Deficiency with Neck Pain, Fatigue, and Tremors of Muscle: A Case Report and Review of Article

Effect of specific nutrients or dietary patterns on mental health outcomes in adults; A systematic review and meta-analyses of nutrition interventions

Mental health disorders are the leading cause of ill-health and disability, with depression and anxiety being among the most prevalent(1). There is a growing body of evidence to indicate that optimal nutrition can help to promote better mental health, while suboptimal dietary patterns or status of specific nutrients have been associated with a greater risk of depression and anxiety, but the evidence is conflicting(2,3,4,5). Therefore, the aim was to conduct a systematic review with metaanalyses to investigate the effect of interventions with specific nutrients or dietary patterns on mental health outcomes in adults.Searches were conducted using the electronic bibliographic databases: MEDLINE, EMBASE and PsycINFO. The inclusion criteria were randomised controlled trials or controlled dietary interventions; study duration ≥ 12 weeks; participants aged ≥ 18 years old; outcome measures of depression or anxiety. The meta-analysis was conducted using Cochrane Review Manager Software (RevMan), version 5.4. The Risk of Bias and Quality of Evidence were assessed utilising the Cochrane Risk of Bias 2 tool and the Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) framework, respectively.A total of 68 studies met the inclusion criteria: 5 investigated dietary patterns, while 63 were nutrient interventions, involving omega-3 (n = 22), vitamin D (n = 18), B-vitamins (n = 10), zinc (n = 7), iron (n = 1), vitamin D combined with calcium (n = 4), and omega-3 combined with vitamin D (n = 1). Insufficient studies were available to conduct a meta-analysis for any nutrient in relation to anxiety; all results relate to depression. Meta-analysis results showed that zinc intervention significantly reduced depression (standardised mean difference (SMD) in depression scores was −0.67; 95% Confidence Interval (95% CI) −0.96, −0.37); 4 studies, GRADE: moderate certainty). No significant effects on depression were reported in response to intervention with omega-3 fatty acids [SMD 0.26 (95% CI −0.64, 0.12); 10 studies, GRADE: moderate certainty] or vitamin D [SMD 0.07 (95% CI 0.34, 0.47); 10 studies, GRADE: moderate certainty], while there were insufficient studies to perform a meta-analysis for B-vitamins and depression. There was also no significant effect of the Mediterranean Diet on depression [SMD −0.95 (95% CI -1.90, 0.01); 3 studies, GRADE: high certainty], and insufficient studies for analysis of the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet.The results indicate that zinc supplementation has beneficial effects on depression, but there were no significant effects of intervention with the Mediterranean Diet, omega-3 fatty acids or vitamin D. These meta-analyses are however based on a limited number of intervention studies and therefore no firm conclusions can be reached. Further intervention trials are required to fully investigate the effects of specific nutritional factors on mental health.

Effects of Zinc and Selenium Coadministration on Semen Parameters and Hormonal Profiles of Male Wistar Rats.

Zinc (Zn) and Selenium (Se) are essential dietary micronutrients or trace elements not produced by the body but required in small amounts for the maintenance of mammalian and human male fertility. The over supplementation of individual and combination of micronutrients in the sick and healthy populations could be the leading cause of prevalence of male factor infertility in the world. This study was designed to evaluate the possible effects of the graded independent doses of oral supplementation of Zn, Se and their co-administration on male reproductive hormones, sperm parameters and histological architecture of male wistar rats. Fifty (n=50) adult male wistar rats weighing between 150g-250g and randomly grouped into ten groups of five rats each were used for this research that lasted for six weeks. Group I, the control group, received normal rat chow and water ad libitum. The nine test groups (II-X), received graded doses of zinc sulphate ZnSO4 (II-IV: 50mg/kg,150mg/kg,300mg/kg), selenium dioxide SnO2 (V-VII; 100mg/kg,200mg/kg,400mg/kg), co-administration of ZnSO4 and SnO2 (VIII-X:50mg/kg ZnSO4+100mg/kg SeO2, 150mg/kg ZnS04+200mg/kg SeO2, 300mg/kg ZnSO4+400mg/kg SnO2). Serum testosterone (T), follicular stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinising hormone (LH) was estimated using ELISA Hormone Test kits radio-immuno-assay technique. Semen parameters was analyzed for sperm count, motility, and morphology using the grading system as described by WHO (1999). Testicular histological architecture was established using animal tissue processing technique. Data obtained were analyzed using one-way Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) from SPSS version 22. Statistical significance was placed at P&lt;0.05 and data expressed as mean ± standard error of the mean (SEM).Results obtained from the study showed significant increase in testosterone levels in all the Zn test groups compared to the control and significant decrease in the levels of FSH and LH in higher doses of Zn and Se supplements when compared to the control at p&lt;0.05. There was significant reduction in sperm motility, count but increase sluggishness in Zn and co-administration of Zn and Se of all the test groups compared to the control. Photomicrograph of the testes showed tissue inflammation, germinal cells destruction and azospermia. This study showed that chronic single or combined over supplementation of the micronutrients zinc and selenium could cause male factor infertility in wistar rats.

Zinc promotes microbial p-coumaric acid production that protects against cholestatic liver injury.

Cholestatic liver disease (CLD) is a common liver disorder with limited treatment options. Here, we demonstrate that zinc (Zn) supplementation can alter the gut microbiome to mitigate cholestatic liver injury. Oral Zn altered the microbiota of mice and humans (this study was registered at clinicaltrials.gov [NCT05597137]), increasing the abundance of Blautia producta (B.producta) and promoting the generation of p-coumaric acid. Additionally, p-coumaric acid concentrations were negatively correlated with liver injury parameters in CLD patients. In mice, the protective effects of Zn were partially mediated by p-coumaric acid, which directly bound to nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH) oxidase 2 (NOX2) and suppressed the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in hepatocytes, thus preventing hepatocyte cell death and liver damage. Additionally, knocking out the histidine ammonia-lyase, which catalyzes the conversion of tyrosine to p-coumaric acid in B.producta, blunted the protective effects of Zn. These findings highlight a host-microbiota interaction that is stimulated by Zn supplementation, providing potential benefits for CLD.