Biological trace element research
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Biol Trace Elem Res · Dec 2021
Review Meta AnalysisRelationship of Circulating Copper Level with Gestational Diabetes Mellitus: a Meta-Analysis and Systemic Review.
Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) represents the frequently occurring medical disorder beginning in the process of pregnancy. No consensus has been reached about the relationship of circulating copper content with the risk of GDM. Therefore, the present work carried out a meta-analysis for summarizing epidemiological research regarding the copper level with the GDM risk. Furthermore, studies using categories of copper concentration as exposure were combined by dose-response meta-analysis. ⋯ According to existing evidence, the serum copper concentration increased among GDM cases compared with subjects with normality in glucose tolerance pregnant subject, in particular among the Asians and during the third trimester. The finding from dose-response analysis suggested that increased copper level is associated with an increased risk of GDM. Nonetheless, more specially designed prospective articles should be carried out for understanding the dynamic relationship of copper concentration with the GDM risk.
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Coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic continues to threaten patients, societies, and economic and healthcare systems around the world. Like many other diseases, the host immune system determines the progress of COVID-19 and fatality. ⋯ Zinc, one of the anti-inflammatory and antioxidant micronutrient found in food with well-established role in immunity, is currently being used in some clinical trials against COVID-19. This review integrates the contemporary studies of role of zinc in antiviral immunity along with discussing its potential role against COVID-19, and ongoing COVID-19 clinical trials using zinc.
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Biol Trace Elem Res · Apr 2021
The Toxicological Risk Assessment of Lead and Cadmium in Valeriana officinalis L., radix (Valerian root) as Herbal Medicinal Product for the Relief of Mild Nervous Tension and Sleep Disorders Available in Polish Pharmacies.
Studies related to the toxicological risk assessment (TRA) of heavy metal impurities (HMIs) in pharmaceuticals are an important issue but there is a lack of refereed literature around the safety of Valeriana officinalis L., radix (Valerian root) as herbal medicinal product (HMP) for the relief of mild nervous tension and sleep disorders according to lead and cadmium impurities. The aim of the study was to estimate the TRA of lead and cadmium in Valeriana officinalis L., radix (Valerian root) as HMP (n = 5) available in Polish pharmacies. In the case of herbal pharmaceuticals, it is particularly important to control the level of HMIs accumulated during the plant's growth. ⋯ The levels of lead and cadmium as HMIs (independently of the producer and declared composition) are quite similar. Our results are satisfactory, confirming the safety of Valeriana officinalis L., radix (Valerian root) as herbal medicinal product for the relief of mild nervous tension and sleep disorders available in Polish pharmacies according to ICH guideline Q3D. To the best of our knowledge, this paper is the first study about lead and cadmium content as HMIs in HMP containing Valeriana officinalis L., radix (Valerian root).
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Biol Trace Elem Res · Mar 2021
The Effect of Zinc and Melatonin Administration on Lipid Peroxidation, IL-6 Levels, and Element Metabolism in DMBA-Induced Breast Cancer in Rats.
The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of zinc and melatonin administration on interleukin-6, lipid peroxidation parameters, and element metabolism in DMBA-induced breast cancer in female rats. A total of 42 recently weaned Wistar rats were divided into 5 groups as follows: control (group 1), DMBA control (group 2), DMBA + zinc (group 3), DMBA + melatonin (group 4), and DMBA + melatonin and zinc (group 5). Malondialdehyde (MDA) and glutathione (GSH) levels in breast tissue and blood samples were determined via spectrophotometric methods. ⋯ Iron, magnesium, and zinc levels of groups 3, 4, and 5 were higher than the DMBA group without administration (group 2), but the copper values were significantly lower (P < 0.05). The highest IL-6 levels were determined in group 2 while IL-6 levels in the DMBA group (G5) treated with combined melatonin and zinc were lower than all other breast cancer groups (P < 0.05). According to the findings obtained in this presented study, combined zinc and melatonin therapy can contribute to the prevention of tumor growth by improving the disruption in element metabolism and suppressing IL-6 levels and reducing tissue damage that causes the cancer.
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Biol Trace Elem Res · Oct 2019
Is the Cooking Salt Safe in China? Assessment of Chemical Contaminants in Cooking Salt.
Global environmental pollution is becoming more serious, and most dietary salts come from nature. We postulated that chemical pollutants could affect the quality of salt. Forty-five different types of salt were collected from supermarkets, convenience stores, and online retailers in Shanghai, 2015. ⋯ All other phthalate indicators were below the LOD in all samples. The level of chemical pollutants in salt is either very low or under LOD. We believe that dietary salt products are safe at retail, and the long-term dietary exposure of cooking salts will not pose any significant health risk.