Accumulation of Essential and Trace Elements in Guar (Cyamopsis tetragonoloba) and Guar Gum Cultivated in Semi-arid Regions of Sindh,Pakistan

Biological Trace Element Research - For physiological and biochemical studies, it is considered essential to have knowledge about the accumulation of mineral elements in plants and their...     

Interaction Between Selenium and Mercury in Biological Samples of Pakistani Myocardial Infarction Patients at Different Stages as Related to Controls

It has been speculated that trace elements may a play role in the pathogenesis of heart diseases. In the present study, we aimed to assess the levels of selenium (Se) and mercury (Hg) in biological samples (whole blood, urine, and scalp hair) of myocardial infarction (MI) patients of both genders (age range 45–60 years) at the first, second, and third heart attack (n?=?130), hospitalized in a cardiac ward of a civil hospital of Hyderabad City (Pakistan). For comparison, healthy age-matched referent subjects (n?=?61) of both genders were also selected. Se and Hg in biological samples were measured by electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry and cold vapor atomic absorption spectrometry, prior to microwave acid digestion, respectively. The validity of the methodology was checked by biological certified reference materials. During this study, 78 % of the 32 registered patients of third MI attack (aged >50 years) died. The concentration of Se was decreased in scalp hair and blood samples of MI patients, while Hg was higher in all biological samples as compared to referent subjects. Se concentration was inversely associated with the risk of MI attacks in both genders. These results add to an increasing body of evidence that Se is a protective element for cardiovascular health.     

Antihypertensive and metabolic effects of whole Maitake mushroom powder and its fractions in two rat strains

Maitake mushroom has been reported to favorably influence hypertension and diabetes mellitus. The purpose of this study was to compare the effects of whole Maitake mushroom powder and two extracts designated as ether soluble (ES) and water soluble (WS) on Zucker fatty rats (ZFR), a model of insulin resistance, and on spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR), a model of genetic hypertension. In the initial study, we followed four groups of eight ZFR and SHR receiving special diets: a baseline diet (BD), BD + whole Maitake mushroom powder (20% w/w), BD + fraction ES (0.10% w/w), and BD + WS (0.22% w/w). Different effects of these dietary regimens on the 2 rat strains were found. At 35 days, only consumption of the ES diet significantly decreased systolic BP (SBP) in SHR (average 197 vs. 176 mm Hg, p < 0.001), while in ZFR only the groups consuming the whole Maitake and WS diets showed significantly decreased SBP (138 vs. 120–125 mm Hg, p < 0.001). A challenge test with losartan (an angiotensin II receptor blocker) indicates that angiotensin II does not play a major role in SBP regulation of ZFR, but does in SHR where consumption of ES relative to other groups significantly lowered activity of this system. In SHR, glucose, cholesterol, circulating insulin and HbA1C were virtually similar among all dietary groups; but whole Maitake (–22%), ES (–120%) and WS (–80%) diets were associated with decreased triglycerides, and the ES diet with lowered serum creatinine (–29%). In ZFR, circulating insulin and HbA1C were significantly decreased in the whole Maitake powder and ES groups, and tended to be lower in the WS group compared to control. In the ensuing studies, we gavaged ZFR once daily with water (control), 44 mg fraction WS, or 44 mg fraction WS plus 100 g niacin-bound chromium (NBC). Oral gavage of WS clearly lowered SBP and circulating glucose concentrations, more so with the addition of chromium. We conclude that the examined forms of Maitake mushroom have antihypertensive and antidiabetic potential which differ among rat strains. The ES fraction may decrease SBP in SHR via alteration in the renin-angiotensin system.     

Investigation of Alteration in the Levels of Iron and Copper in Scalp Hair Samples of Patients Having Different Types of Viral Hepatitis

The aim of this study was to measure the alterations of copper and iron contents in scalp hair samples of hepatitis A–E patients of both genders, same age group, and socioeconomic status. For comparative study, the scalp hair samples of healthy individuals of the same age and socioeconomic status were collected. The concentrations of copper and iron were measured using an atomic absorption spectrophotometer, after microwave-assisted acid digestion. The validity and accuracy of methodology was checked using a certified reference material. The results of this study showed that the mean values of copper and iron were higher in scalp hair samples of hepatitis patients than those of age-matched control subjects, while the difference was significant in the cases of patients having viral hepatitis B, C, and D as compared to those who have viral hepatitis A and E (p?<?0.001). It was concluded that the overload of copper and iron in the human body may cause lipid peroxidation and eventually damage the hepatic system.     

Azadirachta indica (neem) leaf dietary effects on the immunity response and disease resistance of Asian seabass,Lates calcarifer challenged with Vibrio harveyi

The present study was aimed to address the possible evaluation of Azadirachta indica (neem) leaf-supplemented diets on innate immune response in Asian seabass, Lates calcarifer fingerlings against Vibrio harveyi infection. Fish were fed for two weeks diets containing six graded levels of neem leaf at 0 g, 1 g, 2 g, 3 g, 4 g and 5 g per kg feed. Fish fed neem leaf-supplemented diet displayed significant differences (p < 0.05) in weight gain, specific growth rate (SGR) and feed conversion ratio (FCR) compared to the control group fed without neem leaf-supplemented diet. Various innate immune parameters were examined pre-challenge and post-challenge. Fish was injected intraperitoneally with a lethal dose of V. harveyi containing 10⁸ cells mL^?1. Supplementation of neem leaf diet significantly increased phagocytic activity, superoxide anion production, serum lysozyme, serum bactericidal activity, serum anti-protease activity throughout the experimental period when compared with the control group. Dietary doses of neem leaf diet significantly influenced the immune parameters, haematological parameters and blood biochemical indices of treated fish. The results suggested that fish fed neem leaf-supplemented diet improved the immune system and increased survival rate in L. calcarifer fingerlings against V. harveyi infection.     

Estimation of Copper and Iron Burden in Biological Samples of Various Stages of Hepatitis C and Liver Cirrhosis Patients

There is accumulative evidence that the metabolism of iron (Fe) and copper (Cu) is altered in human due to infections, indicating that both elements have roles in pathogenesis and progress of viral diseases. In the present study, the correlation of Cu and Fe was evaluate in biological samples (serum and scalp hair) of hepatitis C (hepatitis C virus (HCV)) patients of both genders at different stages. For comparative study, the scalp hair and serum samples of healthy individuals of same age group (30–50 years) and socioeconomic status were collected. The biological samples were analyzed for Fe and Cu by atomic absorption spectroscopy after microwave-assisted acid digestion. The validity and accuracy of methodology were checked by certified reference materials of same matrixes. The levels of Cu and Fe in biological samples were enhanced in hepatic disorder patients, including acute (after diagnosis test, anti-HCV sero-positive) hepatic fibrosis and liver cirrhosis as compared to healthy referents. The difference was significant (p?<?0.01) in the case of liver cirrhotic patients. It was observed that the data of Cu and Fe in referents and patients of both genders had normal distributions. The inter-elemental correlation (r) among Cu vs Fe in serum and scalp hair samples of referents and patients were not significant in both genders (p?>?0.1) except in the first stage of HCV (p?<?0.1). It was concluded that the increase of Cu and Fe content in human body seems to contribute to the development of cirrhosis in patients with viral hepatitis C.     

Effects of oral glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate alone and in combination on the metabolism of SHR and SD rats.

Glucosamine (G), often combined with chondroitin sulfate (CS), is a popular natural supplement used widely to treat osteoarthritis. However, use of glucosamine has been linked to development of insulin resistance. To assess the association between glucosamine and insulin resistance more closely, we challenged two rat strains highly sensitive to sugar-induced insulin resistance-Sprague-Dawley (SD) and Spontaneously Hypertensive (SHR) rats. Since elevations of systolic blood pressure (SBP) have been found to be an early and highly sensitive sign of insulin resistance in these two rat strains, we used this parameter as our primary endpoint. Four groups of both rat strains received either no agent (control), G, CS, or a combination of both for 9 weeks. The intake of each agent was calculated to be approximately 3-7 times comparable to human dose. Throughout the study, SBP of both strains consuming the two ingredients alone and in combination were not elevated. Rather, they were significantly lower than control, contrary to what is found in glucose-induced insulin resistance in rats. Over the study period, body weights of the four groups of SD and SHR did not vary significantly. Furthermore, no consistent trends in circulating glucose concentrations were found among the four different groups in the two strains after oral challenge with glucose. Finally, no significant histological differences were found in hearts, kidneys, and livers among the various groups of SHR and SD. From the above result, we conclude that glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate given alone or together do not produce insulin resistance or other related perturbations in two rat strains highly sensitive to sugar-induced insulin resistance.