One of the widest ranging abiotic stresses in world agriculture arises from low zinc (Zn) availability in calcareous soils, particularly in cereals. Cereal species greatly differ in their zinc effici ency (ZE), defined in this article as the ability of a plant to grow and yield well under Zn deficiency. ZE has been attributed mainly to the effi ciency of acquisition of Zn under conditions of lo...

The hypothesis that factors such as dietary fibre and phytate in wheat bran limit the availability of Zn was tested in growing rats fed on low-Zn diets with different wheat crispbreads as the major source of Zn. Six groups of six weanling male rats each were fed on 5 parts semi-synthetic Zn-deficient diet and 1 part wheat-endosperm crispbread for 1 week. At the beginning of the second week, the...

Although application of Zn combined with macronutrients (K, P, and N) can be used to fortify wheat grain with Zn, little is known about their interactions when foliar application is employed or the influences of common soil fertility management practices (e.g. N and straw management) on their efficiency. Therefore, the effects of foliar-applied Zn and N, P, or K on grain nutritional quality (es...

Plants require the proper balance of zinc (Zn) for normal growth and optimum yield. Interest in Zn has risen in the last decade because Zn deficiency stress is extensive in many areas, causing decreases in crop yields. Zn deficiency also decreases the amount of Zn in cereal grain and diminishes its nutritional quality. Hence, increasing the Zn content of the edible portions of crops should be c...

Recent studies on the speciation of Zn in contaminated soils confirmed the formation of Zn-layered double hydroxide (LDH) and Zn-phyllosilicate phases. However, no information on the kinetics of the formation of those phases under field conditions is currently available. In the present study, the transformation of Zn in a field soil artificially contaminated with ZnO containing filter dust from...

The development of atherosclerosis is influenced by genetic, lifestyle and nutritional risk factors. Zn and metallothionein deficiency can enhance oxidative-stress-related signalling processes in endothelial cells, and since changes in available plasma Zn may affect the Zn status of the endothelium, Zn deficiency could be a risk factor for IHD. Although the association of Zn with many proteins ...

As part of a study of the effect of particle size on reactivity of hematite to aqueous metal ions, the sorption of Zn(II) on hematite nanoparticles and microparticles was examined over a wide range of Zn(II) concentrations using Zn K-edge EXAFS. When reacted with nanoparticles at pH 5.5 and low Zn(II) sorption densities (0.04 < Γ < 2.76 μmol/m), Zn(II) formed five-coordinated or a mixture of fo...

Zinc ions play indispensable roles in biological chemistry. However, bacteria have an impressive ability to acquire Zn(2+) from the environment, making it exceptionally difficult to achieve Zn(2+) deficiency, and so a comprehensive understanding of the importance of Zn(2+) has not been attained. Reduction of the Zn(2+) content of Escherichia coli growth medium to 60 nm or less is reported here ...