AIMS Agronomy and breeding actively search for options to enhance cereal grain Zn density. Quantifying internal (re-)allocation of Zn as affected by soil and crop management or genotype is crucial. We present experiments supporting the development of a conceptual model of whole plant Zn allocation and re-allocation in rice. METHODS Two solution culture experiments using (70)Zn applications at...

Zinc (Zn) deficiency in major food crops has been considered as an important factor affecting the crop production and subsequently the human health. Rice (Oryza sativa) is sensitive to Zn deficiency and thereby causes malnutrition to most of the rice-eating Asian populations. Application of zinc solubilizing bacteria (ZSB) could be a sustainable agronomic approach to increase the soil available...

BACKGROUND Wheat is the staple food for most of the world's population; however, it is a poor source of zinc. Foliar fertilization of zinc via zinc loaded chitosan nanocarriers (Zn-CNP) post-anthesis has proved to be a promising approach for grain zinc enhancement in durum wheat as evidenced in our earlier study. However, the molecular mechanism of uptake of zinc via Zn-CNP remains unclear. M...

BACKGROUND Zinc supplements reduce childhood morbidity in populations in whom zinc deficiency is common. In such populations, deficiencies in other micronutrients may also occur. OBJECTIVE The objective was to determine whether the administration of other micronutrients with zinc modifies the effect of zinc supplementation on children's morbidity and physical growth. DESIGN Two hundred fort...

a b s t r a c t   zinc deficiency in man is characterized by skin lesion, alopecia and has been linked to growth retardation and mental disturbance. for supplementation purposes zinc is currently presented as its sulfate salt, from which uptake by the body is poor, necesseting the administration of high doses. this leads to a range of unpleasant side effects. in order to increase the bioavailab...

The study of zinc bioavailability in foods is important because this mineral intake does not meet the recommended doses for some population groups. Also, the presence of dietary factors that reduce zinc absorption contributes to its deficiency. Rice fortified with micronutrients (Ultra Rice®) is a viable alternative for fortification since this cereal is already inserted into the population hab...

Background: Vitamin A (VA) and zinc deficiencies are prevalent. Maize is a common staple, and milling affects nutrient and nutrient-modifier profiles.Objective: We investigated the interaction of maize milling methods (i.e., whole grain compared with refined) in male Mongolian gerbils aged 29-35 d with conventionally bred provitamin A-biofortified (orange) or white maize on VA and zinc status.M...

BACKGROUND Oral administration of zinc or bovine whey-derived growth factor extract (WGFE) is known to reduce intestinal permeability and ameliorate methotrexate (MTX)-induced mucositis, respectively. OBJECTIVE We examined the effects of zinc, WGFE, and zinc plus WGFE on gut damage in MTX-treated rats. DESIGN Rats (n = 16/group) were fed zinc (1000 mg/kg diet), WGFE (32 mg/kg diet), zinc pl...

The ability of metallothionein (MT) to modulate DNA binding by a two-finger peptide of Tramtrack (TTK), a CCHH zinc transcription factor, was investigated using metal-bound and metal-deficient forms of rabbit MT-2 and the TTK peptide. Thionein inhibited DNA binding by zinc-bound TTK, and Zn-MT restored DNA-binding by zinc-deficient apo-TTK. "Free" zinc at low concentrations was as effective as ...

The aggregation of Aβ-peptide (Aβ) is widely considered to be the critical step in the pathology of Alzheimer's disease. Small, soluble Aβ oligomers have been shown to be more neurotoxic than large, insoluble aggregates and fibrils. Recent studies suggest that biometal ions, including Zn(II), may play an important role in the aggregation process. Experimentally determining the details of the bi...