Mineral absorption

About: Mineral absorption is a research topic. Over the lifetime, 346 publications have been published within this topic receiving 11296 citations.

Basic nutritional investigation Effects of dietary lipid composition and inulin-type fructans on mineral bioavailability in growing rats

Abstract: Objective: This study reports the effects of feeding with a combination of inulin-type fructans (ITF) and fish oil (FO) on mineral absorption and bioavailability as part of a semipurified diet offered to rats. Methods: Male Wistar rats (n 24) were fed a 15% lipid diet (soybean oil (SO) or a 1:0.3 fish:soybean oil mixture (FSO)) and diets containing the same sources of lipids supplemented with 10% ITF (Raftilose Synergy 1) ad libitum for 15 d. Feces and urine were collected for mineral analyses during the las t5do f thetest period. Fatty acid composition was determined in liver and cecal mucosa homogenates. Liver and bone mineral analyses were performed by atomic absorption spectrophotometry. Bone biomechanical analyses were evaluated by a 3-point bending test. Results: Compared with the controls, ITF-fed rats had enlarged ceca and a significant decrease in cecal content pH (P 0.001). The apparent mineral absorption was improved in these rats, and this effect was enhanced by dietary combination with FO for all minerals except for magnesium. Addition of ITF to the diet resulted in higher bone mineral content (calcium and zinc) and bone strength, but increased bone mineral content was only statistically significant in FO-fed animals. A decrease in liver iron stores (P 0.015) was observed in rats fed FO, considering that ITF consumption returned to levels comparable to the SO control group. Conclusion: These findings confirm the positive influence of ITF on mineral bioavailability, which was potentiated by addition of FO to the diet. © 2009 Published by Elsevier Inc.

Lactose facilitates the intestinal absorption of lead in weanling rats

Abstract: The milk sugar lactose is known to facilitate calcium absorption and has been shown to enhance the uptake of essential trace metals from the intestines as well. Its physiological role as the major carbohydrate source for suckling mammals is thus complemented by its ability to facilitate the absorption of necessary minerals. The studies reported here show that the intestinal absorption of lead and its uptake into blood, liver, kidney, and bone are also increased by lactose in young weanling rats. These data extend the known range of lactose facilitation of mineral absorption to a nonessential, toxic element, confirming the nonspecificity of its action on the gut. In addition, they suggest an explanation for some of the conflicting evidence regarding the prophylactic efficacy of milk in lead poisoning.

Effects of exogenous NO on the growth, mineral nutrient content, antioxidant system, and ATPase activities of Trifolium repens L. plants under cadmium stress

Abstract: This work investigated the effects of SNP (sodium nitroprusside; an NO donor) on 100 µM cadmium (Cd) toxicity in 2-week-old Trifolium repens L. plants. Cd accumulated to a greater degree in roots than in shoots and resulted in oxidative stress, as evidenced by increased concentrations of hydrogen peroxide and malondialdehyde. In addition, Cd exposure markedly hindered root and shoot elongation and biomass production, reduced the activities of H+-ATPase in the plasma membranes (PMs) and tonoplasts (V), and inhibited the absorption of mineral nutrition. However, the addition of various SNP doses alleviated the inhibitory effects on plant growth caused by Cd, elevated the activity of the PM H+-ATPase in both shoots and roots, enhanced the activity of V-H+-ATPase in roots, and partially enhanced the uptake of minerals (shoots: Mg and Cu; roots: Ca, Mg, and Fe) in Cd-treated plants. Shoot and root Cd accumulation significantly diminished when plants were subjected to Cd plus SNP treatments, though the level of root Cd accumulation was not dependent on the SNP dosage level. Moreover, the addition of SNP considerably upregulated ascorbate peroxidases (APX), catalases and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity in shoots under Cd stress, but downregulated APX and SOD activity in roots. The addition of SNP did not influence glutathione reductase (GR) activity in roots, but markedly increased its activity in shoots. Similar to root GR levels, shoot ascorbate content experienced no significant change between Cd plus SNP treatment and Cd treatment alone; however, root ascorbate and glutathione levels decreased in plant tissues in the treatments with Cd and SNP. The results obtained in this work indicate that SNP applied exogenously, particularly at lower doses, can effectively deplete the detrimental effects on white clover growth, likely by reducing oxidative damage, modulating mineral absorption, and re-establishing the levels of ATPases.