Evaluation of Kappa-carrageenan supplementation in extender for post-thaw Kajli ram sperm quality.

Cryopreservation is one of the reliable techniques for long-term storage of sperm. The success of this technique depends on the choice of cryoprotectant; therefore, a plethora of literature has reported the effects of different cryoprotective agents so far. Kappa-carrageenan (κ-carrageenan) is a hydrocolloid polysaccharide extracted from red marine seaweed. Its unique property makes it a promising option as a non-colligative cryoprotectant. The current study aims to evaluate the cryoprotective effect of k-carrageenan along with glycerol on ram sperm quality both after equilibration and freezing. Nine Kajli rams were utilized in this experiment for semen collection through an artificial vagina maintained at 42°C. Qualified samples were diluted in tris egg yolk glycerol (TEYG) extender containing different concentrations of k-carrageenan as 0 mg/mL (control), 0.2, 0.5, 0.8 and 1 mg/mL. Post-thaw assessment was done at 37°C after 24 h of storage, which showed a significant improvement (p < .05) in sperm viability, motility, membrane and acrosome integrity in an extender containing k-carrageenan at a concentration of 0.5 mg/mL compared to control. It is concluded from the current study that the combination of glycerol and 0.5 mg/mL concentration of k-carrageenan improved the sperm post-thaw quality.

Quick selenium accumulation in the selenium-rich rice and its physiological responses in changing selenium environments.

BACKGROUND: The element selenium (Se) deficiency is thought to be a global human health problem, which could disperse by daily-supplement from Se-rich food. Increasing the accumulation of Se in rice grain is an approach matched to these nutrient demands. Nonetheless, Se is shown to be essential but also toxic to plants, with a narrow margin between deficiency and toxicity. Notably, the regulatory mechanism balancing the accumulation and tolerance of Se in Se-rich rice plants remains unknown. RESULTS: In this study, we investigated the phenotypical, physiological, and biochemical alterations of Se-rich rice in the exposure to a variety of Se applications. Results showed that the Se-rich rice was able to accumulate more abundance of Se from the root under a low Se environment comparing to the Se-free rice. Besides, excessive Se led to phytotoxic effects on Se-rich rice plants by inducing chlorosis and dwarfness, decreasing the contents of antioxidant, and exacerbating oxidative stresses. Furthermore, both phosphate transporter OsPT2 and sulfate transporters OsSultr1;2 may contribute to the uptake of selenate in rice. CONCLUSIONS: Se-rich red rice is more sensitive to exogenous application of Se, while and the most effective application of Se in roots of Se-rich rice was reached in 20 µM. Our findings present a direct way to evaluate the toxic effects of Se-rich rice in the Se contaminated field. Conclusively, some long-term field trial strategies are suggested to be included in the evaluation of risks and benefits within various field managements.

Accumulation, mobilization, and transformation of selenium in rice grain provided with foliar sodium selenite.

BACKGROUND: Selenium is an indispensable trace element for humans and its deficiency can lead to serious health complications. Nearly 70% of the area of China faces selenium deficiency. To deal with this problem, selenium-enriched rice has been increasingly incorporated into everyday diets. However, there is a lack of in-depth studies of the absorption, translocation, and transformation of selenium in the different parts of the rice plant when sprayed with sodium selenite. RESULTS: Foliar sodium selenite applied at critical growth stages can significantly improve the total and organic selenium content of plants. Application of 10 mg L-1 sodium selenite led to the most organic selenium (0.03 mg kg-1 ) in polished rice. Correlation studies of sodium selenite applied to leaves and other plant parts showed that total selenium accumulated most in glume, followed by rice bran, then polished rice, and finally embryo. The behavior of organic selenium was different. Organic selenium accumulated most in polished rice, then embryo, then rice bran, and finally glume. Moreover, 75-85% of the Se found in polished rice and embryo was organic in nature. CONCLUSIONS: We propose that 10 mg L-1 sodium selenite can be recommended as appropriate for foliar fertilization in the organic selenium biofortification of Se-free rice. © 2018 Society of Chemical Industry.

Prostate Cancer Cell-Specific Cytotoxicity of Sub-Micron Potassium Niobate Powder.

Oxide nanoparticles have numerous potential applications in medicine such as carriers for therapeutic drugs, contrast agents for bio-imaging and targeting agents for tumors. Oxide nanoparticles may also have an inherent cytotoxicity towards cancer cells, as recently found for cerium oxide. KNbO3 nanoparticles have a combination of low toxicity and nonlinear optical properties which make them attractive for use as a bio-imaging material. However, little is known yet about the cytotoxicity of KNbO3 particles towards cancerous cells. In the present work, the cytotoxicity of KNbO3 particles to normal and prostate cancer cell lines is studied. The mixed oxide method is used to prepare KNbO3 powder. Using dynamic light scattering the mean particle diameter of the KNbO3 powder is found to be ∼500 nm. X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infra-red spectroscopy and Raman scattering spectroscopy are used to examine the structure of the KNbO3 powder. Powder morphology is examined using scanning electron microscopy. MTT assays of EA.hy926, PC-3 and DU-145 cell lines are carried out to study cell-specific cytotoxicity. KNbO3 sub-micron particles are found to have low toxicity to PC-3 cells, moderate toxicity to EA.hy926 cells and high toxicity to DU-145 cells. A new avenue towards the treatment of prostate cancer may be opened by the cell-specific cytotoxicity of KNbO3.

Dietary habits and practices of type-2 diabetic patients in a tertiary care centre of Islamabad, Pakistan.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the relation between food intake and diabetes control. METHODS: This cross-sectional study was carried out at Department of Medicine and Endocrinology, Shifa International Hospital, Islamabad, Pakistan, from July 2016 to February 2017, during which type-2 diabetes patients were interviewed using a structured questionnaire. Demographics, intake of high glycaemic index foods consumed in each food group, and general dietary practices were assessed by means of number of meals per day and adherence to the dietary plan. Glycated haemoglobin A1c values were recorded as well. SPSS 21 was used for data analysis. RESULTS: Of the 180 patients, 100(55.6%) were taking three meals a day. Besides, 108(60%) had an income >Rs50,000. Moreover, 127(70.6%) patients were not aware of the type of diabetes, while 117(65%) patients had high glycated haemoglobin levels. Furthermore, 148(82.2%) made a change in diet following diabetes diagnosis, while 168(93.3%) had recommended food available in their house, and 65(36.1%) followed a strictly-recommended dietary schedule. A statistically significant association was found between the consumption of different desserts/sweets and glycated haemoglobin levels (p=0.008) followed by fruit intake like mangoes (p=0.004) and grapes (p=0.02). CONCLUSIONS: There is a need to educate diabetics regarding diet management in terms of glycaemic index of foods.

Computing edge version of metric dimension of certain chemical networks.

In the modern digital sphere, graph theory is a significant field of research that has a great deal of significance. It finds widespread application in computer science, robotic directions, and chemistry. Additionally, graph theory is used in robot network localization, computer network problems and the formation of various chemical structures for networks. Moreover, it finds uses in exploring diffusion mechanisms and scheduling aircraft as well. The present research project examines and concentrates on the edge version of metric dimension of the Concealed Non-Kekuléan Benzenoid Hydrocarbon, Polythiophene, Backbone DNA network and Bakelite networks. All the mentioned networks have constant edge metric dimension except Bakelite network, as demonstrated by the results. If we talk about the applications of these networks, Polythiophene are used to treat prion disorders. It is also capable of detecting metal ions. The concept of Bakelite, which finds applications in the jewelry, electrical, cookware, sports, and clock industries, had an impact on the invention of modern polymers. The functions of DNA include information encoding, replication, mutation, and recombination gene expression.

Investigating metal (M = Mn, Fe, and Ni)-doped Co(OH)2 nanofibers for electrocatalytic oxygen evolution and electrochemical biosensing performance.

To achieve efficient and cost-effective electrochemical water splitting, highly active and affordable nanostructured catalysts are the key requirement. The current study presents the investigations of the efficacy of metal (Mn, Fe and Ni)-doped Co(OH)2 nanofibers towards oxygen evolution via water splitting. Notably, Ni-doped Co(OH)2 demonstrates superior OER performance in KOH electrolyte, surpassing standard IrO2 with a modest potential of 1.62 V at 10 mA cm-2. The remarkable activity is attributed to the nanofiber structure, facilitating faster conduction and offering readily available active sites. Ni-doped Co(OH)2 nanofibers displayed enduring stability even after 1000 cycles. This work underscores the importance of transition-metal based catalysts as effective electrocatalysts, providing the groundwork for the development of cutting-edge catalysts. Additionally, the electrochemical sensing capability towards ascorbic acid is evaluated, with Ni-doped Co(OH)2 showing the most promising response, characterized by the lowest LOD and LOQ values. These findings highlight the potential of Ni-doped Co(OH)2 nanofibers for upcoming diagnostic detection devices.

Endocarditis Associated With Coronary Cameral Fistula Presenting With Intracranial Hemorrhage.

Coronary cameral fistulas are rare anomalous connections between coronary circulation and cardiac chambers. Coronary cameral fistulas are often asymptomatic but may cause volume overload on impacted chambers, and also create high velocity turbulent diastolic flow which may predispose patients to endocarditis. This paper presents a unique case of infective endocarditis revealed by intracerebral hemorrhage with a mycotic aneurysm in a patient who was found to have a nonvalvular infective endocarditis located on the mitral anterolateral papillary muscle, at the ventricular site of entrance of a large coronary cameral fistula.

Selenium in rice: Impact on protein content and distribution for enhanced food and feed security in agroclimatic challenges.

Countries face exasperating and inclement climate worldwide. Food and feed security could be their paramount life objective. The study aimed to investigate the impact of selenium on the protein content and distribution in different parts of rice. For this purpose, advanced selenium biofortified breeding material developed after generations of breeding efforts was investigated at the field area, rice research institute, Chengdu, China during cropping season 2021-22. The accumulation and distribution of selenium and protein contents were observed in various fractions of selenium-enriched rice (Z3057B) and positive control (727). The correlation studies for selenium and protein quantification leads to the optimization of the breeding material and relevance in virtue. The rice fractions indicated rice embryo retains highest selenium contents, which gradually decreases in succession (other rice parts). The difference in protein content between the embryo and endosperm of Se-enriched rice is significant, while that between embryo and aleurone layer is not obvious. The selenium protein was found with molecular weight of 13.6-122.6 kDa. The protein of each molecular weight is found to bind with selenium, but the binding strength of selenium is negatively correlated with the molecular weight of protein. The 67.5% of the total selenium sticks with protein having molecular weight less than 38.8 kDa. In summary, protein with low molecular weight (13.4 kDa) binds maximum selenium and accounts for highest total protein content (40.76%).

A surrogate safety analysis at sharp gore areas of diverging freeway ramps using micro simulation under congested traffic conditions.

Safety at the gore areas near diverging ramps is very crucial during planning and implementation of highway safety improvement programs. Limited research has been conducted on safety at the gore areas on arterial roads. This study aims at investigating the impact of improving a sharp gore area in Lincoln, Nebraska by performing a micro simulation before-and-after study with respect to its underlying state of safety and congestion. Data on travel times and traffic volumes for peak hours are incorporated after successful calibration to find out how a geometric intervention can decrease mobility issues as well as the likelihood of crash involvement. This study has utilized VISSIM software package to run the simulation however, to perform safety analysis, Surrogate Safety Assessment Model (SSAM) is used which is developed by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA). During the model calibration, custom driving behaviors are created to represent driving tendencies of familiar drivers. The simulation results indicated that by adding an auxiliary lane near the gore area, the mobility issues such as bottle necks, lane changing dilemmas and queue lengths are substantially decreased. However, geometric interventions such as provision of a separate lane, increasing ramp spacing, nose spacing, deceleration area and queue storage area considerably reduced the likelihood of rear-end and lane changing crashes. Surrogate safety assessment in diverging ramps, particularly for sharp gores, has not previously been studied, and this study can serve as a primary footmark for future research on ramp-gores safety.

Mitigation effects of selenium on accumulation of cadmium and morpho-physiological properties in rice varieties.

Selenium (Se) is a beneficial element, but only when present within its permissible range. Its hyper-accumulation in edible plant parts can cause Se toxicity. This study aimed to develop an agronomic plan for biofortification of rice with Se and reclamation of cadmium (Cd)-contaminated soil, utilizing sodium selenite (Na2SeO3) and cadmium chloride (CdCl2) as soil treatments. Biofortification was performed on two target rice varieties: genotypes 5097A/R2035 and GangYou725, in field trials by applying Cd at a concentration of 0-8 mg kg soil-1 and Se at 0-1 mg kg soil-1. Since these rice varieties have different metabolic specificity, the degree of elemental accumulation, deviations in chlorophyll concentration, activity of photosynthetic apparatus and grain yield were assessed. It was found that application of 1 mg kg-1 Se2O3 decrease Cd content and increased chlorophyll content and photosynthetic activity while grain yield was unaffected by application of the metallic trace-elements. Comparing effects at different stages, we found that the 50% heading stage was most sensitive to metal application. In sum, Se mitigates Cd toxicity, but hyperaccumulation of Se (4 mg kg-1) in polished rice was observed with Cd at 4 and 8 mg kg-1. The elevated level of Cd stress in pot experiments resulted in over-accumulation of Se in the germ and endosperm that poses serious health concerns.

Octylamine as environment friendlier colorimetric detection probe for hazardous 2,4,6-Trinitrophenol from wastewater samples.

The precise detection of hazardous 2,4,6-Trinitrophenol (TNP) is essential for the environment and human health. TNP is used as a precursor in whistling fireworks in ammunition, mining, agriculture and is a hazardous environmental pollutant generated from leather, chemical, and dye industries. Exploring rapid and low-cost approaches for the detection and quantification of TNP has attracted many scientists nowadays. The proposed chemosensor utilizes the concept of dispersive liquid-liquid micro-extraction coupled with a UV-visible spectrophotometer for its sensing at the ultra-trace level. Significant changes based on intramolecular interactions followed by a distinct color change to orange-red from yellow in the presence of TNP is an attractive feature for the present study. The successive addition of TNP shows ultra-trace sensitivity (3.9831 µA µM-1 cm-1) at detection limit (LOD) of 0.0015 ± 0.03 µM (S/N = 3), a linear range of 0 µM-70 µM, and a response time of <5 min. Different types of real samples such as creatinine testing kit reagent, fireflies crackers, serum, and water samples were used and recovery of TNP was calculated by spiking the known concentration of the standard analyte. The obtained recovery was 93.6-103.6% with RSD range of 1.6-4.53% (n = 3) in different samples. The analytical performance of the colorimetric Chemoprobe in terms of its recovery, linearity range, and limit of detection offers an excellent platform for monitoring hazardous TNP. The results show that the proposed colorimetric chemosensor is easy to use, low-cost, environmentally friendly and offers an easily observable visual color change. Based on these features, the chemosensor can be used for large-scale applications for the detection of TNP in water and other samples.

Optimization-Based Economical Flexural Design of Singly Reinforced Concrete Beams: A Parametric Study.

In the past, many studies have been conducted on the optimization of reinforced concrete (RC) structures. These studies have demonstrated the effectiveness of different optimization techniques to obtain an economical design. However, the use of optimization techniques to an obtain economical design is not so practical due to the difficulty in applying most of the optimization techniques to achieve an optimal solution. The RC beam is one of the most common structural elements encountered by a practising design engineer. The current study is designed to highlight the potential of the Solver tool in MS Excel as an easy-to-use option for optimizing the design of simply supported RC beams. A user-friendly interface was developed in a spreadsheet in which beam design parameters from a typical design can be entered and an economical design can be obtained using the Evolutionary Algorithm available in the MS Excel Solver tool. To demonstrate the effectiveness of the developed optimization tool, three examples obtained from the literature have been optimized. The results showed that up to 24% economical solution can be obtained by keeping the same material strengths that were assumed in the original design. However, if material strength is also considered as a variable, up to 44% of the economical solution can be obtained. A parametric study was also conducted to investigate the effect of different design variables on the economical design of simply supported RC beams and to derive useful rules of thumb for their design and proportioning, with the objective of cost minimization. The results of the parametric study suggest that the grade of the reinforcing steel is one of the most influential factors that affect the cost of simply supported RC beams. Practicing engineers can use the trends derived from this research to further refine their optimal designs.

Cost-effective fabrication, antibacterial application and cell viability studies of modified nonwoven cotton fabric.

In the present work, nonwoven cotton fabric was modified for antibacterial applications using low-cost and eco-friendly precursors. The treatment of fabric with alkali leads to the formation of active sites for surface modification, followed by dip coating with silver nanoparticles and chitosan. The surface was chlorinated in the next step to transform amide (N-H) groups in chitosan into N-halamine (N-Cl). The modified and unmodified surfaces of the nonwoven cotton fabric have been characterized by FTIR, SEM, and XRD. The active chlorine loading is measured with iodine/sodium thiosulphate. The antimicrobial activity and cell toxicity assay were carried out with and without modifications of nonwoven cotton fabric. The antimicrobial efficacies of loaded fabric were evaluated against four bacterial species (Micrococcus luteus, Staphylococcus aureus, Enterobacter aerogenes, and E.coli). It was found that modified fabric exhibited superior efficiency against gram-positive and gram-negative bacterial strains as compared to their bulk counterparts upon exposure without affecting strength and integrity of fabric. The overall process is economical for commercial purposes. The modified fabric can be used for antimicrobial, health, and food packaging industries, and in other biomedical applications.

Structural Imaging Characteristic, Clinical Features and Risk Factors of Cerebral Venous Sinus Thrombosis: A Prospective Cross-Sectional Analysis from a Tertiary Care Hospital in Pakistan.

Cerebral venous sinus thrombosis (CVST) is a rare cause of stroke that accounts for 0.5-1.0% of all strokes. Clinical presentation, predisposing factors, neuroimaging findings, and outcomes of CVST are extremely diverse, which causes a high index of suspicion in diagnosis. Therefore, early diagnosis of CVST is crucial for prompt treatment to prevent morbidity and mortality. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this prospective study is aimed at assessing the clinical characteristics, potential risk factors, and neuro-radiological features along with the topography of venous sinus involved in CVST patients in a tertiary care hospital, Lahore, Pakistan. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Consecutive patients enrolled in this study had a computed tomography (CT) scan, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and magnetic resonance venography (MRV) along with a clinical presentation to confirm the diagnosis of CVST. Categorical data were presented as percentages. Continuous variable and categorical data were compared (parenchymal lesions vs. non-parenchymal lesions) using the Student's t-test and Chi-square test, respectively. RESULTS: A total of 3261 patients with stroke were presented during the study period. Out of all patients, 53 confirmed patients with CVST (1.6%) were recruited; the predominant population was female (84.91%), having a male to female ratio of 1:4. Mean age of the cohort was 28.39 ± 7.19 years. Most frequent symptoms observed were headache (92.45%) followed by vomiting (75.47%), seizures (62.26%), papilledema (54.72%), visual impairment (41.51%), and altered consciousness disturbance (52.83%). The presumed risk factors associated with CVST were puerperium (52.83%), use of oral contraceptives (13.21%), antiphospholipid syndrome (7.55%), elevated serum levels of protein C and S (5.66%), and CNS infection (3.77%). On cranial CT scans, 50 patients (94.33%) showed abnormalities while 32 patients exhibited various parenchymal lesions. Seizures were more frequent in CVST patients with parenchymal lesions compared with subjects lacking parenchymal lesions. Seventy-two sinuses, either single or in combination, were involved in CVST patients, being more common in patients with parenchymal lesions than those without parenchymal lesions. The most frequent locations of CVST were the superior sagittal and transverse sinus. CONCLUSION: In short, non-contrast CT brain may be used as a first line investigation in suspected cases of CVST. Our study also demonstrates some regional differences in the clinical features, risk factors, and neuroimaging details of CVST as described by some other studies. Therefore, care must be taken while diagnosing and predicting the outcome of the CVST.

Rescue effects of Se-enriched rice on physiological and biochemical characteristics in cadmium poisoning mice.

Cadmium (Cd) is an element injurious for human health and is possibly toxic to organisms at minor concentrations. While some of other trace metallic elements have antagonistic features to it. One of them is the interaction between selenium (Se) and Cd in plant different organs. Literature review disclosed that the intake of Se to some extent can reduce the accumulation of Cd in plants, while the research on of trace metallic elements (Cd) and Se-enriched food (rice) in the living body has rarely been reported. This study intended to explore whether there was a mitigating effect of Se-enriched rice on mice poisoned with Cd. A mouse model of low-dose and high-dose Cd poisoning was established (supplemented with cadmium chloride(CdCl2·2½H20)), followed by feeding two groups (1) Se-enriched rice and (2) setting an equal amount of inorganic Se group. After that, the impact of Se-enriched rice on the antioxidant activity was evaluated. The Se-enriched diet enhanced the total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC), superoxide dismutase (SOD), and enzyme activities of GSH peroxidase (GSH-Px) in mice livers and kidney whereas significantly decreased the malondialdehyde (MDA) contents. Moreover, the degree of physiological damage in mice with low cadmium poisoning was significantly alleviated, and the expression of antioxidant genes (Nrf-2, GPX1, TrxR2, TNF-2) was increased. In conclusion, the Se-enriched diet has a positive effect on the biological effects in mice, and it can be used as a daily diet to resist damage to the body's low Cd state and support enzymatic antioxidant systems by eliminating oxidative injury.

Estimating The Possible Role Of Testing Capacity And Social Distancing In Predicting The Growth Rate Of Daily Covid-19 Cases.

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to estimate the effect of social distancing (days since the imposition of a lock-down) and the number of daily tests conducted per million population on the daily growth rate of COVID-19 cases. METHODS: After excluding the first 30 days since the announcement of an index case in a country, relevant data for the next forty days was collected from four countries: Belgium, Italy, South Korea and United Kingdom. Two online databases: Our World in Data and worldometer were used for the collection of data which included the number of new COVID-19 cases and the number of tests conducted on a given day. The acquired figures were transformed into per million population of the given country. The growth rate of daily COVID-19 cases was derived and was used as the regress and in a multiple linear regression with the number of tests per million population per day and the number of days since a lock-down was imposed as the regressors. RESULTS: It was found that the growth rate of daily COVID-19 cases decreased by .051% when the number of daily tests conducted per million population increased by 1. A .532% decrease in the growth rate of daily COVID-19 cases was observed with each passing day of a lock-down, which essentially represented the most effective form of social distancing. A significant regression was calculated (F (2, 155) = 35.191, p=.014), with an R2 of .054. Neither the daily number of tests conducted per million population nor the number of days of maintaining social distancing (lock-down) was individually significant contributors to the prediction of the growth rate of daily COVID-19 cases (p=.267 and p=.554 respectively). CONCLUSION: An extensive and rapid increase in the daily number of testing capacity and maintaining social distancing can decrease the growth rate of daily COVID-19 cases. Depending on the availability of the required resources, timely implementation of these measures can lead to better outcomes for a given population.

Rheumatological manifestations in patients hospitalized with COVID-19 in a tertiary care setting.

BACKGROUND: Corona virus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a pandemic affecting over 150 million people worldwide since its emergence in Wuhan, China in December 2019, and is leading to over 600 thousand deaths. Severe acute respiratory syndrome novel coronavirus 2 (SARS-nCoV-2) causes a wide range of symptoms by affecting different organ systems of the body. This study was designed to specifically look for its rheumatological manifestations. METHODS: It was a cross-sectional study conducted in the corona complex MTI Lady Reading Hospital Peshawar. A total of 141 COVID-19 positive hospitalized patients requiring oxygen therapy and having no previous rheumatological diseases were enrolled and studied for any rheumatological manifestations. RESULTS: There were 88 (62.4%) males and 53 (37.6%) females, with age range from 27-88 years, and mean age of 58.5±11.5 SD. Arthralgia and myalgia were found very common, occurring in 128 (90.8%) and 119 (84.4%) of patients. Arthritis was not found in any patient. CONCLUSION: Arthralgia and myalgia were reported frequently in patients with severe COVID-19 requiring oxygen therapy, while arthritis was not present even in a single patient as is reported in other viral infections.

Dissecting the Potential of Selenoproteins Extracted from Selenium-Enriched Rice on Physiological, Biochemical and Anti-Ageing Effects In Vivo.

Ageing is an irreversible phenomenon and the processes which can delay it are under consideration for a long time by the scientific community. Selenium is an important candidate for it, but the impact of selenoprotein on nutritional changes and ageing has not been reported well. In this regard, antioxidant activities and free radical scavenging effect of selenoproteins extracted from selenium-rich rice were studied. Mice were administered a subcutaneous abdominal injection of D-galactose to induce the ageing model and fed with different selenoprotein dosage diet. Deviations among biochemical activities (total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC), glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px), superoxide dismutase (SOD) and malondialdehyde (MDA)) in liver and serum of the mice were assessed. The degree of liver injury, antioxidant genes and protein relative expression were estimated. The protein content, selenium content, hydroxyl scavenging and DPPH radicals were accessed in selenoprotein components. The selenoprotein constituent had protein and selenium contents in different components as water-soluble proteins > alkali-soluble proteins > salt-soluble proteins > ethanol-soluble proteins. The enzymatic activity (total antioxidant capacity, GSH-Px and SOD) in liver and serum of mice was significantly enhanced in selenoprotein diet groups. D-Galactose-induced liver injury was significantly reduced by selenoprotein diet of 25 µg/(kg day). Real-time qPCR and Western blot disclosed the enhanced relative expression of antioxidant genes (SOD2, GPX1, TrxR2 and Nrf2) and HO-1 protein in the positive control (Vc) and selenoprotein diet groups. In conclusion, selenoprotein treatment was found to have a positive influence on liver hepatocytes and biochemical features in mice. It might be used as a potential diet in scavenging oxidative injury and supporting enzymatic antioxidant system.

Impact of selenium, zinc and their interaction on key enzymes, grain yield, selenium, zinc concentrations, and seedling vigor of biofortified rice.

Selenium (Se) is an essential micronutrient and important component of oxidase which protects cell membranes, eliminate the role of free radicals in the human body. Se is necessary for low Se rice genotypes and Se deficient areas. Zinc (Zn) is a micro-battalion that affects the growth, development, aging, drought resistance, disease resistance, and many other aspects for rice. The effects of Se and Zn fertilization on Se and Zn concentrations were evaluated including the response of superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT) enzymes activity, and grain yield under single Se, Zn, and combined Se-Zn application using R725 rice variety in pot experiment with 8 treatments (0, Zn5, Zn10, Zn15, Se1, Zn5 + Se1, Zn10 + Se1, and Zn15 + Se1) mg/kg of soil and three replications. Moreover, germination% and seedling growth of resulted seeds from this experiment were evaluated for the agronomical benefit of farmers. The results revealed that Se and Zn had a cumulative effect on each other, but more Se increase was activated than Zn under the combined Se-Zn application. Zinc application had the small effect on Zn concentration in the different fractions but the positive effect on carotenoids and the yield (both applied alone and in combination with Se). Single Se application resulted in a positive effect on Zn accumulation in grain and husk with the high effectiveness of Se accumulation and loss during processing. Combined Se-Zn application had positive effect on carotenoids, CAT, grain yield, and total dry matter. Moreover, single Zn and combined Se-Zn application had a positive effect on germination% and seedling growth. Agronomic biofortification with combined Se-Zn supply provided both agronomic and nutritional benefits for rice in the current pot trail. However, as Se preferably accumulated in the edible part as compared to Zn, 1 mg Se/kg fertilization was unsafe for edible purposes according to the national standard of China (0.04-0.3 mg/kg) but could be recommended as medicine.