Trace metal elements: a bridge between host and intestinal microorganisms.

Trace metal elements, such as iron, copper, manganese, and zinc, are essential nutrients for biological processes. Although their intake demand is low, they play a crucial role in cell homeostasis as the cofactors of various enzymes. Symbiotic intestinal microorganisms compete with their host for the use of trace metal elements. Moreover, the metabolic processes of trace metal elements in the host and microorganisms affect the organism's health. Supplementation or the lack of trace metal elements in the host can change the intestinal microbial community structure and function. Functional changes in symbiotic microorganisms can affect the host's metabolism of trace metal elements. In this review, we discuss the absorption and transport processes of trace metal elements in the host and symbiotic microorganisms and the effects of dynamic changes in the levels of trace metal elements on the intestinal microbial community structure. We also highlight the participation of trace metal elements as enzyme cofactors in the host immune process. Our findings indicate that the host uses metal nutrition immunity or metal poisoning to resist pathogens and improve immunity.

Utilizing X-ray fluorescence (XRF) method to evaluate the content of metal elements in soil and their effects on the total phenolic and flavonoid contents of some medicinal plants.

Soil factors, especially metal elements in the soil, play a significant role in forming and accumulating secondary metabolites, which determine the medicinal properties of medicinal herbs. In this study, the concentrations of some metal elements (K, Mn, Fe, Cu, Zn, and Cr) in Cam Mountain and Tinh Bien Town, An Giang Province, Vietnam, were determined using the XRF method. We simultaneously determined the total phenolic and flavonoid content of some medicinal herbs collected from the collected soil sample areas, thereby assessing the influence of these elements on the formation of secondary metabolites in medicinal plants. The results showed that K, Mn, and Cr were mainly concentrated in the topsoil and transition layers; Fe and Cu elements tended to concentrate in the transition layer and the subsoil when surveying the soil profile. K, Mn, Cu, and Cr concentrations were more focused in Tinh Bien area, while Fe and Zn had higher concentrations at Cam Mountain. Additionally, results from evaluating the relationship between the content of the elements in the soil and the content of two active compounds also showed the correlation regression model between Zn and flavonoid expression by level 4 at the 5% significance level. Thus, the nonlinear model is suitable for evaluating the relationship between the content of metal elements in the soil and the active compound in medicinal plants.

Progress in ICP-MS Analysis of Minerals and Heavy Metals in Traditional Medicine.

Aim: This study systematically reviewed the application of ICP-MS and its combined technology in the determination of mineral and heavy metal elements in medicinal materials derived from plants, animals, minerals and their preparations (Chinese patent medicine), and biological products. It provides a reference for improving the quality standard of traditional medicine and exploring the effective components, toxic components, and action mechanism of traditional medicine. Materials and Methods: A total of 234 articles related to the determination of mineral and heavy metal elements in medicinal materials derived from plants, animals, and minerals and their preparations (Chinese patent medicine) were collected from PubMed, CNKI, Web of Science, VIP, and other databases. They were classified and sorted by the inductively coupled plasma-mass-spectrometry (ICP-MS) method. Results: Of the 234 articles, 154 were about medicinal materials derived from plants, 15 about medicinal materials derived from animals, 9 about medicinal materials derived from minerals, 46 about Chinese patent medicine, 10 about combined technology application, and 3 about drugs being tested after entering the body. From the 154 articles on medicinal materials derived from plants, 76 elements, including Cu, Cd, Pb, As, Cr, Mn, and Hg, were determined, of which the determination of Cu was the most, with 129 articles. Medicinal materials derived from the roots, stems, leaves, flowers, and fruits and seeds of plants accounted for 25.97%, 18.18%, 7.14%, 7.79%, and 14.94%, respectively. Moreover, medicinal materials derived from the whole plants accounted for 14.94%, and other medicinal materials derived from plants and soil accounted for 11.04%. A total of 137 of the tested medicinal materials were from traditional Chinese medicine, accounting for 88.96%, 12 were from Arabic medicine (including Unani), accounting for 7.79%, 2 were from Tibetan medicine of China, and 1 was from Mongolian medicine of China, 1 was from Miao medicine of China, and 1 was from Zhuang medicine of China. In the 15 articles on medicinal materials derived from animals, 49 elements such as Cu, As, Cd, Hg, Se, Pb, and Mn were determined, of which Cu was the most. All the tested medicinal materials belong to traditional Chinese medicine. From the nine articles on medicinal materials derived from minerals, 70 elements such as Fe, Cu, Zn, Al, As, Se, and Na were determined, of which Fe, Cu, and Zn were the most. The tested medicinal materials all belong to traditional Chinese medicine. From the 46 articles on Chinese patent medicine, 62 elements such as Cu, As, Pb, Cd, Hg, Ni, and Cr were determined, of which Cu was the most. Regarding the tested Chinese patent medicine, 38 articles belong to traditional Chinese medicine, 6 to Tibetan medicine, and 2 to Mongolian medicine of China. Three articles determine the content of metal elements in biological samples such as animal hepatic venous blood, abdominal aortic blood, brain, liver, kidney, urine, and feces, and one article determines the content of metal elements in human lung and serum. From the 10 articles combined with liquid chromatography and gas chromatography, 16 elements such as MMA, DMA, AsIII, AsV, AsB, AsC, and AsI3 were determined, of which MMA and DMA were the most. It can realize elemental morphology and isotope analysis. The tested medicinal materials and Chinese patent medicine belong to traditional Chinese medicine. Conclusion: ICP-MS was applied the most in traditional Chinese medicine, followed by Arabic medicine. ICP-MS was used to determine more medicinal materials derived from plants, and Cu was determined the most. The characteristic inorganic element spectrum of medicinal materials can also be established. ICP-MS and its combined technology are widely used in Chinese patent medicine, but the test of biological samples is the least. The information provided in this article can provide a reference for improving the quality standard of traditional medicines and exploring the active ingredients and toxic ingredients and their mechanism of action.

Causal relationships between blood calcium, iron, magnesium, zinc, selenium, phosphorus, copper, and lead levels and multisystem disease outcomes in over 400,000 Caucasian participants.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: Metal elements have been associated with a wide range of clinical outcomes. The available epidemiological evidence for these associations is often inconsistent and suffers from confounding and reverse causation. We aimed to explore the broad clinical effects of varying blood metal element levels and possible underlying mechanisms. METHODS: We performed a two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis by using metal element-associated genetic loci as instrumental variable to evaluate the causal associations between blood metal element levels and 1050 disease outcomes in a UK Biobank cohort. A total of 408,910 White British participants were enrolled in the analysis. We further used the metal element-related genes and disease-related genes to construct a protein-protein interaction (PPI) network. RESULTS: Eight metal elements were associated with 63 diseases in total. Notably, we found nine pairs of suggestive evidence between two different metal elements for the same disease. Selenium and lead share some of the associated clinical outcomes, including diabetes mellitus, type 2 diabetes, lymphoid leukemia, and acute pharyngitis. Lead and zinc share the associated disease of acquired hypothyroidism. Iron and copper share the associated disease of arthropathies. Copper and zinc share the associated disease of occlusion of cerebral arteries. Calcium and zinc share the associated disease of arthropathies. In addition, the PPI network provided potential links between metal elements and disease outcomes at the genetic level. CONCLUSIONS: Our MR study of eight metal elements comprehensively characterized their shared and unique clinical effects, highlighting their potential causal roles in multiple diseases. Given the modifiable nature of blood metal elements and the potential for clinical interventions, these findings warrant further investigation.

Trace metal elements vaporization and phosphorus recovery during sewage sludge thermochemical treatment - A review.

Phosphorus (P) plays essential roles in crops growth. Natural mineral sources of phosphate are non-renewable, overexploited and unevenly distributed worldwide, making P a strategic resource for agricultural systems. The search for sustainable ways to secure P supply for fertilizer production has therefore become a critical issue worldwide. Sewage sludge (SS) is an organic waste material considered as a key alternative source of P. Switzerland and the European Union are about to make it mandatory to recover P from SS or its treatment residues. Among the many technical options to achieve this objective, SS thermochemical treatments spiked with Cl-donors appear as a promising approach to recover P from SS and separate it from mineral pollutants such as trace metal elements (TME). The purpose of Cl-donor additives is to fix P within the mineral residues, possibly in bioavailable P species forms, while promoting TME vaporization by chlorination mechanisms. This review paper compares the various thermochemical treatments investigated worldwide over the past two decades. The influence of process conditions and Cl-donor nature is discussed. The presented results show that, except for nickel and chromium, most TME can be significantly vaporized during a high temperature treatment (over 900 °C) with Cl addition. In addition, the fixation rate and solubility of P is increased when a Cl-donor such as MgCl2 is added.

[Effects of mineral Chinese medicine Chloriti Lapis on contents of metal elements in plasma and lung tissue of acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease(AECOPD) rats].

The effects of Chloriti Lapis on metal elements in plasma and lung tissue of acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease( AECOPD) rats were studied. The rat AECOPD model with phlegm heat syndrome was established by smoking combined with Klebsiella pneumoniae infection. After the rats were treated by Chloriti Lapis,the contents of metal elements in plasma and lung tissue were determined by inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectroscopy( ICP-OES) and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry( ICP-MS). The changes in the contents of metal elements were analyzed by SPSS 18. 0. Further,the correlations of differential metal elements( including Cu/Zn ratio) with differential metabolites in plasma,lung tissue and urine of AECOPD rats treated with Chloriti Lapis were analyzed. The results showed that Chloriti Lapis significantly up-regulated the contents of Fe,Al,Mn,Cu,Zn,Sn( P<0. 05),V,Co( P< 0. 01) and Cu/Zn ratio( P< 0. 05),and significantly down-regulated the contents of Ti( P< 0. 05)and Pb( P<0. 05) in the model rat plasma. It significantly increased the content of Be( P<0. 05) and decreased the contents of Mg,Ti and Al( P<0. 01) in model rat lung tissue. The element profiles of normal group,model group and Chloriti Lapis group can be well separated. Chloriti Lapis group and other groups were clustered into two categories. The taurine in plasma and phytosphingosine in lung tissue had the strongest correlations with differential metal elements. The Fe,Al,Mg,Be,Ti,V,Mn,Cu,Zn,Sn,and Co in Chloriti Lapis may directly or indirectly participate in the intervention of AECOPD rats. This group of metal elements may be the material basis of Chloriti Lapis acting on AECOPD rats,and reduce the Cu/Zn value in vivo. It was further confirmed that Chloriti Lapis could interfere with the metabolic pathways of taurine and hypotaurine in plasma and urine as well as the sphingolipid metabolism pathway in lung tissue of AECOPD rats. In addition,this study confirmed that long-term smoking can cause high-concentration Cd accumulation in the lung and damage the lung tissue.

Effects of mineral Chinese medicine Chloriti Lapis on contents of metal elements in plasma and lung tissue of acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease(AECOPD) rats / 中国中药杂志

The effects of Chloriti Lapis on metal elements in plasma and lung tissue of acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease( AECOPD) rats were studied. The rat AECOPD model with phlegm heat syndrome was established by smoking combined with Klebsiella pneumoniae infection. After the rats were treated by Chloriti Lapis,the contents of metal elements in plasma and lung tissue were determined by inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectroscopy( ICP-OES) and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry( ICP-MS). The changes in the contents of metal elements were analyzed by SPSS 18. 0. Further,the correlations of differential metal elements( including Cu/Zn ratio) with differential metabolites in plasma,lung tissue and urine of AECOPD rats treated with Chloriti Lapis were analyzed. The results showed that Chloriti Lapis significantly up-regulated the contents of Fe,Al,Mn,Cu,Zn,Sn( P<0. 05),V,Co( P< 0. 01) and Cu/Zn ratio( P< 0. 05),and significantly down-regulated the contents of Ti( P< 0. 05)and Pb( P<0. 05) in the model rat plasma. It significantly increased the content of Be( P<0. 05) and decreased the contents of Mg,Ti and Al( P<0. 01) in model rat lung tissue. The element profiles of normal group,model group and Chloriti Lapis group can be well separated. Chloriti Lapis group and other groups were clustered into two categories. The taurine in plasma and phytosphingosine in lung tissue had the strongest correlations with differential metal elements. The Fe,Al,Mg,Be,Ti,V,Mn,Cu,Zn,Sn,and Co in Chloriti Lapis may directly or indirectly participate in the intervention of AECOPD rats. This group of metal elements may be the material basis of Chloriti Lapis acting on AECOPD rats,and reduce the Cu/Zn value in vivo. It was further confirmed that Chloriti Lapis could interfere with the metabolic pathways of taurine and hypotaurine in plasma and urine as well as the sphingolipid metabolism pathway in lung tissue of AECOPD rats. In addition,this study confirmed that long-term smoking can cause high-concentration Cd accumulation in the lung and damage the lung tissue.

Changes of nutrients and potentially toxic elements during hydrothermal carbonization of pig manure.

The effects of reaction temperature, residence time, sulfuric acid and potassium hydroxide on the total concentration and speciation of N and P, potentially toxic elements (salts and metal elements) of pig manure during its hydrothermal carbonization (HTC) were investigated. Concentrations of Cl, K, Na and Mg in the hydrochars were much lower but total N, P and nitrate-nitrogen (NO3--N) contents were significantly higher than in untreated pig manure. The acid-extractable fractions of Cu and Zn in hydrochars were 0.03-0.63 and 0.17-0.66 times lower than those in pig manure and decreased significantly with increasing reaction temperature. The addition of sulfuric acid (H2SO4) or potassium hydroxide (KOH) in HTC reduced the contents of P, Ca, Mg, Cl and heavy metal elements (HMEs) in hydrochars, and the removal rates of Cu and Zn were up to 55% and 59%, respectively. Overall, the rapid treatment of pig manure by HTC reduced the harm of salts and HMEs, and effectively recovered the nutrients in pig manure. The HTC under alkaline conditions was desirable for optimizing the main elemental composition of the hydrochars.

Multi-component and antioxidant activities analysis in different parts of Sophora japonica / 中草药

Objective: To provide a basis for the rational use of Sophora japonica resources through comprehensive evaluation of different tissues and organs. Methods: The contents of rutin, narcissin, quercetin, isorhamnetin and heavy metals in the samples were detected by HPLC and ICP-OES. The Fe3+ reducing ability, DPPH free radical (DPPH•), ABTS free radical (ABTS•+) scavenging ability and total antioxidant capacity (FRAP) were detected by colorimetry. Then, cluster analysis (CA) and principal component analysis (PCA) were conducted by software of SPSS 20.0. Results: The total contents of four flavonoids in different tissues and organs of S. japonica were arranged as follows: flower buds > flowers > flower axis > leaves > branches. The order of antioxidant capacities was as follows: flower buds > flowers > flower axis > leaves > branches, which were positively correlated with the total contents of four flavonoids. The contents of five heavy metal elements in flowers and flower buds were within the limitation of the Green standards of medicinal plants and preparations for foreign trade and economy, while the Cd element in some leaves, flower axis and branches was beyond the standard. Flowers and flower buds were clustered into one type by CA, while flower axis, leaves and branches were clustered into another category. The two principal components (PC1 and PC2) were extracted from the eight variables by PCA, PC1 showed significant differences among different tissues and organs, and PC2 values showed large differences among batches. Conclusion: The flowers and flower buds of S. japonica showed an excellent qualities, including safe doses of heavy metals, rich flavonoids and outstanding antioxidant activities. In addition, the flower axis and leaves also contained high flavonoids and exhibited strong antioxidant activities, which had the value of further development and utilization.

Application of 3D-printed drug composite material in biomedicine / 中国组织工程研究

BACKGROUND: Combining drugs with materials using 3D printing technology can be formulated Into a dosage form with a specific release rate, which is better for clinical use. OBJECTIVE: To review the preparation technique, advantages and indications of pharmaceutical composites made from western medicine, traditional Chinese medicine, metal elements and Ions and related materials. METHODS: The first author used the search terms "Drug; Chinese medicine; Metal; Composite materials; 3D printing" to search the CNKI and Wanfang databases In Chinese and the PubMed and Web of Science in English to retrieve papers published during 1950-2019. A total of 339 papers were preliminarily retrieved. After screening, 46 papers were included in the final analysis. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: Pharmaceutical composite materials made of western medicine, traditional Chinese medicine, metal elements and Ions and related materials have certain advantages in the pharmaceutical field and clinical use. It can not only improve the bioavailability of drugs, reduce toxic side effects, but also achieve a combination of drugs. In recent years, drug composite materials have been used In orthopedics, dentistry, cardiovascular medicine, otolaryngology and other fields, but its application is still in its Infancy. Many aspects need to be Improved, such as improving the quality of drug composites, Increasing mechanical stability, reducing the brittleness, printing the full-featured blood vessels and organs that fit the size of the human body, and better Imitating the biomechanics and tissue structure of human body.

Profiling elements in Puerh tea from Yunnan province, China.

Puerh tea, as the most representative Chinese dark tea, has attracted global interest in recent years. Profiling the levels of metal elements in Puerh tea is very important since its presence is related to human health. In this study, 41 elements in 98 Puerh tea samples from Yunnan province, China including Puerh raw tea and Puerh ripe tea were evaluated by microwave digestion combined with inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry . The content of toxic elements, essential elements and rare earth elements of Puerh tea from different regions was discussed in detail. The concentrations of Ba, Cr, As, Pb, Bi, Fe, Zn, V, Mn, Be, Ag and Tl showed significant differences (p < 0.05) by ANOVA analysis. Principal component analysis and linear discriminant analysis were used to describe the relationship of Puerh tea from different regions. This study provided a comprehensive database for Puerh tea quality control and intake risk assessment.

Simultaneous Determination of the Content of 14 Common Metal Elements in Ganmao Qingre Granules by ICP-MS / 中国药房

OBJECTIVE:To establish a method for simultaneous determination of the content of 14 common metal elements (Mg,Ca,Cr,Mn,Fe,Ni,Cu,Zn,As,Se,Cd,Sb,Ba and Pb)in Ganmao qingre granules. METHODS:Microwave diges-tion-inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry(ICP-MS)method was conducted. The samples were digested with concentrated nitric acid-hydrogen peroxide(2∶1,V/V),and then ICP-MS was used to determine the mass concentration of 14 metal elements. Li, Sc,Ge,Y,In,Bi and Tb were used as internal standards,and branches and leaves of bush were used as standard substances. RE-SULTS:The correlation coefficient of the standard curves of 14 elements was larger than 0.999 6,detection limits were in the range of 0.002-0.035 μg/L,recoveries were in the range of 80.57%-104.2% and RSDs were in the range of 0.34%-2.71%. CON-CLUSIONS:The method is specific,accurate and sensitive,and suitable for the content determination of 14 common metal ele-ments in Ganmao qingre granules. The total mass concentrations of 6 batches of heavy metals are all meet the requirements of Green Trade Standards of Importing&Exporting Medicinal Plants&Preparations.

Contents Determination of 5 Heavy Metals in 5 TCM Powders by ICP-MS / 中国药房

OBJECTIVE:To determine the contents of Pb,Cd,Hg,As and Cu in Panax notoginseng,Angelica sinensis,Ligus-ticum chuanxiong,Fallopia multiflora and Rheum palmatum commercially available in Tangshan. METHODS:Microwave diges-tion-inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry(ICP-MS)and single factor index and Nemerow comprehensive index were used to evaluate the heavy metal pollution in TCM powder samples;and the heavy metal limiting values in Green Trade Standards of Im-porting & Exporting Medical Plants & Prescriptions were used to evaluate the pollution of heavy metal samples. RESULTS:In the samples in 12 batches of 5 TCM powders,there were 2 heavy metal exceeded samples (P. notoginseng-3 and L. chuanxiong-2), the exceeded rate was 16.7%,exceeded indexes were Cd and Hg with the exceeded rates of 16.7% and 8.3%,respectively;heavy metals with Single factor index greater than 1 were Hg and Cd in P. notoginseng-3,and Cd in L. chuanxiong-2 with the composite indexes of 1.06 and 0.81,and pollution levels were slightly polluted and reaching warning level,respectively. CONCLUSIONS:Certain heavy metal pollution is found in TCM powder commercially available in Tangshan. Therefore,it is necessary to carry out more strictly control over the heavy metal content in Chinese herbal medicines.