A micro-plate colorimetric assay for rapid determination of trace zinc in animal feed, pet food and drinking water by ion masking and statistical partitioning correction

Alleviation of specific responses in the combined exposure of freshwater mussel Unio tumidus to psychoactive substances and microplastics

The environmentally relevant aquatic pollution is associated with the mixtures of xenobiotics, each in the low, picomolar to micromolar concentrations. Among these substances, the combinations of pharmaceuticals and microplastics (MP) have become an increasingly serious threat. The objective of this study was to track the specific and multi-stress responses of swollen river mussels (Unio tumidus) to the psychoactive substances caffeine (Caff) and chlorpromazine (Cpz) under combined exposure with MP. The MP (1 mg·L-1, size 35-50 μm), Caff (20 µg·L-1), Cpz (12 ng·L-1) or their mixture (Mix) were administered to mussels for 14 days. The redox state, enzymes of biotransformation and apoptosis were analysed in the digestive gland. All exposures except Mix caused oxidative injury to lipids and proteins, accompanied by increased GSH and metallothionein levels, suppressed NAD+ and activation of GST (except Mix), and GTPase. MP had the lower particular impact. Specific responses to Caff were activation of Cyp450 (EROD) and cathepsin D, decreased GSH/GSSG ratio and prominent demetallation of metallothionein. The Cpz caused an increase in NADH/NAD+ ratio and caspase-3 inhibition. In the combined exposure, the specific responses to single xenobiotics were alleviated which was confirmed by discriminant analysis. The Mix-group was distinguished by the highest NADH/NAD+ and GSH/GSSG ratios, markedly increased caspase-3 activity accompanied by the decrease of protein carbonyl level and the highest IBR index, attesting to the negative cumulative effect of multi-stress exposure. The vulnerability of mussels to pM concentration of neuroleptic Cpz needs particular attention.

Adjuvant therapy with zinc supplementation; anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidative role in multiple myeloma patients receiving autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation: a randomized controlled clinical trial

Multiple myeloma (MM) patients are often accompanied by heightened levels of oxidative stress, even following bone marrow transplantation. Trace mineral supplements have been found to regulate and inhibit the activity of oxidative radicals and inflammatory factors, which are involved in the pathogenesis of MM. The study sought to evaluate the effectiveness of the supplementation by analyzing changes in oxidative, anti-oxidative, and inflammation markers. Patients were randomly assigned to a zinc or placebo group, with the former receiving 30 mg of zinc or placebo tablets daily for 1 month. Blood samples were collected from the patients on the day of transplantation, 15 days, and 30 days post-transplantation. Real-time PCR was employed to measure the expression of oxidative/antioxidative genes. Furthermore, the protein level of oxidative markers in serum samples was assessed. Finally, serum TNF-α concentrations were measured using the ELISA technique. The expression levels of SOD1, SOD2, and NRF2 genes were significantly higher on days 15 and 30 compared to the control group (P < 0.05), with a greater increase on day 30 (P < 0.05). Conversely, the expression levels of Keap1 and NOX2 genes were lower on day 30 than those of the control group (P < 0.05), with a further decrease from day 15 to day 30 (P < 0.05). The experimental group exhibited a notable reduction in TNF-α cytokine levels on day 30 compared to the control and placebo groups (P < 0.05). All findings were coordinated according to the nutritional questionnaire. Our findings suggest a potential benefit of zinc supplementation in managing the adverse effects of chemotherapy in MM patients, warranting further investigation.

Analytical and Antimicrobial Characterization of Zn-Modified Clays Embedding Thymol or Carvacrol

Carvacrol and thymol are broad-spectrum natural antimicrobial agents. To reduce their volatility and improve their antimicrobial performance, synergistic systems were prepared loading the active molecules in zinc-modified clays. Montmorillonite (MMT) and zeolite (ZEO) were modified with zinc ions (ZnMMT and ZnZEO), with well-known antimicrobial properties, and then with carvacrol or thymol, reaching the 26 ± 3% and 33 ± 2% w/w of loading, respectively. The resulting hybrid materials were characterized by FT-IR, XPS, XRD, TGA, and GC-MS to evaluate carvacrol/thymol release in simulating food matrices. Antimicrobial assays carried out using spoiler and pathogenic bacterial strains showed that the antimicrobial activity of both thymol and carvacrol was largely preserved once they were loaded into Zn-modified clays. However, MMT hybrids showed an antibacterial activity significantly higher than ZEO hybrids at 50 mg/mL of thymol and carvacrol. For this reason, deeper antimicrobial evaluations were carried out only for ZnMMT composites. ZnMMT loaded with thymol or carvacrol produced inhibition zones against most of the target strains, also at 3.12 mg/mL, while the positive controls represented by the single molecule thymol or carvacrol were not active. The hybrid materials can be useful for applications in which the antimicrobial activity of natural molecules need to be displayed over time as requested for the control of microbial pathogens and spoilage bacteria in different applications, such as active packaging, biomaterials, and medical devices.

A skin-interfaced, miniaturized platform for triggered induction, capture and colorimetric multicomponent analysis of microliter volumes of sweat

Eccrine sweat can serve as a source of biomarkers for assessing physiological health and nutritional balance, for tracking loss of essential species from the body and for evaluating exposure to hazardous substances. The growing interest in this relatively underexplored class of biofluid arises in part from its non-invasive ability for capture and analysis. The simplest devices, and the only ones that are commercially available, exploit soft microfluidic constructs and colorimetric assays with purely passive modes of operation. The most sophisticated platforms exploit batteries, electronic components and radio hardware for inducing sweat, for electrochemical evaluation of its content and for wireless transmission of this information. The work reported here introduces a technology that combines the advantages of these two different approaches, in the form of a cost-effective, easy-to-use device that supports on-demand evaluation of multiple biomarkers in sweat. This flexible, skin-interfaced, miniaturized system incorporates a hydrogel that contains an approved drug to activate eccrine sweat glands, electrodes and a simple circuit and battery to delivery this drug by iontophoresis through the surface of the skin, microfluidic channels and microreservoirs to capture the induced sweat, and multiple colorimetric assays to evaluate the concentrations of chloride, zinc, and iron. As demonstrated in healthy human participants monitored before and after a meal, such devices yield results that match those of traditional laboratory analysis techniques. Clinical studies that involve cystic fibrosis pediatric patients illustrate the use of this technology as a simple, painless, and reliable alternative to traditional hospital systems for measurements of sweat chloride.

Ligand-based magnetic extraction and safety assessment of zinc oxide nanoparticles in food products

Zinc oxide (ZnO) is a zinc supplement widely used in health products and is approved by the FDA as Generally Regarded as Safe (GRAS). However, concerns have arisen regarding the potential health effects of nanoscale ZnO, as its reactivity differs from that of its bulk form. This has led to the need for an efficient method to extract ZnO from food products without altering its physicochemical properties, where conventional methods have proven to be inadequate. This study introduces an innovative approach using starch magnetic particles (SMPs) functionalized with a 12-amino acid peptide modified with five lysines (ZBP), that has specific affinity to ZnO. ZBP@SMPs effectively and rapidly extract intact ZnO from food products, achieving recovery efficiencies ranging from 60% to 90%, all while maintaining its morphology and crystallinity. The diameter of ZnO particles recovered from six commercial food products ranged from 25 to 500 nm, with 33% falling below 100 nm, highlighting the need for a size-dependent toxicity study. However, cytotoxicity assessment on human intestinal Caco-2 cells shows all ZnO samples affects cell proliferation and membrane integrity in a dose-dependent manner due to partial dissolution. This study contributes to understanding the safety of ZnO-containing food products and highlights potential health implications associated with their consumption.

Acid-assisted ultrasonic preparation of nitrogen-doped MXene quantum dots for the efficient fluorescence "off-on-off" detection of Zn(II) in water and oxalic acid in vegetables

A novel fluorescence "off-on-off" probe was presented to detect Zn(II) and oxalic acid (OA) based on nitrogen-doped MXene quantum dots (N-MQDs), which were synthesized by an ultrasound approach at room temperature with nitric acid and ethylenediamine. These N-MQDs displayed small size (<10 nm), water dispersibility, and good photoluminescence. Furthermore, the N-MQDs showed an selective response towards Zn(II) through fluorescence enhancement, with a limit of detection (LOD) calculated as 0.127 μM in the linear range of 0-20 μM. Then, the fluorescence of N-MQDs/Zn(II) system could be selectively quenched after adding OA, with an effective response in the range from 0 to 20 μM (LOD: 0.883 μM). The fluorescence "turn-on" and "turn-off" properties of N-MQDs were resulted from the intramolecular charge transfer (ICT) of Zn(II) and the coordination between OA and Zn(II), respectively. This sensing platform was successfully applied for Zn(II) and OA detection in actual environmental and vegetable samples.

Machine-learning-facilitated prediction of heavy metal contamination in distiller's dried grains with solubles

Excessive heavy metal contamination often occurs in feed due to natural or anthropogenic activity, leading to poisoning and other health problems in animals. In this study, a visible/near-infrared hyperspectral imaging system (Vis/NIR HIS) was used to reveal the different characteristics of spectral reflectance of Distillers Dried Grains with Solubles (DDGS) doped with various heavy metals and to effectively predict metal concentrations. Two types of sample treatment were used, namely tablet and bulk. Three quantitative analysis models were constructed based on the full wavelength, and through comparison the support vector regression (SVR) model was found to show the best performance. As typical heavy metal contaminants, copper (Cu) and zinc (Zn) were used for modeling and prediction. The prediction set accuracy of the tablet samples doped with Cu and Zn was 94.9% and 86.2%, respectively. In addition, a novel characteristic wavelength selection model based on SVR (SVR-CWS) was proposed to filter characteristic wavelengths, which improved the detection performance. The regression accuracy of the SVR model on the prediction set of tableted samples with different Cu and Zn concentrations was 94.7% and 85.9%, respectively. The accuracy of bulk samples with different Cu and Zn concentrations was 81.3% and 80.3%, respectively, which indicated that the detection method can reduce the pretreatment steps and verify its practicability. The overall results suggested the potential of Vis/NIR-HIS in the detection of feed safety and quality.

Vivid COVID-19 LAMP is an ultrasensitive, quadruplexed test using LNA-modified primers and a zinc ion and 5-Br-PAPS colorimetric detection system

Sensitive and rapid point-of-care assays have been crucial in the global response to SARS-CoV-2. Loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) has emerged as an important diagnostic tool given its simplicity and minimal equipment requirements, although limitations exist regarding sensitivity and the methods used to detect reaction products. We describe the development of Vivid COVID-19 LAMP, which leverages a metallochromic detection system utilizing zinc ions and a zinc sensor, 5-Br-PAPS, to circumvent the limitations of classic detection systems dependent on pH indicators or magnesium chelators. We make important strides in improving RT-LAMP sensitivity by establishing principles for using LNA-modified LAMP primers, multiplexing, and conducting extensive optimizations of reaction parameters. To enable point-of-care testing, we introduce a rapid sample inactivation procedure without RNA extraction that is compatible with self-collected, non-invasive gargle samples. Our quadruplexed assay (targeting E, N, ORF1a, and RdRP) reliably detects 1 RNA copy/µl of sample (=8 copies/reaction) from extracted RNA and 2 RNA copies/µl of sample (=16 copies/reaction) directly from gargle samples, making it one of the most sensitive RT-LAMP tests and even comparable to RT-qPCR. Additionally, we demonstrate a self-contained, mobile version of our assay in a variety of high-throughput field testing scenarios on nearly 9,000 crude gargle samples. Vivid COVID-19 LAMP can be an important asset for the endemic phase of COVID-19 as well as preparing for future pandemics.

Smart sensory polymer for straightforward Zn(II) detection in pet food samples

We report on an innovative method to measure the Zn(II) concentration in commercial pet food samples, both wet and dry food. It is based on a colorimetric sensory polymer prepared from commercial monomers and 0.5 % of a synthetic monomer having a quinoline sensory core (N-(8-(2-azidoacetamido)quinolin-5-yl)methacrylamide). We obtained the sensory polymer as crosslinked films by thermally initiated bulk radical polymerization of the monomers of 100 μm thickness, which we punched into Ø6 mm sensory discs. The immersion of the discs in water solutions containing Zn(II) turned the fluorescence on, allowing for the titration of this cation using the G parameter of a digital picture taken to the discs. The limits of detection and quantification were 29 and 87 µg/L, respectively. Furthermore, we measured the concentration of Zn(II) even in the presence of other cations, detecting no significant interferences. Thus, in a further step, we obtained the concentration of Zn(II) from 15 commercial pet food samples, ranging from 19 to 198 mg/kg, following a simple extraction procedure and contacting the extractant with our sensory discs. These results were contrasted with that obtained by ICP-MS as a reference method.

A sensitive and rapid determination of zinc ion (Zn2+) using electrochemical sensor based on f-MWCNTs/CS/PB/AuE in drinking water

An electrochemical method for detecting the presence of zinc (Zn²⁺) ions in drinking water was developed using functionalized multi-walled carbon nanotubes (f-MWCNTs) and chitosan (CS). Numerous cylinder-shaped graphene molecules make up f-MWCNTs, which have a high mechanical and electrical conductivity. CS benefits from nanomaterials include biocompatibility, biodegradability, and low toxicity, which are excellent in capacity absorption of metal ions. Dangerous levels of metal ions such as zinc are currently present in drinking water as a result of human and natural activity. Zinc toxicity is associated with a variety of disorders, including Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, diabetes, and cancer. This study incorporated f-MWCNTs and CS with Prussian blue (PB) immobilised on a gold electrode (AuE). Several parameters, including as buffers, pH, scan rate, redox indicator, accumulation time, and volume, were optimised using the cyclic voltammetry (CV) method. According to the CV method, the optimal parameters were phosphate buffered saline (0.1 M, pH 2), 5 mM Prussian blue, 200 mVs^-1 scan rate, and 5 s accumulation time. Under ideal circumstances, the differential pulse voltammetry (DPV) method was used to determine the Zn²⁺ ions concentration range of 0.2-7.0 ppm. The limit of detection (LOD) was 2.60 × 10^-7 mol L^-1 with a correlation coefficient of R² = 0.9777. The recovery rate of the developed sensor (f-MWCNTs/CS/PB/AuE) ranged from 95.78 to 98.96%. The developed sensor showed a variety of advantages for detecting Zn²⁺ in drinking water, including a quick setup process, quick detection, high sensitivity, and mobility. This study developed the essential sensor for monitoring Zn²⁺ levels in drinking water in the future.

Indication of the impact of environmental stress on the responses of the bivalve mollusk Unio tumidus to ibuprofen and microplastics based on biomarkers of reductive stress and apoptosis

The vulnerability of bivalve mollusks to micropollutants is estimated mainly in single model exposures. However, chronic environmental stress and complex exposures can modulate their responses. To evaluate the impact of population-dependent adaptations on the ability to react to common micropollutants, we compared freshwater bivalves Unio tumidus from two distinct populations, pure (Pr) and contaminated (Ct), in their exposures to microplastics (MP, 1 mg L^-1, size 0.1-0.5 mm), pharmaceutical ibuprofen (IBU, 0.8 μg L^-1), or their combination (Mix) for 14 days. Control groups from both sites showed remarkable differences, with lower levels of total antioxidant capacity (TAC), metallothionein protein (MTSH), NADH and NAD⁺, cytochrome P450-related EROD, glutathione-S transferase (GST), and citrate synthase (CS) but higher levels of GSH, GSSG, caspase-3 and cathepsin D (CTD) in the Ct-control group. These data indicate a chronic stress impact in the Ct population. Under exposures, we found an almost common strategy in both populations for NAD⁺/NADH and MTSH suppression and CTD induction. Additionally, Mix exposure caused an increase in CS, and IBU did not change GSH in both populations. However, the expected response to IBU - the suppression of caspase-3 - was indicated only in PrIBU- and PrMix-mollusks. CTD efflux increased dramatically only in PrMP- and PrMix- groups, and suppression of EROD and GST was detected in the PrMix-group. According to discriminant analysis, exposed Pr-groups were highly differentiated from control, whereas Ct-control and exposed groups had common localization demonstrating high resistance to environmental stress. Thus, the same exposures resulted in different adverse outcome pathways depending on the population.

Environmental concentrations of Roundup in combination with chlorpromazine or heating causes biochemical disturbances in the bivalve mollusc Unio tumidus

Bivalve molluscs represent the most recognized bioindicators of freshwater pollution. However, their ability to indicate specific xenobiotics in complex exposures is unclear. In this study, we aimed to track the particular effects of the pesticide Roundup (Rnd) and the antipsychotic drug chlorpromazine (Cpz) on the mussel Unio tumidus at the simpler environmentally relevant models. We treated the mussels by Rnd (17 μg L-1), Cpz (18 μg L-1), the mixture of Rnd and Cpz at 18 °C (RndCpz), and Rnd at 25 °C (RndT) and examined their digestive glands after 14 days of exposure. We analyzed total antioxidant capacity, glutathione (GSH&GSSG) and protein carbonyls levels, total and Zn-related concentrations of metallothioneins (MT and Zn-MT, respectively), the activities of CYP450-related EROD, glutathione S-transferase, cholinesterase, caspase-3, citrate synthase (CS), lysosomal membrane integrity (NRR), and Zn level in the tissue. Shared responses were indicated as the increase of the antioxidant, Zn-MT, and EROD levels, whereas the changes of Zn concentration, NRR, and caspase-3 activity were most diverse compared to control. According to discriminant analysis, complex exposures abolished the individual response traits and intensified the harmful effects that caused a decrease in the Zn level in the RndCpz- and RndT-groups and the loss of lysosomal integrity in the RndT-group. We concluded that multi-marker expertise with the application of integrated indices had benefits when evaluating the effects of complex exposures.

A Skin-Interfaced, Miniaturized Microfluidic Analysis and Delivery System for Colorimetric Measurements of Nutrients in Sweat and Supply of Vitamins Through the Skin

Nutrients play critical roles in maintaining core physiological functions and in preventing diseases. Technologies for delivering these nutrients and for monitoring their concentrations can help to ensure proper nutritional balance. Eccrine sweat is a potentially attractive class of biofluid for monitoring purposes due to the ability to capture sweat easily and noninvasively from nearly any region of the body using skin-integrated microfluidic technologies. Here, a miniaturized system of this type is presented that allows simple, rapid colorimetric assessments of the concentrations of multiple essential nutrients in sweat, simultaneously and without any supporting electronics - vitamin C, calcium, zinc, and iron. A transdermal patch integrated directly with the microfluidics supports passive, sustained delivery of these species to the body throughout a period of wear. Comparisons of measurement results to those from traditional lab analysis methods demonstrate the accuracy and reliability of this platform. On-body tests with human subjects reveal correlations between the time dynamics of concentrations of these nutrients in sweat and those of the corresponding concentrations in blood. Studies conducted before and after consuming certain foods and beverages highlight practical capabilities in monitoring nutritional balance, with strong potential to serve as a basis for guiding personalized dietary choices.

Miniaturized Fluorimetric Method for Quantification of Zinc in Dry Dog Food

Zinc is an essential trace element for animals in several biological processes, particularly in energy production, and it is acquired from food ingestion. In this context, a microplate-based fluorimetric assay was developed for simple, fast, and low-cost determination of zinc in pet food using 2,2'-((4-(2,7-difluoro-3,6-dihydroxy-4aH-xanthen-9-yl)-3-methoxyphenyl)azanediyl)diacetic acid (FluoZin-1) as fluorescent probe. Several aspects were studied, namely, the stability of the fluorescent product over time, the FluoZin-1 concentration, and the pH of reaction media. The developed methodology provided a limit of detection of 1 μg L-1 in sample acid digests, with a working range of 10 to 200 μg L-1, corresponding to 100-2000 mg of Zn per kg of dry dog food samples. Intraday repeatability and interday repeatability were assessed, with relative standard deviation values < 3.4% (100 μg L-1) and <11.7% (10 μg L-1). Sample analysis indicated that the proposed fluorimetric assay provided results consistent with ICP-MS analysis. These results demonstrated that the developed assay can be used for rapid determination of zinc in dry dog food.