Dietary zinc inadequacy affects neurotrophic factors and proteostasis in the rat brain

Adolescent marginal zinc deficiency upregulated BDNF and TrkB expression, impaired hippocampal and cortical development, and induced abnormal behaviors in male mice

Zinc deficiency during adolescence poses a significant yet understudied risk to brain development. The study aimed to investigate the effects of marginal zinc deficiency during adolescence on emotion and cognition, morphological changes and neuronal arrangement of hippocampus and cortical, and proBDNF, mBDNF and TrkB expression levels. The emotion was assessed using the open-field test and three-chamber test. Additionally, cognition was evaluated using the Morris water maze test and novel object recognition test. Morphological changes were evaluated using H&E staining, while Nissl staining was employed to analyze neuronal arrangement. Additionally, proBDNF, mBDNF and TrkB expression levels were quantified by western blot. The results showed that adolescent marginal zinc deficiency induced risk-taking behavior, impaired spatial learning and memory, and caused new object recognition deficits without affecting sociability. Moreover, marginal zinc deficiency critically disrupted hippocampal and cortical development, and aberrant neuronal arrangement. The expression levels of BDNF for both form states were not statistically significant upregulation in marginal zinc deficiency mice compared to controls, along with significantly increased TrkB expression. These findings suggested that adolescent marginal zinc deficiency increased the expression of BDNF and TrkB, as well as abnormal hippocampal and cortical development. These alterations may explain the observed abnormal behavior, including risk-taking behavior, impaired spatial learning and memory, and new object recognition decay.

Synthesis of Fluorescent Pyrazoline Sensors as Versatile Tool for Zinc ion Detection: A Mini-Review

Zinc ions are one of the 2nd most abundant mineral after iron and it is important for immune system, enzymatic catalysis, DNA synthesis, and maintaining structural integrity in humans. But, monitoring the Zn levels in human body poses more challenges. This review paper investigates (paper from 2010 to 2023) the synthesis of pyrazoline derivatives by different methods, including conventional methods and green chemistry protocol. These Pyrazoline derivatives highlighted for their potential application as chemo-sensor for Zn2+ ions recognition. Pyrazoline compounds exhibit excellent sensitivity & selectivity and emitting blue-light with high quantum yields and electroluminescence, along with a superior limit of detection. These derivatives are stable bioactive molecule, with well-known diverse biological activities. This review not only gives valuable insights into the essential role of Zinc in human physiology but also provides a practical method for accurate Zinc detection in various samples. Which holds the potential for advancements in health diagnostics and environmental monitoring. Because of their significant biological application and selectivity as sensors, researchers have much more attention to prepare green environmentally-friendly pyrazoline derivatives.