Influence of dietary zinc on the claw and interdigital skin of sheep

Effects of essential mineral elements deficiency and supplementation on serum mineral elements concentration and biochemical parameters in grazing Mongolian sheep

Traditional sheep grazing is the pillar industry and the main source of income for local herders in the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region of China. However, grazing sheep often suffer from mineral deficiency. In the present study, the feeding experiment was performed on 84 grazing Wu Ranke sheep. After being divided into calcium (Ca), zinc (Zn), copper (Cu), cobalt (Co), manganese (Mn), and selenium (Se) treatment groups, they were fed with a mineral deficient diet for 60 days and then a mineral supplement diet for 41 days. Serum samples were collected three times, 10 concentrations of essential mineral elements and 15 concentrations/activity of biochemical parameters were measured to assess the effects of mineral deficiency and supplementation on the physical health of sheep. The results revealed that the sheep showed mineral Ca, Cu, Co, Mn, and Se deficiencies after feeding their respective mineral deficient diet. Deficiency in dietary Ca, Zn, Cu, Co, Mn, and Se may adversely affect the liver, myocardium and pancreas of sheep. The prompt supplementation of dietary Zn, Cu, Co, Mn, and Se may alleviate the damage caused to the liver, myocardium and pancreas, while that of dietary Ca improved energy generation. In conclusion, the adequate supplementation of dietary Ca, Zn, Cu, Co, Mn, and Se is essential for avoiding the impairment caused to the liver, myocardium and pancreas function of sheep by the deficiency in essential dietary minerals.

Diet and Skin Aging-From the Perspective of Food Nutrition

We regularly face primary challenges in deciding what to eat to maintain young and healthy skin, defining a healthy diet and the role of diet in aging. The topic that currently attracts maximum attention is ways to maintain healthy skin and delay skin aging. Skin is the primary barrier that protects the body from external aggressions. Skin aging is a complex biological process, categorized as chronological aging and photo-aging, and is affected by internal factors and external factors. With the rapid breakthrough of medicine in prolonging human life and the rapid deterioration of environmental conditions, it has become urgent to find safe and effective methods to treat skin aging. For diet, as the main way for the body to obtain energy and nutrients, people have gradually realized its importance to the skin. Therefore, in this review, we discuss the skin structure, aging manifestations, and possible mechanisms, summarize the research progress, challenges, possible directions of diet management, and effects of foodborne antioxidants on skin aging from the perspective of food and nutrition.