• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
• /
• v.26 no.8
• /
• pp.1189-1196
• /
• 2013

Adipose tissue development and function play a critical role in the regulation of energy balance, lipid metabolism, and the pathophysiology of metabolic syndromes. Although the effect of zinc ascorbate supplementation in diabetes or glycemic control is known in humans, the underlying mechanism is not well described. Here, we investigated the effect of a zinc-chelated vitamin C (ZnC) compound on the adipogenic differentiation of 3T3-L1 preadipocytes. Treatment with ZnC for 8 d significantly promoted adipogenesis, which was characterized by increased glycerol-3-phosphate dehydrogenase activity and intracellular lipid accumulation in 3T3-L1 cells. Meanwhile, ZnC induced a pronounced up-regulation of the expression of glucose transporter type 4 (GLUT4) and the adipocyte-specific gene adipocyte protein 2 (aP2). Analysis of mRNA and protein levels further showed that ZnC increased the sequential expression of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma ($PPAR{\gamma}$) and CCAAT/enhancer-binding protein alpha (C/$EBP{\alpha}$), the key transcription factors of adipogenesis. These results indicate that ZnC could promote adipogenesis through $PPAR{\gamma}$ and C/$EBP{\alpha}$, which act synergistically for the expression of aP2 and GLUT4, leading to the generation of insulin-responsive adipocytes and can thereby be useful as a novel therapeutic agent for the management of diabetes and related metabolic disorders.

• Korean Journal of Bronchoesophagology
• /
• v.14 no.1
• /
• pp.29-33
• /
• 2008

Objectives : Oral pain without identifiable oral mucosa lesion is probably multifactorial origin, which include burning mouth syndrome (BMS), oral candidiasis and so on. The aim of this study was to analyze the characteristics of oral pain without identifiable oral mucosa lesion and to evaluate treatment outcome of those patients. Materials and Methods : We reviewed 50 patients without identifiable oral mucosa lesion who were complaint of oral pain. The patients were analyzed according tothe sites, associated symptoms, laboratory tests and fungus culture. The questionnaire included questions on their current diseases, smoking and alcoholic history, psychological factors, and symptoms. Results : The average age of patients was 60 years old. The most frequently involved site was tongue (92%), followed by palate, lower lip, oropharynx, and gingiva. 60% of the patients has psychological disorder as self reported. Culture for Candida was positive in 36% of patients and serum zinc deficiency was present in 60% of patients. Serum iron, vitamin B12, hemoglobin, folic acid deficiency were present in 6-2% of patients. Seventeen patients (65%) with BMS and twelve patients (66%) with oral candidiasis were improved after treatment. Conclusion : We recommend oral candida culture to oral pain patients without oral mucosa lesion. Zinc supplementation of zinc depletion patients may be helpful whereas other laboratory tests have no diagnostic values.

• Food Science of Animal Resources
• /
• v.27 no.3
• /
• pp.284-289
• /
• 2007

This study was conducted to investigate the effects of copper and zinc supplementation on growth performance, nutrient digestibility, and meat and carcass characteristics in finishing pigs. A total of 72 $(Landrace{\times}Yorkshire{\times}Duroc)$ pigs (58.47 kg initial BW) were assigned to 6 treatments in a $2{\times}3$ factorial design $(Zn\;levels{\times}Cu\;levels)$. The sources of zinc and copper were Zn-methionine chelate and Cu-methionine chelate, respectively. Zinc levels used were 80 and 120 ppm and copper levels used were 10, 30 and 60 ppm. Throughout the entire experimental period, the average daily gain (ADG) and average daily feed intake (ADFI) were not significantly affected by Cu or Zn levels, or their relative levels. The G:F ratio was significantly affected by the relative levels of Cu and Zn (p<0.05), specifically at 30 ppm Cu and 120 ppm Zn. Dry matter digestibility was significantly affected by the levels of Cu (p<0.02), Zn (p<0.01) and the relative levels of each (p<0.04), in particular at 30 ppm Cu and 120 ppm Zn. Nitrogen digestibility was significantly affected by Zn levels (p<0.01) and the combination of 30 ppm Cu and 120 ppm Zn (p<0.03). The $L^*-value$, shear force, cooking loss and pH were not significantly affected by Cu levels, Zn levels or their combination. The $a^*- (p<0.04)\;and\;b^*- values (p<0.01)$ were significantly affected by Zn levels at 80 ppm. The Water hoding capacity was significantly affected by Cu and Zn in combination (p<0.01) at 10 ppm Cu and 120ppm Zn. The carcass weight, backfat thickness and carcass grade were not significantly affected by Cu levels, Zn levels or their relative levels. The carcass percentage was significantly affected by the combination (p<0.04) of 30ppm Cu and 120ppm Zn. In conclusion, dietary supplementation of Cu and Zn at 30 and 120 ppm, respectively, is effective for feed efficiency, nutrient digestibility and carcass percentage, while at the levels of Cu at 10 ppm and Zn at 120 ppm have effects on WHC.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
• /
• v.13 no.3
• /
• pp.323-328
• /
• 2000

The administration of soluble glass bolus (SGB) with cobalt (Co), selenium (Se) and copper (Cu), among 50 upgraded does in the farm of Central Luzon State University, Philippines, was effective in improving the mineral status of the animals. After one year, blood Se and plasma Cu had been significantly increased; subsequently plasma molybdenum (Mo) level had been reduced, but other macro-minerals were not affected. Soluble glass bolus supplementation did not affect plasma calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg), and sodium (Na), although the treated does had higher plasma phosphorus (P), potassium (K), and zinc (Zn) in some parts of the year. Hematocrit count of the animals was also improved reaching 32% level after 9 months; although it was still 6% below the lower limit of a normal range of 38 to 45%. The desired improvement in Se, Cu and Mo was not able to influence live weight among the animals. After one year, body weight was not significantly different from the control group of animals. Nevertheless, the study showed the effectiveness of SGB in improving Cu and Se levels, and subsequently reducing the plasma Mo levels of grazing goats in a typical Philippine farm.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
• /
• v.20 no.9
• /
• pp.1433-1437
• /
• 2007

Two field trials were carried out to evaluate the performance of a soluble glass copper, cobalt and selenium bolus for maintaining adequate levels of the three trace elements in yaks. Forty yaks were used in trial 1 and 60 yaks were used in trial 2. In each trial two commercial soluble glass boluses were administered to half of the yaks. Blood samples were taken from the jugular vein at day 0, 30, 60, 90 in trial 1 and at day 0, 45, 75 and 105 in trial 2. The samples were analysed for copper status (serum caeruloplasmin activity and copper concentration), cobalt status (serum vitamin $B_{12}$ concentration and cobalt concentration), selenium status (erythrocyte glutathione peroxidase activity and selenium concentration) and serum zinc concentration. The erythrocyte glutathione peroxidase activities, serum caeruloplasmin activities and serum vitamin $B_{12}$ concentrations for trial 1 and 2 were all significantly increased for the bolused yaks (p<0.001 or p<0.01) on all sampling days. The bolused yaks had a significantly higher selenium and copper status in serum than the control yaks on all sampling days in trial 1 and 2 (p<0.05 or p<0.01). There were no significant differences in zinc and cobalt concentrations between the bolused yaks and the controls.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
• /
• v.33 no.6
• /
• pp.992-1001
• /
• 2020

Objective: This study was conducted to investigate the effects of hot-melt extruded ZnO nano-particles (HME-ZnO) as an alternative for P-ZnO on growth performance, nutrient digestibility, Zn bioavailability, intestinal microbiota, and intestinal morphology of weanling pigs. Methods: A total of 450 piglets (Landrace×Yorkshire×Duroc) were randomly allotted to five treatments based on initial body weight and sex. The experimental diets were fed in a meal form as phase 1 from d 0 to 14 and phase 2 from d 15 to 28. Treatments were the control diet without ZnO supplementation, the diet containing 2,500 ppm Zn as ZnO, and three diets containing 500, 1,000, or 2,500 ppm Zn as HME-ZnO. Results: The overall result showed a higher (p<0.01) average daily gain in weanling pigs fed ZnO-supplemented diets in comparison to the control diet. There was a decrease (p<0.01) in fecal score in the ZnO-supplemented diets. Dietary supplementation of ZnO improved (p<0.05) crude protein digestibility. The weanling pigs fed the P-ZnO diet had a lower (p<0.01) Zn digestibility in the feces than HME-ZnO supplemented treatments. Weanling pigs fed diets supplemented with ZnO had greater (p<0.05) Lactobacillus spp. populations and lower Clostridium spp. (p<0.05) and Coliforms (p<0.01) populations in the ileum. Weanling pigs fed diets supplemented with increasing concentrations of HME-ZnO linearly decreased Clostridium spp. (p<0.05) and Coliforms (p<0.01) in the ileum. Lower (p<0.05) Clostridium spp. and Coliforms counts in the colon were observed in pigs fed with ZnO-supplemented diets. Weanling pigs fed diets supplemented with ZnO showed a greater (p<0.01) villus height in the duodenum. Conclusion: Dietary supplementation of HME-ZnO and P-ZnO showed a potential to improve the digestibility of protein, intestinal Coliform and Clostridium, villus height in duodenum and ileum. Moreover, HME-ZnO showed a higher Zn digestibility compared with P-ZnO.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
• /
• v.51 no.2
• /
• pp.135-141
• /
• 2024

Objective: Recently, oral antioxidants in combined forms have been used to treat men with idiopathic infertility. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of treatment with vitamin C, vitamin E, selenium, zinc, arginine, L-carnitine, and coenzyme Q10 on sperm quality parameters, DNA integrity, reproductive hormones, and pregnancy rates in men with infertility and idiopathic oligoasthenoteratozoospermia (OAT). Methods: A prospective study was conducted on 420 men with infertility and idiopathic OAT who took an oral supplement of antioxidant SP-Power tablets twice daily for 6 months. Semen quality, reproductive hormones, and the DNA fragmentation index (DFI) were evaluated at baseline and at 3 and 6 months after supplementation, using the World Health Organization 2021 guidelines. Results: No significant difference was observed in volume or the percentage of typical morphology during treatment. A significant improvement in sperm concentration was observed after supplementation (8.67±1.41, 12.17±1.91, and 19.01±0.86 at baseline, 3, and 6 months respectively, p<0.01). The total motility, progressive motility, and total motile sperm count also increased significantly (p<0.01), whereas the DFI decreased after 6 months. There was an increase in normal FSH levels and testosterone levels after 6 months of supplementation of antioxidant SP-Power but these differences were not statistically significant (p=not significant and p=0.06, respectively). Conclusion: Supplementation with SP-Power tablets improved sperm quality parameters, sperm DFI, some reproductive hormones, and pregnancy rates in men with infertility and idiopathic OAT, which could be attributed to the supplement's synergistic antioxidant action. Further studies are needed to determine the effects of supplementation on oxidative stress markers.

• Journal of Society of Preventive Korean Medicine
• /
• v.4 no.2
• /
• pp.25-56
• /
• 2000

Trace element are involved in enzymatic activities, immunological reactions. physiological mechanisms. Deficiency in some trace elements, such as iron and iodine. is still an important health problem, The role of trace elements deficiency is suspected in various clinical situations and is now confirmed by well designed supplementation studies. However, the importance of trace elements as chinese herbal constituents is not sufficiently appreciated by the oriental medical profession, although in recent years a significant increase of new finding on their essential character in chinese herbal medicine occurred. It is well known that herbal medicine contains a variety of trace elements which would show therapeutic effects with active components in herbal medicine . In china, recent work showed some positive correlation between trace element and traditional chinese medicine (TCM) in terms of therapeutic effects even if their role in therapeutic effects is still obscure. In korea, not much attention has been on the therapeutic importance of trace element contained in herbal medicine Here, the therapeutic effects of trace element in TCM were reviewed and summarized. 1. Iron, copper, zinc and manganese are mainly contained in TCM. In addtion, chromium, magnesium, molybdenum, nickel, alminium, cobalt, arsenic and selenium has been studied for their therapeutic effects 2. Zinc, is decreased in patients who have deficiency of kindney(腎虛) and chronic disease. Fe is decreased in patients who have deficiency of blood(血虛). However copper is increased in patients who have chronic disease and hepatic disease.3 Iron concentration is high in herbs used for tonifying and nourishing yin or blood(補陰補血藥) Zinc concentration is high also in herb used for tonifying kidiney and vital essence(補腎補精藥). In addition. copper concentration Is high in herb used for replenishing qi(補氣藥) 4 In herbal drugs, the therapeutic substances in TCM are not only organic but also inorganic. It seems that trace elements would be one of components in herb for its therapeutic effects. This indicates that therapeutic effects of TCM should be extended not only to herb itself, bur also to trace elements contained in herb.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
• /
• v.21 no.10
• /
• pp.1473-1478
• /
• 2008

An experiment was conducted to investigate the mechanism for the effect of tetrabasic zinc chloride (TBZC) in enhancing growth performance of weanling piglets. Gut-brain peptides play an important role in the regulation of growth and appetite in animals. This study evaluated the effects of TBZC on blood concentrations of growth hormone (GH), ghrelin, insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I), cholecystokinin (CCK) and neuropeptide Y (NPY). Seventy-two weanling piglets (Landrace$\times$Large White) with an initial body weight (BW) of $6.7{\pm}0.16kg$ and aged $24{\pm}1days$ were assigned to three dietary treatments: i) control diet without TBZC supplement, ii) the control diet supplemented with 2,000 mg Zn from TBZC/kg and iii) TBZC-supplemented diet pair-fed with respect to the control diet. Each treatment had six replications (pens) of four piglets. At the end of a 14-d experimental period, piglets were weighed and feed consumption was measured, and blood samples were collected for assays of GH, ghrelin, IGF-I, CCK and NPY concentrations. The inclusion of TBZC in the diet increased average daily gain (p<0.01), average daily feed intake (p<0.05), and feed conversion ratio (p<0.05). Pair-fed piglets had higher ADG, and lower FCR than (p<0.05) Control piglets. Supplementation of the diet with TBZC increased (p<0.05) serum GH and plasma ghrelin levels in weanling piglets, but did not affect (p>0.05) serum IGF-I and plasma NPY and CCK concentrations. Pair-fed piglets had lower (p<0.05) serum GH levels than TBZC-supplemented piglets, but did not (p>0.05) differ from Control piglets. These data indicated that TBZC elevated the concentration of ghrelin and GH. This observation may partly explain the beneficial effects of TBZC on growth performance of weanling piglets.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
• /
• v.1 no.2
• /
• pp.89-98
• /
• 1988

Three experiments were conducted to determine whether cobalt (Co) or nickel (Ni) could prevent zinc (Zn) deficiency signs in pigs fed a high calcium (Ca) corn-soybean diet. The basal diet contained 1.3% Ca, .93% phytic acid and means of 34 to 48 ppm Zn. After weanling, pigs in experiment I were fed the basal diet for 9 weeks, and was found that 50 ppm Co or Ni for 5 weeks increased average daily weight gain (ADG) and reversed skin lesions toward normal. These effects were similar to those of 100 ppm supplemental Zn. The Zn content and alkaline phosphatase activity of serum from pigs supplemented with Co or Ni were higher at 2 weeks and 4 weeks (P<.05) than those of the basal group. Zn content of bone, liver and kidney, and alkaline phosphatase activity in bone were increase after 5 weeks of supplementation with Co or Ni. In experiments 2 and 3, addition of 54 ppm and 27 ppm of either Co or Ni increased (P<.05) ADG and decreased incidence of skin lesions except in one group supplemented with 27 ppm Ni. Supplemental Co or Ni increased Zn in serum and alkaline phosphatase activity in serum and bone in both experiments. Over all experiments, supplemental Co or Ni decreased Zn deficiency signs in the following order of effectiveness: 54 ppm Co, 54 ppm Ni, 27 ppm Co and 27 ppm Ni. The alleviation of signs of Zn deficiency by Co or Ni may have been the result of increased availability of dietary Zn.