• CELLMED
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• v.7 no.1
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• pp.1.1-1.10
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• 2017

Minerals are individual of the components of foods and are not produced in the body but essential for best possible health. Several essential metals are vital for the appropriate performance of various enzymes, transcriptional factors and proteins that are essential in various biochemical paths. Metals like zinc (Zn), magnesium (Mg), and manganese (Mn) are cofactors of hundreds of enzymes. Zn is involved in the synthesis and secretion of insulin from the pancreatic ${\beta}-cells$. Chromium (Cr) increases the insulin receptors activity on target tissues, mainly in muscle cells. Insulin hormone is required to maintain the blood glucose amount in normal range. Continual increase of blood serum glucose level leads to marked chronic hyperglycemia or diabetes mellitus. Deficiency of insulin or its resistance, blood glucose level exceeds the upper limit of the common range of 126 mg/dl. Poor glucose control and diabetes changes the levels of essential trace elements such as Zn, Mg, Mn, Cr, iron etc. by rising urinary excretion and their related decrease in the blood. The aim of this article to discusses the important roles of essential trace elements in particular perspective of type 2 diabetes.

• Environmental Analysis Health and Toxicology
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• v.21 no.3 s.54
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• pp.267-273
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• 2006

Concentrations of four essential metals (Fe, Cu, Mn and Zn) were determined in apparently oil-polluted dead or near-dead three loon species collected in the Busan coast, Korea. Fe, Cu, Mn and Zn concentrations were generally high in liver, and also, Mn and Zn were high in bone. There were significant differences in some tissue concentrations of Fe, Cu, Mn and Zn among three species, but did not show any consistent evidence of species-specific accumulation. Mean concentration of Fe was 11,635$\pm$4010 $\mu$g/g, Cu 64.3$\pm$30.7 $\mu$g/g, Mn 13.1$\pm$2.32 $\mu$g/g, and Zn 121$\pm$24.8 $\mu$g/g in liver of all three species examined. Mn and Zn levels in this study were similar to those of normal loons and other seabirds reported from different countries. However, Fe and Cu liver levels were extraordinarily higher than those of reported. This result suggests that unusual accumulations of essential metals such as Fe and Cu may partially arise from long-term starvation due to oil pollution.

• The Korean Journal of Malacology
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.15-21
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• 2002

The kidney of bivalve mollusks often contains remarkably high concentrations of both essential and non-essential metals and perform regulating and detoxicating activities. The kidney has also been proposed as a biological indicator for radioactive as well as for stable metals in the sea. The present study of the Antarctic clam, Laternula elliptica, concerns the functional morphology of the kidney epithelium, which contains highly accumulated heavy metals. The immunohistochemical and ultrastructural study was undertaken in order to find out the localization of metallothionein and heavy metals accumulated in the kidney of Laternula elliptica. In the immunohistochemical investigation, an intense metallothionein immunostaining reaction was found in the epithelial cells of the kidney of Laternula elliptica. Transmission electron microscopy showed that the epithelial cells contained numerous electron-dense inclusion bodies which were considered to be accumulated heavy metals.

• The Korean Journal of Pharmacology
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.31-36
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• 1981

Heavy metals which are present as trace elements in human body have been known to modify various enzymatic reaction. These metals can be essential or non-essential. Zinc, copper and calcium are essential in maintaining some biological processes, whereas non-essential metals such as cadmium, lead and mercury produce accumulatve toxic effect. Cadmium accumulated in pancreas can cause toxicity and damage of pancreatic cells, thereby influencing CHO metabolism. Lead compounds are known to produce toxic effects on the kidney, digestive system and brain fellowed by inhibition of activity of ${\rho}-aminolevulinic$ acid and biosynthesis of hemoproteins and cytochrome. Evidence has been accumulated that zinc not only acts as a cofactor in enzyme reaction but also prevents toxic effect induced by heavy metal such as copper and cadmium. To demonstrate the effect of heavy metals on pancreatic secretion, part of uncinate pancreas was taken and incubated in Krebs-Ringer bicarbonate buffer with heavy metals used. Additional treatment with CCK-OP was performed when needed. After incubation during different period of time, medium was analyzed for amylase activity using Bernfeld's method. The present study was attempted in order to elucidate the effect of several kinds of heavy metal on exocrine pancreatic secretion in vitro. The results obtained are as follows: 1) CCK-OP stimulated significantly amylase release from pancreatic fragments in vitro. 2) CCK-OP response of amylase release from pancreatic fragments was inhibited by treatmant with cadmium, especially high doses of cadmium. 3) CCK-OP response of amylase release from pancreatic fragments was inhibited when pretreated with $10^{-4}M$ copper chloride. 4) Lead chloride at the concentration of $10^{-3}M\;and\;10^{4}M$ stimulated the basal amylase release in vitro but CCK-OP response did not augment by lead chloride. 5) Zine chloride did not affect amylase release from pancreatic fragment in vitro. From the results mentioned above, it is suggested that CCK-OP response was inhibited it the amylase release from pancreatic fragments pretreated with cadmium and copper chloride.

• The Plant Pathology Journal
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• v.28 no.4
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• pp.446-452
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• 2012

The effect of heavy metals on seedling growth and pigment levels was studied in Arabidopsis using essential (Cu, Mn, and Zn) and non-essential metals (Pb and Hg). Generally increasing the concentrations of the metals resulted in a gradual decrease in root and shoot lengths, a decrease in chlorophylls, an increase in anthocyanins and a fluctuation in carotenoid content depending on the metal types. The toxicity of the metals decreased in the following order: Cu > Hg > Pb > Zn > Mn. Among the five metals, Cu was exceptionally toxic and the most potent inducer of anthocyanins. Pb induced the smallest quantity of anthocyanins but it was the strongest inducer of carotenoids. It suggests that the Cu-stressed Arabidopsis may use anthocyanins as its main antioxidants while the Pb-stressed Arabidopsis use carotenoids as its main protectants. All of the five metals induced an accumulation of anthocyanins. The consistent increase in anthocyanin content in the metal-stressed Arabidpsis indicates that anthocyanins play a major role in the protection against metal stresses.

• Toxicological Research
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• v.35 no.4
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• pp.311-317
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• 2019

The transport systems for metals play crucial roles in both the physiological functions of essential metals and the toxic effects of hazardous metals in mammals and plants. In mammalian cells, Zn transporters such as ZIP8 and ZIP14 have been found to function as the transporters for Mn(II) and Cd(II), contributing to the maintenance of Mn homeostasis and metallothionein-independent transports of Cd, respectively. In rice, the Mn transporter OsNramp5 expressed in the root is used for the uptake of Cd from the soil. Japan began to cultivate OsNramp5 mutant rice, which was found to accumulate little Cd, to prevent Cd accumulation. Inorganic trivalent arsenic (As(III)) is absorbed into mammalian cells via aquaglyceroporin, a water and glycerol channel. The ortholog of aquaporin in rice, OsLsi1, was found to be an Si transporter expressed in rice root, and is responsible for the absorption of soil As(III) into the root. Since rice is a hyperaccumulator of Si, higher amounts of As(III) are incorporated into rice compared to other plants. Thus, the transporters of essential metals are also utilized to incorporate toxic metals in both mammals and plants, and understanding the mechanisms of metal transports is important for the development of mitigation strategies against food contamination.

• Mycobiology
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• v.42 no.4
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• pp.427-431
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• 2014

Mitochondrial protein Nfu1 plays an important role in the assembly of mitochondrial Fe-S clusters and intracellular iron homeostasis in the model yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. In this study, we identified the Nfu1 ortholog in the human fungal pathogen Cryptococcus neoformans. Our data showed that C. neoformans Nfu1 localized in the mitochondria and influenced homeostasis of essential metals such as iron, copper and manganese. Marked growth defects were observed in the mutant lacking NFU1, which suggests a critical role of Nfu1 in Fe-S cluster biosynthesis and intracellular metal homeostasis in C. neoformans.

• Analytical Science and Technology
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• v.28 no.6
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• pp.436-445
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• 2015

Amomi Fructus with anti-oxidative activity was chosen and essential oil was obtained by SDE (simultaneous distillation extraction), and 39 constituents were determined by GC-MS (gas chromatography-mass spectrometry). Major components were camphor, borneol acetate, borneol, D-limonene and camphene. Three solvent extracts such as hexanes, diethyl ether and methylene chloride from Amomi Fructus were obtained. These were analyzed by GC-MS and 4 more constituents were identified in addition to 39 components discovered in essential oil. Five major components such as camphor, borneol acetate, borneol, D-limonene and camphene were also detected, however the relative peak percents of those components were different from those of constituents in essential oil. To estimate the kind and the amount of materials evaporated at certain temperature and conditions from essential oil and solvent extracts, dynamic headspace apparatus was used and materials evaporated and trapped at certain conditions were analyzed by GC-MS. Recovery yield of SDE method from Amomi Fructus was measured by using camphor and standard calibration solution of camphor methanol solution and, the yield was 82.0%. Content of Hg was measured by mercury analyzer and contents of Cd, Pb, Cr, Mn, Co, Ni, Cu and Zn in Amomi Fructus, essential oils and solvent extracts were determined by ICP-MS (Inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometer). Pb, Cd and Hg were measured in the concentration of 0.72 mg/kg, <0.10 mg/kg and 0.0023 mg/kg, respectively and these were below permission level of purity test. Contents of Mn, Cu and Zn in Amomi Fructus were 213 mg/kg, 8.29 mg/kg and 31.0 mg/kg, respectively and which were relatively higher than other metals such as Cr, Co and Ni. Metals such as Mn (0.65 ~ 9.08 mg/kg), Cu (1.16 ~ 4.40 mg/kg) and Zn (1.10 ~ 3.80 mg/kg) in essential oil and solvent extracts were detected. At this point it is not clear that the metals were cross-contaminated in the course of treating Amomi Fructus or metals were contained in Amomi Fructus. The influence evaluation toward biological model study of these metals in essential oil and solvent extracts will be needed.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Agriculture
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• v.21 no.3
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• pp.223-228
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• 2002

In addition to supplying the essential elements, Ca and S, phosphogypsum can have profound effect on both the physical and chemical properties of certain soils. However, no widespread use of by-product phosphogypsum will be made unless such uses pose no threat to the public health and soil contamination. In this study, the extractability of As, Cd, Cu, and Pb with water and DTPA solution from phosphogypsum samples of pH 3, 5, and 7 were investigated to estimate the availability of those metals. Contents of water extractable metals in ohosphogypsum were less than 5 mg/kg for all the heavy metals investigated. The extractability of metals in DTPA solution was not quite different but a little higher in comparison to the water extraction. And the extractability was decreased as the pH of phosphogypsum increased. In the phosphogypsum of pH 7, amounts of water extractable metals were nearly zero. There was no significant difference in the amount of extractable metals during the extraction period of 5 weeks. The length of extraction time did not affect heavy metal extractability. Therefore there may be small fractions of easily soluble or extractable forms of metals in the phosphogypsum and most of the metals would be present in very insoluble forms. These results suggest that the application of phosphogypsum at appropriate rates on agricultural lands appears of no concern in terms of hazardous element contamination in soil.

• Resources Recycling
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.76-80
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• 2015

Mobile phone has become one of the essential items in our daily life. In Korea, it is estimated that more than 20 million cell phones are discarded each year due to advancement in technology, thus creating disposal and environmental pollution. In order to conserve the resources, their proper recycling is essential as it contains both valuable and toxic metals. The economics of the recycling will depend on the amount and value of the metals. Therefore, it is necessary to determine the composition of the metals present in the different cell phones. In the present study, a report is presented on the variation of metal content per year of waste mobile phones. A review has been made for the mobile phones manufactured during the period 2000-2009 and metal content of the printed circuit boards (PCBs) by analyzing their metals. An example of the precious metal palladium and of the heavy metal lead shows the decreasing trend.