Dataset Information

Soil-type influences human selenium status and underlies widespread selenium deficiency risks in Malawi.

ABSTRACT: Selenium (Se) is an essential human micronutrient with critical roles in immune functioning and antioxidant defence. Estimates of dietary Se intakes and status are scarce for Africa although crop surveys indicate deficiency is probably widespread in Malawi. Here we show that Se deficiency is likely endemic in Malawi based on the Se status of adults consuming food from contrasting soil types. These data are consistent with food balance sheets and composition tables revealing that >80% of the Malawi population is at risk of dietary Se inadequacy. Risk of dietary Se inadequacy is >60% in seven other countries in Southern Africa, and 22% across Africa as a whole. Given that most Malawi soils cannot supply sufficient Se to crops for adequate human nutrition, the cost and benefits of interventions to alleviate Se deficiency should be determined; for example, Se-enriched nitrogen fertilisers could be adopted as in Finland.

SUBMITTER: Hurst R

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3594796 | biostudies-literature | 2013

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

ACCESS DATA

Publications

Soil-type influences human selenium status and underlies widespread selenium deficiency risks in Malawi.

Hurst Rachel R Siyame Edwin W P EW Young Scott D SD Chilimba Allan D C AD Joy Edward J M EJ Black Colin R CR Ander E Louise EL Watts Michael J MJ Chilima Benson B Gondwe Jellita J Kang'ombe Dalitso D Stein Alexander J AJ Fairweather-Tait Susan J SJ Gibson Rosalind S RS Kalimbira Alexander A AA Broadley Martin R MR

Scientific reports 20130101

Selenium (Se) is an essential human micronutrient with critical roles in immune functioning and antioxidant defence. Estimates of dietary Se intakes and status are scarce for Africa although crop surveys indicate deficiency is probably widespread in Malawi. Here we show that Se deficiency is likely endemic in Malawi based on the Se status of adults consuming food from contrasting soil types. These data are consistent with food balance sheets and composition tables revealing that >80% of the Mala ...[more]

PMID: 23478344

Similar Datasets

Project description:BackgroundHuntington or Huntington's disease (HD) is an autosomal dominant neurodegenerative disease characterised by both progressive motor and cognitive dysfunction; its pathogenic mechanisms remain poorly understood and no treatment can currently slow, stop, or reverse its progression. There is some evidence of metallomic dysfunction in limited regions of the HD brain; we hypothesised that these alterations are more widespread than the current literature suggests and may contribute to pathogenesis in HD.MethodsWe measured the concentrations of eight essential metals (sodium, potassium, magnesium, calcium, iron, zinc, copper, and manganese) and the metalloid selenium across 11 brain regions in nine genetically confirmed, clinically manifest cases of HD and nine controls using inductively-coupled plasma mass spectrometry. Case-control differences were assessed by non-parametric Mann-Whitney U test (p < 0.05), risk ratios, E-values, and effect sizes.FindingsWe observed striking decreases in selenium levels in 11 out of 11 investigated brain regions in HD, with risk ratios and effect sizes ranging 2.3-9.0 and 0.7-1.9, respectively. Increased sodium/potassium ratios were observed in every region (risk ratio = 2.5-8.0; effect size = 1.2-5.8) except the substantia nigra (risk ratio = 0.25; effect size = 0.1). Multiple regions showed increased calcium and/or zinc levels, and localised decreases in iron, copper, and manganese were present in the globus pallidus, cerebellum, and substantia nigra, respectively.InterpretationThe observed metallomic alterations in the HD brain may contribute to several pathogenic mechanisms, including mitochondrial dysfunction, oxidative stress, and blood-brain barrier dysfunction. Selenium supplementation may represent a potential, much-needed therapeutic pathway for the treatment of HD that would not require localised delivery in the brain due to the widespread presence of selenium deficiency in regions that show both high and low levels of neurodegeneration.FundingIn Acknowledgments, includes the Lee Trust, the Endocore Research Trust, Cure Huntington's Disease Initiative, the Oakley Mental Health Research Foundation, the Medical Research Council (MRC), the New Zealand Neurological Foundation, and others.

Dataset Information

Soil-type influences human selenium status and underlies widespread selenium deficiency risks in Malawi.

Publications

Soil-type influences human selenium status and underlies widespread selenium deficiency risks in Malawi.

Similar Datasets

OmicsDI is part of the ELIXIR infrastructure

Tweets