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Research on Trace Elements in Nutrition and Health

A special issue of International Journal of Molecular Sciences (ISSN 1422-0067). This special issue belongs to the section "Bioactives and Nutraceuticals".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 June 2026 | Viewed by 905

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Faculty of Chemistry, Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań, 8 Uniwersytetu Poznanskiego Street, 61-614 Poznan, Poland
Interests: speciation analysis; hyphenated techniques; ICP OES; ICP MS; HPLC; food analysis; yerba mate; archaeometry
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Trace elements play essential roles in numerous biochemical and physiological processes, and their imbalances (whether deficiencies or excesses) are linked to a wide range of health conditions. However, their biological activity depends not only on total concentration but also on their chemical forms (speciation); different species of the same element can exhibit distinct bioavailability, toxicity, and physiological roles. Understanding these forms is crucial for accurate risk assessment, nutritional recommendations, and therapeutic strategies. At the same time, the development of robust analytical procedures for trace element determination in food and biological matrices is essential to ensure reliable data for nutrition science and public health.

In this Special Issue, we aim to gather advanced research on the molecular and nutritional significance of trace elements, emphasizing speciation analysis, analytical innovations, and their application in nutrition and health research.

In this Special Issue, original research articles and reviews are welcome. Research areas may include (but are not limited to) molecular interactions of trace element species with biomolecules, innovative biomarkers and analytical methods, therapeutic strategies, and supplementation studies.

This Special Issue is supervised by Dr. Jędrzej Proch and assisted by Dr. Jakub Kurek, jakub.kurek@up.poznan.pl (Department of Human Nutrition and Dietetics, University of Life Sciences in Poznań, Poznań, Poland).

We look forward to receiving your contributions.

Dr. Jędrzej Proch
Guest Editor

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Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. International Journal of Molecular Sciences is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

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Keywords

  • trace elements
  • molecular mechanisms
  • micronutrients
  • supplementation
  • speciation analysis
  • biomarkers
  • health risk assessment

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

25 pages, 5393 KB  
Article
Potential of Zinc-L-Selenomethionine to Improve the Health of Weaned Piglets and Its Antioxidant Stress Mechanism Through Modulation of PI3K/AKT and Nrf2/Keap1 Signaling Pathways
by Shujie Liu, Yongming Li, Xin Tao, Siyuan Li, Jie Wu, Fei Ji, Ziwei Xu and Bo Deng
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2026, 27(5), 2499; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms27052499 - 9 Mar 2026
Viewed by 638
Abstract
Zinc-L-selenomethionine (Zn-L-SeMet), a novel organic selenium (Se) source, shows great potential in alleviating oxidative stress. This study first evaluated the potential of Zn-L-SeMet to improve the health of weaned piglets and investigated underlying molecular mechanisms. In vivo, 240 weaned piglets were assigned to [...] Read more.
Zinc-L-selenomethionine (Zn-L-SeMet), a novel organic selenium (Se) source, shows great potential in alleviating oxidative stress. This study first evaluated the potential of Zn-L-SeMet to improve the health of weaned piglets and investigated underlying molecular mechanisms. In vivo, 240 weaned piglets were assigned to five dietary groups, namely, a control group (basal diet without Se) and four groups supplemented with Zn-L-SeMet (0.1, 0.2, 0.3, or 0.4 mg Se/kg in basal diet) for 42 days. In vitro, an oxidative stress model was established using hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) in porcine intestinal epithelial cells (IPEC-J2) to investigate the mechanisms of Zn-L-SeMet against oxidative damage. The results showed that Zn-L-SeMet improved growth performance, enhanced antioxidant and immune function, stimulated thyroid hormone secretion, and upregulated expression of selenoprotein genes. In vitro, Zn-L-SeMet reduced H2O2-induced apoptosis, promoted IPEC-J2 viability, and enhanced activities of antioxidant enzymes, while reducing lactate dehydrogenase release, malondialdehyde and reactive oxygen species levels. Furthermore, Zn-L-SeMet significantly increased the expression levels of Keap1, NQO1, HO-1, ARE, p-Nrf2, p-PI3K, and p-AKT, and protein ratio of p-Nrf2/Nrf2, PI3K/PI3K, and p-AKT/AKT compared to the H2O2 group (p < 0.05). In conclusion, Zn-L-SeMet improves health status with antioxidant potential in weaned piglets, and the mechanism is associated with activation of PI3K/AKT and Nrf2/Keap1 pathways. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Research on Trace Elements in Nutrition and Health)
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