The human body requires a steady and adequate supply of essential nutrients in order to maintain balance—or homeostasis—to continue operating as a finely tuned machine. Of these required nutrients, vitamins and minerals are foundational. They are the sparkplugs that make our metabolic engines run, working as cofactors for enzymes and participating in the process of energy production. One minera...

Modern analytical techniques and instrumentation make it possible to accurately determine trace mineral concentration in feed and animal tissues. Unfortunately, however, such determinations provide no information on utilization of the minerals by animals. Utilization involves the concept of bioavailability and is critical in the selection of a suitable source of the mineral. In terms of trace m...

Unidirectional influx and efflux of nutrients and toxicants, and their resultant net fluxes, are central to the nutrition and toxicology of plants. Radioisotope tracing is a major technique used to measure such fluxes, both within plants, and between plants and their environments. Flux data obtained with radiotracer protocols can help elucidate the capacity, mechanism, regulation, and energetic...

Macro and micro-elements, carbon sources and elicitors play a central role during Panax ginseng hairy root growth, biomass and ginsenoside production and also influence numerous root developmental stages in largescale bioreactor culture. Due to the lack of biosynthetic nutrients and signalling-inducing nutrients, the regulatory role of mineral elements is not well understood. We have geneticall...

Several strategies have been identified to address micronutrient malnutrition, including dietary diversification, nutrient supplementation, increased public health measures, and food fortification. Of these, food fortification is the most effective intervention to deliver vitaminand mineral-rich food to a large population. Fortification involves adding minute quantities of nutrients, such as vi...

The mechanisms by which potentially soluble inorganic nutrients are retained and eventually recycled within ecosystems have been characterized by many studies. Substantial amounts of potentially soluble organic nutrients are also released as plants grow, die, and decompose. In this study, a conceptual model was developed which shows the pools and signi®cant processes generating and consuming di...

Salvadora persica is a medicinally important plant mainly used in oral hygiene. However, little attention has been given towards the nutritional prominence of this plant. This study encloses the proximate and mineral nutrient contents, amino acid composition, metabolite profiling and antioxidant potential of S. persica fruit. The ripen fruit contained substantial amount of sugars, mineral nutri...