Minerals and enzymes

Ross, D.J., Speir, T.W., Kettles, H.A. and Mackay, A.D. (1995) Soil microbial biomass, C and N mineralization and enzyme activities in a hill pasture influence of season and slow-release P and S fertilizer. Soil Biology and Biochemistry 27, 1431-1443. 

Dawson, E. B., Harris, W. A., and Powell, L. C., 1990, Relationship between ascorbic acid and male fertility, n Aspects of Some Vitamins, Minerals and Enzymes in Health and Disease (G. H. Bourne, ed.), pp. 1-26, World Rev. Nutr. Diet., Karger, Basel. 

Organic contaminants such as petroleum hydrocarbons or chlorinated solvents can be directly metabolized by proteins and enzymes, leading to the degradation, metabolism, or mineralization of the contaminants. Furthermore, many of these contaminants can be broken down into harmless products or converted into a source of food and energy for the plants or soil organisms.50... 

Clay minerals or phyllosilicates are lamellar natural and synthetic materials with high surface area, cation exchange and swelling properties, exfoliation ability, variable surface charge density and hydrophobic/hydrophilic character [85], They are good host structures for intercalation or adsorption of organic molecules and macromolecules, particularly proteins. On the basis of the natural adsorption of proteins by clay minerals and various clay complexes that occurs in soils, many authors have investigated the use of clay and clay-derived materials as matrices for the immobilization of enzymes, either for environmental chemistry purpose or in the chemical and material industries. 

Interactions of Enzymes with Soil Mineral and Humic Colloids... 

Extracellular enzymes are rapidly sorbed at mineral and humic colloids in soils and sediments. Mineral colloids have a high affinity for enzymes although that is not always synonymous with the retention of their catalytic ability. On the other hand, humic substances have the ability to sorb and sequester enzymes in such a way as to retain their catalytic activity they could also strongly inactivate enzyme activity depending on interaction mechanisms. 

Mineral colloid-enzyme interactions have been documented (e.g., Theng 1979 Bums 1986 Naidja et al. 2000 Bums and Dick 2002). Besides cation-exchange reactions, adsorption of enzymes by mineral colloids may proceed through ionic, covalent, hydrophobic, hydrogen bonding, and van der Waals forces. When enzymes are adsorbed on mineral colloids, changes in the tertiary structures (i.e., the folding of the helix or... 

Soil microbes. Effects include reduced microbial biomass and/or species diversity, thus affecting microbial processes such as enzyme synthesis and activity, litter decomposition, associated with carbon and nitrogen mineralization, and soil respiration ... 

Nutritional factors may influence the toxicity of pesticides. Research in this area has primarily focused on the role of dietary proteins, particularly sulfur-containing amino acids, trace minerals, and vitamins A, C, D, and E. Studies in rats show that inadequate dietary protein enhances the toxicity of most pesticides but decreases, or fails to affect, the toxicity of a few. The results of these studies have shown that at one-seventh or less normal dietary protein, the hepatic toxicity of heptachlor is diminished as evidenced by fewer enzyme changes (Boyd 1969 Shakman 1974). The lower-protein diets may decrease metabolism of heptachlor to heptachlor epoxide. 

The subsamples were split and sent to different laboratories to be subjected to ten commonly-used and proprietary leach/digestion techniques (a) aqua regia partial digestion method at Acme Analytical Laboratories (b) sodium pyrophosphate and cold hydroxylamine leaches at ALS Chemex (c) enzyme and TerraSol leach methods at Skyline Labs (d) Bioleach and soil gas hydrocarbon analyses at Activation Laboratories (e) Mobile metal ion (MMI) extraction at SGS Minerals (f) 4-acid near-total and sodium peroxide sinter total digestions (under the uses contract) at SGS Minerals and (g) de-ionized water leach at the USGS laboratories. 

Mechanism of Action An enzymatic mineral that is an essential component in the formation of Hgb, myoglobin, and enzymes. Promotes effective erythropoiesis and transport and utilization of oxygen (Oj). Therapeutic Effect Prevents iron deficiency. Pharmacokinetics Absorbed in the duodenum and upper jejunum. Ten percent absorbed in patients with normal iron stores increased to 20%-30%in those with inadequate iron stores. Primarily bound to serum transferrin. Excreted in urine, sweat, and sloughing of intestinal mucosa. Half-life 6 hr. 

Various excellent reviews are available on phenolic compounds, their chemistry and analysis, content in foods and nutritional significance (Bravo, 1998 Dykes and Rooney, 2006 Manach et al., 2004 Naczk and Shahidi, 2006 Robbins, 2003). From a nutritional perspective, phenolic compoimds (especially tannins) are regarded as antinutritional factors due to their ability to form complexes with dietary proteins and minerals and digestive enzymes (Bravo, 1998). However, lately there has been increasing focus on the positive aspects of phenolics due to their ability to act as antioxidants which may offer potential health benefits such as prevention of diseases such as cancer and cardiovascular disease. 

Bioactive peptides can be extracted and purified with these technologies, which vary from simple to complex. Following this, the isolation of bioactive peptides, oligosaccharides, fatty acids, enzymes, water-soluble minerals, and biopolymers for biotechnological and pharmaceutical applications is possible. Further, some of these bioactive peptides have been identified to possess nutraceutical potentials that are beneficial for human health. 

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