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Foliar selenium (Se) treatment of garlic at concentrations of 10, 50, and 100 μg of Se/mL was carried out in open field conditions in 2008 and 2009 in Estonia. Bulb weight and yield structure, content of total Se, S, N, P, K, Ca, and Mg, ascorbic acid content (AAC), pungency, total phenolics, and total antioxidant capacity (TAC) were determined. The highest level of Se decreased total S, K, and Ca in both years; no negative impact on bulb weight was observed. In 2009 Se10 treatment had significantly more bulbs with the largest diameter compared to the other treatments. In 2008, the AAC was decreased by Se50 and the content of total phenolics by all Se treatments; however, TAC was increased. Foliar Se fertilization of garlic at rates of 10-50 μg of Se/mL can be recommended to increase the number of large bulbs and increase bulb antioxidant capacity.

BackgroundSelenium has attracted attention because of its antioxidant properties. Antioxidants protects cells from damage. Certain breakdown products of selenium are believed to prevent tumor growth by enhancing the immune cell activity and suppressing the development of tumor blood vessels. In this observational study, selenium level was measured in a series of patients from Poland and Estonia to determine a correlation between levels of this microelement and colorectal cancer risk.MethodsA total of 169 colorectal cancer patients and 169 healthy controls were enrolled in the study after obtaining their informed consent. Selenium level in the blood serum was measured using Graphite Furnace Atomic Absorption Spectrometry (GFAAS). The statistical analysis was performed by Fisher’s exact test.ResultsThe threshold point of selenium level was 55 μg/l and 65 μg/l for Poland and Estonia respectively, for an increase in cancer risk. The lower levels of selenium were associated with greater risk of colorectal cancer.ConclusionsThe result reveals a significant strong association between low selenium level and the colorectal cancer risk in both Estonian and Polish populations.

Recent studies have suggested that a biochemical marker, plasma alkaline phosphatase (ALP), can be used as a general indicator of skeletal development in vertebrate animals. In birds, age-related variation in ALP activity, presumably due to bone formation processes, has been demonstrated, but to date, a direct connection between bone mineralization and enzyme activity has been elusive. In this study, we show that the activity of a bone isoform of ALP (bone ALP) is closely related to the overall rate of skeletal mineralization in nestlings of a small passerine bird, the great tit (Parus major L). Moreover, bone ALP activity predicted the rate of mineralization of leg and wing bones but not that of the skull. Liver isoform of ALP was only marginally related to the overall rate of skeletal mineralization, while no association with the mineralization of long bones was found. We conclude that bone ALP activity in the blood plasma is a reliable biomarker for skeletal mineralization in birds. This marker enables detection of subtle developmental differences between chicks of similar structural size, potentially facilitating the prediction of offspring mid- and long-term survival.

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Anthropogenic impact on Lake Liinjärv (Rõuge, southern Estonia) was studied back to the mid-19th century on the basis of heavy metals (Pb, Cu, Zn, Mn, and Hg) and geochemical parameters of a short sediment core dated by 210 Pb isotopes. The development of the lake and its sediment composition are heavily influenced by the inflow of saturated calcareous waters that cause precipitation of calcium carbonates. The concentrations of most of the metals started to increase at the end of the 1970s. This is most clearly observable for Zn, Cu, and Pb. At the same time the distribution pattern of Mn seems to be controlled mainly by the redox conditions in the hypolimneon. The main sources of pollutants in Lake Liinjärv, due to its large catchment area, are the influence of agricultural activity and atmospheric input. Organic matter is the main factor affecting heavy metal (Pb, Hg, Cu, and Zn) distribution in lake sediments.

In this work we have measured selenium concentration in 204 individual serum samples and in 105 human milk samples to compare the selenium levels in Finland after 10 years' selenium supplementation to neighbouring districts: North Estonia, Karelia in Russia, and St. Petersburg. Samples were collected between 1992 and 1994 and analysed with Zeeman graphite furnace AAS. Highest selenium concentrations were found from Finnish human milk (mean concentration in mature milk 19.2 μg/L, range 16–43 μg/L) and serum samples (mean 111.1 μg/L, range 71–163 μg/L). Selenium levels were low in the Karelian district (mean 11.5 μg/L, range 7–29 μg/L in colostrum milk), but in St. Petersburg levels were near to the levels in Finland (mean 21.9 μg/L, range 12–53 μg/L in colostrum milk and mean 88.3 μg/L, range 50–130 μg/L in serum. In Estonia we found unexpectedly low levels for selenium in human milk (mean 11.2 μg/L and range 9–14 μg/L in colostrum milk in Tallinn) and serum samples (48.2 μg/L, range 38–58 μg/L in Tallinn and 63.0 μg/L, range 31–104 μg/L in Rakvere). J. Trace Elem. Exp. Med. 10:225–232, 1997. © 1997 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.

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