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The aim of this study was to evaluate the association between zinc plasma levels and sensory perception in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD).Methods: A cross-sectional study with 21 nondialysis CKD patients (11 men, 51.1 6 7.1 years, body mass index 27.9 6 7.1 kg/m 2 , estimated glomerular filtration rate 32.7 6 19.9 mL/min) and 22 non-CKD volunteers (10 men, 49.8 6 8.3 years, body mass index 28.5 6 5.4 kg/m 2 ) was conducted. Blood samples were collected to obtain plasma for zinc analysis. Anthropometric and biochemical parameters, as well as food intake and salivary flow rate, were also evaluated. Taste sensory perception for sweet, acidic, bitter, and salty flavors was determined by the ''three-drop method,'' with 4 concentrations of the 4 basic tastes.Results: As expected, zinc plasma levels were significantly lower in CKD patients (70.1 6 19.2ug/dL) when compared with the control group participants (123.2 6 24.6 mg dL) (P ˂ .0001). The bitter taste perception was lower in the CKD group (p˂0.0001). Our findings showed that sensitivity to sour (P 5 .047), salty (P 5 .03), and bitter tastes was significantly lower in participants with lower zinc plasma levels. Also, bitter taste sensitivity was lower in participants with less zinc intake (P 5 .038). When grouping control subjects and CKD patients, significant correlations were observed between zinc plasma levels and the number of correct answers for bitter taste (r 5 0.49, P 5 .001), number of correct answers for salty taste (r 5 0.30, P 5 .048), and total score of correct answers (r 5 0.30, P 5 .044).Conclusions: Reduced zinc plasma levels in nondialysis CKD patients may be associated with lower perception of bitter, sour, and salty tastes and strategies to restore these levels are crucial due many factors, including food preferences and intake.

Cinnamon, a member of the Lauraceae family, has been widely used as a spice and traditional herbal medicine for centuries and hasshown beneficial effects in cardiovascular disease, obesity, and diabetes. However, its effectiveness as a therapeutic intervention forchronic kidney disease (CKD) remains unproven. The bioactive compounds within cinnamon, such as cinnamaldehyde, cinnamicacid, and cinnamate, can mitigate oxidative stress, inflammation, hyperglycemia, gut dysbiosis, and dyslipidemia, which are commoncomplications in patients with CKD. In this narrative review, we assess the mechanisms by which cinnamon may alleviate complicationsobserved in CKD and the possible role of this spice as an additional nutritional strategy for this patient group.

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The aim of this study was to record the presence of Trypanosoma theileri in the blood of a cattle herd from a property placed in the municipality of Caçapava do Sul, Rio Grande do Sul State, Brazil. For this study, 37 samples of blood were collected from the herd and later analyzed by blood culture. After 20 days, 9 (24.3%) of 37 samples collected were positive for T. theileri, and each positive animal was asymptomatic and presented good nutritional status. This was the first property investigated, and these preliminary results already suggest that T. theileri presents high prevalence in the cattle herds from southern Brazil. Thus, an investigation may be worth due the economic losses caused by this silent disease.