The effect of Chenopodium quinoa seeds on lipid profile, glucose level, protein metabolism and selected essential elements (Na, K, Ca, Mg) level was determined in high—fructose fed male Wistar rats. Fructose decreased significantly LDL [42%, p < 0.01] and activity of alkaline phosphatase [20%, p < 0.05], and increased triglycerides level [86%, p < 0.01]. The analysis of blood of rats fed quinoa indicated, that these seeds effectively reduced serum total cholesterol [26%, p < 0.05], LDL [57%, p < 0.008] and triglycerides [11%, p < 0.05] when compared to the control group. Quinoa seeds also significantly reduced the level of glucose [10%, p < 0.01] and plasma total protein level [16%, p < 0.001]. Fructose significantly decreased HDL [15%, p < 0.05] level in control group but when the quinoa seeds were added into the diet the decrease of HDL level was inhibited. Quinoa seeds did not prevent any adverse effect of increasing triglyceride level caused by fructose. It was shown in this study that quinoa seeds can reduce most of the adverse effects exerted by fructose on lipid profile and glucose level.
The study covered the children living in Miasteczko Slaskie, near the largest Zn plant in Poland. This is one of the areas highly contaminated with heavy metals. The subjects were 158 children aged from 8 to 15 (98 boys and 60 girls). The average Pb and Cd levels in the hair of the entire children population was 8.21 +/- 5.59 microg/g, and 0.91 +/- 0.61 microg/g, and the average Pb and Cd levels in their blood were 14.32 +/- 3.98 and 0.52 +/- 0.24 microg/dL(-1), respectively. The children population under investigation was divided according to their sex. The hair of the girls contained, on the average, 5.06 +/- 2.81 microg/g of Pb and 0.74 +/- 0.48 microg/g of Cd and the hair of the boys 10.14 +/- 6.0 microg/g of Pb and 1.01 +/- 0.65 microg/g of Cd. The blood of the girls contained, on the average, 13.23 +/- 4.23 microg/dL of Pb and 0.48 +/- 0.21 microg/dL of Cd, and the blood of the boys 14.99 +/- 3.68 microg/dL of Pb and 0.55 +/- 0.24 microg/dL of Cd. Thus, both the hair and blood of the boys accumulated more Pb and Cd than those of the girls. A correlation between the concentrations of these metals was confirmed.
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