Zinc is an essential micronutrient playing several crucial roles in human pathophysiology and its deficiency leads to micronutrient malnutrition. Therefore, a rapid, inexpensive, and accurate protocol for serum zinc concentration measurement becomes essential in community healthcare. This study demonstrates the design, fabrication, and characterization of a low-cost, paper-based microfluidic device (μPAD) to detect serum zinc concentration by colorimetric techniques. The μPAD comprises circular spotting zones doped with diphenylthiocarbazone, commonly known as dithizone, that produces pink-colored chelates upon reacting with zinc and the color intensity monotonically changes with concentration even across the physiological range (, 5-25 μM). The design and the doping protocol were optimized to generate a linear correlation (in water, = 0.94; in artificial plasma, = 0.98) between a suitable optical measure (, the normalized Euclidean shift) evaluated by image analysis of photographs captured by the camera of a standard smartphone and zinc concentration. The calibration curve for artificial plasma was further used to evaluate the zinc concentrations in real blood serum samples, resulting in a high parity with the respective gold standard method. The device is expected to significantly contribute in diagnosis of micronutrient malnutrition with a particular emphasis on community healthcare and to reach resource-limited settings.
Download full-text PDF |
Source |
|---|---|
| http://dx.doi.org/10.1039/d5an00023h | DOI Listing |
Publication Analysis
Top Keywords
Similar Publications
Near-infrared light triggered bio-inspired enhanced natural silk fibroin nanofiber composite scaffold for photothermal therapy of periodontitis.
Colloids Surf B Biointerfaces
March 2025
Department of stomatology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu 215000, China. Electronic address:
Periodontitis is one of the major oral health issues worldwide, with significant impacts on oral health and patients's quality of life, but current therapies have not achieved optimal regeneration of periodontal tissue. This study developed scaffolds using natural tussah silk fibroin (TSF) cross-linked with regenerated silk fibroin (SF) nanofibers to improve mechanical properties and wet-state stability. Zinc oxide (ZnO) and polydopamine (PDA) composite nanoparticles were loaded into scaffold to impart its antibacterial and photothermal properties to construct a photo-responsive composite scaffold (ZnO/PDA/TSF-SF).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFMicronutrient-deficient diets and possible environmental enteric dysfunction in Buruli ulcer endemic communities in Ghana: Lower dietary diversity and reduced serum zinc and vitamin C implicate micronutrient status a possible susceptibility factor.
PLoS Negl Trop Dis
March 2025
Microbes, Infection & Immunity, School of Biosciences, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Surrey, Guildford, United Kingdom.
Background: The nutritional status of communities susceptible to Buruli ulcer (BU, a skin NTD caused by infection with Mycobacterium ulcerans) remains almost completely obscure. We have assessed the diets of BU patients vs. controls from the same BU-endemic communities, and compared their circulating biomarkers of nutrients and inflammation.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAssociation Between Essential Trace Elements and Thyroid Antibodies in the Blood of Women with Newly Diagnosed Hashimoto's Thyroiditis.
Int J Endocrinol Metab
April 2024
Urmia University of Medical Sciences, Urmia, Iran.
Background: The involvement of essential trace elements in the pathogenesis of Hashimoto's thyroiditis (HT) has been suggested, although the available evidence is limited.
Objectives: The aim of this study was to investigate the interplay between serum selenium (Se), iron (Fe), zinc (Zn), and copper (Cu) status with thyroid auto-antibodies and thyroid echogenicity in women with newly diagnosed HT.
Methods: A cohort of newly diagnosed female HTs (n = 56) and matched controls (n = 64) were recruited.
Improved linear growth after routine zinc supplementation in preterm very low birth weight infants.
Pediatr Res
March 2025
Division of Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA.
Background: This study was designed (1) to compare growth, morbidity and mortality in < 33-week gestational age (GA) (very preterm, VPT) or very low birth weight (BW < 1500 grams, VLBW) infants before (Epoch-1) and after implementing routine enteral zinc (Zn) supplementation (Epoch-2) to meet recommendations, and (2) to assess serum Zn levels and associated variables.
Methods: Single-center prospective cohort of 826 infants. The primary outcome was the change (Δ) in Z-scores of accurate length (Δlength), weight and head circumference from birth to discharge home.
Dental Restorative Viability of Zinc Oxide Nanoparticle-Reinforced Zirconia and Baghdadite Ceramic Composites.
J Biomed Mater Res B Appl Biomater
March 2025
Department of Mining, Metallurgical and Materials Engineering, College of Engineering, University of the Philippines Diliman, Quezon City, Philippines.
This study explores the enhancement of properties in zirconia-based ceramic dental restorative materials through the incorporation of baghdadite (CaZrSiO) and zinc oxide (ZnO) nanoparticles. Baghdadite was synthesized via a solid-state sintering method and integrated into zirconia to form baghdadite/zirconia ceramic composites. These composites were sintered with varying concentrations of baghdadite (0%, 5%, and 10%) to enhance bioactivity and support bone tissue repair, and incorporated with 0.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFWant AI Summaries of new PubMed Abstracts delivered to your In-box?
Enter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!