Aluminum toxicity to bone: A multisystem effect?

Aluminum (Al) is the third most abundant element in the earth's crust and is omnipresent in our environment, including our food. However, with normal renal function, oral and enteral ingestion of substances contaminated with Al, such as antacids and infant formulae, do not cause problems. The intestine, skin, and respiratory tract are barriers to Al entry into the blood. However, contamination of fluids given parenterally, such as parenteral nutrition solutions, or hemodialysis, peritoneal dialysis or even oral Al-containing substances to patients with impaired renal function could result in accumulation in bone, parathyroids, liver, spleen, and kidney. The toxic effects of Al to the skeleton include fractures accompanying a painful osteomalacia, hypoparathyroidism, microcytic anemia, cholestatic hepatotoxicity, and suppression of the renal enzyme 25-hydroxyvitamin D-1 alpha hydroxylase. The sources of Al include contamination of calcium and phosphate salts, albumin and heparin. Contamination occurs either from inability to remove the naturally accumulating Al or from leeching from glass columns used in compound purification processes. Awareness of this long-standing problem should allow physicians to choose pharmaceutical products with lower quantities of Al listed on the label as long as this practice is mandated by specific national drug regulatory agencies.

Tolerance of physic nut plants to aluminum activity in nutrient solution / Tolerância de plantas de pinhão-manso à atividade de alumínio, em solução nutritiva

Plants have different levels of tolerance to phytotoxic effects of aluminum and the exploitation of this characteristic is of significant importance to the use of acid soils. This research aimed to evaluate the effect of aluminum activity in nutrient solution on growth of physic nut young plant. After seven days of adaptation, plants were submitted to Al concentrations of 0; 200; 400; 600; 800 and 1,000 µmol L­1, corresponding to Al3+ activity solution, of: 14.5, 21.4; 46.6; 75.6; 108.3 e 144.8 µmol L­1, respectively. The increased activity of Al3+ decreased linearly the number of leaves, plant height, leaf area, shoot dry matter and root length of physic nut plant. Physic nut young plants are sensitive to high aluminum activity in solution. The root length, number of leaves, shoot dry matter and total dry matter were variables more affected by Al activity in solution, and can be used to discriminate the tolerance levels to aluminum in physic nut plants. The accumulation of aluminum increased in a activity-dependent manner; however, its translocation from root to shoot was low.

As plantas apresentam diferentes níveis de tolerância aos efeitos fitotóxicos do alumínio e a exploração dessa característica torna-se de relevante importância para a utilização dos solos ácidos. Objetivou-se com este trabalho avaliar o efeito da atividade de alumínio, em solução nutritiva, no crescimento inicial de plantas de pinhão-manso (Jatropha curcas L). As plantas foram cultivadas em vasos com capacidade para 1,5 L, contendo solução nutritiva. Após sete dias de adaptação, as plantas foram submetidas a concentrações de Al de 0, 200, 400, 600, 800 e 1.000 µmol L­1, que corresponderam a atividades de Al3+ em solução de: 14,5; 21,4; 46,6; 75,6; 108,3 e 144,8 µmol L­1, respectivamente. O aumento da atividade de Al3+ reduziu o número de folhas por planta, altura da planta, área foliar, matéria seca da parte aérea e comprimento da raiz principal das plantas de pinhão-manso. Plantas de pinhão-manso são sensíveis a elevada atividade de Al em solução. O comprimento da raiz, número de folhas e a produção de matéria seca da parte aérea e total foram as características mais afetadas pela atividade de Al em solução, e podem ser utilizadas para discriminar os níveis de tolerância ao alumínio em plantas de pinhão-manso. O acúmulo de alumínio aumentou de uma maneira dependente da atividade; no entanto, sua translocação das raízes para a parte aérea foi baixa.

Tolerance of arabica coffee cultivars for aluminum in nutritive solution

This work aimed to evaluate the Coffea arabica cultivars for aluminum toxicity tolerance, in modified Hoagland solution. A completely randomized design with five repetitions in a factorial 4 x 4 (cultivar x combinations of aluminum) was used. After 44 days of the sowing, were transferred ten seedlings each cultivar germinated in the absence of Al3+ to solution without Al3+, and ten for solution with Al3+; ten seedlings each cultivar germinated in presence of Al3+ to solution without Al3+, and ten for solution with Al3+. In the treatment with aluminum, the element was added to the nutritive solution in the concentration of 0.83 mmol L-1 as Al2(SO4)3.16H2O. The cultivars Catuaí Amarelo IAC 62 and Iapar 59 were tolerant to the aluminum; cultivar Oeiras presented intermediate tolerance, while cultivar Obatã IAC 1669-20 was sensitive. The tolerance of the coffee cultivars to the aluminum during the initial development of the seedlings did not depend on the presence of aluminum in the germination phase.

Rúcula em cultivo hidropônico submetida em diferentes concentrações de alumínio / Eruca in hydroponics posted in different concentrations of aluminum

Objetivou-se avaliar os efeitos do alumínio em solução nutritiva, no crescimento de plantas de rúcula (Eruca sativa Mill.) em condições controladas. Utilizou-se tricloreto de alumínio, AlCl3, sendo os tratamentos: 0,0; 15,0; 30,0; 45,0 e 60,0 mg Al3+ L-1 de solução. As sementes de rúcula foram distribuídas em espuma fenólica onde receberam água destilada durante 10 dias após a semeadura (DAS) e após esse período as plântulas foram transferidas para vasos plásticos de capacidade de 2 kg com areia lavada e peneirada. Na omissão de alumínio (0,0 mg Al3+ L-1) o pH foi ajustado para 6,0. O experimento foi dividido em três etapas: 1) do 11º ao 14º DAS, as plantas foram irrigadas com solução completa diluída a 50% (pH 6,0); 2) do 15º ao 28º DAS, as plantas foram irrigadas com solução completa, modificada, com fósforo na concentração de 3,1 mg L-1 (pH 6,0); 3) do 29º ao 45º DAS, as plantas foram submetidas aos tratamentos com alumínio na solução nutritiva completa, modificada com concentração de fósforo de 3,1 mg L-1 e pH ajustado para 4,2. Aos 45 DAS foram avaliados: número de folhas, comprimento da parte aérea, das raízes e total, massa seca das raízes, das hastes e total além da área foliar. O delineamento experimental foi inteiramente casualizado com cinco repetições e os dados submetidos à análise de variância e estudo de regressão polinomial. O crescimento das plantas de rúcula é significativamente reduzido na presença do alumínio (AlCl3 ) em condições de solução nutritiva.

Aimed to evaluate the effects of aluminum in nutrient solution on growth of Eruca plants (Eruca sativa Mill.) under controlled conditions. We used aluminum trichloride, AlCl3, and the treatments: 0.0, 15.0, 30.0, 45.0 and 60.0 mg Al3 + L-1 solution. Eruca seeds were distributed phenolic foam which received distilled water for 10 days after sowing (DAS) and after this period the seedlings were transferred to plastic pots capacity of 2 kg washed sand and sieved. The omission of aluminum (Al3+ 0.0 mg L-1) the pH was adjusted to 6.0. The experiment was divided into three stages: 1) from 11 to the 14 DAS, the plants were irrigated with a solution diluted 50% (pH 6.0), 2) from 15 to 28 DAS, plants were irrigated with complete solution modified with phosphorus at a concentration of 3.1 mg L-1 (pH 6.0), 3) from 29 to the 45 DAS, the plants were treated with aluminum in the complete nutrient solution, modified with phosphorus concentration of 3,1 mg L-1 and pH adjusted to 4.2. At 45 DAS were evaluated: number of leaves, shoot length, root and total, dry mass of roots, stems and total leaf area as well. A completely randomized design with five replicates and the data submitted to analysis of variance and polynomial regression study. Plant growth rocket is significantly reduced in the presence of aluminum (AlCl3) under conditions.of.nutrient.solution