Projects / Programmes
The effect of natural mineral waters on genomic stability
| Code |
Science |
Field |
Subfield |
| 4.06.00 |
Biotechnical sciences |
Biotechnology |
|
| Code |
Science |
Field |
| T430 |
Technological sciences |
Food and drink technology |
natural mineral water, genotoxicity, genom, bio-toxicological assays, minerali, mikroelementi, health
Researchers (10)
Organisations (1)
| no. |
Code |
Research organisation |
City |
Registration number |
No. of publicationsNo. of publications |
| 1. |
0105 |
National Institute of Biology |
Ljubljana |
5055784 |
13,109 |
Abstract
The consumption of natural mineral water has increased during the past years, due to low quality of tap water as well as due to favorable effects to health. Numerous studies has shown, that tap drinking water often contain genotoxic impurities, while there is no genotoxicity data on natural mineral waters. The aim of the study is to find out if natural mineral water contains genotoxic organic contaminants, which could be due to the environmental pollution or can be introduced during the technological process. We will use standardized methodology for water genotoxicity determination which includes sample concentration and mutagenicity testing with Salmonella/microsomal assay. With the new test method: comet assay with human hepatoma hepG2 cells we will evaluate if the eventual genotoxic activity determined with the bacterial assay is expressed also in human cells.
Mineral waters contain elevated concentrations of minerals and microelements. Using comet assay with HepG2 cells we will determine if mineral waters are able to induce DNA damage due to their special mineral composition. Certain minerals and microelements are essential (i.e. magnesium and microelements selenium and zinc) and are known to have important role in maintenance of genomic stability. The most important endogenous cause of DNA damage is due to reactive oxygen species which are formed during the normal oxidative metabolism. Mg has major role in the processes of the repair of oxidative DNA damage. We will explore the effect of mineral water on the kinetics of formation and repair of oxidative DNA damage and the role of Mg in these effects.
The results of the study will contribute to maintenance of high quality and health safety of natural mineral waters. The studies of the effects of natural mineral water on genomic stability will give new knowledge about beneficial health effects of mineral water consumption.
