Boron Contents of German Mineral and Medicinal Waters and Their Bioavailability in Drosophila melanogaster and Humans

Abstract

Scope Boron is a trace element that naturally occurs in soil, making mineral and medicinal water important contributors to overall intake. Thus, in a systematic screening, the mean boron concentrations of 381 German mineral and medicinal waters are determined. Methods and Results Boron concentrations in mineral and medicinal waters are analyzed by inductively coupled mass spectrometry (ICP‐MS). Highest boron values find in waters from the southwest of Germany. The boron content of the waters is positively correlated with the concentration of most other analyzed bulk elements, including calcium, potassium, magnesium, and sodium. Mineral waters with either low (7.9 µg L−1), medium (113.9 µg L−1), or high (2193.3 µg L−1) boron content are chosen for boron exposure experiments in fruit flies (Drosophila melanogaster) and humans. In flies, boron‐rich mineral water significantly increases boron accumulation, with the accumulation predominantly occurring in the exoskeleton. In humans, serum boron and 24‐h urinary boron excretion significantly increase only in response to the intake of boron‐rich mineral water. Conclusion Overall, the current data demonstrate that mineral and medicinal waters vary substantially in the content of boron and that boron‐rich mineral water can be used to elevate the boron status, both in flies and humans.

Drosophila melanogaster as a Model Organism to Study Lithium and Boron Bioactivity

“…In adult D. melanogaster , the whole-body B status can be significantly increased by feeding a B-rich diet. These results are in line with effects of B-rich mineral water on serum B levels in humans [ 42 ]. In fruit flies, the B status depends on the developmental stage and the age of the animal.…”

“…With around 10-ppm abundance in the continental crust, B is a rather rare element on Earth finding its way into our food chain primarily through plant-based foods, such as fruits (e.g., plums, peaches, grapes), fruit juices, wine, nuts, and vegetables, but also through drinking water [ 41 , 42 , 43 ]. Animal-derived foods (e.g., meat, dairy products, and eggs) and grains contain lower amounts of B [ 41 ].…”

“…Similarly, the adult D. melanogaster predominantly accumulates B in the chitinous exoskeleton. Flies that were fed a diet with B-rich mineral water stored 60% (males) or up to 80% (females) of the element in the insoluble fraction of the whole-body homogenate, which mostly consists of the exoskeleton [ 42 ]. In line with this, the total body B contents are nearly twice as high in untreated D. melanogaster males compared to female flies, the latter exhibiting higher proportions of soft tissue [ 42 , 52 ].…”

Plasma boron concentrations in the general population: a cross-sectional analysis of cardio-metabolic and dietary correlates

“…Boron is a trace element, which is widely distributed in nature and mainly occurs in the form of borates or organoboron in soil, rocks, and water [ 1 , 2 ]. Human exposure to boron primarily occurs through oral intake of drinking water and food [ 1 , 3 – 5 ], with a boron-rich diet being characterized by high consumption of fruits, vegetables (leafy), nuts, legumes, and plant-derived fermented beverages (i.e. wine, cider, beer) [ 3 , 4 , 6 ].…”

Bacteriome composition analysis of selected mineral water occurrences in Serbia

“…After analyzing the content of microcomponents, B and NH3 had the highest values. As an element, B regularly participates in the composition of minerals of the Earth's crust, thus its presence in mineral waters is often reported [54]. Elevated concentrations of B could also be the result of anthropogenic pollution [55], i.e., an indication of the connection between the mineral waters of Lomnički Kiseljak and contaminants of organic origin.…”