Dietary Amino Acids Research Articles

Modified throughput ninhydrin method for the qualitative assessment of dietary protein absorption in pig plasma

Abstract Background Protein maldigestion and malabsorption lead to malnutrition and are a feature of exocrine pancreatic insufficiency (EPI). Although it is the current standard, measurement of nitrogen in stool to assess protease activity is indirect. Up to 80% of hydrolysed proteins appear in blood in the form of peptides so we developed a method to measure peptide-derived amino acids in plasma as a relevant measure of proteolysis, verified its accuracy, precision, and linearity, and validated it in a porcine model. Materials and Methods We modified a ninhydrin method. Large proteins were eliminated from plasma with 10 kDa-cut-off centrifugal filters. Free and total amino acids were measured in permeate before and after its hydrolysis. Peptide-derived amino acids were quantified by subtracting free amino acids from total amino acids. We verified the method in vitro and by comparing results in healthy and EPI pigs. Results The accuracy of the analysis was close to 100%, with excellent precision (mean relative standard deviation for low, medium and high amino acid levels = 0.88%) and with stringent linearity (r2=0.986, %RE =5.23). The high-throughput ninhydrin method detected levels of peptide-derived amino acids in vivo with maximal changes seen approximately 2 hours postprandially in young pigs. The AUC and Cmax were significantly higher in healthy compared to EPI pigs (p = 0.0026 and p = 0.0037, respectively). Conclusions The high-throughput ninhydrin method is a sensitive, reliable, and practical method for the estimation of dietary peptide-derived amino acids. This assay endpoint could serve as a direct biomarker of protein digestion and absorption.

Bovine bone meal combined with dephenolized cottonseed protein is an effective fishmeal substitution in Trachinotus ovatus feed: A comprehensive evaluation of growth, muscle quality, and intestinal digestion physiology

To investigate the feasibility of substituting fishmeal (FM) with a combination of bovine bone meal (BBM) and dephenolized cottonseed protein (DCSP), a mixture (consisting of 60 % BBM and 40 % DCSP) was used to replace varying FM levels in Golden pompano (Trachinotus ovatus) feed. Five isoproteic (47 %) and isolipidic (12 %) experimental diets were formulated, with FM levels set at 30 %, 24 %, 18 %, 12 %, and 6 % (namely Control, FM24, FM18, FM12, and FM6). To compensate for the reduced FM content, BBM and DCSP were used as substitutes, and DL-methionine and L-lysine were added to maintain the dietary amino acid balance. Following a 63-day trial, results showed that the growth of FM24, FM18 and FM12 groups did not exhibit significant differences compared to the Control group, while those of FM6 group considerably decreased. The biochemical composition of whole fish did not display significant differences among the five groups, while the muscle protein contents of the FM12 group were higher than the Control group. Most of the muscle texture properties were positively modified in the FM 12 and FM 6 groups. With the substitution ratio increase, the contents of serum total protein, albumin, total amino acids, and cholecystokinin were elevated, while serum peptide YY contents decreased. In addition, intestinal trypsin, NaK-ATPase, and alkaline phosphatase activities in FM18, FM12, and FM6 groups decreased, and lipase activities exhibited the opposite trend. The transcription levels of genes related to amino acid-sensing receptors (asct2 and snat2) were down-regulated with increasing dietary FM substitutions, while the expression levels of appetite regulation factors (pept1, cck, and ghrl) were up-regulated. In conclusion, the FM content in the diet of T. ovatus can be reduced to 12 % through the utilization of a combination of BBM and DCSP, with no adverse effects observed on growth performance, biochemical composition, or muscle texture.

Effect of various levels of standardized ileal digestible branched-chain amino acids on lactating sow and litter performance.

Three hundred and sixty sows were used to investigate the effect of various dietary branched-chain amino acids (BCAA) levels on sow lactation and piglet growth performance. On day 112 ± 1.4 of gestation, sows were blocked by the parity group (P1, P2, P3+) and randomly assigned to 1 of 6 dietary treatments containing various levels of standardized ileal digestible (SID) Leu, Ile, and Val. The experimental diets were formulated to the desired levels of BCAA by replacing cornstarch in a basal diet with l-leucine, l-isoleucine, and l-valine. Dietary BCAA levels relative to SID Lys were 114% or 180% for Leu, 56% or 64% for Ile, and 64% or 120% for Val. Diets were formulated to be isocaloric (3.23 Mcal ME/kg) and met or exceeded all other NRC (2012) essential amino acid and vitamin and mineral recommendations. Sow body weight (BW) and backfat thickness were measured at the time of entry into the farrowing room and at weaning. Piglet litter weights were recorded after cross-fostering and weaning to calculate the litter growth rate. Data were analyzed using generalized linear mixed models with fixed effects of dietary treatment and parity group and a random effect of lactation group. The models were fit using R (v4.4.1; R Core Team, 2024). The sow and her litter were the experimental unit, and results were considered significant if P < 0.05. On average, sows nursed their litters for 21.3 d (P = 0.998). The mean parity by treatment ranged from 3.8 to 3.9 (P = 0.999). After farrowing, the mean sow BW was 220kg with a range between treatments of 216 to 222kg (P = 0.523). On average, sows gained 2.3% of their BW (P = 0.740) with an average daily feed intake of 8.74kg/d (P = 0.903). As expected, sow Leu, Ile, and Val intakes were different across treatments (P ≤ 0.001) and corresponded to the varying dietary levels of BCAA. Sows entered farrowing with an average backfat thickness of 11.50mm (P = 0.919) and lost 6.5% backfat through lactation (P = 0.880). Sows started the trial with an average of 14.1 piglets/sow (P = 0.967) and weaned 12.7 piglets/sow (P = 0.995) with a piglet ADG of 0.22kg/d (P = 0.280) and a daily litter growth rate of 2.90kg/d (P = 0.547). In conclusion, there was no evidence of an effect of the various leucine, isoleucine, and valine levels evaluated in this study on lactating sow and piglet performance.

Application of Pyroligneous Acid as a Plant Growth Stimulant Can Improve the Nutritional Value of Soybean Seed

Farmers today are using biochemical treatments to improve their crop yields. Commercialized organic biostimulants exist in the form of pyroligneous acid generated by burning agricultural waste products. During the 2023 growing season, we demonstrated that soil treatment with a commercial pyroligneous acid product, Coriphol™, manufactured by Corigin Solutions, Inc., stimulated plant growth and significantly improved yield with an optimal treatment dose of 2 gal. acre−1. In the present work, we examined the effect of this treatment on soybean nutritional content using seed harvested from the 2023 season. Total mean seed protein content for untreated control plants was 32.26 ± 0.49% of dry mass and increased 10.8% to 35.64 ± 0.64% with treatment. This increase resulted in a net reduction in total free amino acid content, although levels of the essential dietary amino acid, lysine, were boosted 6-fold. Total lipid content was unaffected by treatment with mean levels of 21.61 ± 0.70% of dry mass noted. Treatment, however, reduced saturated fatty acid content by roughly 40%, and reduced the polyunsaturated content of linoleic acid in favor of the monounsaturated fatty acid, oleic acid. Finally, Coriphol™ treatment did not impact seed content of eight essential micronutrients including Na, Mg, K, Ca, Fe, Ni, Cu, and Mo, but did significantly boost Zn and Mn levels. Altogether, these results demonstrate that soil treatment with the growth stimulant Coriphol™ has the potential to improve the dietary nutritional value of soybean.

A whole food, plant-based diet reduces amino acid levels in patients with metastatic breast cancer.

Amino acids are critical to tumor survival. Tumors can acquire amino acids from the surrounding microenvironment, including the serum. Limiting dietary amino acids is suggested to influence their serum levels. Further, a plant-based diet is reported to contain fewer amino acids than an animal-based diet. Here, we investigated the impact of a whole food, plant-based diet on lowering the serum levels of amino acids in patients with cancer. Patients with metastatic breast cancer (n=18) were enrolled in clinical trial NCT03045289 . An ad libitum whole food, plant-based diet was implemented for 8 weeks without calorie or portion restriction. We found that a whole food, plant-based diet resulted in a lower intake of calories, fat, and amino acids and higher levels of fiber. Additionally, body weight, serum insulin, and IGF-1 were reduced in participants. The diet contained lower levels of essential and non-essential amino acids. Importantly, the lowered dietary intake of amino acids translated to reduced serum levels of amino acids in participants (5/9 essential amino acids; 4/11 non-essential amino acids). These findings provide a tractable approach to limiting amino acid levels in cancer patients. This data lays a foundation for studying the relationship between amino acids in patients and tumor progression. Further, a whole-food, plant-based diet has the potential to synergize with cancer therapies that exploit metabolic vulnerabilities.

Dietary amino acids, macronutrients, vaginal birth, and breastfeeding are associated with the vaginal microbiome in early pregnancy.

This secondary analysis of the MicrobeMom randomized controlled trial reveals that dietary amino acids, macronutrients, previous vaginal birth, and breastfeeding have the strongest associations with vaginal taxonomy in early pregnancy. Function of the vaginal niche is associated mainly by species composition, but smoking, vitamin K, and phenylalanine also play a role. These associations provide an intriguing and novel insight into the association between host factors and diet on the vaginal microbiome in pregnancy and highlight the need for further investigation into the complex interactions between the diet, human gut, and vaginal microbiome.

Amino acid is a major carbon source for hepatic lipogenesis.

Increased de novo lipogenesis is a hallmark of metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) in obesity, but the macronutrient carbon source for over half of hepatic fatty acid synthesis remains undetermined. Here, we discover that dietary protein, rather than carbohydrates or fat, is the primary nutritional risk factor for MASLD in humans. Consistently, exvivo tracing studies identify amino acids as a major carbon supplier for the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle and lipogenesis in isolated mouse hepatocytes. Invivo, dietary amino acids are twice as efficient as glucose in fueling hepatic fatty acid synthesis. The onset of obesity further drives amino acids into fatty acid synthesis through reductive carboxylation, while genetic and chemical interventions that divert amino acid carbon away from lipogenesis alleviate hepatic steatosis. Finally, low-protein diets (LPDs) not only prevent body weight gain in obese mice but also reduce hepatic lipid accumulation and liver damage. Together, this study uncovers the significant role of amino acids in hepatic lipogenesis and suggests a previously unappreciated nutritional intervention target for MASLD.

Progressive Analytical Techniques Utilized for the Detection of Contaminants Attributed to Food Safety and Security

Food analysis and authentication are very crucial to assure safety, quality, and integrity of food and food-related products. Analysis of food products not only ensures the quality of food but also gives information about composition, physical characteristics, flavor, shelf-life, safety, microstructure, and processibility. Consequently, food is now regarded as an inexpensive means of preventing disease while also serving as a source of energy. Typically, a wide range of distinct chemical components make up the chemical composition of food. Furthermore, during processing or storage, food is always susceptible to structural alterations. Therefore, to assess the nutritional value and the quality of food products, food components must be analyzed and quantified. Food analysis mainly includes the preparation, examination, and identification of major food components, such as dietary fiber, phenolic compounds, carbohydrates, proteins, amino acids, peptides, enzymes, phospholipids, pesticides, alcohols, fat-soluble and water-soluble vitamins, organic acids, organic bases, bittering agents, pigments, and aroma compounds, as well as minor components including preservatives, antioxidants, colorants. Therefore, there are several advanced analytical techniques, including spectroscopy, mass spectrometry, chromatography, NMR, HSI, MALDI-TOF, RT-PCR, biosensors, etc. have been vital in the food science domain due to their high selectivity and sensitivity. This review emphasizes implementing various analytical techniques to analyze food safety and security.

Pigs can detect multiple amino acid deficiencies in a choice feeding setting

BackgroundIt is unknown whether pigs can detect deficiencies in multiple amino acids (AA) and consequently change their feed choice. ObjectivesWe investigated whether pigs compensate for a diet deficient in three AA (Thr, Trp, and Val) by selecting multiple diets and whether this compensation is affected by the supplemented AA concentration. MethodsPair-housed 5-week old pigs (n= 96) were exposed to one of four treatments: (1) AA-adequate: offered a low protein (LP) diet adequate in AA for growth (LP+); (2) AA-deficient: offered LP diet deficient in Thr, Trp and Val by 20% (LP-); (3) Two-choice between LP+ and LP- (4) Four-choice between LP- and three diets supplemented with Thr, Trp, Val at +40% (n=12 pens/treatment) from d0-d21 (phase 1). From d21-d28, AA concentration of supplemented diets increased to +60% (phase 2). Average daily feed intake (ADFI) and gain (ADG) were recorded. ResultsDietary treatment did not affect ADFI and ADG in phase 1 (P>0.05). In phase 2, ADFI and ADG were higher in AA-adequate and Two-choice treatments than in AA deficient treatment with Four-choice in between (P<0.05). In both phases, Thr, Trp and Val intake was lower in AA-deficient treatment than in other treatments. For the Two-choice treatment consumption of LP- was higher than LP+ in both phases (P<0.05 and P<0.001). Four-choice treatment consumed more LP- and Trp-supplemented than Thr- and Val-supplemented diets in phase 1 (P<0.001); in phase 2 consumption of the Trp-supplemented diet was the highest (P<0.01). ConclusionsPigs can detect multiple AA deficiencies and compensate by consuming AA-supplemented diets. In a two-choice setting, pigs proportionally decrease consumption of a supplemented diet with increased dietary AA concentration. However, when given the choice between individual AA supplemented diets, pigs proportionally decrease consumption of a highly concentrated Val diet and increase preference for a highly concentrated Trp diet.

Interactive effects of dietary energy levels with amino acid density on growth performance and optimal digestible Lys to energy ratio of male broiler chickens

A total of 2,400 day-old off-sex male Ross 308 chicks were used in a 4 × 3 factorial array (8 replicates with 25 birds per replicate) to determine the interactive effects of dietary metabolizable energy (ME) and amino acid (AA) densities on productive traits of broiler chickens reared to 42 d of age. The experimental factors were 4 ME levels (control, -50, -100, -150 kcal) and 3 digestible AA levels (control, +3.0 and +6.0%). Diets were fed for starter (0-10 d), grower (11-24 d), finisher (25-35 d), and withdrawal (36-42 d) phases, with consistent reduction of ME and increase in AA density for each phase. Overall, ME reduction did not compromise final body weight (BW; d 42). However, when ME was reduced by 50 kcal, only the diets with +6% AA density improved BW, resulting in an interaction between ME and AA levels (P < 0.05). Reducing ME and increasing AA densities independently increased total feed intake (P < 0.01). An interaction between ME and AA density on feed conversion ratio (FCR) was observed where increasing AA density at both +3.0 and +6.0% levels at control ME reduced FCR, but with reduced ME diets, FCR was reduced only at +6% AA density (P < 0.01). Quadratic broken line models estimated a digestible Lys to ME ratio (mg Lys/1,000 kcal ME) of 474 and 407 in starter and grower diets, respectively, to optimize both BW and FCR. However, in finisher phase a ratio of 363 could only be predicted for optimal FCR and in withdrawal a ratio of 349 to optimize BW. In summary, these results indicate that the interaction between ME and AA densities affects the productive traits of broiler chickens. Increasing AA density at control ME density improves FCR, while reduced ME diets require higher AA density to improve FCR. Quadratic broken line models suggest specific digestible Lys to ME ratios for optimizing BW and FCR across different phases of the production cycle.

383 Performance of piglets in response to graded dietary supplementation of sulfur amino acids using either hydroxy-methionine or DL-Methionine during the post-weaning period

Abstract Providing piglets with their precise nutritional need is critical during the stressful post-weaning period. Methionine (Met), a sulfur-containing amino acid, has a crucial role in piglet growth and health. Stressful conditions may increase Met demand due to its involvement in maintaining redox balance via downstream metabolites such as glutathione. There are different sources of supplementary Met for pigs such as DL-methionine (DL-Met) and hydroxy-methionine. The latter comes mostly as an acidic liquid form (OH-Met) and to a lesser degree as a powder calcium-salt (OH-Met-Ca). This study investigates the effect of graded levels of dietary total sulfur amino acids (TSAA) by supplementing different sources of Met on the performance and capacity of post-weaning piglets to respond to stress. Two experiments were performed. In experiment 1, post-weaning piglets [n = 90; 28 d of age; body weight (BW) = 9.13 ± 0.65 kg] were fed with either DL-Met or OH-Met-Ca to provide 80%, 100%, and 125% TSAA recommendations of NRC and performance parameters were measured for 41 d. Treatments were replicated nine times, and blocking was done according to initial BW. For experiment 2, 720 post-weaning piglets (n = 720; 28 d of age; BW = 6.84 ± 1.07 kg) from three consecutive breeding batches were fed with either DL-Met, OH-Met, or OH-Met-Ca at or above (100% or 125%) TSAA requirements of FEDNA. Performance parameters and oxidative status through various plasma indicators were measured. Treatments were replicated 12 times. Data from both experiments were analyzed separately using a mixed effect model with Met source and level as fixed effects (and their interaction in experiment 2) and blocks and batch as random effects for experiments 1 and 2, respectively. In experiment 1, piglets fed 80% of TSAA requirement showed the least average daily weight gain, while those fed OH-Met-Ca at 100% or DL-Met at 125% requirement had the greatest BW gain among the treatments (P &amp;lt; 0.01). Feed conversion ratio was best for piglets fed with OH-Met-Ca at 100% requirement, while animals fed with 80% requirement were the least efficient (P = 0.04). Contrasts showed no differences between Met sources (P ≥ 0.51) and level of TSAA (P ≥ 0.56) for any of the parameters. Meanwhile in experiment 2, there were no interactions between Met source and TSAA level (P &amp;gt; 0.10). The Met source did not affect any parameter (P ≥ 0.14). However, there was a significant decrease in daily feed intake when piglets were fed above requirements (P = 0.02), and a significant increase in the concentration of plasma glutathione peroxidase when piglets were fed at TSAA requirements (P &amp;lt; 0.05). These results suggest that post-weaning piglet performance and oxidative status can be sustained regardless of the Met source tested. Feeding healthy and unchallenged piglets with excess dietary Met may not bring extra benefits.

Effects of dietary indispensable amino acid deficiencies on feed intake in stomachless fish

Evidence suggests that fish are more tolerant than mammals to imbalanced dietary amino acid profiles. However, the behavioral and physiological responses of fish to individual deficiencies in dietary indispensable amino acids (IDAA) remain unclear. This study examined how stomachless fish respond to diets deficient in limiting IDAA (lysine, methionine, and threonine), using Zebrafish (Danio rerio) as a model. The response to deficient diets was assessed based on; 1) growth performance and feeding efficiency; 2) feed intake; 3) expression of appetite-regulating hormones and nutrient-sensing receptors; and 4) muscle postprandial free amino acid (FAA) levels. There were 6 treatments, each with 3 replicate tanks. A semi-purified diet was formulated for each group. The CG diet was based on casein and gelatin, while the FAA50 diet had 50 % of dietary protein supplied with crystalline amino acids. Both were formulated to contain matching, balanced amino acid profiles. The remaining diets were formulated the same as the FAA50 diet, with minor adjustments to create deficiencies in selected IDAA. The (−) Lys, (−) Met, and (−) Thr diets had lysine, methionine, and threonine withheld from the FAA mix, respectively, and the Def diet was deficient in all three. The juvenile Zebrafish were fed to satiation 3 times daily from 21 to 50 days-post-hatch. Results showed that 50 % replacement of dietary protein with crystalline amino acids significantly reduced growth of juvenile Zebrafish. There were no significant differences in growth between the FAA50 group and groups that received deficient diets. The deficiency of singular IDAA did not induce significant changes in feed intake; however, the combined deficiency in the Def diet caused a significant increase in feed intake. This increased feed intake led to decreased feeding efficiency. A significant decrease in feeding efficiency was also observed in the (−) Lys group. There was an observed upregulation of neuropeptide Y (NPY), an orexigenic hormone, in the Def group. Overall, results from this study suggest stomachless fish increase feed intake when challenged with IDAA-deficient diets, and the regulation of NPY might play a role in this response.

Different dietary branched-chain amino acid ratios, crude protein levels, and protein sources can affect the growth performance and meat yield in broilers

Balanced ratios of branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs) can enhance chicken growth, immunity, and muscle synthesis. However, these ratios can be affected by changes in crude protein (CP) levels or the substitution of protein sources, leading to BCAA antagonism. This, in turn, can have a negative impact on chicken growth. In Experiment 1, a total of 960 0-d-old male Cobb 500 broilers were divided into 6 treatments with 8 replicates. Three different BCAA ratios were used in High or Low CP diets as follows: 1) Low Leu group (Low level of leucine with increased valine and isoleucine levels), 2) Med Leu group, and 3) High Leu group (High level of leucine with reduced valine and isoleucine levels) for a total of 6 diets. In Experiment 2, a total of 640 0-d-old male Cobb 500 broilers were divided into 4 treatments with 8 replicates. The four diets had either High or Low CP and one of two protein sources with the same medium levels of BCAAs: 1) the soybean meal (SBM) group, which had SBM as the main protein source (protein bound AA), and 2) the wheat middlings with non-bound AAs (WM+AA) group (non-bound AA), which had additional non-bound AAs to replace SBM. The High Leu diet had a negative effect on overall growth performance, carcass weight, breast muscle weight, and body mineral composition compared to the Low Leu and Med Leu groups, particularly in the High CP diet (P < 0.05). The SBM group showed increased growth performance, breast muscle weight, expression levels of genes promoting muscle growth, and improved bone mineral composition compared to the WM+AA group, and the High CP group intensified the negative effect of the WM+AA diet (P < 0.05). In summary, balanced BCAA ratios and SBM-based diets have positive effects on chicken growth and muscle accretion, whereas excessive leucine and non-bound AA levels in the diets may negatively affect growth performance and meat yield in chickens.

Context-dependent impact of the dietary non-essential amino acid tyrosine on Drosophila physiology and longevity.

Dietary protein intake modulates growth, reproduction, and longevity by stimulating amino acid (AA)-sensing pathways. Essential AAs are often considered as limiting nutrients during protein scarcity, and the role of dietary non-essential AAs (NEAAs) is less explored. Although tyrosine has been reported to be crucial for sensing protein restriction in Drosophila larvae, its effect on adult physiology and longevity remains unclear. Here, using a synthetic diet, we perform a systematic investigation of the effect of single NEAA deprivation on nutrient-sensing pathways, reproductive ability, starvation resistance, feeding behavior, and life span in adult female flies. Specifically, dietary tyrosine deprivation decreases internal tyrosine levels and fecundity, influences AA-sensing machineries, and extends life span. These nutritional responses are not observed under higher total AA intake or in infertile female flies, suggesting a context-dependent influence of dietary tyrosine. Our findings highlight the unique role of tyrosine as a potentially limiting nutrient, underscoring its value for dietary interventions aimed at enhancing health span.

Characterization and Agronomic Evaluation of 25 Accessions of Chenopodium quinoa in the Peruvian Coastal Desert

Quinoa is a healthy food that possesses high levels of protein that is enriched for dietary essential amino acids. The crop is highly diverse and well-adapted to changing climatic conditions. In spite of being vulnerable to pests and diseases, the development of new resistant varieties is possible. Taking advantage of this genetic variability is crucial for breeding programs, especially to adapt quinoa to the shifting needs of producers. In this study, 25 Peruvian accessions and two commercial varieties were characterized and agronomically evaluated in the Peruvian Pacific desert. Specific methodologies and descriptors of existing crops were used, analyzing a total of 24 quantitative and 23 qualitative variables with 15 repetitions per accession. The data were processed using descriptive statistics and a multivariate analysis. The results showed a high variability in morphological characteristics, with an area under the disease progress curve (AUDPC) of the presence of mildew between 529 and 1725, highlighting ACC06 with a lower severity of mildew. The percentage of saponins varied between 0.04 and 0.21 percent, with ACC06 being the one with the lowest percentage. Regarding the crop yield, it ranged between 0.35 and 8.80 t ha−1, highlighting the high-yielding accessions ACC55 and ACC14. These results were promising for the improvement of quinoa yield in the production conditions of the Peruvian Pacific desert.

Health economic impact of patients with phenylketonuria (PKU) in France – A nationwide study of health insurance claims data

BackgroundPhenylketonuria (PKU) is an inherited metabolic disease. If left untreated, it can lead to severe irreversible intellectual disability and can cause seizures, behavior disturbance, and white matter disease. This study aimed at evaluating the health economic impact of patients with PKU in France. MethodsThis retrospective observational study used health insurance claims data from the French SNDS (Système National des Données de Santé) database, which contains data from over 66 million French inhabitants. Patients with PKU were identified by ICD-10 diagnosis codes E70.0 (PKU) and E70.1 (Other hyperphenylalaninemia) documented as a chronic condition (affection de longue durée – ALD) or in the inpatient setting in the SNDS database between 2006 and 2018. Patients with PKU were matched to controls without PKU by age, sex, and region. Patients with early- and late-diagnosed PKU were defined as patients born after and before the implementation of nationwide newborn screening in France in 1972, respectively. Outcomes were analyzed for the year 2018. ResultsOverall, 3549 patients with PKU were identified in the database on January 1st, 2018. Of those, 3158 patients versus 15,703 controls with at least one healthcare consumption in 2018 were available for outcome analyses. Patients with PKU had 7.7 times higher healthcare costs than non-PKU controls in 2018 (€11,144 versus 1456 mean costs; p < 0.0001). Pharmaceutical costs including dietary amino acid supplements were the cost driver and contributed 80.0% of the overall mean difference (MD) between patients with PKU and matched non-PKU controls. More than half (52.4%) of the mean pharmaceutical costs per patient with PKU was attributable to medical foods including dietary amino acid supplements.Of the 3158 patients with PKU, 2548 (80.7%) were classified as early-diagnosed and 610 (19.7%) as late-diagnosed. Increased healthcare costs, in comparison to non-PKU controls, were more evident in early-diagnosed patients (€11,263 versus €855 mean costs; 13.2-fold increase; p < 0.0001). For patients with late-diagnosed PKU, healthcare costs were 2.7-fold higher compared to matched non-PKU controls (€10,644 versus €3951 mean costs; p < 0.0001). Outpatient pharmaceutical costs accounted for 89.1% of the MD between early-diagnosed patients and controls. Among late-diagnosed patients, 55.5% of the MD were attributable to costs for inpatient care, followed by costs for outpatient care (23.9%) and outpatient pharmaceutical costs (20.6%). ConclusionThe results indicate that PKU is associated with substantially increased health care costs compared to non-PKU controls in France. The health economic impact was most evident in patients with early-diagnosed PKU due to increased outpatient pharmaceutical costs, especially for medical foods including dietary amino acid supplements. For late-diagnosed and by definition older patients with PKU, the excess costs compared with matched controls were mostly driven by costs for inpatient care.

Investigating the etiology of ocular changes in Monodactylus argenteus housed in a shoaling ring exhibit.

To evaluate the pathologic ocular changes in a population of aquarium-housed Monodactylus argenteus and investigate potential underlying causes for the large number of affected fish in this exhibit. 11 Monodactylus argenteus were evaluated from a shoaling ring exhibit within an aquarium, and 19 control fish without ocular abnormalities were obtained from commercial fish suppliers. Physical and ocular examinations were performed antemortem. Postmortem samples of liver, heart, dorsal epaxial muscle, and lenses of affected and control fish were analyzed for amino acid profiles. The aqueous humor from affected and control fish was collected postmortem, and osmolality was analyzed. Tissues from affected and control fish were submitted for histopathology. Ocular abnormalities in affected fish included corneal lesions, cataracts, lens capsule rupture, and unilateral left-sided lens luxation and buphthalmos. Lens luxation and buphthalmos were directly correlated. Aqueous humor osmolality in control fish differed significantly compared to affected fish but was not correlated to lens abnormality score. Affected fish had significantly lower lens concentrations of arginine, asparagine, glycine, isoleucine, serine, and tyrosine than control fish. One affected fish had severe buphthalmos, cataracts, and panophthalmitis caused by gram-positive cocci. Cataracts and traumatic lesions were common in affected M argenteus. Dietary amino acid content and aqueous humor osmolality imbalances were not likely a cause of the cataracts. Differences in lens amino acid concentrations between affected and control fish may be related to cataract formation. Consideration of species-appropriate tank parameters may mitigate ocular lesions including cataracts in aquarium fish.

Branched-chain amino acids and the risk of hypertension; a persian cohort-based study

BackgroundThe association of hypertension (HTN) and different types of dietary amino acids is not yet clear. The aim of the present study was to investigate the association of branch chain amino acids (BCAAs) and the prevention of HTN.MethodsThis cross-sectional study was conducted on 4184 people aged 35 to 70 using data from the Sabzevar Persian cohort study in Sabzevar, Iran. Data on dietary intake of BCAAs including leucine, isoleucine, and valine were obtained using a validated Food Frequency Questionnaire (FFQ). Multivariable logistic regression analysis assessed the link between HTN and BCAAs.ResultsThe results showed that participants with HTN had a higher total protein and BCAAs intake than participants with normal BP (P < 0.01). A marginally significant association was found between the risk of HTN with the total intake of BCAAs (OR = 1.018, CI95%: 1.001–1.035, P = 0.04), leucine (OR = 1.040, CI95%:1.002–1.080, P = 0.03), isoleucine (OR = 1.068, CI95%:1.001–1.140, P = 0.04), and valine (OR = 1.060, CI95%:1.003–1.121, P = 0.04). However, the association disappeared after adjusting the total protein and calorie intake.ConclusionsThe results indicated that the dietary intake of BCAAs may be associated with the risk of HTN. Future longitudinal research is warranted.

Effect of Dietary Lysine and DL-Methionine Supplementation in Roasted Soyabean-Based Diet on the Growth Performance and Blood Profiles of Clarias gariepinus

This study was designed to investigating the growth performance, hematology, and serum biochemistry of Clarias gariepinus nourished with roasted soyabean based diets with varied inclusion of dietary amino acid. A total of 360 Clarias gariepinus juveniles, aged eight weeks and weighing 19.0±0.4 grams, were randomly assigned to six different diets with varying inclusion levels of lysine and DL-methionine (g/100g). The diets were as follows: RS1 (Control) without lysine or DL-methionine supplementation; RS 2 - 0g + 1g; RS 3 - 0.25g + 0.75g; RS 4 - 0.5g + 0.5g; RS 5 - 0.75g + 0.25g; and RS 6 - 1g + 0g of Lysine and DL-methionine. For 84 days, the fish were fed until they were completely satisfied. Each treatment was in triplicate. Supplementing lysine and methionine in a diet based on roasted soybeans did not significantly (P&gt;0.05) effect on the growth parameter such as final weight, feed conversion ratio, and/or specific growth rate in fish. A significantly higher survival rate was observed in fish on diet RS 5 (85.60±0.60) and was closely followed by fish fed diet RS 3 and RS 4. Fish fed diets RS 4 and RS 5 exhibited significantly higher (P&lt;0.05) packed cell volume (PCV %) and hemoglobin levels. While, White blood cell counts (x10^9/L) varied significantly among the different diets. The addition of supplemental amino acids did not significantly (P&gt;0.05) affect total protein (g/L), and the values ranges from 6.60±0.52 (RS 6) to 7.87±0.55 (RS 4). This study showed that supplementation of lysine and DL-methionine in Roasted Soyabean based diet could improve growth performance of fish with no adverse effect on fish health.

Dietary protein, amino acids and type 2 diabetes mellitus: a short review.

Diabetes is a widespread metabolic disorder and results from insulin resistance and impaired insulin secretion. Modifiable factors like diet, physical activity, and body weight play crucial roles in diabetes prevention, with targeted interventions reducing diabetes risk by about 60%. High-protein consumption, above the recommended intake of 0.8 g/kg body weight per day, have often explored in relation to diabetes risk. However, the relationship between dietary protein and diabetes is multifaceted. Observational studies have linked high total and animal protein intake to an increased risk of type 2 diabetes, particularly in obese women. Elevated levels of branched-chain amino acids (BCAA), which can result from dietary intake, protein breakdown, as well as an impaired catabolism, are strong predictors of cardiometabolic risk and insulin resistance. With several mechanism linking BCAA to insulin resistance. On the other hand, intervention studies suggest that high-protein diets can support weight loss and improve cardiometabolic risk factors. However, the impact on insulin sensitivity and glucose homeostasis is not straightforward. Proteins and amino acids stimulate both insulin and glucagon secretion, influencing glucose levels, but chronic effects remain uncertain. This short narrative review aims to provide an update on the relationship between increased dietary protein intake, amino acids, insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes, and to describe protein recommendations for type 2 diabetes.