Dietary Amino Acids Research Articles

A low-fat amino acid diet reverses intestinal failure and shows good growth trends in five infants with diacylglycerol transferase 1 (DGAT1) deficiency: a prospective cohort study.

Congenital diarrheas and enteropathies (CODEs) caused by diacylglycerol transferase 1 (DGAT1) mutations often cause disease within 2 weeks after birth. If not treated properly, the disease can be life-threatening; therefore, early diagnosis and rational treatment strategies are essential. This study was conducted to improve the understanding of congenital diarrhea caused by DGAT1 deficiency. Clinical data from five congenital diarrhea infant cases caused by DGAT1 deficiency were analyzed. Infants were prospectively provided with a nutritional intervention with a low-fat amino acid formula for special medical purposes (FSMP). Their gastrointestinal symptoms and nutritional complications before and after interventions were compared. Due to poor weight gain and gastrointestinal symptoms after birth, infants were treated by our clinical nutritionist. Genetic testing confirmed a compound heterozygous mutation in DGAT1. Neither hydrolyzed nor high-medium chain triglyceride (MCT) formula significantly alleviated diarrheal symptoms; however, a low-fat amino acid diet rapidly relieved symptoms and significantly improved nutritional status, with infants showing better tolerance to dietary fat content with age. Infants with DGAT1 deficiency can be diagnosed by genetic testing. A low-fat amino acid FSMP formula and diet can quickly relieve diarrhea, vomiting, and other symptoms, and also improve infant growth and development. Ethical approval was obtained from the Medical Ethics Committee of the Children's Hospital of Fudan University (reference code: No.(2022)405).

Salmonella virulence factors induce amino acid malabsorption in the ileum to promote ecosystem invasion of the large intestine

The gut microbiota produces high concentrations of antimicrobial short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) that restrict the growth of invading microorganisms. The enteric pathogen Salmonella enterica serovar (S.) Typhimurium triggers inflammation in the large intestine to ultimately reduce microbiota density and bloom, but it is unclear how the pathogen gains a foothold in the homeostatic gut when SCFA-producing commensals are abundant. Here, we show that S. Typhimurium invasion of the ileal mucosa triggers malabsorption of dietary amino acids to produce downstream changes in nutrient availability in the large intestine. In gnotobiotic mice engrafted with a community of 17 human Clostridia isolates, S. Typhimurium virulence factors triggered marked changes in the cecal metabolome, including an elevated abundance of amino acids. In an ex vivo fecal culture model, we found that two of these amino acids, lysine and ornithine, countered SCFA-mediated growth inhibition by restoring S. Typhimurium pH homeostasis through the inducible amino acid decarboxylases CadA and SpeF, respectively. In a mouse model of gastrointestinal infection, S. Typhimurium CadA activity depleted dietary lysine to promote cecal ecosystem invasion in the presence of an intact microbiota. From these findings, we conclude that virulence factor-induced malabsorption of dietary amino acids in the small intestine changes the nutritional environment of the large intestine to provide S. Typhimurium with resources needed to counter growth inhibition by microbiota-derived SCFAs.

Assessment of the dietary amino acid profiles and the relative biomarkers for amino acid balance in the low-protein diets for broiler chickens.

Research on low-protein-level diets has indicated that even though the profiles of essential amino acids (EAAs) follow the recommendation for a normal-protein-level diet, broilers fed low-protein diets failed to achieve productive performance compared to those fed normal diets. Therefore, it is imperative to reassess the optimum profile of EAAs in low-protein diets and establish a new ideal pattern for amino acid balance. Furthermore, identifying novel sensitive biomarkers for assessing amino acid balance will greatly facilitate the development of amino acid nutrition and application technology. In this study, 12 dietary treatments [Con(+), Con(-), L&A(-), L&A(+), M&C(-), M&C(+), BCAA (-), BCAA(+), Thr(-), Thr(+), Trp(-) and Trp(+)] were established by combining different EAAs including lysine and arginine, methionine and cysteine, branched-chain amino acid (BCAA), threonine, and tryptophan to observe the growth and development of the broiler chickens fed with low-protein-level diets. Based on the biochemical parameters and untargeted metabolomic analysis of animals subjected to different treatments, biomarkers associated with optimal and suboptimal amino acid balance were identified. Growth performance, carcass characteristics, hepatic enzyme activity, serum biochemical parameters, and breast muscle mRNA expression differed significantly between male and female broilers under different dietary amino acid patterns. Male broilers exhibited higher sensitivity to the adjustment of amino acid patterns than female broilers. For the low-protein diet, the dietary concentrations of lysine, arginine, and tryptophan, but not of methionine, cystine, or threonine, needed to be increased. Therefore, further research on individual BCAA is required. For untargeted metabolomic analysis, Con(+) was selected as a normal diet (NP) while Con(-) represented a low-protein diet (LP). L&A(+) denotes a low-protein amino acid balanced diet (LPAB) and Thr(+) represents a low-protein amino acid imbalance diet (LPAI). The metabolites oxypurinol, pantothenic acid, and D-octopine in birds were significantly influenced by different dietary amino acid patterns. Adjusting the amino acid profile of low-protein diets is required to achieve normal growth performance in broiler chickens fed normal-protein diets. Oxypurinol, pantothenic acid, and D-octopine have been identified as potentially sensitive biomarkers for assessing amino acid balance.

Consideration of the role of protein quality in determining dietary protein recommendations

The quality of a dietary protein refers to its ability to provide the EAAs necessary to meet dietary requirements. There are 9 dietary amino acids that cannot be metabolically produced in the body and therefore must be consumed as part of the diet to avoid adverse metabolic consequences. These essential amino acids (EAAs) serve a variety of roles in the body. The amount and profile of the dietary EAAs relative to the individual EAA requirements and the digestibility of the dietary protein are the key factors that determine its quality. Currently the Digestible Indispensable Amino Acid Score (DIAAS) is the best available approach to quantifying protein quality. The most prominent metabolic role of dietary EAAs is to stimulate protein synthesis by serving as signals to activate molecular mechanisms responsible for the initiation of protein synthesis and, most importantly, to provide the necessary precursors for the synthesis of complete proteins. Current dietary recommendations generally do not consider protein quality. Accounting for protein quality in dietary patterns can be accomplished while staying within established ranges for dietary protein consumption. Poor protein quality can be compensated for to some extent by eating more low-quality protein, but to be effective (“complementary”) the limiting EAA must differ between the low-quality protein and the base diet to which it is being supplemented. Adding a high-quality protein to a dietary pattern based on low-quality protein is more effective in meeting EAA goals than increasing the amount of low-quality protein, even if the low-quality proteins are complementary. Further, reliance entirely on low-quality protein food sources, particularly in circumstances that may benefit from a level of dietary EAAs greater than minimal requirements, is likely to include excessive caloric consumption. While protein consumption in high-income nations is generally perceived to be adequate or even excessive, assessment of dietary patterns indicates that a significant percentage of individuals may fall short of meeting optimal levels of EAA consumption, especially in circumstances such as aging in which the optimal EAA consumption is greater than basal values for healthy young individuals. The case is made that protein quality is an important consideration in meeting EAA requirements.

Dietary amino acids intake and all-cause and cause-specific mortality: results from the Golestan Cohort Study

BackgroundLess is known whether the amino acid composition of dietary protein sources effects on long-term health outcomes. We aimed to evaluate the association between dietary amino acid composition and all-cause and cause-specific mortality.MethodsThis study used data from the Golestan Cohort Study, which was performed in the Golestan Province of Iran from January 2004 to June 2008. Mortality, which was the primary outcome, was ascertained through September 2022. The Cox proportional hazards regression models were used to determine the adjusted hazard ratios (HR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for mortality according to the quintiles of amino acid consumption, taking the third quintile as the reference.ResultsA total of 47,337 participants (27,293 [57.7%] women) with a mean (standard deviation) age of 51.9 (8.9) years were included. During a median follow-up of 15 years, 9,231 deaths were documented. Regarding essential amino acid intakes, the HRs of all-cause mortality were 1.16 (95% CI, 1.07–1.26) in the first quintile, compared with the reference group (P for non-linear trend < 0.001). Similarly, non-linear associations were observed between risk of all-cause mortality and intake of branched-chain, aromatic, sulfur-containing, or non-essential amino acids (P for non-linear trend < 0.001 for all comparisons), with higher HRs for participants in the first quintiles. There was an age interaction for the associations between dietary amino acids and mortality (P for interaction ˂0.05). While high amino acid diets were detrimental in middle-aged adults (< 65 years), increased hazards of mortality were observed among older adults (≥ 65 years) with low amino acid intake.ConclusionsThis study showed the non-linear trend between amino acids intake and risk of mortality in the middle-aged and older Iranian population. Overall, our findings suggest that diets lower in amino acids were associated with increased hazards of mortality, particularly among older adults.

Rethinking Amino Acid Nutrition of Black Soldier Fly Larvae (Hermetia illucens) Based on Insights from an Amino Acid Reduction Trial

Rearing black soldier fly larvae (BSFL) in order to utilize biogenic materials is of increasing interest in the context of sustainable animal production. However, little is known about the amino acid (AA) requirements of this animal species. Therefore, a feeding experiment with BSFL was conducted, in which lysine, methionine, cysteine, arginine, phenylalanine, or histidine was reduced by 65% or methionine was increased by 65%. Reductions in single AAs in the substrate did not negatively impact BSFL growth, while the addition of methionine improved the growth performance, indicating that methionine was a limiting nutritional factor for maximal productivity. Differences in dietary AA profiles had no impact on the AA profile of the BSFL biomass. However, balance calculations for individual AAs indicated that the substrate microbiome was capable of synthesizing and balancing those AAs for microbial protein synthesis. While both the BSFL and microbiome utilized all free AAs, suggesting that supplemental AAs can be effective additives in BSFL production, this microbial AA synthesis avoided the negative performance impacts of BSFL provoked by severe AA reductions. The quantification of these effects suggested that the microbiome could add up to 35% to the overall AA supply in order to overcome AA deficiency. This effect may not necessarily ensure maximal BSFL productivity, as demonstrated by the extra addition of methionine to the substrate. Our research indicated that BSFL nutrition should consider interactions between substrate composition and microbial activity.

Leucine-Enriched Diet Reduces Fecal MPO but Does Not Protect Against DSS Colitis in a Mouse Model of Crohn's Disease-like Ileitis.

Understanding the complex link between inflammation, gut health, and dietary amino acids is becoming increasingly important in the pathophysiology of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). This study tested the hypothesis that a leucine-rich diet could attenuate inflammation and improve gut health in a mouse model of IBD. Specifically, we investigated the effects of a leucine-rich diet on dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced colitis in germ-free (GF) SAMP1/YitFC (SAMP) mice colonized with human gut microbiota (hGF-SAMP). hGF-SAMP mice were fed one of four different diets: standard mouse diet (CHOW), American diet (AD), leucine-rich AD (AD + AA), or leucine-rich CHOW diet (CH + AA). Body weight, myeloperoxidase (MPO) activity, gut permeability, colonoscopy scores, and histological analysis were measured. Mice on a leucine-rich CHOW diet showed a decrease in fecal MPO prior to DSS treatment as compared to those on a regular diet (p > 0.05); however, after week five, prior to DSS, this effect had diminished. Following DSS treatment, there was no significant difference in gut permeability, fecal MPO activity, or body weight changes between the leucine-supplemented and control groups. These findings suggest that while a leucine-rich diet may transiently affect fecal MPO levels in hGF-SAMP mice, it does not confer protection against DSS-induced colitis symptoms or mitigate inflammation in the long term.

Interactive effect of dietary metabolizable energy levels with amino acid density in male broiler chickens: carcass yield, nutrient intake, digestibility and excretion

This study aimed to assess the interactive effects of ME and digestible amino acid (AA) densities on carcass yield, breast meat quality, nutrient digestibility, and excretion in male broiler chickens. Twelve experimental diets arranged as a 4 × 3 factorial array with 4 levels of ME (standard, -50, -100, -150 kcal) and 3 digestible AA (standard, +3.0 and +6.0%) were offered to 2400 day-old male Ross 308 broiler chickens. Diets were replicated 8 times with 25 birds per replicate, and 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. On day 24, three birds per replicate were euthanized to collect digesta for nutrient digestibility and excreta samples were collected on day 40 for nutrient excretion analysis. On day 42, four birds per replicate were euthanized for carcass yield and quality evaluation. The birds' feed intake, along with calculated ME and AA levels, were used to determine nutrient intake. No interactions were observed between ME and AA densities on carcass characteristics, nutrient digestibility, and excretion (P > 0.05). Reducing ME density linearly increased breast meat yield and decreased abdominal fat, regardless of AA density (P < 0.01). Increasing AA density enhanced breast meat yield but increased white striping and woody breast scores in a linear manner (P < 0.01). Dietary treatments didn't affect ileal digestibility of crude protein and gross energy, except for improved starch digestibility with 6.0% AA density (P < 0.01). Crude fat digestibility decreased linearly with decreased ME density, while reducing ME density linearly decreased fat, calcium, copper, and manganese excretion (P < 0.01). Increasing AA density linearly increased nitrogen excretion, but reduced calcium and iron excretion (P < 0.05). Over the entire production period lower ME and higher AA density increased digestible lysine intake (mg/bird/day; P < 0.01). In summary, these results suggest that dietary ME and AA density, independently, affect carcass yield, breast meat quality, nutrient digestibility, and excretion.

Vampire bats rapidly fuel running with essential or non-essential amino acids from a blood meal.

In most mammals, running is fuelled by oxidization of endogenous carbohydrates and lipids while amino acids contribute little (< 5-10%). Common vampire bats (Desmodus rotundus), however, specialize on a unique, protein-rich blood diet. Therefore, we hypothesized that (i) vampire bats would rapidly begin utilizing dietary amino acids to support running metabolism, and (ii) that relative reliance on essential and non-essential amino acids would be similar. We fed bats cow's blood enriched either with isotopically labelled glycine (non-essential amino acid) or leucine (essential amino acid). Bats were exercised at speeds of 10, 20 and 30 m min-1 on a respirometry treadmill, allowing us to assess metabolic rate (i.e. O2 consumption and CO2 production) and track the oxidation of labelled amino acids in exhaled CO2. Vampire bats oxidized amino acids as their primary fuel as indicated by a respiratory exchange ratio (RER = ratio of CO2 production to O2 consumption rates) of approximately 0.8-0.9 at all speeds, with the labelled meal accounting for as much as 60% of oxidized fuels at peak usage. Similar oxidation rates indicated bats did not discriminate between essential and non-essential amino acid use. These findings reiterate how strongly metabolism can be shaped by a specialized diet.

High-quality dietary protein (essential amino acids matched to reproductive needs) partially breaks the lifespan and reproduction trade-off in lubber grasshoppers.

Finding interventions to break the trade-off between reproduction and lifespan can provide insight into physiological limitations of animals. Effects of dietary protein quality on the trade-off are currently unclear, but clarity could lead to better designed diets that match animal needs. Dietary amino acid blends matching yolk proteins support reproduction and extend lifespan in fruit flies. To test if this is conserved across species, we matched dietary amino acids to vitellogenin to test reproduction and lifespan in adult females of the lubber grasshopper. Specifically, we compared varying degrees of protein quality by manipulating dietary essential amino acids. We identified a high-quality protein diet (amino acids matched to vitellogenin, or reproductive needs) that increased reproduction and matched lifespan in comparison to diets that differed only in the ratios of essential amino acids (i.e., were isocaloric and isonitrogenous). All these diets had longer lifespan but lower reproductive output than fully fed controls. In a separate experiment, full reproduction was possible on the high-quality artificial diet when offered at a 78% higher protein quantity and with a larger lettuce supplement (~ 17% of ad libitum). Additionally, we observed that as dietary protein quality was decreased (i.e., diets were less matched to vitellogenin), reproduction was reduced, and lifespan was extended in the more extreme scenarios. Taken together, these results indicate that the balance of dietary essential amino acids plays an important role in the lifespan and reproduction trade-off, while more work needs to be conducted to find the optimal diet mix for this species.

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.

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

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. 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. 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 = .0026 and P = .0037, respectively). 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.

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.

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.

Optimizing dietary energy and amino acid densities in male broiler chickens: Impacts on performance, cost efficiency, and carcass quality

Optimizing dietary energy and amino acid densities in male broiler chickens: Impacts on performance, cost efficiency, and carcass quality

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.

Pigs Can Detect Multiple Amino Acid Deficiencies in a Choice Feeding Setting

BackgroundIt is unknown whether pigs can detect deficiencies in multiple amino acids (AAs) and consequently change their feed choice. ObjectivesWe investigated whether pigs compensate for a diet deficient in 3 AAs (Thr, Trp, and Val) by selecting multiple diets and whether this compensation is affected by the supplemented AA concentration. MethodsPair-housed 5-wk-old pigs (n = 96) were exposed to 1 of 4 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) 2-choice between LP+ and LP–; and 4) 4-choice between LP– and 3 diets supplemented with Thr, Trp, Val at +40% (n = 12 pens/treatment) from d0 to d21 (phase 1). From d21 to 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 2-choice treatments than in AA-deficient treatment with 4-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 2-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 2-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.