Dietary Constituents Research Articles

THE EFFECTS OF RUTIN HYDRATE ON THE RESPONSE-REINSTATEMENT OF MICE RUNNING AN ALLEY FOR ETHANOL REWARD

Pure compounds belonging to flavonoid family were studied for their biological potential such as rutin hydrate (3, 3′, 4′, 5, 7-pentahydroxyflavone-3-rhamnoglucoside). These molecules were chosen based on their neuroactive properties. The evaluation of the in vitro de-addiction activity were exploited for the first time for such purposes. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effects of rutin hydrate (3, 3′, 4′, 5, 7-pentahydroxyflavone-3-rhamnoglucoside), a flavonoid that is an important dietary constituent of foods and plant-based beverages, on response-reinstatement of mice using running alley method of ethanol reward. Rutin (0.1, 1, and 10 mg/kg) was administered orally (p.o) one hour before post conditioning test, during extinction trials, and on re-instatement day. It was noted that rutin significantly (P < 0.001) increased runtimes on reinstatement day. No changes in body weight, food and water intake when compared with saline control group was observed. These results indicate that flavonoid rutin hydrate has a potential role in decreasing ethanol reinforcement. This can be used as a powerful food to delineate ethanol re-inforced running. Several mechanisms may contribute to the potential role of rutin in ethanol re-inforced running. Therefore, further studies are warranted to understand the exact mechanism of rutin hydrate.

­The Cushioning Effect of Extracts of Amaranthus Viridis Linn (Green Amaranth) on Acetaminophen-Induced Hepatotoxicity.

Vegetables serve as indispensable constituents of the human diet, supplying the body with minerals, vitamins and certain hormone precursors, in addition to protein and energy. Huge quantities of Amarranthus viridis (Green amaranth), is consumed all over Nigeria vegetable for various dishes. In the current study, the hepatoprotective properties of aqueous and ethanol extract of A. viridis was studied. Thirty (30) male Wister albino rats weighing between 120-140g were used for the study. The animals were divided into five (5) groups of six animals each. These include three (3), control groups; Normal Control (Water and Feeds only), Negative Control (Water, Feed and 2g/kgbw of Acetaminophen) and Positive control (Water, Feed, Sylimarin and 2g/kgbw of Acetaminophen). The other groups were two groups administered with the aqueous and ethanol leaf extracts of the plant, respectively. The results obtained shows that oral administration of a single 2g/kgbw dose of acetaminophen led to a marked increase in the serum activities of the ALT, AST and ALP of the animals in the negative control group compared to the normal control group .The groups pre-treated with 400mg/kgbw of aqueous leaf extracts of the plant showed significantly (p<0.05) decreased activity of ALT and AST but insignificant change in the serum activity of ALP of the animals. It can therefore, be suggested that Amaranthus viridis produced effects which may contribute to the preservation of cellular GSH levels in the acetaminophen-intoxicated rats, which further provides cellular defense both as a hydroxyl radical scavenger and also a detoxifying agent against the toxic intermediate of acetaminophen in a GST-catalysed reaction. Therefore, it can be a good source of raw material for the production of drugs used for the prevention and treatment of liver diseases and other pathological conditions associated with oxidative stress. This encourages and supports its use as edible vegetables and for therapy respectively.

Dietary Pattern and Cancer.

Diet play an important role in the development of cancer. A lot of research has been done on the role of individual nutrients or phytochemicals and cancer risk. Both harmful and beneficial associations of this nutrient have been observed with cancer. However, there is an interaction of individual dietary constituents to influence disease risk. On the other hand, examining the diet as a whole as is done in dietary patterns research may produce more accurate estimates and data that can be more easily translated into dietary recommendations. Dietary patterns and cancer research are becoming increasingly common in the epidemiology literature, and novel dietary patterns are being generated at a rapid pace. However, major issues remain over whether one general "healthy" dietary pattern can be suggested for cancer prevention or whether several diets should be advocated for different forms of cancer protection. It is challenging to study typical human diet in animal model that is appropriate for cancer prevention. Some dietary patterns, such as the ketogenic diet or macronutrient composition alteration, have been investigated more extensively in animal models than in humans in terms of cancer prevention, and bigger human observational studies are now needed to advise dietary guidelines. The question of whether to adapt nutritional guidelines to population subgroups based on susceptibility factors (for example, family history, sex, age, other lifestyle factors or comorbidities, metabolomics signatures, or microbiota-based profiles) is still open and will be crucial in moving the field forward.

Prevalence of Parasitic Contamination of Vegetables Sold in Dutsin-Ma Markets, Katsina State, Nigeria

This study was carried out to determine the prevalence of parasitic contamination of vegetables sold in Dustin-Ma markets, Katsina State. A total of 270 vegetables including of lettuce, cabbage, spinach and sesame were obtained from three selected markets (Kasuwann Laraba, Kasuwann Aminu and Kasuwann Kadangaru), and examined for presence of parasitic eggs, cyst, larvae and worms by using using sedimentation method methods. This study found that of 88.9% of the vegetables sold in Dustin-ma markets tested positive for the presence of parasite contamination. The distribution of specific parasites among positive samples reveals the presence of Ascaris species 65(24.1%), hookworm 39(14.4%), Trichuris species 16(5.9%), Taenia species 23(8.5%), Hymenolepsis species 6(2.2%), Enterobius vermicularis 25(9.3%), Fasciola species 13(4.8), Toxocara species 4(1.5%) and Strongyloides stercoralis 49(18.1%). The lettuce, cabbage, spinach and sesame samples were contaminated with helminthic parasites with 27.1%, 28.8%, 27.1% and 17.1% respectively. Vegetable samples from Kasuwann Laraba had the highest prevalence of 85(31.5%), and Kasuwan Aminu with a total prevalence of 78(28.9%), while Kasuwann Kadangaru had the lowest prevalence with a total prevalence of 77(28.5%) at P < 0.05. Vegetables are important constituents of healthy diet and people have been encouraged to eat lots of raw (fresh) vegetables and these can serve as vehicles of transmitting enteric parasitic pathogens throughout the process of planting to consumption. Proper washing of vegetable is imperative, improve Sanitation and Hygiene Practices and Health Education are necessary for managing the prevalence of geohelminth parasites.

Effects of particle size on determination of the contents of grain and legume dietary fibre and resistant starch

Dietary fibre comprises non˗digestible carbohydrates, including resistant starch, and lignin, and it is an important constituent of a healthy diet. The aim was to define the influence of particle size on contents determined for dietary fibre and resistant starch in unprocessed grain and canned legumes. Five samples of unprocessed and processed grains were analysed, as oatmeal, buckwheat, dehulled barley, wheat and spelt, and three canned legumes, as beans, chickpeas and peas, with and without their brine. Samples were initially milled unscreened, and then again through 500 μm or 350 μm screens. For unprocessed grain samples, there was generally no influence of particle size, except for the 350-μm milling of dehulled barley, with significantly decreased contents determined for insoluble dietary fibre and resistant starch presumably due to damaging of starch granules and disrupting crystalline formation of starch. For canned legumes with and without their brine, particle size had little effect on contents determined for dietary fibre and resistant starch.

Safety of dietary nitrate supplementation by calcium nitrate for finishing pigs as measured by methemoglobin and serum and tissue nitrate levels.

Nitrate supplementation has been studied as a beneficial constituent of the human diet, particularly for its effects on vascular health through vasodilation. Recent studies have focused on the benefits of nitrate supplementation in animals, especially in swine. Up to 1,200 mg/kg dietary nitrate supplementation from Ca nitrate was beneficial in farrowing and lactating sows and their offspring, and up to 6,000 mg/kg supplemental nitrate showed no adverse health effects in sows or piglets. Controlled study data evaluating the safety of nitrate supplementation to growing swine of any weight class is scant. Therefore, an experiment was conducted to test the hypothesis that increased inclusion rates of dietary nitrate through the addition of Ca nitrate in diets would not influence concentrations of nitrate or nitrite in serum and tissue, nor blood hemoglobin and methemoglobin. Forty-eight individually housed pigs (initial weight 119.1 ± 5.3 kg) were randomly allotted to four dietary treatments containing 0, 500, 1,000, or 2,000 mg/kg dietary nitrate and fed experimental diets for 28 d. Growth performance was not influenced (P > 0.10) by dietary treatment. The most sensitive safety endpoint, methemoglobin, did not change (P > 0.10) with dietary nitrate exposure up to 2,000 mg/kg. Serum and tissue nitrate and nitrite levels, myoglobin, and hemoglobin were not adversely affected (P > 0.10). Total myoglobin in the loin linearly increased (P < 0.05) with greater dietary nitrate in the diet, which is correlated with the red color of meat. This work established the safety of up to 2,000 mg/kg dietary nitrate from Ca nitrate as an ingredient in food for finishing pigs.

Dietary counselling plus omega-3 supplementation in the treatment of generalized anxiety disorder: protocol for a randomized wait-list controlled pilot trial (the “EASe-GAD Trial”)

BackgroundAnxiety disorders are prevalent and disabling conditions involving excessive worry and tension. Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), the most common anxiety disorder, affects 5% of individuals from high-income countries and many individuals report that treatment options are not accessible, effective, or tolerable. Clinical evidence suggests that nutrition interventions, based on the Mediterranean diet and supplementation of omega-3 fatty acids, can significantly improve symptoms of depression; however, the effect of nutrition interventions on anxiety symptoms has not been studied in a clinical population. The primary objective of the present study is to assess the feasibility and acceptability of a dietary counselling and omega-3 fatty acid supplementation intervention delivered to adult women with GAD. The secondary objectives include assessing changes in anxiety symptom severity, assessing changes in quality of life, assessing changes in biomarkers, and evaluating the components of the program.MethodsThis study is a randomized, wait-list controlled pilot trial delivering a 12-week, dietary counselling intervention and omega-3 supplementation to 50 adult women with GAD. Participants will complete seven individual counselling sessions which include education, personalized recommendations, mindful eating techniques, motivational interviewing, and goal setting. They will be provided with recipes, instructional videos, and food items. The intervention is designed based on the Social Cognitive Theory and previous research that has been done by the author team to identify dietary constituents with the most evidence to support their use in the treatment of anxiety disorders. Questionnaires and blood work will be completed at baseline, after the waiting period (for those in the waitlist group), and after the intervention.DiscussionResults from this study will lay the foundation for future large-scale studies in this area and may provide preliminary evidence of the role of diet counselling and omega-3 supplementation in the management of GAD. Research on the role of nutrition in psychiatric care has been identified as a priority by a number of international organizations. The present trial directly addresses the call for the research that is most needed to advance the field.Trial registrationThis protocol was registered at ClinicalTrials.gov on October 10, 2022; NCT05573672.Trial sponsor: The Canadian College of Naturopathic Medicine, 1255 Sheppard Ave E, Toronto, ON M2K 1E2, 416–498-1255.Steering committee: Composed of MA, LL, KC, IvdW, SM, UN, AJ. The committee meets monthly to oversee the trial.Protocol identifier: CCNM_EASe-GADCT_2201v4.

PSII-1 Determining Appropriate Numbers and Times of Daily Measurements to Estimate Ruminal Methane Emission of Meat Goats Using a Greenfeed System

Abstract The study was conducted to determine appropriate numbers and times of daily measurements to estimate methane production by meat goats using a GreenFeed (GF) system. Sixteen Boer wethers with an initial age of 7.4 ± 0.08 months and BW of 20.02 ± 0.71 kg were situated in a 12.4 × 12.4 pen. Oat hay, which was the major dietary constituent, was offered twice daily in individual Calan Gate feeders. Concentrate-based pellets were used as bait feed to attract animals to visit the GF regularly. The system was programed using C-Lock Inc. software to automatically dispense a small amount of pellets (120 g/day) and to measure methane production using sensors in the system. Each animal had a unique RFID tag identified by RFID reader in the system. There were 3, 4, and 6 equally spaced 1-h feeding and measurement periods (i.e., 0600-0700, 1400-1500, and 2200-2300 h for GF-3T, 0700-0800, 1300-1400, 1900-2000, and 0100-0200 h for GF-4T, and 0800-0900, 1200-1300, 1600-1700, 2000-2100, 0000-0100, and 0400-0500 h for GF-6T, respectively). The study was a Latin square with each feeding period assigned to each animal for a 2-wk period. Data were analyzed with mixed model procedures of SAS. Methane emission in g/day and g/kg dry matter intake (DMI) were not impacted by feeding period (P &amp;gt; 0.05). When expressed in g/min, g/visit, and g·visit-1·min-1, differences in CH4 production between feeding schedule were significant (P &amp;lt; 0.02). The GF-6T treatment resulted in greatest emission of CH4 in g/min (5.7, 5.9, and 6.6 for GF-3T, GF-4T, and GF-6T, respectively; P &amp;lt; 0.04). On the other hand, CH4 emission in g/visit ranked (P &amp;lt; 0.05) GF-3T &amp;gt; GF-4T &amp;gt; GF-6T (12.8, 10.9, and 7.3, respectively). Regarding CH4 intensity (g/kg BW), the differences between treatments were not significant (1.10, 1.17, and 1.16 for GF-3T, GF-4T, and GF-6T, respectively; P = 0.24). Heat production (MJ/day), which was calculated from CH4, CO2, and O2 production, was greater (P &amp;lt; 0.05) for GF-3T (8.1) than for GF-6T (7.6), with that for GF-4T intermediate (7.6; P &amp;gt; 0.05). Animals of GF-3T, GF-4T, and GF-6T visited the GF 2.1, 2.8, and 3.8 times per day, which significantly (P &amp;lt; 0.001) differed from each other. Average visit length was similar for GF-3T and GF-4T (P &amp;gt; 0.05) and greater (P &amp;lt; 0.05) than for GF-6T (4.6, 4.6, and 4.1 min for GF-3T, GF-4T, and GF-6T, respectively). In conclusion, results of the study indicate that at least 3 daily feeding or measurement periods should occur between 0600 and 0700, 1400 and 1500, and 2200 and 2300 h to accurately estimate methane production using a GF system in a confinement setting.

Maternal dietary habit influences fetal life

Diet and nutrition have a tremendous influence on health and disease. Dietary constituents can affect health and have been known to supplement with essential nutrients, minerals, and calories for physiological homeostasis. However, diet can also affect gene expression through epigenetic reprogramming or by altering the level of micronutrients. While a nutrigenomics study has delineated this causal link, a recent study published in EMBO Molecular Medicine by Grant et al. went a step further to establish that maternal intake of dietary fibers can alter the fetal gut microbiome, influencing the diversity of the intestinal bacterial flora, thereby affecting the gut-brain axis. Although the relationship between diet and fertility in males and females has been reported, the effect on postnatal life is not well documented. In this study by Grant et al. at the (Luxembourg Institute of Health, Esch-sur-Alzette, Luxembourg), the authors reported that selected feeding of fiber-free diets to pregnant mice alters the gut microbiome composition of their neonate pups depriving them of protective and beneficial commensal, Akkermansia muciniphila, a mucin-foraging bacterium. Further, these animals exhibited heightened immune activity by enriching defense response pathways and IL-22 expression. Therefore, the protective role of A. muciniphila is associated with its protection against chronic inflammation through TLR4 signaling. The author’s study has far-reaching conclusions on improving human health outcomes by the rational choice of food, drugs, and lifestyle to prevent gut dysbiosis and colonization of the right microbiome.

170 Do you Have the Energy to Grind Feed Costs and Maximize Net Income in Demanding Economic Times?

Abstract Energy is not only the most expensive component of the diet, but also among the most complex. Energy impacts all aspects of the growth and metabolism of the pig. Therefore, when feed costs escalate, energy is a predictable though challenging target for increased attention. To achieve greatest success, a two-pronged approach is warranted. The first focuses on our understanding of the fundamentals of energy science and the second logically follows with applying this knowledge in practice. This presentation will address both the science and the application. Formulating energy in pig diets is a complicated process. For example, one can achieve equal dietary energy values with different proportions of protein, starch, fat and fiber. Each of these nutrients is used with a different level of efficiency by the pig, leading one to question whether equal performance should be expected just because ME or NE is the same. We will dig a bit more deeply into how energy values of ingredients are generated, what assumptions are made in this process and the limitations of these values in predicting pig performance. Beyond ME and NE, we will note that changing energy sources may also alter the microbiota, oxidative load, gut structure and function, and even the digestibility of dietary nutrients. This, in turn, can impact not only the performance of the pig, but also resistance to disease and susceptibility to environmental stress. We will also discuss why feed efficiency is sometimes highly correlated to dietary energy but in other cases, this relationship is quite weak; how can this be? On a positive note, the ME or NE of ingredients has been found to be highly correlated with certain dietary constituents. This infers that the prediction of the energy content of ingredients should be quite effective, and such predictions will improve the precision of diet formulation. Moving forward, it makes sense that wherever possible, energy response curves should be part of the toolkit available to swine nutritionists, but these curves should involve diverse diet composition, unlike the energy titration studies commonly used in our industry. When energy is the most expensive, and production margins are weakest, this is the very time to invest strategically in diet analysis to ensure that we are extracting every bit of energy we can from available ingredients. In other words, are we achieving our formulation targets? Because the topic of dietary energy is so large and complex, we will remind ourselves where we can have the greatest impact on net income by managing energy. In conclusion, energy drives feed costs and drives performance. As complex a topic as it is, we will be rewarded by understanding dietary energy more deeply, and applying that knowledge as effectively as possible in commercial practice.

The Strange Case of Orotic Acid: The Different Expression of Pyrimidines Biosynthesis in Healthy Males and Females.

Orotic acid (OA) is an intermediate metabolite of pyrimidine nucleotide biosynthesis and represents a minor diet constituent. The measurement of urinary orotic acid is useful in confirming the diagnosis of hereditary metabolic diseases. Moreover, it could be of interest to know how the physiological concentration of this metabolite changes in relation to different conditions of clinical normality. The purpose of this study was to determine the orotic acid concentration in the urine of healthy patients, to observe normal oroticuria and to evaluate if the expression of pyrimidine intermediate biosynthesis differs between healthy males and females. The orotic acid concentration in urine was performed via the ICH M10-validated analytical method. Unexpectedly, females showed a greater oroticuria than males in pediatric age (0-10); conversely, we did not find significant differences until 70 years of age. The LC-MS/MS method was suitable for use in the differential diagnosis of hereditary metabolic disease and metabolic monitoring of anticancer drug-induced toxicity. The analytical protocol was found to be rapid and ideal, and was used in the routine analysis of a clinical chemistry laboratory. The biochemical aspects related to the expression of pyrimidine biosynthesis should be further investigated in light of the obtained results.

Diet-Related Risk Factors for Cervical Cancer: Data from National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 1999–2018

Diverse dietary constituents, encompassing both macro- and micronutrient intakes, have established connections with various cancers, though their specific roles in cervical cancer remain unclear. This study explores dietary intake correlations among women aged 30 yrs and above diagnosed with cervical cancer (n = 215), contrasted with women without (n = 860). These populations were selected from the 1999–2018 cycle of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. The research implemented the univariate analysis and the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) regression to estimate the association of 29 variables with cervical cancer, subsequently identifying the most pertinent variables linked to cervical cancer. Six covariates emerged as significantly associated with cervical cancer in univariate analyses (age, race, fiber, magnesium, caffeine, vitamin C) (p < 0.05). In LASSO regression, with the escalating penalty factor (λ), it was discerned that specific covariates, including age, race, fiber, and Vitamin C, consistently remained in the model. Univariate analysis and logistic LASSO regression findings suggested that diets deficient in fiber and vitamin C were related to cervical cancer.

Evaluation of Associative Effects of In Vitro Gas Production and Fermentation Profile Caused by Variation in Ruminant Diet Constituents

This study aimed to investigate the associative effects caused by changes in the proportions of feed ingredients (forage-to-concentrate ratio) and the forage source in ruminant diets on in vitro gas production and fermentation parameters. The study consisted of two assays conducted in a completely randomized design with a 3 × 10 factorial arrangement consisting of three forages (pineapple crop waste silage [PS], corn silage [CS], and Tifton hay [TH]) associated with concentrate feed (C) (binary mixture) in 11 proportions, with triplicates of each combination. For the first assay, the asymptotic volume of gas did not show any difference among (p = 0.059) CS and PS (p = 0.464) and their proportions. We evaluated the associative effect among forages and their proportions and noticed there was an effect on gas production between the combination of forage and concentrate for the CS (p = 0.003) and PS (p = 0.003). In the second assay, volatile fatty acids (VFA) and ammonia nitrogen (p &lt; 0.05) were affected by the forage source and concentrate inclusion. In conclusion, forages with a high content of soluble carbohydrates presented the lowest gas production, as well as higher concentrations of propionic acid and ammonia nitrogen. The associative effect on in vitro gas production was more pronounced in the first 12 h incubation. The different forage sources and the inclusion of concentrate change fermentation parameters.

A type 2 immune circuit in the stomach controls mammalian adaptation to dietary chitin.

Dietary fiber improves metabolic health, but host-encoded mechanisms for digesting fibrous polysaccharides are unclear. In this work, we describe a mammalian adaptation to dietary chitin that is coordinated by gastric innate immune activation and acidic mammalian chitinase (AMCase). Chitin consumption causes gastric distension and cytokine production by stomach tuft cells and group 2 innate lymphoid cells (ILC2s) in mice, which drives the expansion of AMCase-expressing zymogenic chief cells that facilitate chitin digestion. Although chitin influences gut microbial composition, ILC2-mediated tissue adaptation and gastrointestinal responses are preserved in germ-free mice. In the absence of AMCase, sustained chitin intake leads to heightened basal type 2 immunity, reduced adiposity, and resistance to obesity. These data define an endogenous metabolic circuit that enables nutrient extraction from an insoluble dietary constituent by enhancing digestive function.

Sexual dimorphism in the context of nutrition and health.

Diets and dietary constituents that we consume have a considerable impact on disease risk. Intriguingly these effects may be modulated to some extent by sex. Lack of female representation in nutritional studies as well as a lack of stratification by sex has and continues to limit our understanding of these sex × diet interactions. Here we provide an overview of the current and available literature describing how exposure to certain dietary patterns (Western-style diet, Mediterranean diet, vegetarian/vegan, ketogenic diet) and dietary constituents (dietary fibre, PUFA and plant bioactive) influences disease risk in a sex-specific manner. Interestingly, these sex differences appear to be highly disease-specific. The identification of such sex differences in response to diet stresses the importance of sex stratification in nutritional research.

Continuity, Considerations, and Future Directions for the Healthy Eating Index-Toddlers-2020.

The Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2020-2025 includes guidance for infants and toddlers aged birth to 24 months. To assess alignment with this new guidance, the Healthy Eating Index (HEI)-Toddlers-2020 was developed for toddlers 12 through 23 months old. This monograph focuses on the continuity, considerations, and future directions of this new index for toddlers in the context of evolving dietary guidance. There is considerable continuity between the HEI-Toddlers-2020 and previous versions of the HEI. The same process, guiding principles, and features (with caveats) are repeated in the new index. However, there are unique considerations for measurement, analysis, and interpretation for the HEI-Toddlers-2020 that this article addresses, while identifying future directions for the HEI-Toddlers-2020. The continued evolution of dietary guidance for infants, toddlers, and young children will provide additional opportunities for index-based metrics: considering inclusion of multidimensional layers in dietary patterns, defining a healthy eating trajectory, bridging healthy eating across different life stages, and communicating the constructs of balance among dietary constituents.

Indian traditional diet may prevent COVID-19-related mortality: A narrative review

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the mortality rate in densely populated India was reportedly 5 to 8 times lower than in less populous western countries. An international team of scientists from India, Brazil, Jordan, Switzerland, and Saudi Arabia conducted the research suggesting that Indian dietary components suppress cytokine storm and other severity-related pathways of COVID-19 and may play a role in reducing the severity and mortality rates of COVID-19 in India compared to western populations. The findings indicated that the constituents of Indian diets, which ensure high iron and zinc concentrations in blood and ample fibre in foods, played a role in mitigating the severity of COVID-19 caused by carbon dioxide retention and lipopolysaccharide. This narrative review highlights various facets of Indian Traditional Diet which has helped in preventing COVID 19- related mortality.

Insights into the diet and trophic ecology of white sharks (Carcharodon carcharias) gained through DNA metabarcoding analyses of cloacal swabs

AbstractThe white shark (Carcharodon carcharias) is one of the world's largest apex predators found throughout the world's temperate and subtropical marine environments. However, the species has suffered significant declines in recent decades and effective conservation programs require a sound knowledge of white shark biology and ecology. In particular, information on white shark diet across life stages and the species' range is needed to identify critical trophic interactions supporting shark populations and to predict the resilience of white sharks to environmental changes. In this study, we reassess the diet and trophic ecology of white sharks via the genetic analyses of cloacal swabs from 214 juvenile and subadult sharks from eastern Australia. Our findings are largely consistent with those of previous studies based on visual analyses of gut contents but highlight the unprecedented taxonomic resolution of prey items offered by genomic assessments of shark cloacal swabs. Diets consisted primarily of ray‐finned fishes, with Mugiliformes, Carangiformes, Perciformes, and Scombriformes being dominant prey taxa, but with elasmobranchs, marine mammals, and birds also being common dietary constituents. Statistical analyses revealed a significant effect of sex and sampling location on diet composition, indicating biological and spatial variability in diets and predatory behavior. Overall, these findings support the notion that juvenile and subadult white sharks are opportunistic predators, which may provide some level of resilience to shifts in marine resources. However, frequently consumed ray‐finned fishes, many of which are commercially targeted, may be key to supporting white shark populations in eastern Australia. This study represents the most comprehensive analysis of juvenile and subadult white shark diets performed to date and provides added confidence in the genomic analysis of cloacal swabs for dietary assessments of predatory species. These results are expected to help inform management geared toward conserving this important marine predator across the world's oceans.

Dietary fat differentially modulates the response of bone marrow-derived macrophages to TLR4 and NOD2 agonists.

Consumption of diets high in fat has been linked to the development of obesity and related metabolic complications. Such associations originate from the enhanced, chronic, low-grade inflammation mediated by macrophages in response to translocated bacteria, bacterial products, or dietary constituents such as fatty acids (FAs). Nucleotide-binding Oligomerization Domain 2 (NOD2) senses muramyl dipeptide (MDP), a component of bacterial peptidoglycan. The inability to sense peptidoglycan through NOD2 has been demonstrated to lead to dysbiosis, increased bacterial translocation, inflammation and metabolic dysfunction. Currently, it is unknown how consumption of HFDs with different FA compositions might influence NOD2-dependent responses. In this study, we subjected WT mice to a control diet or to HFDs comprised of various ratios of unsaturated to saturated fats and determined the macrophage response to TLR4 and NOD2 agonists. A HFD with equal ratios of saturated and unsaturated fats enhanced subsequent responsiveness of macrophages to LPS but not to MDP. However, a high-unsaturated fat diet (HUFD) or a high-saturated fat diet (HSFD) both decreased the responsiveness to NOD2 agonists compared to that observed in control diet (CD) fed mice. These data suggest that dietary fatty acid composition can influence the subsequent macrophage responsiveness to bacterial products.

What Dietary Vitamins and Minerals Might Be Protective against Parkinson's Disease?

Dietary constituents may affect the progression of Parkinson's disease (PD). This study aimed to assess the contribution of dietary intake of vitamins and minerals to the severity, motor and non-motor symptoms, and risk of PD. In this case-control study, 120 patients with PD and 50 healthy participants participated. Dietary intake of vitamins and minerals was determined using a 147-item food frequency questionnaire. The severity of PD was determined by the Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS). Patients with PD had lower intake of several vitamins and minerals including lycopene, thiamine, vitamin B6, vitamin B12, pantothenic acid, magnesium, zinc, manganese, selenium, chromium, and phosphorus, but had higher intake of α-tocopherol. High dietary intake of vitamin A, α-carotene, β-cryptoxanthin, vitamin C, and α-tocopherol were correlated with increased odds of PD. High intake of lycopene, thiamin, vitamin B6, pantothenic acid, magnesium, zinc, manganese, chromium, and phosphorous correlated with reduced odds of PD. The predictive power of α-tocopherol concerning the risk of PD was stronger relative to other vitamins. Dietary intake of pantothenic acid was negatively correlated with PD severity and symptoms of motor examination and complication. The severity and motor symptoms of PD were also negatively correlated with β-carotene, vitamin C, riboflavin, vitamin B6, and biotin intake. The UPDRS total score and motor symptoms in PD patients were negatively correlated with phosphorus, magnesium, zinc, manganese, and chromium, and strongly with potassium intake. The findings indicate that adequate dietary intake of vitamins and minerals may have a preventive effect on developing PD and progression of motor decline.