Lower Fat Levels Research Articles

Leaner Choices? The Potential Influence of the Inclusion of Nutrition Facts Panels on Consumer Evaluations and Choices of Ground Beef Products

In March 2012, retailers were required to disclose nutrition information on packaging for all ground and chopped products (e.g., ground beef, turkey) and hamburger. Drawing from this legislation, the authors develop and test hypotheses based on internal reference points and assimilation of external values. The results of three studies (a cross-sectional survey and two between-subjects experiments) indicate that the inclusion of a Nutrition Facts panel (NFP) on ground beef packaging moderates the effects of the lean-to-fat ratio on consumers' product evaluations. Because consumers' internal reference points are higher than the relatively low level of calories, fat, and saturated fat found in lean ground beef, nutrition information disclosure improves attribute evaluations. In addition, for the fattier options, provision of the NFP increases diet-related disease risk perceptions and decreases both perceived healthfulness and purchase intentions. The results also show that inclusion of the NFP has a favorable effect on the choice of leaner ground beef options and diminishes the choice of options with higher calories and fat levels. The authors offer potential implications of the findings for policy and consumer welfare.

Chemistry of Tender Coconut Water from the Cuddalore Coastal Region in Tamil Nadu, India

Tender coconut water (TCW) is rich in nutrients, presenting low fat levels, and considered to be an excellent isotonic drink. To understand the chemistry of TCW, samples of TCW with 6–7 and 11–12 months of maturity were collected from the same coconut trees in different locations in the coastal Cuddalore district. It was found that TCW is dominated by K+ among cations and by Cl− among anions. The pH of the TCW was acidic to neutral, with high electrical conductivity. Comparison of the TCW samples with drinking water standards show that the former contained certain ions more than the permissible limit. It was understood that the process of selective absorption by plants or by certain other chemical process taking place during the formation of kernel tissues would alter the chemical composition of coastal TCW in the Cuddalore district.

Effects of carbohydrate ingestion during exercise on substrate oxidation in physically active women with different body compositions

We examined the effects of consuming a 6% carbohydrate (CHO) beverage during exercise on substrate oxidation in active, young Caucasian women with higher body fat (HF) (>25%) and lower body fat (LF) (<25%). The HF group (n = 9) had 32.4% ± 5.6% fat and the LF group (n = 8) had 20.0% ± 3.0% fat. Subjects completed 2 sessions of 45 min of treadmill exercise at 55% of maximal oxygen consumption. Immediately prior to and at 15-min intervals during exercise, subjects consumed 25% of a total volume of a CHO beverage (1 g CHO·kg(-1)) or a placebo (PLC). During exercise and for 2 h after exercise, expired gases were analyzed to determine oxidation rates for CHO (CHO-OX) and fat (FAT-OX). During exercise, significant differences (p < 0.05) in CHO-OX (mg·kg fat-free mass(-1)·min(-1)) were found between groups for the CHO trial (LF, 35.4 ± 4.7 vs. HF, 29.8 ± 3.6) and the PLC trial (LF, 33.7 ± 6.4 vs. HF, 26.3 ± 4.3). CHO-OX was significantly higher during the first hour of recovery in both the LF group (CHO, 9.3 ± 2.1 vs. PLC, 5.3 ± 2.4) and the HF group (CHO, 8.7 ± 2.0 vs. PLC, 4.2 ± 1.0), but during the second hour of recovery, only the HF group had a higher CHO-OX (CHO, 5.3 ± 1.8 vs. PLC, 3.9 ± 1.1). FAT-OX was significantly lower during the first hour of recovery in both the LF group (CHO, 0.6 ± 0.4 vs. PLC, 1.0 ± 0.4) and the HF group (CHO, 0.4 ± 0.4 vs. PLC, 1.4 ± 0.4), as well as during the second hour of recovery in both the LF group (CHO, 0.8 ± 0.4 vs. PLC, 1.3 ± 0.5) and the HF group (CHO, 0.9 ± 0.6 vs. PLC, 1.6 ± 0). CHO ingestion promotes CHO-OX and suppresses FAT-OX during and following exercise in physically active women with low and high levels of body fat.

Meat from alternative species – nutritive and dietetic value, and its benefit for human health – a review

The aim of the current review was to shed light on the nutritional composition of meat from alternative species, including red deer, fallow deer, rabbit, horse, pigeon and ratites (mainly ostrich) by comparison with conventional meat, and their benefits for human health. One of the reasons for such interest was the occurrence, in Europe several years ago, of dioxin, Bovine Encephalopathy and foot-and-mouth disease problems in farm animals. Therefore, consumers began to look for alternative kinds of red meat from other non-traditional species. The nutritional composition of meat from alternative species by comparison with conventional meat is characterised by low levels of fat and cholesterol, relatively high concentrations of n-3 and iron. Therefore, the meat from alternative species may supplement the local meat market with good quality products.

Investigating the impact of fasciolosis on cattle carcase performance

Liver fluke is a manifestation of bovine fasciolosis and its presence is compulsorily investigated as part of routine official abattoir inspections. It is known that the presence of fasciolosis negatively influences beef production, interfering with weight gain and fertility. Recent reports suggest increased occurrence of this parasite worldwide. This paper aims to investigate the impact of fasciolosis on beef cattle performance by examining the association of liver fluke with carcase characteristics and its value. Cattle slaughtered between 2005 and 2010 (328, 137 cattle (of which 12.6% were positive to liver fluke) sourced from 2278 farms) are analysed adjusting for the effect of gender, age, breed, season and year. Carcases with liver fluke have lower cold weight than those carcases free of fluke, estimated coefficient −0.63kg (95% confidence intervals (CI) −0.93, −0.33). Carcases with liver fluke have lower price than those carcases free of fluke, estimated coefficient −£1.5 (95% CI −2.24, −0.74). The presence of liver fluke is associated with lower carcase conformation scores compared to carcases with fluke absence, proportional odds ratio (POR) 0.89 (95% CI 0.87–0.91). Similarly, the presence of liver fluke is associated with lower levels of fat in the carcase compared to carcases with fluke absence, POR 0.97 (95% CI 0.95–0.99). These results indicate a potential negative effect of the parasitism on carcase performance. The downgrading of the carcase impacts its value and therefore the price paid to the farmer. Both farmers and abattoir operators share a common interest in the control of fasciolosis in order to optimise the profitability of beef production. This study shows the utility of abattoir post-mortem inspection as a tool to monitoring animal health and production.

Evaluation of low trans fat edible oils by attenuated total reflection-Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and gas chromatography: a comparison of analytical approaches

Current interest by the food industry in exploring reformulation options that lower the content of trans fat in edible fats and oils requires methods to accurately measure low levels of trans fat. In the present study, the quantitation of trans fat in 25 edible fat and oil samples was evaluated using two current analytical approaches, attenuated total reflection-Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR), and gas chromatography with flame ionization detection (GC-FID) according to Official Methods of the American Oil Chemists' Society. Significant differences between the ATR-FTIR and reference GC-FID quantitations were found for samples with a trans fat content <2% of total fat. These discrepancies could be explained, in part, by the presence of certain oil constituents (e.g., vitamins, carotenoids, high levels of saturated fat) that produced absorbance bands at or near 966 cm(-1) in the ATR-FTIR spectra, a region that was previously identified as being characteristic of isolated trans double bonds. Results demonstrate that the natural content of such oil constituents could result in significant overestimations of trans fat when ATR-FTIR is used to analyze edible fats and oils with a trans fat content <2% of total fat.

Short term effects of different omega-3 fatty acid formulation on lipid metabolism in mice fed high or low fat diet

BackgroundBioactivities of Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) depend on their chemical forms. The present study was to investigate short term effects of triglyceride (TG), ethyl ester (EE), free fatty acid (FFA) and phospholipid (PL) forms of omega-3 fatty acid (FA) on lipid metabolism in mice, fed high fat or low fat diet.MethodMale Balb/c mice were fed with 0.7% different Omega-3 fatty acid formulation: DHA bound free fatty acid (DHA-FFA), DHA bound triglyceride (DHA-TG), DHA bound ethyl ester (DHA-EE) and DHA bound phospholipid (DHA-PL) for 1 week, with dietary fat levels at 5% and 22.5%. Serum and hepatic lipid concentrations were analyzed, as well as the fatty acid composition of liver and brain.ResultAt low fat level, serum total cholesterol (TC) level in mice fed diets with DHA-FFA, DHA-EE and DHA-PL were significantly lower than that in the control group (P < 0.05). Hepatic TG level decreased significantly in mice fed diets with DHA-TG (P < 0.05), DHA-EE (P < 0.05) and DHA-PL (P < 0.05), while TC level in liver was significantly lower in mice fed diets with TG and EE compared with the control group (P < 0.05). At high fat level, mice fed diets with DHA-EE and DHA-PL had significantly lower hepatic TC level compared with the control diet (P < 0.05). Hepatic PL concentration experienced a significant increase in mice fed the diet with PL at high fat level (P < 0.05). Furthermore, both at low and high fat levels, hepatic DHA level significantly increased and AA level significantly decreased in all forms of DHA groups (P < 0.05), compared to control groups at two different fat levels, respectively. Additionally, cerebral DHA level in mice fed diets with DHA-FFA, DHA-EE and DHA-PL significantly increased compared with the control at high fat level (P < 0.05), but no significant differences were observed among dietary treatments for mice fed diets with low fat level.ConclusionThe present study suggested that not only total dietary fat content but also the molecular forms of omega-3 fatty acids contributed to lipid metabolism in mice. DHA-PL showed effective bioactivity in decreasing hepatic and serum TC, TG levels and increasing omega-3 concentration in liver and brain.

Are Under- and Overweight Female Elite Athletes Thin and Fat? A Controlled Study

The study's purpose was to relate body mass index (BMI) to body fat percentage as measured by dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry in female elite athletes from different sports and nonathletic controls and to investigate what characterizes the athletes with unhealthy low and high body fat values. This study was conducted in three phases: 1) screening with a detailed questionnaire, 2) body composition measurement (dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry), and 3) clinical interview. All female elite athletes representing national teams at the junior or senior level age 13-39 yr (n = 938) and an age group-matched randomly selected population-based control group (n = 900) were invited to participate. A stratified random sample was invited to participate in parts 2 and 3. A total of 186 athletes (62%) and 145 controls (48%) participated in all three phases. Of those athletes with normal BMI values (18.5-24.9 kg·m⁻²) (n = 150), 2.0% were classified with low body fat levels (<12%), and 6.7% were classified with obese body fat levels (≥ 33%). The median value for the entire group was 24.3% body fat. For the controls with normal BMI values (n = 96), none was classified with low body fat levels, and 50% were classified with obese body fat levels (median = 33.1%). The correlation between BMI and body fat percentage was 0.671 (P < 0.01) (SEE = 5.3%) for the athletes and 0.813 (P < 0.01) (SEE = 4.1%) for the controls. Both under- and overfat athletes self-reported menstrual dysfunction, stress fractures, history of weight fluctuation, and use of pathogenic weight control methods and were diagnosed with clinical eating disorders and/or low bone density. Our data show that BMI is not a valid measure for assessing or monitoring body composition in female elite athletes, and it should be used carefully in female nonathletes.

Elephant grass, sugarcane, and rice bran in diets for confined sheep

We aimed to evaluate the effects of diets, based on elephant grass or sugarcane as roughage and corn meal or rice bran as energy concentrate, on performance and body composition in terms of diet intake and digestibility. A total of 30 Santa Ines crossbreds (SIC), castrated male sheep with 19.8 ± 2.0 kg initial body weight (BW) were used. Six animals were slaughtered at the onset of the experiment to estimate the initial body composition for the other animals. The remaining 24 animals were distributed in a completely randomized 2 × 2 factorial design, with four treatments (two roughages and two concentrates) and six replicates. The sheep were slaughtered when they reached 30.0 kg BW. Elephant grass diets provided higher intake and digestibility than sugarcane diets for the following contents: dry matter (DM), organic matter (OM), crude protein (CP), neutral detergent fibre, minerals, total carbohydrates (TC), and total digestible nutrients (TDN). Among the concentrates, corn meal diets were associated with higher intakes than rice bran diets for the following contents: DM, OM, CP, TC, and TDN. Animals from all of the treatments exhibited low average daily weight gain and low protein and high fat and energy body levels. Sugarcane and rice bran can be used as ingredients in diets for sheep with low weight gain potential. Regardless of roughage or concentrate types used in diets for confined SIC sheep, performance and body composition remained unaltered.

Interferon Gamma Inhibits Adipogenesis In Vitro and Prevents Marrow Fat Infiltration in Oophorectomized Mice

Interferon gamma (IFNγ) has been reported to induce osteoblastogenesis from mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) both in vitro and in vivo. With ageing, adipocytes outnumber osteoblasts within the bone microenvironment leading to a decrease in bone formation. Since both osteoblasts and adipocytes are of mesenchymal origin, we hypothesized that IFNγ treatment might negatively affect adipogenesis while stimulating osteoblastogenesis in human MSC. To test this hypothesis, human MSCs were induced to differentiate into adipocytes in the presence or absence of osteogenic doses of IFNγ (1, 10, and 100 ng/ml). IFNγ-treated MSC showed a decrease in adipocyte differentiation and lipid deposition when compared with vehicle-treated controls. Additionally, adipogenic markers were significantly decreased by IFNγ treatment at the same doses that have been reported to have a strong osteogenic effect in vitro. Furthermore, DNA binding of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma was significantly lower in IFNγ-treated differentiating MSC. Subsequently, ovariectomized C57BL6 mice were treated with osteogenic doses of IFNγ three times a week for 6 weeks. In distal femur, treated mice showed significantly higher hematopoiesis concomitant with lower levels of fat volume/total volume, adipocyte number, and expression of adipogenic markers when compared with the vehicle-treated mice. Together, these findings demonstrate that, at osteogenic doses, IFNγ also acts as an inhibitor of adipogenesis in vitro and prevents marrow fat infiltration while favors hematopoiesis in ovariectomized mice.

Two prebiotics are effective in promoting fermentation in rats fed a high fat diet

Resistant starch (RS) and fructooligosaccharides (FOS) are two non‐digestible, fermentable fibers whose break down by intestinal microbiota has been shown to improve gut health. However, previous studies suggest that a high fat diet fed prior to the prebiotic negatively impacted the fermentation process in rodents. The pre‐feeding of the high fat diet may change the microbiota so that the rodents could no longer respond to a dietary prebiotic. The question examined in the current study was: will concurrent feeding of prebiotics with a high fat diet preserve the ability to ferment? This 2×2×2 factorial study in Sprague Dawley rats (n=96) studies the fermentation effects of a high‐amylose corn starch (Hi‐maize® resistant starch) and a short‐chain FOS (NutraFlora®) in low (4% g/kg; 18% of energy) and high (14% g/kg; 40% of energy) levels of dietary fat. Results were significant at p&lt;0.05. Prebiotic diets produced animals with larger full and empty ceca than control diets, and an increase in serum concentrations of GLP‐1 total and PYY, regardless of dietary fat level. Both RS and FOS significantly decreased cecal and colonic pH levels. RS and FOS combined diets caused a further reduction in pH. Feeding the prebiotics concurrently with high dietary fat preserved a significant amount of fermentation that was reduced or lost when pre‐feeding a high fat diet without prebiotics in a previous study. Funding was provided by National Starch LLC and LSU AgCenter. scFOS was provided by GTC Nutrition.

COMPOSICIÓN QUÍMICA Y CALIDAD INSTRUMENTAL DE CARNE DE BOVINO, LLAMA (Lama glama) Y CABALLO BAJO UN SISTEMA DE CRIANZA EXTENSIVA

This study compared the chemical composition and instrumental meat quality of bovine, llama and horse from animals finished under grazing systems. The bovines (n=31), llamas (n=21) and horses (n=27) were slaughtered using Chilean standard procedures. Carcasses were stored for 24 h in a cold room (4 ºC). The Longissimus lumborum muscle (LL) was collected for determining the chemical composition, cholesterol, collagen content, pH, colour (L*, a*, b*, H*, C*), water holding capacity (WHC) and Warner–Bratzler shear-force (WBSF). Llama meat had higher levels of protein and total collagen (p&lt;0.05), and lower level of fat and cholesterol (p&lt;0.05) than bovine and horse meat. No statistical differences were found in moisture and ash percentages between species. The L* (lightness) and b* (yellowness) values of llama LL were higher (p&lt;0.05) than those in the bovine and horse, while the values of a* (redness) and C* (chroma) of LL bovine were greater (p&lt;0.05). The pH in LL bovine meat was higher than in llama (p&lt;0.05). WHC, total cooking loss and evaporation cooking loss were similar, while WBSF in horse was greater (p&lt;0.05).

The difference between height-weight relations and nourishment of seven-year-old pupils measured in 1988. and 2008.

Hypokinesia or low level of physical activity typical for the modern way of living, together with the consumed calories that cannot be burnt, lead to the increased weight which is above the average weight for a particular person. The presence of obesity from the day of birth to the old age is increasing in the world, and it may be stated that it is increasing in Serbia as well. The aim of this research is to establish the difference between height-weight relations and nourishment of seven-year-old pupils, measured in 1988 and 2008. The sample comprised primary school pupils, 7 years of age, from Nis, measured in 1988 and 2008. The number of examinees was 524, 257 boys measured in 1988, 91 boys measured in 2008, 91 girls measured in 1988, 85 girls measured in 2008. The results of this research showed that male pupils measured in 1988 had, statistically significan lower body weight, body mass index, average volume of the chest, skin folds, and had lower levels of fat in the body. Female pupils measured in 1988 had lower values of height, weight, body mass index, average chest volume, skin folds and lower levels of fat. The percentage of normally fed pupils measured in 1988 was 88.3%, while the percentage of those measured in 2008 was 59.3%. The relationship between 1988 and 2008 is 92.3% to 56.5%, in female pupils. The number of obese male and female pupils was significantly increased in 2008.

Long-term vegetarians have low oxidative stress, body fat, and cholesterol levels

Excessive oxidative stress and abnormal blood lipids may cause chronic diseases. This risk can be reduced by consuming an antioxidant- and fiber-rich vegetarian diet. We compared biomarkers of oxidative stress, antioxidant capacity, and lipid profiles of sex- and age-matched long-term vegetarians and omnivores in Korea. Forty-five vegetarians (23 men and 22 women; mean age, 49.5 ± 5.3 years), who had maintained a vegetarian diet for a minimum of 15 years, and 30 omnivores (15 men and 15 women; mean age, 48.9 ± 3.6 years) participated in this study. Their 1-day, 24-h recall, and 2-day dietary records were analyzed. Oxidative stress was measured by the levels of diacron reactive oxygen metabolites (d-ROM). Antioxidant status was determined by the biological antioxidant potential (BAP) and levels of endogenous antioxidant enzymes such as superoxide dismutase, catalase, and glutathione peroxidase. We observed that vegetarians had a significantly lower body fat percentage (21.6 ± 6.4%) than that of omnivores (25.4 ± 4.6%; P < 0.004). d-ROM levels were significantly lower in vegetarians than those in omnivores (331.82 ± 77.96 and 375.80 ± 67.26 Carratelli units; P < 0.011). Additionally, total cholesterol levels in the vegetarians and omnivores were 173.73 ± 31.42 mg/dL and 193.17 ± 37.89 mg/dL, respectively (P < 0.018). Low-density lipoprotein cholesterol was 101.36 ± 23.57 mg/dL and 120.60 ± 34.62 mg/dL (P < 0.005) in the vegetarians and omnivores, respectively, indicating that vegetarians had significantly lower lipid levels. Thus, oxidative stress, body fat, and cholesterol levels were lower in long-term vegetarians than those in omnivores.

Nutritional and sensory profiling of the African giant land snail fed commercial-type and leaf-based diets in a rain-forest ecology

Nutritional and organoleptic properties of the African giant land snails (Archachatina marginata) were investigated using 96 healthy-looking growing snails maintained on broiler starter mash (BSM) as control, Talinium triangulare or waterleaf, Centrosema molle or centro leaves, and Carica papaya or pawpaw leaves for 16 weeks. This study was set up as a completely randomized design (CRD) with the snails allocated to 4 treatment groups (broiler starter mash (BSM) as control; Talinium triangulare leaves or waterleaf; Centrosema molle or centro leaves; Carica papaya or pawpaw leaves) and 3 replications each of 8 snails (giving a total of 24 snails per treatment group). At the end of the 16-week period, 4 snails were each harvested at random from the 3 replicates of each of the 4 treatments, sacrificed, processed and analyzed. Dry matter (DM), ash, fat or ether extract (EE) and nitrogen-free extract (NFE) were higher (P &lt; 0.05) in the BSM group, while crude fibre (CF) was higher (P &lt; 0.05) in centro leaves (34.2 g/100 g) and crude protein (CP) was higher in pawpaw leaves. Meancholesterol level was very low (0.003 &plusmn; 0.0006 mg/100 g) in the snail. Negative correlation (r = -0.99; P &lt; 0.05) was recorded between diet CF and moisture content of the snail meat, while feed EE had a positive correlation (r = 0.98; P &lt; 0.05) with snail cholesterol level. Based on tastiness, toughness and tenderness of the snails fried and stewed with spices or only steamed without spices, preference ranking in descending order gave pawpaw leaves &gt; BSM = centro leaves &gt; waterleaf. Thus, snails fed pawpaw leaves performed better than the control diet and could be exploited as a cheap feed resource for smallholder snail production in the humid tropics. Low fat and cholesterol levels in the African giant land snail make it very suitable for ameliorating human cardiovascular-related diseases.Key words: Composition, nutrient, palatability, sensory, snail

Waxy durum and fat differ in their actions as improvers of bread quality

Fat is commonly added to bakery products to improve eating qualities and extend shelf life. Flour milled from waxy durum grain was incorporated into bread formulations and its effects on crumb softness and loaf volume compared to those of added fat. Low levels of fat (0.1–0.3% of flour weight) softened the bread crumb and increased loaf volume. Most of the softening effects were evident in the crown of the loaves protruding above the tin and a high proportion of the reduction in compression was associated with increased volume. Loaves baked with waxy durum flour were softer than those baked with fat and the softening effects were evident both in the crown of the loaf and at its base where it had been confined within the tin. Waxy durum flour reduces compression independently of increased volume. It is suggested waxy durum flour acts by slowing the migration of water from the gluten phase to the starch phase so maintaining the level of mobile water in the gluten where it acts as a plasticiser. Independent organoleptic assessment of bread quality baked with combinations of waxy durum and fat confirmed the quality enhancing effects of waxy durum flour.

Quality changes of yellow grouper(&lt;I&gt;Epinephelus awoara&lt;/I&gt;) fillets stored under vacuum packaging at 0 ℃

Sensory attributes,total number of bacteria,physical and chemical parameters ( proximate composition,texture analysis,color measurements,pH,TBA,TMA-N,TVB-N,K-value,Ca2 +-ATPase activity, SDS-PAGE) changes of yellow grouper ( Epinephelus awoara) stored under vacuum packaging at 0 ℃ were investigated.The results showed that yellow grouper was a fish with low level of fat but high level of protein.During the storage,sensory attributes( odor and taste) exhibited significant variations and correlations in storage time( r=0.94 and 0.98,respectively) .Taste score increased faster than the odor score,however,neither of them reached the reject limit of 3 scores.There were significant linear increases in total viable counts( TVC) in the storage( r=0.97) .TVC on the 12th day was lower than 4 Log CFU/g,indicating the fillets kept at first grade of freshness,and was 4.34 Log CFU/g at the end of 15 days storage,kept at second grade of freshness.With regards to the texture profile,hardness( r =-0.89) ,gumminess( r =-0.73) ,chewiness( r =-0.87) showed a significant and negative correlation with storage time.L and the chroma values decreased,and b values increased,reflecting the colour changes experienced by the fillets over time.No significant differences were found in pH and TBA concentrations during the storage and they displayed a weak correlation with time, so they may not be the suitable indicators for reflecting the quality changes of yellow grouper fillets during the storage.The amount of TVB-N and TMA-N significantly increased with time,at the final of storage,TVB-N and TMA-N reached 12.94 mg N/100 g and 0.75 mg N/100 g respectively,and both of them were lower than limit.The proteolytic degradation of muscle protein was observed by SDS-PAGE,the results showed that MHC and Actin were hydrolyzed continuously throughout storage.Ca2 +-ATPase activity declined fast from the initial value of 0.25 μg Pi/( min·mg) to the final value of 0.07 μg Pi/( min·mg) .K value increased fast with time ( r =0.98) and reached 54.91% at the end of storage,keeping the middle level of freshness.The results suggested that total viable counts( TVC) increased slowly under vacuum packaging at 0 ℃,and it kept good sensory characters,inhibited the changes of the paraments( TVB-N value,etc.) and hydrolysis of protein.The sensory attributes,microbiological counts,texture( hardness,cohesiveness and chewiness) ,colour( L ,b ,and Cab) ,TVB-N,TMA-N,Ca2 +-APTase activity and K value exhibited strong correlations with storage time and were sensitive.Therefore,they may be considered as good indicators for evaluating yellow grouper spoilage during the storage under vacuum packaging at 0 ℃ for 15 days,but the consideration of shelf-life should be combined with all those indicators.

Screening and selection of human volunteers at increased cardio-metabolic risk for a dietary intervention study, with particular reference to levels of liver fat

Background: Individuals at increased cardio-metabolic (CM) risk have a greater chance of developing diabetes mellitus and suffering premature cardiovascular events. The metabolic syndrome (MetS) is a constellation of risk factors which confer increased CM risk. MetS was originally proposed by Reaven (1998) and the currently accepted definition was agreed by AHA/NHLBI,WH,IASIASO (Alberti et al., 2009). More recently, increased liver fat has been proposed as a marker of CM risk. The aims of this study were to evaluate the inter-relationships between percentage liver fat and established CM risk factors and identify those with MetS. Methods: This paper presents a secondary analysis of baseline data from a sample (n = 37) (56 ± 5.32 years), of overweight men who were at increased CM risk but otherwise healthy,, and recruited into a randomised dietary intervention crossover study to investigate how dietary carbohydrate influences the metabolism of plasma lipoproteins in overweight volunteers with moderately high (>10% <20%) and low (<2%) levels of liver fat. Anthropometric and biochemistry measurements were obtained, and from a sub-sample, the percentage of liver fat by magnetic resonance imaging. The participants were also assigned a metabolic score based on the number of indicators of the MetS according to the AHA/NHLBI, WH, IASIASO definition (Alberti, 2009). Non-parametric statistical analyses was used, as not all variables were normally distributed, there were a number of outliers and a small sample size. Pearson Correlation Co-efficients were used to investigate relationships between continuous and categorical variables. The variables were not adjusted for age or BMI because of a small sample size. Statistical significance was set at P ≤ 0.05 and all analyses were carried out using SPSS 16.0. Results: Fifty nine per cent of the participants had MetS (n = 21). There was evidence of significant, positive associations between the metabolic score for MetS and total cholesterol:HDL-C ratio (P = 0.030), and between percentage liver fat and plasma glucose and insulin (P = 0.010 and P = 0.003 respectively). The percentage of liver fat was also notably higher than that reported in other studies (Yamada et al., 2010; Kotronen et al., 2007) and there was positive correlation between the liver enzyme alanine transaminase (ALT) and plasma insulin (P = 0.012). Conclusion: The strong associations between established risk factors and liver fat suggest that the latter may be clinically useful as a marker for CM risk in MetS.

Changes in Body Composition Prior to Competition in Bodybuilders and Figure Show Competitors

Prior to competition the goal of bodybuilding and figure competitors is to reduce fat while minimizing the loss of lean tissue. It is recommended that competitive bodybuilding and figure competitors achieve extremely low levels of percent body fat for their competitions. PURPOSE: To examine the correlation of days prior to competition to weight, percent fat, fat mass, and fat free mass leading to bodybuilding and figure competitions. METHODS: 16 competitive bodybuilder males (75 data points) and 11 competitive figure show females (48 data points) (mean age men 25 ± 8.9, women 33 ± 3.8) were evaluated for weight, percent fat, fat mass, and fat free mass. Participants were analyzed twice each session by the same individual within the 12-weeks prior to competition using the Jackson and Pollock 7-site method. RESULTS: A significant negative correlation was found between days prior to competition and percent fat (men: R = 0.575, p = 0.001; women: R = 0.596, p = 0.001) days prior to competition and fat mass (men: R = 0.642, p = 0.001; women: R = 0.560, p = 0.001) in men and women respectively and in weight for men (R = 0.242, p = 0.012). There was no significance in fat free mass (R = 0.080, p = 0.417) for the men and no significance in weight (R = 0.297, p = 0.014) or fat free mass (R = 0.113, p = 0.357) for the women. Regression equations resulted in a predicted mean percent fat loss over 12 weeks of 5.5% for men and 3.9% for women; fat mass loss was 5.2 kg for men and 2.9 kg for the women; weight loss is predicted as 6.0 kg for men and 5.8 kg for women; fat free mass prediction loss was 1.8 kg for men and 2.6 kg for women. CONCLUSION: The finding of the present investigation demonstrated that there is a graded reduction in FM in the days leading to a competition in both men and women. Further, a regression analysis demonstrated that over the 12 weeks leading to a completion body weight, FM and FFM loses should be expected. Although speculative, these finding may be related to mild starvation/very low caloric intake in this population.

Predictive Ability of Waist‐to‐Height in Relation to Adiposity in Children Is Not Improved With Age and Sex‐Specific Values

A waist-to-height ratio (WHtR) ≥0.5 indicates increased health risk in children and adults. However, because of residual correlation between WHtR and height in children, dividing waist circumference by height to the power of one may be insufficient to correctly adjust for height during growth. This study aimed to determine whether age and sex-specific exponents which properly adjust for height affect the predictive ability of WHtR to correctly discriminate between children with differing fat distribution. Total and regional body fat was measured by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) in 778 (49% male) children and adolescents. WHtR was calculated as waist/height(1) (WHtR(a)), and using two published age and sex-specific exponents for height (WHtR(b)) (1) (WHtR(c)) (2), and compared with various DXA indexes of body composition using receiver operating curve analysis. 15% of males and 17% of females had a WHtR(a) ≥0.5, with corresponding figures of 8% and 27% for WHtR(b), and 23% and 17% for WHtR(c). WHtR(a) was significantly different from WHtR(b) (males only, P < 0.001) but not WHtR(c) (P = 0.121). Areas under the receiver operating curve (AUC) for WHtR(a) were significantly higher than AUCs for WHtR(b) or WHtR(c) in relation to DXA-measured body composition (AUCs ≥0.89 for WHtR(a) compared with AUCs of 0.71-0.84 for WHtR(b) and WHtR(c)). Simply dividing waist circumference by height (WHtR(a)) correctly discriminates between children and adolescents with low and high levels of total and central fat at least 90% of the time. Keeping your waist circumference to less than half your height provides an effective screening index of body composition during growth.