Milk Diet Research Articles

Diet Modulates the High Sensitivity to Systemic Infection in Newborn Preterm Pigs.

Background: Preterm infants are born with an immature immune system, limited passive immunity, and are at risk of developing bacteremia and sepsis in the postnatal period. We hypothesized that enteral feeding, with or without added immunoglobulins, improves the clinical response to systemic infection by coagulase negative staphylococci.Methods: Using preterm cesarean delivered pigs as models for preterm infants, we infused live Staphylococcus epidermidis (SE, 5 × 109 colony forming units per kg) systemically 0–3 days after birth across five different experiments. SE infection responses were assessed following different gestational age at birth (preterm vs. term), enteral milk diets (bovine colostrum, infant formula with or without added porcine plasma) and with/without systemic immunoglobulins. Pigs infected with SE were assessed 12–48 h for clinical variables, blood bacteriology, chemistry, hematology, and gut dysfunction (intestinal permeability, necrotizing enterocolitis lesions).Results: Adverse clinical responses and increased mortality were observed in preterm vs. term pigs, when infected with SE just after birth. Feeding bovine colostrum just after birth improved blood SE clearance and clinical status (improved physical activity and intestinal structure, fewer bone marrow bacteria), relative to pigs fed infant formula. A few days later, clinical responses to SE bacteremia (hematology, neutrophil phagocytic capacity, T cell subsets) were less severe, and less affected by different milk diets, with or without added immunoglobulins.Conclusion: Prematurity increases the sensitivity of newborn pigs to SE bacteremia, potentially causing sepsis. Sensitivity to systemic SE infection decreases rapidly in the days after preterm birth. Both age and diet (parenteral nutrition, colostrum, milk, formula) may influence gut inflammation, bacterial translocation and systemic immune development in the days after birth in preterm newborns.

Proportionate Postnatal Growth in Preterm Neonates on Expressed Breast Milk Feeding With Selected Fortification.

Preterm neonates not fed an exclusive human-milk diet in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) show disproportionate postnatal growth. There are scant data on postnatal growth in neonates from India fed an exclusive expressed breast milk (EBM) diet. This study describes the postnatal changes in weight, length, and head circumference in preterm neonates given EBM with selected fortification. The study had a prospective observational design. Exclusive EBM feeding, early initiation, and standardized progression of feeds was followed. Fortification of breast milk with human milk fortifier (HMF) or liquid calcium phosphate and multivitamins (CALVIT) or hindmilk (HM) was done based on the gestational age. Monitoring for weight, length, and head circumference was done from admission to discharge. Ninety-three preterm neonates were included in the study, of which 34 (36.6%) were small for gestational age. Thirty-two (34.3%) neonates received EBM with HMF, 35 (35.7%) received EBM fortified with CALVIT and 26 (28%) neonates received HM fortification. There was a significant difference in the change in z-scores from birth to discharge for the weight, length, and head circumference (P= .001). The mean increase in daily weight ranged from 8.8 to 9.5 g/d, whereas weekly change in length was 0.8-0.9 cm/wk, and head circumference was 0.7 cm/wk. Postnatal growth of preterm neonates during NICU admission on exclusive EBM feeding with selected fortification resulted in a proportionate increase in weight, length, and head circumference.

Maintaining safety and service provision in human milk banking: a call to action in response to the COVID-19 pandemic

When a mother's own milk is not available, WHO recommends pasteurised donor human milk as the first alternative.1 Human milk banks screen and recruit donors, and have wide-ranging precautions to ensure the safety of donor milk. Screened donor milk principally feeds babies of very low birthweight, protecting them from a range of complications,2 as well as babies with congenital anomalies or neurological conditions.3–5 The benefits of a human milk diet highlight the importance of providing these infants with donor milk for short periods—with appropriate use in the context of optimal support for lactation, such provision can support mothers to establish their milk supply without the need for supplementation with infant formula milk.

Dietary management of food protein–induced enterocolitis syndrome during the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic

As communities struggle to adapt to life under the threat of the global pandemic, COVID-19, those living with Food Protein-Induced Enterocolitis Syndrome (FPIES) must adapt with additional difficulties. Social distancing and shelter-in-place strategies have been implemented, resulting in fewer supermarkets trips, stockpile-purchasing behaviors in up to 74.5% of those surveyed(1), and shortages of staple food items all with potential impact on the availability of foods for those on limited diets. Concern about allergic reactions make exploring alternative or new ingredients undesirable or untenable. Remaining safe at home is important to avoid trips to the emergency department where families may be exposed to the COVID-19 virus and medical attention can be limited due to the burden on global health systems. Parents of children with FPIES are also understandably concerned about meeting their child’s nutritional needs during these times of sheltering-in-place. Now more than ever, advice on what foods to serve and when to serve them is critically important.

Premasticated food transfer by wild chimpanzee mothers with their infants: Effects of maternal parity, infant age and sex, and food properties

Premasticated food transfer, when an individual partially breaks down food through chewing and feeds it to another individual, usually mouth-to-mouth, is described widely across human cultures. This behavior plays an important role in modern humans’ strategy of complementary feeding, which involves supplementing maternal milk in infant diets with processed, easily digestible versions of adult foods. The extent to which other primates engage in premasticated food transfer with infants is unclear, as premasticated food transfers have been only occasionally reported in other ape species. We investigated premasticated food transfers in 62 mother-infant pairs of wild chimpanzees at Ngogo, Uganda, as well as unresisted food taking, when mothers passively allow infants to seize food. We evaluated the presence or absence and rates of premasticated food transfer and unresisted food taking relative to maternal parity and infant age and sex and assessed the food species and part used. We found that chimpanzee mothers regularly shared premasticated food with their infants aged between 6 months and 4 years, but they were more likely to share, and more frequently shared, with younger infants. The frequency with which females shared premasticated food may relate to maternal experience, as multiparous females shared premasticated food more often than did first-time mothers, which we did not find with unresisted food taking. Both easy-to-chew, commonly eaten foods and tougher, rarely eaten foods were shared. Premasticated food transfer and unresisted food taking may be infant-rearing strategies to facilitate the transition from a diet of exclusive maternal milk to solid food during early infancy. Premasticated food transfer in particular may provide energetic, immune, or growth benefits to infants through reduced chewing effort and maternal saliva. Given our findings in chimpanzees and earlier reports in other ape species, we suggest that the foundation of complementary feeding, a uniquely hominin strategy, might have been present in a common ancestor shared with the other great apes in the form of premasticated, mouth-to-mouth food transfer by mothers with their offspring.

Neurodevelopmental Outcome of Extremely Low Birth Weight Infants Fed an Exclusive Human Milk Diet Is Not Affected by Growth Velocity.

Background: An exclusive human milk (EHM) diet in extremely low birth weight (ELBW) infants (birth weight ≤1,000 g) is linked to an increased likelihood of extrauterine growth restriction (EUGR, weight <10% at discharge). Past studies associated EUGR with worse neurodevelopmental (ND) outcomes; however, its impact when an EHM diet is used is unknown. Objective: Determine whether EUGR adversely affects 2-year ND outcomes of ELBW infants fed an EHM diet. Secondary aims were to compare short-term morbidities and growth through 2 years corrected age (CA). Materials and Methods: Prospective cohort study of ELBW infants fed an EHM diet until 34 weeks corrected gestational age and assessed at 2 years CA. ND outcomes between EUGR and non-EUGR infants were compared using the Bayley Scales of Infant Development 3rd Ed (BSID-III). Results: Eighty-one ELBW infants survived, 44 were seen for follow-up, and 16 (36%) were EUGR. Baseline characteristics and Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) morbidities were similar. There were no statistically significant differences (median [25-75%]) between EUGR and non-EUGR groups in cognition, (90 [80-99] versus 95 [90-104]), language (84 [68-105] versus 89 [75-100]), or motor composite scores (87 [74-96] versus 91 [88-96]). Weight z-scores during NICU stay dropped in both groups, more pronounced for the EUGR infants. There was no difference in linear or head growth. Conclusion: In our institution, ND outcomes at 2 years CA for ELBW infants fed an EHM diet were similar regardless of EUGR status. This suggests a neuroprotective effect of EHM diet in the ELBW population, despite weight gain velocity during NICU stay.

Economic Analysis of Exclusive Human Milk Diets for High-Risk Neonates, a Canadian Hospital Perspective.

Background: There is increasing evidence that premature newborns and infants with low birth weight can benefit substantially from an exclusive human milk-based diet (EHMD), consisting of human milk supplemented with a pasteurized donor human milk-derived fortifier. However, compared with the standard infant diet, EHMD also represents a significant added cost to the hospital and/or health system, thereby raising important questions about the economic feasibility of incorporating EHMD into newborn care. Design: We conducted a cost analysis and estimated the potential cost savings to a Canadian tertiary hospital based on the attributable complications averted from EHMD among low-weight neonates. A meta-analysis was performed to derive input parameters. A probabilistic analysis was conducted to determine the probability that EHMD is cost saving and 95% confidence interval (CI) around our estimates. Results: Our findings show that providing EHMD to preterm infants under 750 g at birth and at the highest risk of developing major complications is likely to be cost saving in the amount of $107,567 (95% CI: -145,229 to 360,362) per year. Extending EHMD to higher weight classes may be economically feasible depending on the pricing of the human milk-derived fortifier and the baseline risk of complications in the hospital setting. Conclusions: This comprehensive study provides critical insight for hospital-based decision makers to evaluate the potential gains and uncertainties associated with improved nutritional care for neonatal patients.

Growth, Body Composition, and Neurodevelopmental Outcomes at 2 Years Among Preterm Infants Fed an Exclusive Human Milk Diet in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit: A Pilot Study.

Background: Long-term outcomes of preterm infants fed an exclusive human milk-based (EHM) diet using a donor human milk-based fortifier are not well defined. Materials and Methods: Infants ≤1,250 g birth weight (BW) were studied prospectively at two outpatient visits: 12-15 and 18-22 months corrected age (CA). Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry and Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development III (BSID-III) were performed at 18-22 months CA. Results: In this pilot study, 51 preterm infants (gestational age 27.8 ± 2.6 weeks and BW 893 ± 204 g) were evaluated. While anthropometric z-scores were significantly lower at discharge compared with birth, z-scores returned to birth levels by 12-15 months CA (length and head circumference [HC]) and 18-22 months CA (weight). Body composition at 2 years of age was similar to term-matched controls. Inpatient growth was significantly correlated with bone density, lean mass (LM), and fat-free mass at 18-22 months CA. Increased mother's own milk (MOM) was significantly correlated with decreased fat mass indices. BSID-III showed that 0% of cognitive composite scores were <70. Conclusions: In addition to returning to BW, length, and HC z-scores by 2 years of age, body composition analysis revealed that increase in body size was appropriate as reflected by LM and bone density similar to matched term controls without an increase in fat mass. No child had severe cognitive developmental delay using a cutoff score of 70. Inpatient growth and increased receipt of MOM correlated with favorable growth and body composition outcomes. Positive outcomes as shown in this study to confirm postdischarge safety of an EHM diet during hospitalization.

Understanding the Elements of Maternal Protection from Systemic Bacterial Infections during Early Life.

Late-onset sepsis (LOS) and other systemic bloodstream infections are notable causes of neonatal mortality, particularly in prematurely born very low birth weight infants. Breastfeeding in early life has numerous health benefits, impacting the health of the newborn in both the short-term and in the long-term. Though the known benefits of an exclusive mother’s own milk diet in early life have been well recognized and described, it is less understood how breastfed infants enjoy a potential reduction in risk of LOS and other systemic infections. Here we review how gut residing pathogens within the intestinal microbiota of infants can cause a subset of sepsis cases and the components of breastmilk that may prevent the dissemination of pathogens from the intestine.

Effects of skim milk fermented with Lactobacillus plantarum WW on the constitutions of rats fed a high-fat diet

This study investigated the effects of Lactobacillus plantarum WW-fermented skim milk (FSM) on the physiques of rats fed a high-fat diet and the mechanism of lipid lowering. Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into a normal diet group (A), a high-fat diet group (B), a skim milk diet group (C), and an L. plantarum WW FSM diet group (D). After 12-wk feeding, we found that treatment with L. plantarum WW FSM could significantly alleviate symptoms in the pathological group. Meanwhile, high-throughput sequencing analysis showed that L. plantarum WW FSM also had a certain regulatory effect on the intestinal microorganisms in rats, which can increase the number of lactic acid bacteria and Bacteroides in the intestine. More importantly, real-time quantitative PCR and Western blot analysis showed that the probiotic was also involved in the expression of genes related to fat metabolism, especially the PPARB and CEBPB genes. Our study supports the hypothesis that the WW strain of L. plantarum could be a potential probiotic to be used in functional foods to alter lipid metabolism and reduce cholesterol levels.

Gut transit time, using radiological contrast imaging, to predict early signs of necrotizing enterocolitis.

Immature gut motility in preterm neonates may be a risk factor for necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC). Using preterm pigs as a model for infants, we hypothesized that intestinal dysmotility precedes NEC development. Eighty-five preterm pigs were fed increasing amounts of milk diets to induce NEC lesions, as detected at autopsy on day 5. Gut transit time was determined on day 4 by x-ray imaging after oral intake of contrast solution. No clinical or radiological signs of NEC were detected on day 4, but macroscopic NEC lesions were recorded in 59% of pigs (n = 50) on day 5. Relative to pigs without NEC (noNEC, n = 35), pigs with small intestinal lesions (siNEC, n = 18) showed delayed stomach emptying time (StEmpty) and time for contrast to reach cecum (ToCecum) already on day 4. Pigs with lesions only in colon (coNEC, n = 20) showed more diarrhea, shorter ToCecum time, but longer small intestinal emptying time (SiEmpty). ToCecum time predicted siNEC and coNEC lesions with a receiver-operator characteristic area under the curve of 78-81%. Region-dependent changes in gut transit time is associated with early NEC development in preterm pigs. How gut dysmotility is related to NEC in preterm infants requires further investigations. Using preterm pigs as a model for preterm infants, we show that gut transit time, using serial x-ray contrast imaging, was changed in individuals with NEC-like lesions before they showed the typical radiological signs of NEC. Thus prolonged transit time across the entire gut was recorded when NEC lesions appeared in the small intestine but not when lesions were detected only in the colon. Until now, recordings of food transit have mainly investigated changes in the upper gut. Using serial x-rays, this study describes food transit across the entire gut and documents a region-dependent effect of NEC lesions on gut transit changes in preterm individuals. The findings provide proof of concept for use of x-ray contrast imaging as a tool to monitor gut transit in preterm pigs as models for infants. Delayed passage across the entire gut may be an early sign of small intestinal NEC, at least in pigs. More studies are needed to confirm relations in infants. In the future, it might be possible to use x-ray contrast imaging in preterm infants to better understand gut motility in relation to early NEC progression and need for medical NEC treatment.

Cereal-based Complementary Foods Marketed in the City of Yaounde: Assessment of the Compliance to Labeling and Nutritional Composition Standards

Background: Complementary foods are foods intended for consumption by infants and young children to supplement then replace their milk diet. Compliance with labeling and nutritional composition standards conditions their nutritional quality. Objective: The aim of this study was to assess the compliance level of Cereal-based Complementary Foods (CCFs) marketed in the city of Yaounde to related standards. Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among 125 mothers in 2 hospitals of Yaounde using probabilistic cluster sampling. The labelings and nutritional compositions of the most consumed CCFs coded as “ASC O”, “ASC I”, “ASC E” and “ASC A”, were compared to Codex Alimentarius standards at an acceptability threshold of 80%. Results: The labeling standards were 95.24%, 93.48%, 89.68% and 59.34% compliant for “ASC O”, “ASC I”, “ASC E” and “ASC A” respectively, 52.5%, 73.75%, 83. 75% and 35% for nutritional composition standards. 90% of these CCFs complied with labeling standards, while only 26% with nutritional composition standards. Conclusion: CCFs in Yaounde have as main defects: incomplete labels, labels with errors and falsities, protein and mineral deficiencies. Their producers, controllers, and buyers should respectively improve, control and seek their good quality for the well-being and good health of infants and young children.

The Effect of Sheep and Cow Milk Supplementation of a Low Calcium Diet on the Distribution of Macro and Trace Minerals in the Organs of Weanling Rats.

The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of either sheep or cow milk supplementation to a low calcium and phosphorus diet on growth and organ mineral distribution in weanling rats. Rats were fed diets consisting of either a control chow, a 50% reduced calcium and phosphorous chow (low Ca/P), low Ca/P and sheep milk, or low Ca/P and cow milk diet for 28 days. Food intake of the rats, the growth rate of the rats, and the concentrations of minerals in the soft organs and serum were determined. Rats fed the low Ca/P diet alone had lower weight gain than rats consuming either of the milk-supplemented diets (p < 0.05). Both sheep milk and cow milk supplementation overcame the effects of consuming a diet restricted in calcium and phosphorus but the sheep milk was effective at a significantly lower level of milk intake (p < 0.05). Significant differences (p < 0.05) in essential and trace mineral concentrations due to milk type were observed in the kidney, spleen, and liver. For non-essential minerals, significant differences (p < 0.05), related to diet, were observed in all organs for arsenic, cesium, rubidium, and strontium concentrations.

Is Dietary Milk Intake Associated with Cataract Extraction History in Older Adults? An Analysis from the US Population.

Background Galactose accumulation in the lens tissue is known to be cataractogenic. Whether consistent dietary intake of lactose—which consists of glucose and galactose—predisposes to senile cataract remains unclear. This study was conducted to investigate the association between a number of dietary milk intake indicators and cataract extraction history in a representative sample of older adults from the US population. Methods and Materials. This is a cross-sectional, population-based study. Participants of the United States National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2001–2008 who were ≥50 years old and provided a complete history of their usual daily dietary intake were included. Exclusion criteria were special diets, extreme daily energy intake, and missing outcome (i.e., cataract extraction history). Indicators of milk intake used were early-life intake regularity, current daily milk/total dairy intake amounts, and estimated lifelong milk exposure. Odds ratios (OR) and 99% confidence intervals (99% CI) were calculated with fitting weights to better represent the population-based estimates. Results Among the 5930 studied participants, early-life milk intake regularity was not associated with cataract extraction history in age/sex/ethnicity-adjusted and multivariable-adjusted models (p trend = 0.064 and 0.094, respectively). Current daily milk intake was associated with a slight reduction in the likelihood of cataract extraction in the age/sex/ethnicity-adjusted model (OR = 0.885 per cup equivalents, 99% CI = 0.795–0.986) and in the multivariable model (OR = 0.871 per cup equivalents, 99% CI = 0.746–0.993). However, no such association was observed between quartiles of current dietary milk intake and cataract extraction history (p trend = 0.064 and 0.094, respectively). Current daily milk intake was associated with a slight reduction in the likelihood of cataract extraction in the age/sex/ethnicity-adjusted model (OR = 0.885 per cup equivalents, 99% CI = 0.795–0.986) and in the multivariable model (OR = 0.871 per cup equivalents, 99% CI = 0.746–0.993). However, no such association was observed between quartiles of current dietary milk intake and cataract extraction history (p trend = 0.064 and 0.094, respectively). Current daily milk intake was associated with a slight reduction in the likelihood of cataract extraction in the age/sex/ethnicity-adjusted model (OR = 0.885 per cup equivalents, 99% CI = 0.795–0.986) and in the multivariable model (OR = 0.871 per cup equivalents, 99% CI = 0.746–0.993). However, no such association was observed between quartiles of current dietary milk intake and cataract extraction history (Conclusion There appears to be no direct relationship between several indicators of dietary milk consumption and cataract extraction history in the general American population.

Malnutrition Decreases Antibody Secreting Cell Numbers Induced by an Oral Attenuated Human Rotavirus Vaccine in a Human Infant Fecal Microbiota Transplanted Gnotobiotic Pig Model.

Human rotavirus (HRV) is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in children, especially in developing countries. Malnutrition is prevalent in these countries, which may contribute to the decreased oral vaccine efficacy, posing a concern for global health. Neonatal gnotobiotic (Gn) pigs closely resemble human infants in their anatomy, physiology, and outbred status and are a unique model to investigate malnutrition, oral live attenuated HRV (AttHRV) vaccination, and subsequent virulent HRV (VirHRV) challenge. We evaluated the impact of malnutrition on AttHRV vaccine efficacy and B cell immune responses in neonatal germfree (GF) or Gn pigs transplanted with human infant fecal microbiota (HIFM). Pigs were fed either deficient or sufficient bovine milk diets. Malnutrition did not significantly affect the serum and intestinal contents total or HRV-specific IgG and IgA antibody titers pre VirHRV challenge. However, HRV-specific IgG and IgA antibody secreting cells (ASCs) were reduced in blood or intestinal tissues following AttHRV vaccination and pre VirHRV challenge in deficient HIFM transplanted pigs. Furthermore, post-VirHRV challenge, deficient HIFM pigs had decreased total Ig and HRV-specific IgG and IgA antibody titers in serum or intestinal contents, in addition to decreased HRV-specific IgG and IgA ASCs in blood and ileum, compared with sufficient HIFM pigs. Our results indicate that deficient diet impairs B cell mucosal, and systemic immune responses following HRV vaccination, and challenge. The impaired immune responses contributed to the decreased protective efficacy of the AttHRV vaccine, suggesting that malnutrition may significantly reduce the effectiveness of oral HRV vaccines in children in developing countries.

Maintenance energy requirements and forage intake of purebred vs. crossbred beef cows.

The objective of this study was to investigate the impacts of cow breed type and age on maintenance requirements, feed energy utilization, and voluntary forage intake. The main effect of breed type included Angus (ANG; n = 32) and Hereford × Angus (HA; n = 27) lactating cows. The main effect of age included 2- and 3-yr-old (YOUNG; n = 29) and 4- to 8-yr-old (MATURE; n = 30) cows. Within breed type and age class, cows were randomly assigned to 1 of 2 pens for a total of 8 pens, each housing 7 to 9 cow/calf pairs. To determine maintenance energy requirements, cows and calves were limit-fed for 105 d to body weight (BW) and body condition score (BCS) stasis. There were no differences between breeds in cow hip height, BW, average milk yield (P > 0.31), diet digestibility, or cow maintenance energy requirement (P = 0.54). Crossbred cows had greater BCS (P < 0.05) throughout the experiment. Efficiency of calf growth was not different between breeds when expressed as feed intake of the cow/calf pair nor as energy intake of the pair per unit of calf BW gain (P ≥ 0.31). Young cows produced less milk per day and per unit of BW0.75 (P < 0.01); however, there was no effect of cow age on maintenance energy requirement, diet digestibility, or efficiency of calf growth (P > 0.10). Subsequently, a 45-d experiment was conducted to determine voluntary low-quality forage intake. Cows were housed in dry-lot pens equipped with shade, windbreaks, and feed bunks with free-choice access to clean water and a chopped hay ration was provided ad libitum to determine forage intake. Daily forage intake was lower (P = 0.05) for HA compared with ANG (123 vs. 132 g/kg BW0.75, respectively) although there was no difference in BW. However, HA cows sustained greater BCS (P < 0.01). There was no difference (P = 0.60) in forage intake per unit of BW0.75 due to cow age. Results indicate similar calf growth efficiency among breed types although crossbred cows maintained greater body energy stores and consumed less low-quality forage during the voluntary intake experiment. These differences could not be attributed to lower maintenance energy requirements. Neither maintenance energy requirement nor calf growth efficiency was different between young and mature cows.

Perinatal exposure of rats to a maternal diet with varying protein quantity and quality affects the risk of overweight in female adult offspring

The maternal protein diet during the perinatal period can program the health of adult offspring. This study in rats evaluated the effects of protein quantity and quality in the maternal diet during gestation and lactation on weight and adiposity in female offspring. Six groups of dams were fed a high-protein (HP; 47% protein) or normal-protein (NP; 19% protein) isocaloric diet during gestation (G) using either cow's milk (M), pea (P) or turkey (T) proteins. During lactation, all dams received the NP diet (protein source unchanged). From postnatal day (PND) 28 until PND70, female pups (n=8) from the dam milk groups were exposed to either an NP milk diet (NPMW) or to dietary self-selection (DSS). All other pups were only exposed to DSS. The DSS design was a choice between five food cups containing HPM, HPP, HPT, carbohydrates or lipids. The weights and food intakes of the animals were recorded throughout the study, and samples from offspring were collected on PND70. During the lactation and postweaning periods, body weight was lower in the pea and turkey groups (NPG and HPG) versus the milk group (P<.0001). DSS groups increased their total energy and fat intakes compared to the NPMW group (P<.0001). In all HPG groups, total adipose tissue was increased (P=.03) associated with higher fasting plasma leptin (P<.05). These results suggest that the maternal protein source impacted offspring body weight and that protein excess during gestation, irrespective of its source, increased the risk of adiposity development in female adult offspring.

Effects of regular-fat and low-fat dairy consumption on daytime ambulatory blood pressure and other cardiometabolic risk factors: a randomized controlled feeding trial

The extent to which dairy products and their fat content influence cardiovascular health remains uncertain. This study aimed to assess how consumption of low-fat milk and regular-fat cheese enriched in γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) influences daytime ambulatory blood pressure (BP) and other cardiometabolic risk factors. In this crossover controlled feeding study, 55 healthy men and women with high-normal daytime BP were randomly assigned to sequences of three 6-wk isoenergetic diets, each comprising 1) no dairy (control diet), 2) 3 daily servings of 1% fat milk, and 3) 1 daily serving of 31% fat cheddar cheese naturally enriched in GABA. Total proteins, carbohydrates, and fats were matched across all 3 diets. The additional 2% of energy from SFAs in the cheese diet was replaced by n-6 PUFAs in the other diets. Comparison of postdiet ambulatory systolic BP revealed no difference (P=0.34), which was also the case for ambulatory diastolic BP (P=0.45). The cheese diet increased serum LDL-cholesterol concentrations compared with the control and milk diets (+5.8%, P=0.006 and +7.0%, P=0.0008, respectively) and increased LDL particle size compared with the milk diet (P=0.02). HDL-cholesterol concentrations after the milk diet were lower than after the control diet (-4.1%; P=0.009). The milk and cheese diets increased triglycerides compared with the control diet (+9.9%, P=0.01 and +10.5%, P=0.007, respectively). There was no significant difference between all diets for C-reactive protein concentrations and markers of glucose/insulin homeostasis. These results suggest that short-term consumption of dairy products, whether low or regular in fat, has no overall effect on daytime ambulatory BP compared with a dairy-free diet. Other cardiometabolic risk factors may be differently modified according to the fat content of the dairy product. This trial was registered at clinicaltrials.gov as NCT02763930.

Composição centesimal e comportamento reológico do extrato de aveia (Avena sativa)

O presente estudo tem como objetivo obter o extrato hidrossolúvel da aveia, determinar a sua composição centesimal e o seu comportamento reológico. O extrato hidrossolúvel foi obtido a partir da imersão dos flocos de aveia em água (70 °C) na proporção 1:3 (aveia/água), durante 15 minutos. O extrato foi caracterizado quanto aos seguintes parâmetros: umidade, atividade de água, sólidos totais, cinzas, proteínas, lipídeos, fibras e carboidratos; para leitura da viscosidade foi utilizado um viscosímetro de Brookfield, modelo DVII+Pro utilizando o splidlen nº 2 com as seguintes rotações: 50, 60, 70, 80, 100, 120, 140 rpm. Através da composição centesimal, percebeu-se que o extrato de aveia apresentou um alto teor de água, baixos valores de cinzas e moderados valores de proteínas, lipídeos e fibras; o aumento da velocidade de rotação acarretou um aumento da viscosidade aparente, o que dificulta o escoamento e a troca de calor durante processos térmicos; o extrato de aveia apresentou comportamento de um fluido não newtoniano com características de plástico de Bingham na temperatura analisada neste trabalho. Sendo portanto, uma ótima alternativa como ingrediente para preparações e dietas isentas de lactose e proteína do leite.

Intra-individual variability of dental enamel δ13C and δ18O values in Late Pleistocene cave hyena and cave bear from Perspektywiczna Cave (southern Poland)

An important source of palaeoecological and palaeoenvironmental information is intra-specimen variability of isotopic composition of mammal tooth enamel. It reflects seasonal or behavioral changes in diet and climate occurring during a life of the animal. While well-known in ungulates, in carnivorans this variability is poorly recognized. However, carnivoran remains are amongst the most numerous in the Pleistocene fossil record of terrestrial mammals, so their isotopic signature should be of particular interest. The aim of the study was to verify if enamel of a fossil cave hyena (Crocuta crocuta spelaea) and a cave bear (Ursus ingressus) records any regular inter- or intra-tooth isotopic variability. We examined intra-individual variability of δ13C and δ18O values in permanent cheek teeth enamel of fossil cave hyena and cave bear from the site of the Perspektywiczna Cave (southern Poland). We conclude that the isotopic variability of the cave hyena is low, possibly because enamel mineralization took place when the animals still relied on a uniform milk diet. Only the lowermost parts of P3 and P4 enamel record a shift toward an adult diet. In the case of the cave bear, the sequence of enamel formation records periodic isotopic changes, possibly correlating with the first seasons of the animal life.