Nutritional Diseases Research Articles

The effect of iron supplementation in preterm infants at different gestational ages

BackgroundIron deficiency (ID) is the most prevalent nutritional deficiency disease in preterm infants, significantly affecting their growth and development. For preterm infants to flourish physically and neurologically, timely iron supplementation is essential. The main goals of this study were to determine whether the present iron supplementation regimen results in iron overload in late preterm infants and whether it can meet the growth requirements of early preterm infants for catch-up.MethodsWe conducted a prospective follow-up study on preterm infants at the Department of Child Health, West China Second University Hospital, Sichuan University, from January 1, 2020, to August 31, 2020. In this study, 177 preterm infants were divided into two groups based on gestational age—early preterm infants (gestational age < 34 weeks) and late preterm infants (gestational age ≥ 34 weeks and < 37 weeks)—to compare the incidence of iron deficiency, iron status, and physical growth of preterm infants receiving iron supplements (2–4 mg/kg/d).ResultsIron supplementation considerably reduced the incidence of iron deficiency in preterm infants. The prevalence of iron deficiency in early preterm infants and late preterm infants was 11.3% and 5.1%, respectively, at the corrected gestational age of 3 months; at the corrected gestational age of 6 months, the prevalence was 5.3% and 6.3%, respectively. No preterm infants with iron deficiency were detected in either group at the corrected gestational age of 12 months. Ferritin was substantially lower in early preterm infants (36.87 ± 31.57 ng/ml) than in late preterm infants (65.78 ± 75.76 ng/ml) at the corrected gestational age of 3 months (p < 0.05). A multifactorial regression analysis of factors influencing iron metabolism levels in preterm infants revealed a positive relationship between log10hepcidin, birth weight, and ferritin, with higher birth weights resulting in higher ferritin levels.ConclusionsPostnatal iron supplementation at 2–4 mg/kg/d in preterm infants significantly decreases the incidence of ID. There were substantial differences in iron levels across preterm infants of varying gestational ages. A tailored iron supplementation plan based on growth, birth weight, and gestational age may be a more suitable route for iron supplementation. Although the current study found that the postnatal iron status of early preterm infants differed from that of late preterm infants, the actual mechanism of action remains unknown, and large-sample, multicenter clinical studies are required to investigate this further.

Antioxidant Potential of Exosomes in Animal Nutrition.

This review delves into the advantages of exosomes as novel antioxidants in animal nutrition and their potential for regulating oxidative stress. Although traditional nutritional approaches promote oxidative stress defense systems in mammalian animals, several issues remain to be solved, such as low bioavailability, targeted tissue efficiency, and high-dose by-effect. As an important candidate offering regulation opportunities concerned with cellular communication, disease prevention, and physiology regulation in multiple biological systems, the potential of exosomes in mediating redox status in biological systems has not been well described. A previously reported relationship between redox system regulation and circulating exosomes suggested exosomes as a fundamental candidate for both a regulator and biomarker for a redox system. Herein, we review the effects of oxidative stress on exosomes in animals and the potential application of exosomes as antioxidants in animal nutrition. Then, we highlight the advantages of exosomes as redox regulators due to their higher bioavailability and physiological heterogeneity-targeted properties, providing a theoretical foundation and feed industry application. Therefore, exosomes have shown great potential as novel antioxidants in the field of animal nutrition. They can overcome the limitations of traditional antioxidants in terms of dosage and side effects, which will provide unprecedented opportunities in nutritional management and disease prevention, and may become a major breakthrough in the field of animal nutrition.

Study on Nutritional Status of the Adolescent Relationship with their Socio-Economic Status in Bagha, Rajshahi

Background: Adolescents' nutritional status is crucial to their overall health and development. Various socio-economic factors play significant roles in influencing this status, especially in rural areas. Objective: The study aimed to identify the factors contributing to adolescents' nutritional status and to examine the relationship between these factors and the adolescents' socio-economic characteristics in Bagha, Rajshahi. Method: Data were collected from 250 adolescents using structured interview schedules. Key variables studied included the adolescents' education, mothers' education, family income, food intake, and nutritional knowledge. Correlation and multiple linear regression analyses were conducted to evaluate the associations between these variables and the adolescents' BMI and nutritional status. Result: The study revealed that adolescents' BMI had significant positive correlations with their education, mothers' education, family income, food intake, and nutritional knowledge. An inverse correlation was found between nutritional status and disease information. Other factors, such as gender, religion, family size, fathers' education, and hygiene practices, showed positive but non-significant associations. Negative, non-significant correlations were observed with age, physical activity, transportation, leisure activities, and participation in nutrition programs. A substantial majority (89.6%) of respondents were inactive in calorie intake, with only 2.4% being active. Most adolescents (79.6%) were underweight, while 20% had normal weight. Most mothers (63.3%) and fathers (55%) had primary-level education. Multiple linear regression analysis indicated that annual family income, food intake, and nutritional awareness were positively correlated with nutritional status, whereas disease information had a significant negative correlation. Conclusions: The findings highlight the critical impact of socio-economic factors on adolescents' nutritional status. .......

Health Analysis and Recommendation Based on Food Using Data Mining

Suitable nutritional diets have been widely recognized as important measures to prevent and control non-communicable diseases (NCDs). However, there is little research on nutritional ingredients in food now, which are beneficial to the rehabilitation of NCDs. In this project, we profoundly analyzed the relationship between nutritional ingredients and diseases by using data mining methods. First, more than n number of diseases was obtained, and we collected the recommended food and taboo food for each disease. The experiments on reallife data show that our method based on data mining improves the performance compared with the traditional statistical approach. We can assist doctors and disease researchers to find out positive nutritional ingredients that are conducive to the rehabilitation of the diseases as accurately as possible. At present, some data is not available, because they are still in the medical verification. The dataset uploaded will be pre-processed, Feature Extraction, noisy data will be removed, and classification of dataset will take places using random forest algorithm based on this analysis the diseases prediction takes places for the food intake by the individual

Behaviour of Tunisian Psammomys obesus fed high-calorie diets: biochemical disturbance and histopathological alterations

This work investigated the biochemical disturbances and histological alteration in Psammomys obesus animal model fed different high calorie diets (HCDs) during three months. Four diets were used: a low-calorie natural diet, Chenopodiaceae halophyte plant used as control (LCD), a high standard carbohydrate diet rich in protein, HCD 0, a high carbohydrate diet rich in two concentrations of fat, HCD 1 and HCD 2. All animals having received HCDs developed dyslipidemia after one month of experiment with distinction of different sub-groups developing or not obesity and diabetes. HCDs induced a remarkable increasing in blood cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol and triglyceride levels indicating a fast induction of dyslipidemia and a significant increase of aminotransaminases activities revealing a pronounced hepatotoxicity. Animal developing diabetes showed a severe hepatic injury, a degeneration of the adipose tissue and a significant reduction of retinal thickness. P. obesus seems to be an excellent animal model to investigate nutritional metabolic diseases.

Effects of additional physical exercise on the nutritional status and disease progression during the low-protein diet in Chronic Kidney Disease Patients: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Low-protein diet (LPD) is the core of dietary and nutritional therapy for non-dialysis chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients. In addition, physical exercise could prevent and treat various illnesses and chronic diseases. The objective of the study was to search for and appraise evidence on the effect of additional physical exercise on patients' nutritional status and indicators of disease progression when compared with the LPD alone. PubMed Central, Embase, Cochrane, and Web of Knowledge for randomized controlled trials (published between January 1, 1956 and May 17, 2023) were searched. A total of 8698 identified studies, 9 were eligible and were included in our analysis (N = 250 participants). Compared with the LPD alone, additional physical exercise reduced serum creatinine by a mean of -0.21 mg/dL (95% CI -0.39 to -0.03) in CKD patients. Similarly, blood pressure decreased after physical exercise, with systolic blood pressure decreasing by -7.05 mm Hg (95% CI -13.13 to -0.96) and diastolic blood pressure decreasing by -5.31 mm Hg (95% CI -7.99 to -2.62). Subgroup analyses revealed that resistance exercise (RE) was effective in decreasing estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) of -1.71 mL/min per 1.73 m² (95% CI -3.29 to -0.14). In addition, the VO2peak increasing by 2.41 mL/kg/min (95% CI 0.13 to 4.70) when physical exercise was continued for 24 weeks. The above results suggest that the LPD with additional physical exercise care is more beneficial for patients with CKD.

Discussion of the classification of pediatric drug clinical trials in children's hospitals in China.

This study aimed to gain insights into pediatric clinical trials conducted in children's hospitals in China and provide valuable references for the development of children's hospitals and the research and development of pediatric drugs. A comprehensive search was performed on the Chinese Clinical Trial Registry (Chi CTR) and ChinaDrugTrials.org.cn to collect information on all clinical trials involving subjects under 18 years, including those conducted in children's hospitals. The retrieval period was extended until 31 December 2022. A total of 459 pediatric clinical trials were collected, comprising 299 from Chi CTR and 160 from the Drug Clinical Trial Registration and Information Publicity Platform (Information Platform). Post-marketing drug studies and phase III clinical trials accounted for the majority of research stages. These trials covered a wide range of diseases/systems, with a particular focus on respiratory system disorders, tumors, endocrine disorders, and nutritional or metabolic diseases. Chemical drugs constituted the most extensively studied category, while traditional Chinese medicine/natural drugs received comparatively less attention. Clinical trial activities were primarily geographically focused on the eastern coastal regions of China, with multicenter trials being the most predominant. Ethics committee approval was obtained for 427 studies. The pediatric clinical trials conducted by children's hospitals in China have shown an overall upward trend; however, there is limited research focusing on traditional Chinese medicine, along with significant regional and institutional imbalances. Furthermore, there is still room for improvement regarding ethical review processes. It is recommended that children's hospitals enhance their scientific research capabilities while optimizing resource allocation to meet medical service demands effectively. Additionally, fostering more research-focused children's hospitals will contribute to the high-quality development of children's health in China.

Сучасний стан законодавчого регулювання вмісту транс-ізомерів жирних кислот у харчових продуктах в Україні та світі (огляд літератури)

Abstract. The influence of fats and oils on human health is in constant attention of leading experts in the field of public health, of both national and international institutions. This is especially true concerning industrially obtained trans fats and their regulation. Currently, in Ukraine, the requirements for the content of trans fatty acids in food products are regulated by documents of two levels. Firstly, the requirements for the content of trans fatty acids in certain types of oil and fat products are set out in the national standards (DSTU), which are do not cover the entire range of fat-containing products. Secondly, a norm on limiting the amount of trans fatty acids in food products was adopted in Section V of the Order of the Ministry of Health of Ukraine dated July 16, 2020 No. 1613 “On Approval of the Rules for Adding Vitamins, Mineral Substances and Certain Other Substances to Food Products”, which is harmonized with European legislation, but this norm will be valid only three years after the entry of this order into force in 2023. Aim. To review the scientific literature on the effects of trans fats on human health. To study and generalize the approaches to limiting the consumption of trans fatty acids in different countries of Europe and world. To compare international and Ukrainian legislation on the regulation of trans fatty acids in food products. Materials and Methods. The article uses information based on the materials of FAO/WHO experts, on legislation regulating trans fatty acids in food products, as well as on publications of foreign and Ukrainian scientists. The results of our own studies of the content of trans fats in some foods were compared with data obtained in other countries. Results and Conclusions. Summarizing the results of numerous studies convincingly prove the relationship between the consumption of industrial trans fats with the risk of occurrence or exacerbation of existing nutritional diseases. Best practice policies to eliminate industrially produced trans fatty acids from national food stocks have been introduced in more than forty countries around the world. In Ukraine, food restrictions on the amount of trans fatty acids, which are not trans fatty acids naturally found in fats of animal origin, at a level of no more than 2 %, came into force in September 2023. In this regard, we consider it necessary to apply large-scale educational campaigns of a high scientific level in the media regarding the harmful effects of trans fats on the biological systems of the human body. In addition, we recommend the introduction of state programs in the field of dietary regulation into the practice of general educational institutions, contributing to a conscious and responsible approach to the transition to a healthy diet, which will contribute to a gradual increase in the life expectancy of the population of our country. Keywords: trans fatty acid isomers, public health, harmonization, review.

Usefulness of the mini nutritional assessment short-form for evaluating nutritional status in patients with nontuberculous mycobacterial pulmonary disease: a prospective cross-sectional study

BackgroundAlthough the Mini Nutritional Assessment (MNA) is recognized as a useful tool for evaluating nutritional status in patients with various diseases, its applicability in patients with nontuberculous mycobacterial pulmonary disease (NTM-PD) remains undetermined.MethodsWe designed a prospective cross-sectional study to investigate whether the MNA Short-Form (MNA-SF) score can serve as a screening tool to assess the nutritional status of patients with NTM-PD. The MNA-SF was conducted upon patient enrollment, and correlation analyses were performed to compare MNA-SF scores with other nutritional measurements and disease severity. Multivariable logistic regression analyses were conducted to evaluate the association between MNA-SF scores and NTM-PD severity.ResultsThe 194 patients with NTM-PD included in the analysis had a median age of 65.0 (59.0–69.0) years; 59.3% (n = 115) had low MNA-SF scores (< 12). The low MNA-SF group exhibited a lower body mass index (19.7 vs. 22.4 kg/m2, p < 0.001) and fat-free mass index (14.7 vs. 15.6 kg/m2, p < 0.001) than the normal MNA-SF group, as well as higher incidences of sarcopenia (20.0% vs. 6.3%, p = 0.008) and adipopenia (35.7% vs. 5.1%, p < 0.001). However, no significant differences in calorie and protein intakes were observed between the two groups. Low MNA-SF scores were associated with radiographic severity (adjusted odds ratio 2.72, 95% confidence interval 1.38–5.36) but not with forced vital capacity.ConclusionsThe MNA-SF can effectively assess the nutritional status of patients with NTM-PD and can serve as an important clinical indicator in NTM-PD where treatment timing is determined by clinical judgment.

Integrative Approach to Risk Factors in Simple Chronic Obstructive Airway Diseases of the Lung or Associated with Metabolic Syndrome-Analysis and Prediction.

We conducted an epidemiological non-interventional cross-sectional and case-control study from 1 January 2023 until 26 May 2023 in Oltenia region, southwestern Romania. Throughout the research, 160 consecutive patients were included from two different clinical departments (1-Pneumology; 2-Diabetes and Nutritional Diseases). Subjects were voluntary adult individuals of any gender who expressed their written consent. The clinical data of the patients were correlated with the exposure to behavioral risk factors (diet, lifestyle, exposure to pollutants) to identify some negative implications that could be corrected to improve the quality of life of patients with simple chronic obstructive airway diseases of the lung or associated with metabolic syndrome (MS). In the first group of patients with respiratory diseases, there was a higher degree of exposure to toxic substances (43.75%) compared to the second group of patients with diabetes (18.75%); it is also noticeable that in the first group, there were noticeably fewer individuals who have never smoked (25%) compared to the second group (50%). Respiratory function impairment was observed to be more severe in overweight individuals. In the group of patients with known lung diseases, a positive correlation was noted between the presence of MS and respiratory dysfunctions of greater severity. Additionally, potential exacerbating factors affecting lung function, such as direct exposure to toxins and smoking, were considered. Potential secondary factors exacerbating respiratory dysfunction were considered by correlating biochemical parameters with dietary habits. These included reduced consumption of vegetables, inadequate hydration, and increased intake of sweets and products high in saturated or trans fats (commonly found in junk food), primarily due to their potential contribution to excess weight. Compared to patients without MS, the severity of the pulmonary function impairment correlated with the number of criteria met for MS and, independently, with an increase in weight.

Heat Metrics and Maternal-Child Health Diagnoses in Emergency Departments in the United States: A Scoping Review.

To summarize current research on associations between heat metrics and emergency department discharge diagnoses for US pregnant women and children from birth to age 18 via a scoping review. Climate change directly contributes to extreme weather conditions and environmental changes and indirectly affects health and the health care system. Pregnant women and children are believed to be more susceptible to extreme heat, but few empirical studies have been conducted evaluating effects of heat metrics on these populations. Ovid MEDLINE, CIHAHL, SCOPUS, Web of Science, JSTOR, and PsycINFO databases were searched using a combination of key words. Twelve studies were selected for this review. In pregnant women, positive associations were found between mean daily temperature and multiple subtypes of pregnancy complications, including threatened or spontaneous abortion, renal diseases, infectious diseases, diabetes, and hypertension. In children, positive associations were found with all-cause diagnoses; asthma; dehydration; electrolyte disorders; heat-related illness; infection; endocrine, nutritional, and metabolic diseases; injury; and otitis media and external emergency department discharge diagnoses and temperature or heatwave versus non-heatwave. By tracking associations between maternal-child emergency department discharge diagnoses and various heat metrics, researchers can contribute to better clinical practices that promote environmental justice and climate resilience.

Nutritional Profile, Disease Severity, and Quality of Life of Patients with Inflammatory Bowel Disease: A Case-Control Study.

Diet is thought to play an important role in the clinical course and quality of life (QOL) of patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). However, dietary habits of patients with IBD are still unknown. This case-control study aims to compare the dietary habits of patients with IBD to healthy controls and evaluate differences in disease severity and QOL. Food frequency, severity scores using the Harvey-Bradshaw and Ulcerative colitis activity index, and QOL were assessed using online questionnaires. Dietary habits were compared for patients with active disease and remission and for those with low QOL (LQOL) and high QOL (HQOL). We recruited 61 patients with IBD and 101 controls. Significance was set at p = 0.05. Controls consumed significantly more daily calories (2546 vs. 1641, p = 0.001). However, patients with IBD consumed a higher percentage of carbohydrates (50% vs. 45%, p = 0.001), more red meat (p = 0.024), and less fiber, sucrose, and lactose (p = 0.001, 0.001, and 0.036). Patients with active disease had higher lipid intake, lower protein intake, and lower QOL (47 vs. 58, p = 0.001). Dietary differences between LQOL and HQOL mirrored those between active disease and remission. This study is the first to provide valuable insights into the nutritional profile of Lebanese patients with IBD.

Temporal relationships between blood glucose, lipids and BMI, and their impacts on atherosclerosis: a prospective cohort study

ObjectivesThis study aimed to explore the temporal relationship between blood glucose, lipids and body mass index (BMI), and their impacts on atherosclerosis (AS).DesignA prospective cohort study was designed.Setting and participantsA...

A practical approach to nutritional intervention for people with chronic kidney disease in Vietnam.

A comprehensive nutritional management is necessary for favourable outcomes in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD). We aimed to assess the changes in nutritional status and disease progression with nutritional management where renal replacement therapy (RRT) was not in place. A quasi-experiment intervention was conducted on 70 CKD patients at stages 3-5 from July to December 2022. Participants were excluded if they underwent RRT, including dialy-sis (hemodialysis or peritoneal dialysis), or kidney transplantation. The nutritional regimen covered nutrition-al counseling, samples of the dietary menu, and supplement products. We evaluated nutritional status using Subjective Global Assessment (SGA) scale and sub-clinical blood test at T0 (hospital admission) and T1 (two weeks after the admission or 24 hours before the discharge). After the intervention, the number of patients classified as malnutrition or at risk of malnourished reduced significantly (65.7% to 54.3% and 25.7% and 5.7%, respectively). The serum concentration of urea, creatinine and parathyroid hormone decreased remarkably, especially in patients receiving nutritional management. In the intervention group, the dietary pattern provided increased intakes of calcium and iron at T1, while phosphorus, sodium and potassium decreased after follow-up. Nausea/vomiting, loss of appetite, tiredness and sleep disorders were improved in the intervention compared to the control group. Nutritional therapy enhanced the nutritional sta-tus, and quality of dietary and renal function in CKD patients without RRT. Applying nutrition education and treatment at an early stage can slow CKD progression, which should be applicable elsewhere in Vietnam.

AYURVEDIC APPROACH TO BE MANAGEMENT OF KARSHYA W.S.R. UNDERWEIGHT

Ayurveda generally relies on prevention rather than treatment. Aahara (food) is considered the first of the three pillars of Nidra, Abrahmacharya being the other pillar. Many health problems can be prevented by eating well. Food also has therapeutic value as an essential part of nutrition, and most importantly, it plays a vital role in restoring the strength of the body, which is weakened due to the problems of the disease, after treatment. Eating disorders are described in Ayurvedic literature. Child malnutrition is estimated to be responsible for 35% of deaths among children under five years of age and 21% of life-altering disability losses in children under five years of age worldwide. Kasia disease is a nutritional deficiency disease. Similarly, diseases such as Parigarbhika, Phakka, Balashosha and Shuska Revati described by different authors of Ayurveda may also be associated with malnutrition as an effect of treating these diseases.

Livestock feed resources used as alternatives during feed shortages and their impact on the environment and ruminant performance in West Africa: a systematic review.

Ruminant feed is a major problem for the livestock sector in West African developing countries causing animal nutritional diseases, reducing ruminant production, and creating a massive ecological crisis through greenhouse gas emissions. Alternative feeds, which include agro-industrial by-products, fodder trees, crop residues, insects, fodder legumes, algae, and pulses, constitute enormous feed resources for livestock in Africa. This study was conducted in accordance with the methodological recommendations of PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses). We conducted a literature search using Google Scholar, Web of Science, and Scopus to identify documents related to alternative ruminant feeds using the following keywords: alternative feeds, ruminant products, environmental impacts, and West Africa. Those that met the inclusion criteria were included, resulting in 44 articles published between 2013 and 2023. These studies included 45 alternative feeds divided into six groups, including agro-industrial by-products (48.89%), followed by fodder trees (17.78%), crop residues (13.33%), insects (8.89%), fodder legumes (6.67%) and seaweeds (4.44%). Our results revealed that alternative feed resources and their effects on ruminant's performances and environment are poorly known in West Africa, which limits their inclusion in rations and sometimes leads to their misuse. Future research should focus on these aspects in order to make efficient use of these resources to improve ruminant milk and meat production.

Application of an electronic nose for the diagnosis of ketosis in dairy cows

Ketosis in dairy cows is a nutritional and metabolic disease that severely affects the milk industry and dairy cow health. An electronic nose can identify volatile organic compounds (VOCs). This study applied the electronic nose to detect VOCs in dairy cow milk, feces, and blood. Blood ketone bodies (BHBA) were measured, and 10 ketosis cows, 71 subclinical ketosis cows, and 75 healthy cows were considered the research subjects. Cow milk, feces, and blood samples were collected for electronic nose testing. The measured VOC data were processed through multivariate analysis and machine learning algorithms. The electronic nose analysis results were validated through the GC-MS analysis of the milk samples. The results unveiled spatial differences in the electronic nose VOC values of milk, feces, and blood, and the cumulative contribution rates of both principal component variables (PC) 1 and PC2 reached more than 95%. The machine learning algorithm results revealed that the accuracy of the milk probabilistic neural network (PNN) was 87.5%, the stool support vector machine was 100%, and the blood PNN was 66.7%. This result revealed that electronic nose detection can effectively differentiate healthy, subclinical ketosis, and clinical ketosis cows. According to the milk GC-MS results, significant differences were noted in the VOC content of milk samples between the different groups.The aforementioned studies revealed that electronic nose can aid in the effective prediction and diagnosis of ketosis in dairy cows. This lays the foundation for establishing a new method for diagnosing ketosis in dairy cows.

Database construction and comparative genomics analysis of genes involved in nutritional metabolic diseases in fish

Nutritional metabolic diseases in fish frequently arise in the setting of intensive aquaculture. The etiology and pathogenesis of these conditions involve energy metabolic disorders influenced by both internal genetic factors and external environmental conditions. The exploration of genes associated with nutritional and metabolic disorder has sparked considerable interest within both the aquaculture scientific community and the industry. High-throughput sequencing technology offers researchers extensive genetic information. Effectively mining, analyzing, and securely storing this data is crucial, especially for advancing disease prevention and treatment strategies. Presently, the exploration and application of gene databases concerning nutritional and metabolic disorders in fish are at a nascent stag. Therefore, this study focused on the model organism zebrafish and five primary economic fish species as the subjects of investigation. Using information from KEGG, OMIM, and existing literature, a novel gene database associated with nutritional metabolic diseases in fish was meticulously constructed. This database encompassed 4583 genes for Danio rerio, 6287 for Cyprinus carpio, 3289 for Takifugu rubripes, 3548 for Larimichthys crocea, 3816 for Oreochromis niloticus, and 5708 for Oncorhynchus mykiss. Through a comparative systems biology approach, we discerned a relatively high conservation of genes linked to nutritional metabolic diseases across these fish species, with over 54.9 % of genes being conserved throughout all six species. Additionally, the analysis pinpointed the existence of 13 species-specific genes within the genomes of large yellow croaker, tilapia, and rainbow trout. These genes exhibit the potential to serve as novel candidate targets for addressing nutritional metabolic diseases.

Liebig review: The role of mineral nutrients in the development of Pseudomonas syringae diseases—Lessons learned and implications for disease control in woody plants

AbstractBackgroundThe plant pathogen Pseudomonas syringae (Ps) causes diseases in a broad range of hosts including important cash crops from several climate zones. In particular for woody crops, effective and environmentally friendly disease control strategies are not available. Although there is increasing evidence of a link between plant nutritional status and disease susceptibility, optimization of plant nutrition is often neglected in efforts to control Ps diseases. This review brings current knowledge on this topic together with the aim of facilitating the development of treatment recommendations in specific contexts.Literature reviewThe article consists of three parts. First, we compiled data on the impact of mineral nutrients on Ps disease severity in woody and herbaceous species. Next, we discuss how nutrients may be related to plant defense and/or Ps virulence. Last, we consider these findings in the context of woody hosts and give suggestions for future research.ConclusionsWe encourage a research focus on typical nutrient imbalances (deficiencies and surpluses) in specific orchard regions; testing the role of foliar fertilizers in spring (the period of highest infection risk); analyses of the interaction between nutrient supply and the microbiome in the phyllosphere; investigating the interaction between nutrient supply and other control measures, and the impact of nutrient supply on Ps diseases in the presence of other stress factors.

Physicochemical, structural and functional properties of low methoxyl pectin‑iron (III) complex and its effect on rats with iron deficiency anemia

Iron deficiency anemia (IDA) is the most common nutritional disease worldwide. In this study, a low methoxyl pectin (LMP)‑iron(III) complex was prepared. The physicochemical and structural properties were characterized by HPSEC, HPIC, CV, FTIR, 1H NMR, XRD, SEM and CD. The results showed that iron increased the molecular weight of the LMP‑iron(III) from 11.50 ± 0.32 to 12.70 ± 0.45 kDa and improved its crystallinity. Moreover, the findings demonstrated that -OH and -COOH groups in LMP coordinate with Fe3+ to form β-FeOOH. The water-holding capacity, emulsion stability, and antioxidant activities of the LMP‑iron(III) were lower than those of LMP. Furthermore, the therapeutic effects of LMP‑iron(III) on IDA were investigated in rats. Following LMP‑iron(III) supplementation, compared with the model group, the administration of LMP‑iron(III) significantly increased the body weight, hemoglobin concentration, and serum iron concentration as well as decreased free erythrocyte protoporphyrin concentration. Therefore, the LMP‑iron(III) can potentially treat IDA in rats experiments, providing a theoretical basis for the development of a promising iron supplement.