Primary Protein Source Research Articles

A generalizable and turnable engineered ecosystem provides a clear route to prosperity and well-being to harness the world’s aquatic “blue” food systems to help end hunger: A perspective

Seafood security is essential in modern society. In 2013, Bush and colleagues stated, ‘Aquaculture, farming aquatic organisms, provides close to 50% of the world’s supply of seafood, with a value of United States $125 billion. It makes up 13% of the world’s animal-source protein (excluding eggs and dairy) and employs an estimated 24 million people’. With the increase in the human population and reducing fishing resources, humans increasingly rely on aquacultural products as the primary protein sources for many countries. Aquacultural productivity has been improving in recent years, and in certain countries, the aquaculture output is more than the fishing output. For example, Chinese aquaculture production is more than fishing output, which provides one-third of animal protein. Thus, intensive aquaculture has become the main supply with global aquatic products (FAO). In recent years, it is estimated that each person consumption of aquaculture products is 130 kg in some countries (Iceland). Here, we illustrate the road blocker in farmed shrimp production and provide our resolution. The global pandemic of white spot syndrome (WSS), caused by the white spot syndrome virus (WSSV), bears a devastating economic loss in farmed shrimp production, thereby jeopardizing seafood security. Currently, there is no effective control for WSS. Conventional single-species intensive farming removes the spatiotemporal interaction between different species. We hypothesize that establishing the spatiotemporal interface of a predator–prey may control WSS outbreak. We search for the pathways for the mechanisms by which predator–prey species interact and compete across spatial scales to characterize WSSV dispersal at regional scales for the local spatiotemporal structure of viral transmission. Thus, we create a generalizable and tunable engineered ecosystem that provides a clear route to prosperity and well-being to harness the world’s aquatic “blue” food systems to help end hunger.

Mapping Aquaculture Ponds for the Coastal Zone of Asia with Sentinel-1 and Sentinel-2 Time Series

Asia dominates the world’s aquaculture sector, generating almost 90 percent of its total annual global production. Fish, shrimp, and mollusks are mainly farmed in land-based pond aquaculture systems and serve as a primary protein source for millions of people. The total production and area occupied for pond aquaculture has expanded rapidly in coastal regions in Asia since the early 1990s. The growth of aquaculture was mainly boosted by an increasing demand for fish and seafood from a growing world population. The aquaculture sector generates income and employment, contributes to food security, and has become a billion-dollar industry with high socio-economic value, but has also led to severe environmental degradation. In this regard, geospatial information on aquaculture can support the management of this growing food sector for the sustainable development of coastal ecosystems, resources, and human health. With free and open access to the rapidly growing volume of data from the Copernicus Sentinel missions as well as machine learning algorithms and cloud computing services, we extracted coastal aquaculture at a continental scale. We present a multi-sensor approach that utilizes Earth observation time series data for the mapping of pond aquaculture within the entire Asian coastal zone, defined as the onshore area up to 200 km from the coastline. In this research, we developed an object-based framework to detect and extract aquaculture at a single-pond level based on temporal features derived from high-spatial-resolution SAR and optical satellite data acquired from the Sentinel-1 and Sentinel-2 satellites. In a second step, we performed spatial and statistical data analyses of the Earth-observation-derived aquaculture dataset to investigate spatial distribution and identify production hotspots at various administrative units at regional, national, and sub-national scale.

Effect of body size on the concentration of two essential macro elements (Calcium and Magnesium) in wild Eutropiichthys vacha from Indus River, Taunsa Barrage, Pakistan

Fish is primary protein source for human being in the universe. Overall 50 fish specimen of Eutropiithys vacha were collected from Indus River, Head Tounsa, Pakistan to check the effect of calcium and magnesium in the fish by Atomic Absorption Spectrometry. Calcium (Ca) and magnesium (Mg) in fish showed highly significant correlation between size (weight and length) and body burden of E. vacha. Calcium and magnesium, showed isometric relationships with body weight of wild E. vacha, indicating increase of concentrations of Ca and Mg in direct proportion to an increase in body weight of E. vacha. While Ca and Mg showed negative allometric relation in increasing fish length suggesting that these metals accumulate at a smaller proportion compared to its excretion rate as the E. vacha increases in length. Condition factor for E. vacha ranged from 0.447 to 0.930 and remained constant with metal concentrations in wet weight of the fish. The result displayed that the concentration of macroelements (Ca and Mg) in the examined fish sample were significantly affected by fish size.

Can Native Plants Mitigate Climate-related Forage Dearth for Honey Bees (Hymenoptera: Apidae)?

Extreme weather events, like high temperatures and droughts, are predicted to become common with climate change, and may negatively impact plant growth. How honey bees (Apis mellifera L. [Hymenoptera: Apidae]) will respond to this challenge is unclear, especially when collecting pollen, their primary source of protein, lipids, and micro-nutrients. We explored this response with a data set from multiple research projects that measured pollen collected by honey bees during 2015–2017 in which above-average temperatures and a drought occurred in 2017. We summarized the abundance and diversity of pollen collected from July to September in replicated apiaries kept at commercial soybean and corn farms in Iowa, in the Midwestern USA. The most commonly collected pollen was from clover (Trifolium spp. [Fabales: Fabaceae]), which dramatically declined in absolute and relative abundance in July 2017 during a period of high temperatures and drought. Due to an apparent lack of clover, honey bees switched to the more drought-tolerant native species (e.g., Chamaecrista fasciculata [Michx.] Greene [Fabales: Fabaceae], Dalea purpurea Vent. [Fabales: Fabaceae], Solidago spp. [Asterales: Asteraceae]), and several species of Asteraceae. This was especially noticeable in August 2017 when C. fasciculata dominated (87%) and clover disappeared from bee-collected pollen. We discuss the potential implications of climate-induced forage dearth on honey bee nutritional health. We also compare these results to a growing body of literature on the use of native, perennial flowering plants found in Midwestern prairies for the conservation of beneficial insects. We discuss the potential for drought resistant-native plants to potentially promote resilience to climate change for the non-native, managed honey bee colonies in the United States.

Short-term amino acid, clinicopathologic, and echocardiographic findings in healthy dogs fed a commercial plant-based diet.

Consumer demand for commercially prepared plant-based (PB) dog food is increasing, but studies evaluating the short- or long-term effects of PB diets on canine health are lacking. The objective of this study was to assess the short-term amino acid (AA), clinicopathologic, and echocardiographic findings in 34 client-owned dogs fed a commercial extruded plant-based diet (PBD) in which pea protein was the primary protein source and 4 control dogs fed a commercial extruded traditional diet (TD). Plasma AA and whole blood taurine concentrations were measured in dogs at baseline and after 4 weeks on the PBD or the TD. Hematologic, serum biochemical, and echocardiographic testing were performed at baseline and after 12 weeks on the PBD or the TD. Four dogs in the PBD group did not complete the study. All essential AAs, except methionine, were higher in dogs after 4 weeks on the PBD compared to baseline. Taurine (plasma and whole blood) was also higher after 4 weeks on the PBD compared to baseline. A meaningful difference was detected in whole blood taurine between the PBD group and the control group at 4 weeks (P = .026) with the PBD group being higher. Median hematologic and biochemical results for the PBD group were within normal limits at baseline and at 12 weeks. In the PBD group, left ventricular internal diastolic dimension (LVIDd, P = < .001) and normalized LVIDd (P = .031) were higher 12 weeks post-PBD compared to baseline. There were no meaningful differences in left ventricular internal systolic dimension (LVIDs), normalized LVIDs, or fractional shortening 12 weeks post-PBD. There was no statistical evidence of difference between the 2 groups of dogs for any of the echocardiographic parameters at baseline or at 12 weeks. Essential AA or taurine deficiency was not observed in this cohort of dogs fed a commercial extruded PBD. Additionally, clinically relevant hematologic, serum biochemical and echocardiographic alterations were not detected. Further research is required to determine if long-term static feeding of PB diets can meet and maintain AA and other nutrient targets in dogs.

Covid-19 Response: The Importance of Amino Acids, Trace Elements and Polyphenols for Immune Competence

The Covid-19 pandemic is a challenge for both CAM practitioners and CAM users. An adequate immune response is required for both a Covid infection and a Covid vaccination. The adequacy of the immune response depends very much on an individual’s nutritional status. The body users a range of substances to defend itself that require dietary amino acids and trace elements. Free radicals are used to attack microorganisms and antioxidants are used to quelch the free radical activity. Additionally, white blood cells derive 50% of their ATP from glutaminolysis. Glutamine is depleted at high levels of physical activity, including sport, and following burns or operations. A diet low in protein leads to impaired immunocompetence. Unfortunately, a large number of the world population fails to meet the daily requirement of 1.5 to 2.2 g/kg of high-quality protein necessary for good health. This is true even for the elderly in high income countries. Similarly with the trace elements. Large numbers of people live in areas of the world where there are low levels of iodine and selenium in the soil. This results in low levels of these elements in foods procured locally. Other trace elements such as copper, iron and zink are difficult to absorb due to the presence of phytic and oxalic acids in vegetable foods. This is less of a problem for meat eaters as these minerals are found at high levels in meat. In contrast, for vegans and vegetarians whose primary source of protein is grains and pulses, the presence of phytic acid in these foods inhibit absorption of the copper, iron and zinc from plant sources. Women are particularly at risk as their reproductive system requires higher levels of protein, iron and iodine. Ensuring adequate nutrition is the priority for long term immunocompetence.

114 Evaluation of Extrusion Processing Method and Protein Source on Standardized Amino Acid Digestibility

Abstract While the majority of dry complete and balanced foods for pet animals are extruded, the interaction between ingredient matrix and processing methods and stages are poorly understood. Thus, the objective of this study was to determine how the use of plant-based and poultry-based proteins processed under different extrusion condition may affect amino acid digestibility in extruded canine diets using a rooster model. Eight diet formulas were made using chicken (CK), chicken byproduct meal (CM), yellow pea (YP), green lentil (GL), and garbanzo bean (GB) as the primary protein sources. These diets were extruded through a single-screw and a twin-screw extruder. Food samples were collected at various stages of processing (i.e., raw, and after preconditioner, extruder, drier, and coating). Four cecectomized single-comb White Leghorn roosters were used for each diet sample. The roosters were fasted for 26 h and then fed with the treatment diets. The excreta were collected 48 h after feeding. Freeze dried excreta were used to calculate standardized amino acid digestibility (SAAD). For all essential amino acids, a significant interaction (P &amp;lt; 0.05) between diet and processing method was observed. The SAAD of arginine, tryptophan, and methionine were greater than 80% for all diets collected at the end of the extruder. The CK diet supplemented with synthetic taurine and processed through twin-extrusion had 70% to 80% SAAD of histidine, isoleucine, leucine, lysine, phenylalanine, threonine, and valine. Overall, twin-screw extrusion resulted in lower SAAD for all essential amino acids (P &amp;lt; 0.05), except for isoleucine and valine. However, the differences were smaller than 2.5%, and therefore may not negatively impact diet formulation and final product nutrient composition or guaranteed analysis. In addition, the extruded canine diets made with plant-based protein did not have lower amino acid digestibility than those made with animal-based protein.

PSIII-4 Nutritional evaluation of yeast biomass from candida utilis as a protein source in cat diets

Abstract Yeast products have found much favor within companion animal nutrition. A recently developed proprietary process has introduced an enhanced yeast biomass from Candida utilis (merchandised as SylPro®) into the animal food marketplace. Candida utilis has been shown to be a valuable protein in canine, swine and aquaculture diets; however, no previous research has evaluated its use in feline diets. Therefore, the current objective was to determine the nutrient digestibility of diets containing SylPro® yeast biomass (SYL) as the primary protein source relative to soybean meal (SOY), pea protein concentrate (PEA), and chicken meal (CKN) fed to cats. Apparent total tract digestibility (ATTD) of diets were estimated using Titanium dioxide as an indigestible marker. The DM ATTD for SYL was lower (P &amp;lt; 0.0001) than CKN (86.39 vs. 87.43%, respectively) but similar to both SOY (85.66%) and PEA (86.54%). The OM ATTD of SYL, SOY, and PEA were not different (P &amp;lt; 0.0001) and were each lower than CKN (average of 89.60 vs. 91.16%, respectively). The CP ATTD for SYL (89.9%) was not different from the other three treatments (P = 0.0200). Crude fat ATTD of SYL was lower (92.52%; P &amp;lt; 0.0001) than all treatments with PEA being greatest (94.82%) and CKN and SOY intermediate (average of 93.84%). The SYL and CKN had higher TDF ATTD (average of 66.20%; P &amp;lt; 0.0001) relative to PEA and SOY (average of 49.79%). The GE ATTD of SYL was lower than CKN (90.18 vs. 90.97%, respectively; P = 0.0154) but similar to both SOY (90.18%) and PEA (90.30%). In conclusion, all diets were highly digestible but CKN preformed the best. The SYL diet was similar to CKN for ATTD of CP and TDF. The SYL diet was also similar to both SOY and PEA for ATTD of DM, OM, CP and GE.

Isolation and Characterization of High-Efficiency Rhizobia From Western Kenya Nodulating With Common Bean.

Common bean is one of the primary protein sources in third-world countries. They form nodules with nitrogen-fixing rhizobia, which have to be adapted to the local soils. Commercial rhizobial strains such as Rhizobium tropici CIAT899 are often used in agriculture. However, this strain failed to significantly increase the common bean yield in many places, including Kenya, due to the local soils’ low pH. We isolated two indigenous rhizobial strains from the nodules of common bean from two fields in Western Kenya that have never been exposed to commercial inocula. We then determined their ability to fix nitrogen in common beans, solubilize phosphorus, and produce indole acetic acid. In greenhouse experiments, common bean plants inoculated with two isolates, B3 and S2 in sterile vermiculite, performed better than those inoculated with CIAT899 or plants grown with nitrogen fertilizer alone. In contrast to CIAT899, both isolates grew in the media with pH 4.8. Furthermore, isolate B3 had higher phosphate solubilization ability and produced more indole acetic acid than the other two rhizobia. Genome analyses revealed that B3 and S2 are different strains of Rhizobium phaseoli. We recommend fieldwork studies in Kenyan soils to test the efficacy of the two isolates in the natural environment in an effort to produce inoculants specific for these soils.

Genetic mapping high protein content QTL from soybean \u2018Nanxiadou 25\u2019 and candidate gene analysis

BackgroundSoybean is a globally important legume crop that provides a primary source of high-quality vegetable protein and oil. Seed protein content (SPC) is a valuable quality trait controlled by multiple genes in soybean.ResultsIn this study, we performed quantitative trait loci (QTL) mapping, QTL-seq, and RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) to reveal the genes controlling protein content in the soybean by using the high protein content variety Nanxiadou 25. A total of 50 QTL for SPC distributed on 14 chromosomes except chromosomes 4, 12, 14, 17, 18, and 19 were identified by QTL mapping using 178 recombinant inbred lines (RILs). Among these QTL, the major QTL qSPC_20–1 and qSPC_20–2 on chromosome 20 were repeatedly detected across six tested environments, corresponding to the location of the major QTL detected using whole-genome sequencing-based QTL-seq. 329 candidate DEGs were obtained within the QTL region of qSPC_20–1 and qSPC_20–2 via gene expression profile analysis. Nine of which were associated with SPC, potentially representing candidate genes. Clone sequencing results showed that different single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and indels between high and low protein genotypes in Glyma.20G088000 and Glyma.16G066600 may be the cause of changes in this trait.ConclusionsThese results provide the basis for research on candidate genes and marker-assisted selection (MAS) in soybean breeding for seed protein content.

Will Cultivated Meat Take Over The Food Industry?

Ever since the corona virus pandemic began, a significant chunk of the world population has lost its life. But despite the enormous number of deaths the world has seen, its demand for food seems to be on the rise. The global health crisis has deteriorated the economies worldwide, causing people to lose their jobs at an unimaginable rate. With millions of people employed, the food insecurity graph is rapidly climbing.&#x0D; In October 2020, The UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) reported that food insecurity impacts more than 2 billion people, citing an increase of 10 million from October 2019. Suffice to say that the demand for food is climbing, and studies suggest that it will continue to grow, forcing the food industry to feed 10 billion mouths by 2050.&#x0D; And with meat being the primary source of protein, and in general, food, relying on industrial animal agriculture for meat products is getting more and more unsustainable. That is why many food manufacturers have developed environmentally sustainable ways to produce meat in a lab without harming the animals. The meat produced in an artificial environment is cultivated, cell-based, slaughter-free, cultured, cell-cultured, or clean meat. And by the looks of the food market, it seems that cultured meat will take over the entire industry in the future.&#x0D; Cultivated Meat: The Science &#x0D; The science behind cultured meat is pretty simple; experts cut out stem cells from an animal under anesthesia. The procured sample is then placed with nutrients, growth factors, salts, and pH buffers and left to proliferate. The resulting product is slaughter-free meat.&#x0D; Although the process of cultivating faux meat is slow, the industry is beginning to flourish at a remarkable rate.&#x0D; Figure 1.&#x0D; Red meat steak with red chilies and black peppers&#x0D; Staggering Stats&#x0D; Forbes has reported that the global cultivated meat market is expected to grow $15.5m by 2021 and $20m by 2027, and nearly 35% of all meat available in the market by 2040 will be cell-based.&#x0D; According to another study conducted by the Institute of the Future in Palo Alto, cultivated meat will be a standard product in supermarkets by 2023. Despite being a relatively recent synthetic product, cultured meat seems to be going mass-market quite early on in its life. It was only four years ago when an American company created quite a buzz producing meat-less, cell-based meatballs.&#x0D; The Beginning of Cell-Based Meat Industry&#x0D; The California-based company Memphis Meats introduced cultured meatballs four years ago as an alternative to real meat. Since then, the company has been working on mega projects to lunch cell-based meaton a much larger level worldwide. Memphis Meats’ CEO, Uma Valeti, is hell-bent on providing the world with slaughter-free meat to reduce the risk of heart disease and offer an affordable meat-like meat alternative. His corporation is currently working on a pilot plant to produce beef, chicken, and duck on a mass scale.&#x0D; Memphis Meat is not the only player in the market; many other cell-based meat manufacturing companies are also working to scale their businesses to boost supply. San-Francisco’s Artemys Foods, Berkely-based Mission Barns, and San Diego-based BlueNalu are all working on sustainable ways to supply cultivated meat, which includes fish and duck, to the growing world population.

Use of Legumes and Yeast as Novel Dietary Protein Sources in Extruded Canine Diets.

The popularity of plant-based protein sources has increased as consumer demand for grain-free and novel protein sources increase. Minimal research has been conducted as regards to use of legumes and yeast and their effects on acceptability and digestibility in canine diets. The objective of this study was to evaluate macronutrient apparent total tract digestibility (ATTD), gastrointestinal tolerance, and fermentative end-products in extruded, canine diets. Five diets were formulated to be isocaloric and isonitrogenous with either garbanzo beans (GBD), green lentils (GLD), peanut flour (PFD), dried yeast (DYD), or poultry by-product meal (CON) as the primary protein sources. Ten adult, intact, female beagles (mean age: 4.2 ± 1.1 yr, mean weight: 11.9 ± 1.3 kg) were used in a replicated, 5 × 5 Latin square design with 14 d periods. Each experimental period consisted of 10 d of diet adaptation, followed by 4 d of total fecal and urine collection. A fasted, 5 ml blood sample was collected at the end of each period and analyzed for serum metabolites and complete blood count. Serum metabolites were within normal ranges and all dogs remained healthy throughout the study. Fecal quality, evaluated on a 5-point scale, was considered ideal. Macronutrient ATTD was similar among dietary treatments, with diets highly digestible (>80%). Total fecal branched-chain fatty acid concentrations were highest (P < 0.05) for DYD (23.4 μmol/g) than GLD (16.1 μmol/g) and PFD (16.0 μmol/g) but not different (P > 0.05) than other treatments. The plant-based protein treatments had greater (P < 0.05) total fecal short chain fatty acid (SCFA) concentrations (average 627.6 μmol/g) compared with CON (381.1 μmol/g). Fecal butyrate concentration was highest (P < 0.05) for DYD than all other dietary treatments (103.9 μmol/g vs. average 46.2 μmol/g). Fecal microbial communities showed Firmicutes, Bacteroidetes, Fusobacteria, and Proteobacteria as abundant phyla. There was greater β-diversity for dogs fed DYD which differed from all other diets in both weighted and unweighted UNIFRAC analyses. Inclusion of these novel, plant-based, protein sources showed no detrimental effects on nutrient digestibility or fecal characteristics and represent viable protein sources in canine diets that can produce beneficial shifts in fecal metabolites.

In vitro exposure of magnesium oxide nanoparticles adversely affects the vegetative growth and biochemical parameters of black gram

Black gram and other legumes are one of the primary sources of protein in vegetarian diets. Present study documents the detrimental effects of in vitro exposed magnesium oxide nanoparticles (MgO NPs) on the black gram (Vigna mungo). The black gram exposed to 10, 50, 100, and 150 μg/ml of MgO NPs showed their enhanced toxicity in a concentration-dependent manner. A significant reduction of 27–59 % in root length, 10–26 % in antioxidant potential, 3–36 % in carbohydrate, and 4–33 % in protein accumulation were observed that proves the toxic behavior of MgO NPs. A similar reduction of 10–40 % in chlorophyll and 7–32 % in fresh biomass accumulation was evident. Likewise, 14–21 % reduced accumulation of the non-enzymatic antioxidants and 29, 67 % reduction in the enzyme activity of SOD and APX adversely affected the antioxidant potential of MgO NPs treated black gram. However, extrapolation of the revealed facts to other crops/ legumes is not possible. Hence, there is a need to evaluate the responses of other plants including legumes to MgO NPs exposure by in vitro as well as soil mediated exposure.

Pollen protein and lipid content influence resilience to insecticides in honey bees (Apis mellifera).

In honey bees (Apis mellifera), there is growing evidence that the impacts of multiple stressors can be mitigated by quality nutrition. Pollen, which is the primary source of protein and lipids in bees diets, is particularly critical for generating more resilient phenotypes. Here, we evaluate the relationship between pollen protein-to-lipid ratios (P:Ls) and honey bee insecticide resilience. We hypothesized that pollen diets richer in lipids would lead to increased survival in bees exposed to insecticides, as pollen-derived lipids have previously been shown to improve bee resilience to pathogens and parasites. Furthermore, lipid metabolic processes are altered in bees exposed to insecticides.We fed age-matched bees pollen diets of different P:Ls by altering a base pollen by either adding protein (casein powder) or lipids (canola oil) and simulating chronic insecticide exposure by feeding bees an organophosphate (Chlorpyrifos). We also tested pollen diets of naturally different P:Ls to determine if results are consistent. Linear regression analysis revealed that mean survival time for altered diets was best explained by protein concentration (p =0.04 , adjusted R2 =0.92), and that mean survival time for natural diets was best explained by P:L ratio (p =0.008 , adjusted R2 =0.93). Our results indicate that higher ratios of dietary protein to lipid has a negative effect on bee physiology when combined with insecticide exposure, while lower ratios have a positive effect. These results suggest that protein and lipid intake differentially influence insecticide response in bees, laying the groundwork for future studies of metabolic processes and development of improved diets.

A review on meat analogue: Is this time to see the algal proteins as a sustainable substitute for the meat proteins?

Meat has been produced in huge quantity every year and the demand for the same is rising exponentially. Developed countries in the west consume meat as a primary source of protein and nutrients. However, East and Asian countries also prefer eating meat as a part of their meal but on the side. Meat production has been increased considerably in the last 5 decades as the demand rose. Unfortunately, due to the mass production of meat, various problems have also been increased such as global warming, freshwater shortage, large land usage, deforestation, extinction of species, new zoonotic diseases, waste production etc. It is also expected that the demand for meat will increase in the coming decade. Some people are aware of the harmful effects however, the large population is still unaware of the truth. Meat analogues are one of the solutions to tackle this problem by providing the population with meat like alternative to eat. Meat analogues are considerably more sustainable than the meat itself. These are produced using various ingredients from different sources. Proteins of meat analogue are obtained from different plants such as soybean and legumes. Algal proteins are a rich source of nutrients and amino acids. It has all the physicochemical properties that are required to be utilized in a food component. In this paper, an idea has been proposed in which algal proteins can be utilized as a source of protein in preparation of meat analogues. However, some challenges need to be overcome before utilizing it, such as pigment color, thermal stability and off flavor. Some technologies also have been discussed in the paper that may be used to overcome these challenges. Moreover, the production of algal proteins is a costly affair and hence not gaining much interest as a reliable source of protein to bridge the protein gap in the diet of people.

Difference analysis of gut microbiota of golden pompano Trachinotus ovatus (Linnaeus, 1758) with the unsynchronized growth by feeding fermented soybean meal

Abstract Golden pompano (Trachinotus ovatus) is a commercially important marine fish and is widely cultured in the coastal area of South China. We explored the distribution difference of intestinal microflora with the same growth condition and the difference of gut microflora with different growth rates fed with fermented soybean meal (FSM) and fish meal (FM) primary protein source. After 8 weeks of the breeding experiment, select significant growth fish (Zcd, 156.04 ± 1.04 g) average growth fish (Zc, 120.01 ± 1.05 g) stagnant growth fish (Zcx, 98.03 ± 1.08 g) in FSM and select average growth fish (Dc, 158.03 ± 1.02 g) in FM. Sequencing results show that a total of 86303 sequences had been obtained in the intestine of Trachinotus ovatus. The number of OTUs that can be annotated to the database was 2315 (98.97%). At the phylum level, Proteobacteria, Tenericutes, Spirochaetes and Firmicutes were the predominant phyla. Alpha diversity and beta diversity analyses show that gut microbes’ richness and diversity in the Dc group were the highest. The diversity of gut microbiota in the FSM: Zc &gt; Zcd &gt;Zcx. At the genus classification level, the differences between FM and FSM were mainly in Gueglia, Grimontia, Klebsiella, Alistipes, Staphylococcus, and Parasutterella (p &lt;0.05). Alistipes and Staphylococcus were the different genera between Dc and Zcd (p &lt;0.05). We found significant differences in the relative abundance of Ruegeria between the Zc and Zcd groups. Also, significant differences were found in the distribution of Brevinema, Ruegeria, Unidentified-Lachnospiraceae, Blautia, and Bacteroides between Zc and Zcx groups. The results showed that fermented soybean meal had an essential effect on gut microflora of T. ovatus with the unsynchronized growth.

Report of a Pilot Program Using a Milk-Free Ready-to-Use Therapeutic Food Made From Soya, Maize, and Sorghum to Treat Severe Acute Malnutrition.

Globally, ready-to-use therapeutic food (RUTF) with peanut and milk as the primary source of protein is used to treat children having severe acute malnutrition (SAM). Valid Nutrition in collaboration with Ajinomoto Co., Inc has developed a nonmilk RUTF from soybean, maize, and sorghum (SMS-RUTF) and demonstrated its efficacy. To pilot SMS-RUTF in treatment of SAM within Community-Based Management of Acute Malnutrition (CMAM) program in Malawi, Africa. This was implemented from January to July 2018 and its performance was based on the SPHERE criteria and Ministry of Health CMAM guidelines. A total of 742 children were treated with SMS-RUTF. Of these, 94.5% (95% CI: 92.6-96.0) were successfully discharged to supplementary feeding program (SFP) with middle upper arm circumference (MUAC) ≥115 mm or directly to their homes with MUAC ≥125 mm; 3.6% (95% CI: 2.4-5.3) defaulted, 1.9 % (95% CI: 1.0-2.1) died, and 0.0% nonresponders. Analysis of 222 children who were discharged home with MUAC ≥125 mm gave a recovery rate of 88.3% (95% CI: 88.3-92.2), a defaulter rate of 6.8 % (95% CI: 3.8-10.9), a mortality rate of 1.3% (95% CI: 0.3-3.9), and a nonresponders rate of 1.8% (95% CI: 0.5-4.5). These outcomes exceed SPHERE minimum performance standards. The mean (standard deviation) length of stay of children discharged to SFP and discharged directly home were 42.0 (20.9) and 46.1 (21.1) days, respectively. These outcomes are within the recommended average duration of <60 days. The pilot CMAM program using SMS-RUTF recipe that contains no milk or peanuts achieved SPHERE minimum standards. Based on this evidence, SMS-RUTF should be encouraged for treatment of SAM in children between 6 and 59 months in routine CMAM programs in Malawi and globally.

Acoustic Telemetry Monitors Movements of Wild Adult Catfishes in the Mekong River, Thailand and Laos

Research on fish movement and habitat use in large tropical rivers is urgently needed to protect fisheries that are a primary source of protein for millions of people. In this pilot study, acoustic telemetry was used to monitor movements of wild catfishes in a 94.6 rkm reach of Mekong River, where it functions as the border between Thailand and Lao People’s Democratic Republic (PDR). Twenty fish were tagged and released in May 2006 and monitored through May 2007 with 17 fixed-site acoustic receivers. Ten receivers had detection probabilities ranging from 0.67 to 1.00, and five receivers had detection probabilities of 0.50 or less. Detection probability was not correlated with river width. Eighteen (90%) of the tagged fish were detected by at least one receiver. Monitoring durations of individual fish ranged from 0.1 to 354.4 days. The longest total movement was 88.3 rkm, while the longest upstream movement was 52.1 rkm. Movement rates ranged from 0.1 to 156.7 rkm/d. This work provided preliminary data on movement patterns of wild Mekong catfishes. The methods and lessons learned from this study can be used for future positional telemetry research to address management-relevant uncertainties about migration corridors, habitat use, efficacy of fish reserves, and river development planning.

Associations of prenatal methylmercury exposure and maternal polyunsaturated fatty acid status with neurodevelopmental outcomes at 7 years of age: results from the Seychelles Child Development Study Nutrition Cohort 2

Fish is a primary source of protein and n-3 PUFA but also contains methylmercury (MeHg), a naturally occurring neurotoxicant to which, at sufficient exposure levels, the developing fetal brain is particularly sensitive. To examine the association between prenatal MeHg and maternal status of n-3 and n-6 PUFA with neurodevelopment, and to determine whether PUFA might modify prenatal MeHg associations with neurodevelopment. We examined the Seychelles Child Development Study Nutrition Cohort 2 (NC2) at age 7 y. We used a sophisticated and extensive neurodevelopmental test battery that addressed 17 specific outcomes in multiple neurodevelopmental domains: cognition, executive and psychomotor function, language development, behavior, scholastic achievement, and social communication. Analyses were undertaken on 1237 mother-child pairs with complete covariate data (after exclusions) and a measure of at least 1 outcome. We examined the main and interactive associations of prenatal MeHg exposure (measured as maternal hair mercury) and prenatal PUFA status (measured in maternal serum at 28 weeks' gestation) on child neurodevelopmental outcomes using linear regression models. We applied the Bonferroni correction to account for multiple comparisons and considered P values<0.0029 to be statistically significant. Prenatal MeHg exposure and maternal DHA and arachidonic acid (20:4n-6) (AA) status were not significantly associated with any neurodevelopmental outcomes. Findings for 4 outcomes encompassing executive function, cognition, and linguistic skills suggested better performance with an increasing maternal n-6:n-3 PUFA ratio (P values ranging from 0.004 to 0.05), but none of these associations were significant after adjusting for multiple comparisons. No significant interaction between MeHg exposure and PUFA status was present. Our findings do not support an association between prenatal MeHg exposure or maternal DHA and AA status with neurodevelopmental outcomes at age 7 y. The roles of n-6 and n-3 PUFA in child neurodevelopment need further research.

Estimating the Net Energy Value of Expelled, Extruded Soybean Meal When Fed to Nursery Pigs

Solvent-extracted soybean meal (SSBM) is typically used as the primary protein source in swine diets in the United States. Mechanically extracted or expelled soybean meal (MSBM) typically has increased concentrations of fat and decreased concentrations of essential AA compared to SSBM, but MSBM has been demonstrated to have improved AA digestibility. This study aimed to estimate the NE value of MSBM relative to SSBM and to determine its effects on growth performance of late nursery pigs. A total of 297 pigs (241 × 600, DNA) were weaned (BW 11.2 lb) and placed into 60 pens (2 rooms of 30 pens) with 5 pigs per pen balanced by gender and weaning weight. Pigs were fed a common diet for 21 days. Then, pens of pigs (BW 20.7 lb) were randomly assigned to one of five treatments to provide 12 replications per treatment. Treatments consisted of increasing amounts of MSBM replacing SSBM in the diet (0, 25, 50, 75, and 100%). All diets were fed for 28 days and were formulated to 1.30% standardized ileal digestible lysine, and met or exceeded NRC2 recommendations for Lys:AA, Ca, and P. The SSBM has an NRC2 NE value of 946 kcal/lb and the 0% MSBM diet was formulated to 1091 kcal/lb and NE was not balanced between diets. Analyzed values for CP, ether extract, crude fiber, and total Lys for the SSBM were 47.28%, 0.47%, 3.80%, and 3.00%, respectively, while the MSBM contained 47.41%, 6.88%, 5.32%, and 2.99% respectively. The MSBM had increased values for KOH solubility and trypsin inhibitor (83.62 and 7026 TIU/g, respectively) compared to the SSBM (73.05 and 3011 TIU/g, respectively) while urease activity was similar between the two (0.03 vs. 0.02 Δ pH, respectively). Data were analyzed using PROC GLIMMIX (SAS v. 9.4) with pen as the experimental unit and room as the blocking factor. There was no evidence of differences in ADG and ADFI in pigs fed diets with increasing concentrations of MSBM. Pigs fed diets with increasing concentrations of MSBM had improved (linear, P < 0.001) F/G and caloric efficiency on an NE basis. In conclusion, using caloric efficiency to estimate NE of the MSBM relative to SSBM, MSBM was estimated to have a value of 123% of SSBM NE or 1,164 kcal/lb. This increase in NE resulted in improved feed efficiency of nursery pigs.