Lipidomics of the Edible Brown Alga Wakame (Undaria pinnatifida) by Liquid Chromatography Coupled to Electrospray Ionization and Tandem Mass Spectrometry.

The lipidome of a brown seaweed commonly known as wakame (Undaria pinnatifida), which is grown and consumed around the world, including Western countries, as a healthy nutraceutical food or supplement, was here extensively examined. The study was focused on the characterization of phospholipids (PL) and glycolipids (GL) by liquid chromatography (LC), either hydrophilic interaction LC (HILIC) or reversed-phase LC (RPLC), coupled to electrospray ionization (ESI) and mass spectrometry (MS), operated both in high and in low-resolution mode. Through the acquisition of single (MS) and tandem (MS/MS) mass spectra more than 200 PL and GL of U. pinnatifida extracts were characterized in terms of lipid class, fatty acyl (FA) chain composition (length and number of unsaturations), and regiochemistry, namely 16 SQDG, 6 SQMG, 12 DGDG, 5 DGMG, 29 PG, 8 LPG, 19 PI, 14 PA, 19 PE, 8 PE, 38 PC, and 27 LPC. The FA (C16:0) was the most abundant saturated acyl chain, whereas the monounsaturated C18:1 and the polyunsaturated C18:2 and C20:4 chains were the prevailing ones. Odd-numbered acyl chains, iJ., C15:0, C17:0, C19:0, and C19:1, were also recognized. While SQDG exhibited the longest and most unsaturated acyl chains, C18:1, C18:2, and C18:3, in the sn-1 position of glycerol, they were preferentially located in the sn-2 position in the case of PL. The developed analytical approach might pave the way to extend lipidomic investigations also for other edible marine algae, thus emphasizing their potential role as a source of bioactive lipids.

Potential Benefits of Bovine Colostrum in Pediatric Nutrition and Health.

Bovine colostrum (BC), the first milk produced from cows after parturition, is increasingly used as a nutritional supplement to promote gut function and health in other species, including humans. The high levels of whey and casein proteins, immunoglobulins (Igs), and other milk bioactives in BC are adapted to meet the needs of newborn calves. However, BC supplementation may improve health outcomes across other species, especially when immune and gut functions are immature in early life. We provide a review of BC composition and its effects in infants and children in health and selected diseases (diarrhea, infection, growth-failure, preterm birth, necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC), short-bowel syndrome, and mucositis). Human trials and animal studies (mainly in piglets) are reviewed to assess the scientific evidence of whether BC is a safe and effective antimicrobial and immunomodulatory nutritional supplement that reduces clinical complications related to preterm birth, infections, and gut disorders. Studies in infants and animals suggest that BC should be supplemented at an optimal age, time, and level to be both safe and effective. Exclusive BC feeding is not recommended for infants because of nutritional imbalances relative to human milk. On the other hand, adverse effects, including allergies and intolerance, appear unlikely when BC is provided as a supplement within normal nutrition guidelines for infants and children. Larger clinical trials in infant populations are needed to provide more evidence of health benefits when patients are supplemented with BC in addition to human milk or formula. Igs and other bioactive factors in BC may work in synergy, making it critical to preserve bioactivity with gentle processing and pasteurization methods. BC has the potential to become a safe and effective nutritional supplement for several pediatric subpopulations.

Characterization of Glucuronosyl-diacyl/monoacylglycerols and Discovery of Their Acylated Derivatives in Tomato Lipid Extracts by Reversed-Phase Liquid Chromatography with Electrospray Ionization and Tandem Mass Spectrometry.

Glucuronic acid containing diacylglycerols (3-(O-α-d-glucuronopyranosyl)-1,2-diacyl-sn-glycerols, GlcA-DAG) are glycolipids of plant membranes especially formed under phosphate-depletion conditions. An analytical approach for the structural characterization of GlcA-DAG in red ripe tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) extracts, based on reversed-phase liquid chromatography (RPLC) coupled with electrospray ionization (ESI) and tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS) using a linear ion trap, is described in this paper. At least 14 GlcA-DAG (R1/R2) species, including four regioisomers, containing three predominant fatty acyl chains C16:0, C18:2, and C18:3, were identified for the first time. Moreover, 29 GlcA-DAG acylated on the glucuronosyl ring (acyl-R3 GlcA-DAG) were discovered, alongside 15 acylated lyso-forms, i.e., acylated 3-(O-α-d-glucuronosyl)monoacylglycerols, abbreviated as acyl-R3 GlcA-MAG (R1/0) or (0/R2). Although many of these acylated lyso-forms were isomeric with GlcA-DAG (i.e., acyl chains with equivalent sum composition), they were successfully separated by reversed-phase liquid chromatography (RPLC) using a solid-core C18 column packed with 2.6 µm particle size. Tandem MS (and eventually MS3) data obtained from sodium adducts ([M + Na]+) and deprotonated molecules ([M - H]-) were fundamental to detect diagnostic product ions related to the glucuronosyl ring and then determine the identity of all investigated glycolipids, especially to recognize the acyl chain linked to the ring. A classification of GlcA-MAG, GlcA-DAG, and acylated GlcA-DAG and GlcA-MAG was generated by an in house-built database. The discovery of acylated derivatives emphasized the already surprising heterogeneity of glucuronic acid-containing mono- and diacylglycerols in tomato plants, stimulating interesting questions on the role played by these glycolipids.

Surface-assisted Laser Desorption/ionization Mass Spectrometry Analysis of the Glycolipid Biosurfactants, Mannosylerythritol Lipids, Using an Ionization-assisting Substrate.

Matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) is a promising tool for the screening of glycolipid-type biosurfactants (BSs) from a crude extract of microbial products. However, it is unsuitable for the detection of lower molecular weight products because the observed ions are overlapped with matrix-derived ions at lower mass range. In this study, we applied a "matrix-free" surface-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry (SALDI-MS) analysis using a through-hole alumina membrane as an ionization-assisting substrate. Using this method, we could detect a variety of lower molecular weight products in an extract of a glycolipid BS producer with good sensitivity. In addition, the culture solution could be analyzed directly by this method.

Milk fat globule membrane in infant nutrition: a dairy industry perspective.

This review provides an overview of the composition, structure, and biological activities of milk fat globule membrane (MFGM) compounds with focus on the future application of this compound as a food ingredient. MFGM is a particular component of mammalian milks and is comprised of a tri-layer of polar lipids, glycolipids and proteins. In recent years, MFGM has been extensively studied for the purpose of enhancing the efficacy of infant nutrition formula. For example, infant formulas supplemented with bovine MFGM have shown promising results with regard to neurodevelopment and defense against infections. Components of MFGM have been shown to present several health benefits as the proteins of the membrane have shown antiviral activity and a reduction in the incidence of diarrhea. Moreover, the presence of sphingomyelin, a phospholipid, implies beneficial effects on human health such as enhanced neuronal development in infants and the protection of neonates from bacterial infections. The development of a lipid that is similar to human milk fat would represent a significant advance for the infant formula industry and would offer high technology formulas for those infants that depend on infant formula. The complexity of the structure of MFGM and its nutritional and technological properties is critically examined in this review with a focus on issues relevant to the dairy industry.

Investigation on spectral and biomedical characterization of rhamnolipid from a marine associated bacterium Pseudomonas aeruginosa (DKB1).

Bio-surfactants are a principal group of significant molecules obtained from the microbial sources expressed with distinctive characteristics like biodegradation of hydrocarbons and also have different biomedical properties. The present investigation aims to assess the biomedical properties of synthesized bio-surfactant, rhamnolipid from Pseudomonas aeruginosa (DKB1) under in vitro conditions. The candidate bacterium P. aeruginosa (DKB1) was isolated from oil-polluted fishing harbors of Kanyakumari coast. Initially, the bio-surfactant production by this candidate strain was confirmed by oil displacement assay, hemolytic assay, drop collapse assay and emulsification index. Further, the production of bio-surfactant was achieved through submerged fermentation process using Bushnell-Haas mineral salts medium supplemented with 2% olive oil. The yield of the bio-surfactant was attained as 2.4 g/l and confirmed as rhamnolipid through blue agar plate assay; further, the extracted rhamnolipid was purified and characterized through standard procedures. In stability studies, the rhamnolipid could withstand up to pH 12, temperature 100 °C and 15% of NaCl concentration. The biomedical application of rhamnolipid (30 µg ml-1) was determined by antibacterial, antioxidant and cytotoxic studies. It exhibited a maximum growth inhibition against Bacillus subtilis (26 mm) with the MIC value of 8 µg ml-1. In antioxidant test, rhamnolipid expressed significant (P < 0.0001) inhibition of total reducing power (44.11%), DPPH activity (61.60%), hydroxyl radical (83.30%) and nitric oxide (51.86%) scavenging ability at 100 µg ml-1with the respective IC50 values of 130.50, 77.18, 52.08 and 95.43 µg ml-1. The anticancer activity of the rhamnolipid was assessed with the help of MTT test against MCF-7, HT-29 and E-143 cancer cell lines individually, and the viability of the cells was observed, respectively, as 10.24, 17.66 and 13.50% at 250 µg ml-1concentration with the respective IC50 values of 140.2, 81.02 and 138.9 µg ml-1. From the results, it could be concluded that the rhamnolipid produced by P. aeruginosa (DKB1) isolated from oil-polluted area has effective biomedical properties.

Short communication: A decrease in diameter of milk fat globules accompanies milk fat depression induced by conjugated linoleic acid supplementation in lactating dairy cows.

Milk fat is secreted from the mammary gland in the form of milk fat globules (MFG). Although milk fat depression has been studied since the beginning of the last century, the extent to which this phenomenon alters MFG synthesis is not fully understood. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) on the size and distribution of MFG during milk fat depression in dairy cows. Twelve Holstein cows in mid lactation (145 ± 31 d in milk, 583 ± 34.6 kg of body weight, and 27.2 ± 2.4 kg of milk/d) were randomly assigned to a control diet or control plus Ca-protected CLA at 15 g/kg of dry matter for a 6-d period. The average diameter and particle size distribution of MFG were measured using a Mastersizer 3000 laser particle size analyzer (Malvern Instruments Ltd., Malvern, UK). Feeding CLA did not affect dry matter intake (16.2 ± 0.4 kg/d), milk production (28.4 ± 0.4 kg/d), milk protein, or lactose, but it decreased milk fat content (3.46 vs. 2.52%). In addition, surface area-related mean diameter of fat globules in cows fed CLA was lower compared with controls (3.02 vs. 3.45 µm). The percentage of large fat globules decreased and that of small fat globules increased in response to CLA. Overall, the data suggest that the milk fat depression induced by CLA is accompanied by a decrease in average diameter of MFG.

Energy balance in lactating goats: Response to mixture of conjugated linoleic acid.

The objective of this study was to determine the energy balance in early lactating local goats when supplemented with conjugated linoleic acid. Fifteen local goats from the north-east of Mexico were used. Three treatments were evaluated: (a) Control (Base diet); (b) CLA 50 g; and (c) CLA 90 g. The CLA was a mixture of micro-encapsulated FA, which supplied c9, t11 and t10, c12. Goats had an adaptation period of 2 weeks and 7 experimental weeks. The variables evaluated were body weight, DMI, milk yield, and fat, protein, and lactose yield, FA milk profile, and energy balance. The analysis of the data was analyzed as repeated measures using the PROC MIXED procedure and Tukey test (p < .05). In milk of goats from the treatment 90 g of the isomer t10, c12 CLA (p < .05) the milk fat content and milk fat yield with respect to the control treatment were reduced and the energy balance was improved. In goats treated with 11 g of t10, c12 CLA increased (p < .05) milk yield and milk lactose content. These results suggest that energy not used to synthesize dairy fat was used to increase milk yield and improve energy balance.

Effects of feeding a quebracho-chestnut tannin extract on lactating cow performance and nitrogen utilization efficiency.

The effects of feeding a quebracho-chestnut tannin extract mixture on performance and nitrogen (N) utilization were assessed with 36 multiparous lactating Holstein cows (mean ± standard deviation; 706 ± 59 kg of body weight; 126 ± 20 d in milk) randomly assigned to 3 dietary treatments in a randomized complete block design. Following a 2-wk covariate adjustment period, cows were fed their assigned treatment diets for 13 wk. Rice hulls were removed from a total mixed ration with a 54:46 forage:concentrate ratio (% of dry matter; DM), and a tannin extract mixture from quebracho and chestnut trees (2:1 ratio) was included at 0, 0.45, and 1.80% of dietary DM. There was no interaction between dietary treatments and experimental week for the reported measurements except milk lactose percentage. Overall, treatments did not affect milk yield (48.6 ± 7.8 kg/d), fat- and protein-corrected milk (46.1 ± 7.6 kg/d), milk fat content (3.88 ± 0.65%) and yield (1.85 ± 0.38 kg/d), and true protein yield (1.45 ± 0.21 kg/d). However, incremental levels of tannin extracts in the diet produced a linear increase in DM intake (29.2 to 30.9 kg/d) and a linear decrease in kilograms of milk per kilogram of DM intake (1.67 to 1.57 kg/kg) and MUN (12.2 to 10.8 mg/dL). Furthermore, there was a quadratic effect of tannin extracts on milk true protein content (2.96, 3.13, and 3.00% for 0, 0.45, and 1.80% tannin extract, respectively) and a tendency for linear and quadratic response for body weight gain (0.31, 0.16, and 0.44 kg/d for 0, 0.45, and 1.80% tannin, respectively). Intake of N increased linearly (782, 795, and 820 g/d) and N utilization efficiency (milk N/intake N) decreased linearly (0.300, 0.301, and 0.275 for 0, 0.45, and 1.80% tannin, respectively). Relative to the 0% diet, 1.80% tannin extract reduced estimated urinary N excretion by 11%. In this study, adding 0.45% tannin extract to the diet reduced feed efficiency but had a positive effect on milk protein content. Feeding a tannin extract mixture from quebracho and chestnut may reduce environmental labile urinary N excretion without affecting milk yield but at the expense of a lower feed utilization efficiency.

Effect of stearic or oleic acid on milk performance and energy partitioning when fed in diets with low and high rumen-active unsaturated fatty acids in early lactation.

This experiment was conducted to determine the effects of stearic acid (SA; C18:0) or rumen-protected oleic acid (OA; C18:1 cis-9) on milk performance and energy partitioning of early lactation cows when supplemented in diets with low and high level of rumen unsaturated fatty acids (RUFA). In low RUFA experiment (LRUFA), FA supplement rich in either SA or calcium salts OA was added to a basal diet with a low concentration of RUFA (0.75% vs. 1.4%, LRUFA-SA vs. LRUFA-OA). In high RUFA experiment (HRUFA), 2% soybean oil was added to the diet fed in the LRUFA experiment. In each experiment, 30 multiparous cows were blocked by parity and predicted transmitting ability for milk yield and were randomly fed 1 of 2 treatment diets from 2 to 13 wk postpartum. In the LRUFA experiment, LRUFA-SA had 2.4 kg/d more dry matter intake (DMI) (P < 0.01), 3.8 kg/d more energy-corrected milk (P < 0.01), and 0.3% units more milk fat percentage (P < 0.01) and 0.2 kg/d more milk fat yield (P < 0.01). Dietary treatments did not affect body weight, energy balance, and energy intake partitioning into milk, maintenance, and body tissues (P > 0.1). In the HRUFA experiment, HRUFA-SA had 1.4 kg/d more DMI (P = 0.03) but similar milk and milk components yields (P > 0.1). HRUFA-SA had a tendency to gain more body weight (P = 0.07) and had more positive energy balance (P = 0.01) and decreased gross feed efficiency (milk yield/DMI) (P = 0.01). Consistently, HRUFA-SA increased intake energy partitioning into body tissues (P = 0.02) and decreased energy partitioning into milk (P = 0.01). In summary, SA supplementation had more DMI relative to OA, but the effects on milk and milk fat production were different and affected by the level of RUFA in the basal diet. In application, SA supplementation was more effective to improve milk production when included in the basal diet with the low RUFA.

Microbial Surfactants: Alternative to Vegetable Oil Surfactants.

Biosurfactants, surface active molecules synthesized by microorganisms, represent a promising alternative to the synthetic surfactants in many different applications. Among them, rhamnolipids have attracted considerable attention in the last years due to their extraordinary surface-active properties and biological activities. Rhamnolipids are usually synthesized by the gram-negative bacterium Pseudomonas aeruginosa as complex mixtures of different congeners. In this chapter, we describe the most common techniques that can be used for the production, recovery and purification of rhamnolipids, using two sequential chromatographic techniques to recover and separate the monorhamnolipid and dirhamnolipid congeners.

The effects of cereal type and α-tocopherol level on milk production, milk composition, rumen fermentation, and nitrogen excretion of spring-calving dairy cows in late lactation.

Grass-based production systems use concentrate supplementation primarily when pasture quality and availability have declined. Barley is a common concentrate ingredient; however, oat grain grows well in Ireland, is a source of lipids and fiber, and may provide an alternative to barley. The antioxidant α-tocopherol (α-TOC) plays a role in cell membrane structure, and it has the potential to improve tight junction structures of the mammary gland that deteriorate in late lactation. The objective of this research was to investigate the effect of cereal type and α-TOC level on milk yield, milk composition, rumen fermentation, and N excretion in late-lactation dairy cows at pasture and when housed indoors on grass silage. Forty-eight Holstein Friesian dairy cows were blocked on days in milk (+185 d in milk) and balanced for parity, pre-experimental milk yield, milk composition, and body condition score and assigned to 1 of 4 dietary treatments in a randomized complete block design (n = 12). The dietary treatments were control (C) base diet; base diet + barley-based concentrate + low α-TOC (350 IU/kg) (B); base diet + oat-based concentrate + low α-TOC (350 IU/kg) (O); and base diet + oat-based concentrate + high α-TOC (1,050 IU/kg) (O+T). Following a 14-d acclimation period, diets were offered for a 49-d experimental period at pasture (P1) and a 21-d experimental period indoors (P2). The base diet was grazed grass in P1 and grass silage in P2. In P2, cows on C also received 2.65 kg (dry matter) of a standard concentrate. In P1, supplementation increased milk and milk solids yield (B: 20.7 kg/d, 1.74 kg/d; O: 20.6 kg/d, 1.81 kg/d; O+T: 20.5 kg/d, 1.77 kg/d, respectively) compared with C (17.8 kg/d, 1.60 kg/d). Cows offered B had a lower milk fat (4.60%) concentration than C (5.00%) and O (4.90%). In P2, cereal type and α-TOC level did not alter milk production. In conclusion, concentrate supplementation increased milk and milk solids yield and cows offered O had a higher milk fat concentration than cows offered B. Increasing the level of α-TOC had no major effect on production parameters measured in P1 or in P2.

Effects of Mn supplementation in late-gestating and lactating red deer (Cervus elaphus hispanicus) on milk production, milk composition, and calf growth.

This study describes the effects of Mn supplementation of 20 late-gestating and lactating Iberian red deer (Cervus elaphus hispanicus) females (hinds) fed a balanced diet on milk production and milk composition over the lactation period. Body weight of their calves at birth and at weaning was also evaluated. In addition, the effect of lactation stage was studied. For these purposes, 2 groups of hinds, one composed by 12 individuals (experimental) and the other by 8 individuals (control) were compared. Experimental hinds were s.c. injected weekly with Mn (2 mg Mn/kg BW) from day 140 of gestation until the end of lactation (week 18; forced weaning by physical separation). Control hinds were injected with a physiological saline solution with the same volume and at the same frequency as the experimental group. Serum Mn content of hinds was assessed just before the first Mn injection and at week 10 of lactation to assess whether the injected Mn increased Mn concentrations in blood. No differences were observed for BW of calves at birth but calves whose mothers were injected with Mn tended (P = 0.07) to have greater gain of BW from birth to weaning in proportion of BW at birth compared to calves from control hinds. In addition, supplementation with Mn increased (P ≤ 0.05) daily milk production by 10.2%, milk fat content by 11.2%, and total fat yield by 17.8%. Also, milk from hinds supplemented with Mn had more Ca (P < 0.001) and P (P < 0.05) than milk from control hinds. Manganese supplementation did not influence Mn serum content when blood was analyzed at week 10 of lactation, but increased the Mn content of milk by 18.3% (P < 0.001). Lactation stage affected (P < 0.001) fat, protein, lactose, and DM. Their contents increased as lactation proceeded, and protein was substituted by fat. Therefore, results suggest that Mn supplementation of hinds is recommended, even when they are fed a balanced diet, to increase milk production and the content of fat, Ca, P, and Mn of milk.

Short- and longer-term effects of feeding increased metabolizable protein with or without an altered amino acid profile to dairy cows immediately postpartum.

The first few weeks after parturition is marked by low, but increasing feed intake and sharply increasing milk production by dairy cows. Because of low intake, the nutrient density of the diet may need to be higher during this period to support increasing milk yields. We hypothesized that feeding higher levels of metabolizable protein (MP) or a protein supplement with rumen-protected lysine and methionine during the immediate postpartum period would increase yields of milk and milk components. Fifty-six Holstein cows (21 primiparous and 35 multiparous) starting at 3 d in milk were used in a randomized block design. In phase 1 (3 through 23 d in milk), cows were fed 1 of 3 diets that differed in supply of MP and AA profile. At 23 d in milk, all cows were moved to a common freestall pen and fed the control diet used in phase 1 for an additional 63 d (phase 2). Diets were formulated using the National Research Council model and were control [16.5% crude protein (CP), 10.9% rumen-degradable protein (RDP), and 5.6% rumen-undegradable protein (RUP)], high MP (HMP; 18.5% CP, 11.6% RDP, 6.9% RUP), and AA (MPAA; 17.5% CP, 10.5% RDP, 7.0% RUP 29.7). The MPAA diet included a proprietary spray-dried blood meal product (Perdue Agribusiness, Salisbury, MD) and contained a model-estimated 7.2 and 2.6% of digestible lysine and methionine (% of MP). The HMP and control diets contained 6.3 and 6.7% digestible lysine and both had 1.8% digestible methionine. In phase 1, diet did not affect milk yield (33.6, 34.7, and 33.2 kg for control, HMP, and MPAA, respectively), dry matter intake (17.8, 18.0, and 18.5 kg/d for control, HMP, and MPAA), or milk protein yield (1.07 kg/d). Feeding additional protein (HMP or MPAA) increased both the concentration and yield of milk fat, and milk protein concentration was greater (3.30 vs. 3.17%) for MPAA compared with the HMP diet. Energy-corrected milk was greater (38.4 and 38.6 vs. 35.3 kg/d, respectively) for MPAA and HP than for the control. Cows fed MPAA had the greatest plasma concentrations of Met and the lowest concentrations of isoleucine, but lysine was not affected by treatment. Feeding additional MP (HMP or MPAA) reduced the concentrations of 3-methylhistidine in plasma, indicating reduced muscle breakdown. Diet effects on milk composition continued after cows were changed to a common diet in that cows fed MPAA the first 3 wk of lactation had greater concentration of milk protein for the entire experiment than cows fed HMP, and cows fed additional MP (HMP and MPAA) during phase 1 had greater concentrations of milk fat for the entire experiment. Increasing dietary protein and AA supply in early lactation had short-term effects on yield of energy-corrected milk and long-term effects on milk composition.

Phytochemical analysis of the ethanolic extract of Agathis robusta (C. Moore ex F. Muell.) F.M. Bailey.

This work reports the phytochemical analysis of the ethanolic extract obtained from the leaves of Agathis robusta (C. Moore ex F. Muell.) F.M. Bailey. The methodology utilised during this study comprised classical chromatographic and spectroscopic techniques. Six compounds were identified: agathisflavone (1), 7″-O-methyl-agathisflavone (2), cupressuflavone (3), rutin (4), shikimic acid (5) and (2S)-1,2-Di-O-[(9Z,12Z,15Z)-octadeca-9,12,15-trienoyl]-3-O-ß-d-galactopyranosyl glycerol (6). These belong to four major classes of natural compounds: bi-flavonoids (1-3); diglycosidic flavonoids (4); cycloexen-carboxylic acids (5); glycerol-glycolipids (6). To the best of our knowledge, compounds (3-6) were identified for the first time in this study as constituents of A. robusta. Anyway, the majority of these compounds has chemotaxonomic relevance and is mostly in accordance with the current botanical classification of this species. Moreover, they also present several pharmacological properties among which, the antibacterial, anti-inflammatory and protective ones are the most important and may explain why this species is used in the ethno-medicinal field.

Effects of feeding sodium stearoyl-2-lactylate diets to lactating sows on performance, digestibility of nutrients, composition, and fat globule size in milk.

The objective of this study was to determine the effects of feeding sodium stearoyl-2-lactylate (SSL) as a new feeding emulsifier diet with and without soybean oil (SO) on the milk fat globule (MFG) size, milk composition, digestibility of nutrients, and performance in lactating sows. Sixty sows (Large White × Landrace) were randomly assigned to 1 of 4 treatments according to a 2 × 2 factorial arrangement of treatments. Each treatment had 15 replicates composed of 1 sow. The factors included 1) the fat level (0% vs. 3% SO) and 2) the emulsifier content (0% vs. 0.1% SSL). Treatments included 1) Control (without SO and SSL), 2) SO (3% SO without SSL), 3) SSL (0.1% SSL without SO), and 4) SO + SSL (3% SO and 0.1% SSL). During the suckling period, sows in the SO + SSL group lost less back fat thickness ( < 0.05) compared to other groups; sows fed 3% SO diets consumed less feed ( < 0.05) compared to sows fed diets without SO, but there were no significant effects ( > 0.05) of dietary fat and its interaction with a dietary emulsifier on energy intake and the weaning-estrus interval. The digestibility of ether extract in the SO + SSL group was greater than in the SO group ( < 0.05). Moreover, greater digestibility of CP, Ca, and P in the SO+SSL group was observed compared to that of other groups ( < 0.05). Feeding the SO + SSL diet improved the concentrations of milk fat, protein, and total solids on d 11 of lactation compared to other diets ( < 0.05). Also, an interaction between supplemental SSL and SO was observed for the milk fat and total solids concentrations. The average diameter of MFG on d 11 of lactation was significantly decreased by the addition of 0.1% SSL compared to a diet with no SSL supplementation ( < 0.05). No significant differences among the dietary treatments were observed in cholesterol, triglyceride, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, or low-density lipoprotein cholesterol in sows' plasma ( > 0.05). In conclusion, feeding a 0.1% SSL diet to lactating sows may decrease the average diameter of MFG and improve the digestibility of nutrients and composition of milk.

Impact of Lipid Components and Emulsifiers on Plant Sterols Bioaccessibility from Milk-Based Fruit Beverages.

Sterol bioaccessibility (BA) of three plant sterol (PS)-enriched milk-based fruit beverages (MFb) with different fat contents (1.1-2.4%), lipid sources (animal or vegetable), and without or with emulsifiers (whey proteins enriched with milk fat globule membrane (MFGM) or soy lecithin) was evaluated after simulated gastrointestinal digestion. The BA of total PS followed the order 31.4% (MFbM containing milk fat and whey proteins enriched with MFGM) = 28.2% (MFbO containing extra virgin olive oil and soy lecithin) > 8.7% (MFb without fat addition). Total and individual PS content in the bioaccessible fractions followed the order MFbM > MFbO > MFb. Consequently, formulation with MFGM is proposed in beverages of this kind to ensure optimum bioavailability of PS. Our results suggest that the BA of PS is influenced by the type and quantity of fat and the emulsifier type involved.

Composition and microstructure of colostrum and mature bovine milk fat globule membrane.

The microstructures of colostrum and mature bovine milk fat globule membrane (MFGM) were investigated using confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) at different temperatures, and the relationships between microstructure variations and the chemical compositions of the MFGM were also examined. Using a fluorophore-labeled phospholipid probe, we found that non-fluorescent domains on the MFGM were positively correlated with the amount of sphingomyelin at both room (20 °C) and physiological (37 °C) temperatures. However, at the storage temperature (4 °C), there were more non-fluorescent domains on the MFGM. These results indicate that the heterogeneities in the MFGM are most likely to be the result of the lateral segregation of sphingomyelin at the room and physiological temperatures, and at the storage temperature, phospholipids with saturated fatty acids affect the formation of these domains.

Cupriavidus yeoncheonense sp. nov., isolated from soil of ginseng.

A novel bacterial strain, DCY86(T) (=KCTC 42053(T) = JCM 19890(T)) was isolated from soil of a ginseng field in Yeoncheon province (38°04'00″N 126°57'00″E), Republic of Korea using a serial dilution method. Strain DCY86(T) was observed to be Gram-stain negative, strictly aerobic, to grow optimally at 25-30 °C, at pH 7-7.5 and on tryptic soya agar medium. The cells were found to be sensitive to ceftazidine and tetracycline. Based on 16S rRNA gene sequence comparisons, strain DCY86(T) was found to be most closely related to Cupriavidus basilensis LMG 18990(T) (98.48 %), Cupriavidus numazensis LMG 26411(T) (98.34 %), Cupriavidus pinatabonesis KCTC 22125(T) (98.34 %) and Cupriavidus laharis KCTC 22126(T) (98.00 %). The G+C content was determined to be 64.23 mol %. The only isoprenoid quinone detected in strain DCY86(T) was ubiquinone Q-8. The major polar lipids were identified as diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphtidylethanolamine, phosphatidylglycerol, unidentified aminophosphoglycolipids and unidentified phospholipids. The major fatty acids were identified as C16:0 summed feature 3 (C16:1 ω7c/ω6c and/or iso-C15 : 0 2-OH) and summed feature 8 (C18:1 ω7c and/or C18:1 ω6c). These data support the affiliation of strain DCY86(T) to the genus Cupriavidus. Strain DCY86(T) was also found to be able to solubilize phosphate and produce siderophores. The results of physiological and biochemical tests enabled strain DCY86(T) to be differentiated genotypically and phenotypically from the recognized species of the genus Cupriaividus. Therefore, the novel isolate can be considered to represent a novel species, for which the name Cupriavidus yeoncheonense sp. nov. is proposed here. The type strain is DCY86(T) (=KCTC 42053(T) = JCM 19890(T)).

The characteristics of TAG and EPA accumulation in Nannochloropsis oceanica IMET1 under different nitrogen supply regimes.

The strategy of nitrogen limitation has been widely applied to enhance lipid production in microalgae. The changes of cellular composition, and the characteristics of triacylglycerol (TAG) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) accumulation in Nannochloropsis oceanica IMET1 were investigated. The results revealed that after nitrogen limitation TAG rather than carbohydrate was the dominant carbon sink in N. oceanica IMET1. Different nitrogen supplementation strategies were applied in order to achieve high TAG and EPA productivity, respectively. Limited nitrogen was supplied to improve TAG production, and a maximum productivity of 29.44 mg L(-1) d(-1) was obtained, which was a 6.74-fold increase compared to nitrogen-depleted cultivation. The highest EPA productivity of 7.66 mg L(-1) d(-1) was achieved under nitrogen-replete cultivation, which is different from the condition for TAG maximum productivity because the EPA is in glycolipids and phospholipids mainly. The fatty acid composition analysis identified the source of acyl group in TAG accumulation.