Mutants of the white ABCG Transporter in Drosophila melanogaster Have Deficient Olfactory Learning and Cholesterol Homeostasis.

Drosophila's white gene encodes an ATP-binding cassette G-subfamily (ABCG) half-transporter. White is closely related to mammalian ABCG family members that function in cholesterol efflux. Mutants of white have several behavioral phenotypes that are independent of visual defects. This study characterizes a novel defect of white mutants in the acquisition of olfactory memory using the aversive olfactory conditioning paradigm. The w1118 mutants learned slower than wildtype controls, yet with additional training, they reached wildtype levels of performance. The w1118 learning phenotype is also found in the wapricot and wcoral alleles, is dominant, and is rescued by genomic white and mini-white transgenes. Reducing dietary cholesterol strongly impaired olfactory learning for wildtype controls, while w1118 mutants were resistant to this deficit. The w1118 mutants displayed higher levels of cholesterol and cholesterol esters than wildtype under this low-cholesterol diet. Increasing levels of serotonin, dopamine, or both in the white mutants significantly improved w1118 learning. However, serotonin levels were not lower in the heads of the w1118 mutants than in wildtype controls. There were also no significant differences found in synapse numbers within the w1118 brain. We propose that the w1118 learning defect may be due to inefficient biogenic amine signaling brought about by altered cholesterol homeostasis.

Achievement of the Targets of the 20-Year Infancy-Onset Dietary Intervention-Association with Metabolic Profile from Childhood to Adulthood.

The Special Turku Coronary Risk Factor Intervention Project (STRIP) is a prospective infancy-onset randomized dietary intervention trial targeting dietary fat quality and cholesterol intake, and favoring consumption of vegetables, fruit, and whole-grains. Diet (food records) and circulating metabolites were studied at six time points between the ages of 9-19 years (n = 549-338). Dietary targets for this study were defined as (1) the ratio of saturated fat (SAFA) to monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids (MUFA + PUFA) < 1:2, (2) intake of SAFA < 10% of total energy intake, (3) fiber intake ≥ 80th age-specific percentile, and (4) sucrose intake ≤ 20th age-specific percentile. Metabolic biomarkers were quantified by high-throughput nuclear magnetic resonance metabolomics. Better adherence to the dietary targets, regardless of study group allocation, was assoiated with higher serum proportion of PUFAs, lower serum proportion of SAFAs, and a higher degree of unsaturation of fatty acids. Achieving ≥ 1 dietary target resulted in higher low-density lipoprotein (LDL) particle size, lower circulating LDL subclass lipid concentrations, and lower circulating lipid concentrations in medium and small high-density lipoprotein subclasses compared to meeting 0 targets. Attaining more dietary targets (≥2) was associated with a tendency to lower lipid concentrations of intermediate-density lipoprotein and very low-density lipoprotein subclasses. Thus, adherence to dietary targets is favorably associated with multiple circulating fatty acids and lipoprotein subclass lipid concentrations, indicative of better cardio-metabolic health.

Egg, cholesterol and protein intake and incident type 2 diabetes mellitus: Results of repeated measurements from a prospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: Epidemiological evidence on the associations of egg, cholesterol and protein intake with risk of type 2 diabetes is inconsistent. Therefore, we conducted this study to explore these associations among Chinese adults. METHODS: Data from 4 waves (2004, 2006, 2009 and 2011) of the China Health and Nutrition Survey were used. A multistage random-cluster sampling method was employed to recruit the participants in both rural and urban areas. We included individuals who participated in 2004 and any waves afterwards. Those 1) below 18 years of age; 2) with diabetes at baseline; or 3) with extreme energy intake (men: <800 kcal or >6000 kcal; women: <600 kcal or >4000 kcal) were excluded. Respondents were classified into four groups according to quartiles of egg, cholesterol and protein intake per day. Numbers of eggs per day were calculated by dividing egg intake in grams by 50 g. Diagnosis of type 2 diabetes was self-reported. Logistic generalized estimation equation models were employed. RESULTS: There were 7312 individuals included in 2004, 6390 in 2006, 4826 in 2009 and 4963 in 2011. The mean age of participants at baseline was 48.3 years and 47.2% were men. Over an average of 5.8-y follow-up, 209 developed type 2 diabetes. After adjustment for demographic, lifestyle and dietary confounders, the odds ratio of type 2 diabetes for those in the highest compared with the lowest protein intake quartile was 2.38 (95% CI: 1.43, 3.98). The odds ratio of individuals with ≥3 eggs/day versus none was 3.76 (95% CI, 2.05, 6.90). Cholesterol intake was not associated with type 2 diabetes. CONCLUSIONS: Individuals with the highest protein intake had over a 2-fold increased risk of type 2 diabetes compared with those with the lowest protein intake. A high intake of egg, but not dietary cholesterol, was associated with type 2 diabetes. This association warrants further investigation.

Healthiness of US Chain Restaurant Meals in 2017.

BACKGROUND: Given the popularity of restaurants as a meal source in the United States, it is important to understand the healthiness of their offerings. OBJECTIVE: This study's purpose was to examine the healthiness of meals at national US chain restaurants in 2017 using the American Heart Association's (AHA) Heart-Check meal certification criteria. DESIGN: Data for this cross-sectional study were obtained from MenuStat, an online database that includes nutrition information for menu items from the 100 restaurant chains with the largest sales in the United States in 2017. All possible meal combinations (meals defined as including an entrée and side item) were created at the 73 restaurants that reported nutrition information aligning with the AHA criteria: calories, total fat, saturated fat, trans fat, cholesterol, sodium, protein, and fiber. MAIN OUTCOMES MEASURE: Healthy meal (0=did not meet AHA criteria; 1=did meet AHA criteria). STATISTICAL ANALYSES PERFORMED: We used χ2 tests to compare the percent of restaurant meals and meal components compliant with each AHA criterion and the percent of restaurant meals and meal components meeting varying numbers of AHA criteria across restaurant service types (ie, fast food, full service, fast casual). RESULTS: Among all restaurants, the median calories, total fat, saturated fat, cholesterol, and sodium of meals exceeded the AHA criteria. Fewer than 20% of meals met the saturated fat and sodium criteria; 22% of restaurant meals met zero to one AHA criteria, 50% met two to four AHA criteria, 20% met five to six AHA criteria, and 8% met all seven AHA criteria. CONCLUSIONS: Given the popularity of restaurants as a source of meals, efforts are needed to improve the healthiness of restaurant meals.

The impact of galactooligosaccharides on the bioaccessibility of sterols in a plant sterol-enriched beverage: adaptation of the harmonized INFOGEST digestion method.

The effect of the addition of galactooligosaccharides (GOS) on sterol bioaccessibility in three plant sterol (PS)-enriched milk-based fruit beverages (without GOS addition (MfB) and with 2.5 g (MfB-G2) and 5.0 g (MfB-G5) GOS per 250 mL) was evaluated after micellar gastrointestinal digestion. Cholesterol bioaccessibility was very similar among beverages, though a slight significant increase (from 80% to 85%) was observed by the addition of 5.0 g GOS. The addition of GOS did not affect total PS bioaccessibility (≈37%). Based on the results obtained after micellar digestion, it has been demonstrated that these beverages could be a suitable food matrix for simultaneous enrichment with PS and GOS. The harmonized in vitro digestion model INFOGEST was applied to the MfB beverage, but the cholesterol content could not be quantified due to its contribution of bile salts. Hence, it was proposed: (i) a change in porcine bile salt concentration from 10 mM to 1.4 mM (in order to compare with micellar digestion); or (ii) a change of bile salt origin (bovine instead of porcine), maintaining physiological concentration (10 mM, INFOGEST condition). Both options allowed cholesterol quantification, with bioaccessibilities of 62% (reduction of bile salts) and 38% (replacement of the bile salt source), whereas plant sterol bioaccessibilities were 22% and 14%, respectively. Therefore, the change of bile salt origin maintaining INFOGEST concentration is proposed as a method to evaluate sterol (cholesterol and PS) bioaccessibility in these beverages, demonstrating the need for the selection of appropriate conditions of the INFOGEST harmonized method according to the food matrix and compounds to be determined.

Shelf to Health: Does Product Innovation Change National Estimates of Dietary Impacts?

This paper presents a simulation process to augment nutrition surveillance in the United States which incorporates product innovation data. Traditional point-estimates of nutritional quality in a food category are compared to those based on distributions of nutrient compositions using product-level variability seen in the market. Nationally representative consumption patterns provide dietary intakes. Cookies are used as an example food category. Nutrient composition data from Global New Product Database (GNPD) for 5259 cookies launched 2005 to 2012 were matched to dietary intakes from 2005 to 2012 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) over the 2 y cycles of NHANES for 8284 cookie consumers. Average dietary intakes from traditional NHANES and GNPD-based estimations produced similar mean values for energy, carbohydrates, sugars, total fat, and protein. Saturated fat, fiber and cholesterol contributions using new product compositions were significantly higher than traditional NHANES approaches, estimates of sodium were significantly lower. These differences become pronounced when comparing adult and child consumption patterns and over time. This process also simulated trans fat consumption estimates not traditionally available within NHANES. On average cookies contributed 0.3 g/d (range 0 to 4.1 g/d). Much variability in food composition is seen in the market which is shown to influence estimates of the national diet. PRACTICAL APPLICATION: Numerous factors drive changes in the food supply, including health trends, firm strategic choices, and food policy. This evolution presents a challenge for dietary assessments and nutrition monitoring. The public health impact of variability in nutritional composition, subpopulation consumption patterns and market dynamics are particularly difficult to evaluate and are shown to influence estimates of the national diet.

Egg consumption and dyslipidemia in a Mediterranean cohort / Consumo de huevo y dislipidemia en una cohorte mediterránea

Introduction and objectives: Our aim was to prospectively evaluate the association between egg consumption and dyslipidemia in a Mediterranean cohort. Methods: We followed-up 13,104 Spanish university graduates for a mean period of 8 years. Dietary habits at baseline were assessed using a validated semi-quantitative 136-item food-frequency questionnaire. Self-reported blood concentrations of total cholesterol, high-density lipoproteins cholesterol (HDL-c) and triglycerides were evaluated according to categories of egg consumption after 6 and 8 years of follow-up. We also assessed the association between baseline egg consumption and the incidence of hypercholesterolemia, low HDL-c concentrations and hypertriglyceridemia during follow-up. Results: We observed a significant inverse association for intermediate levels of egg consumption (2 to 4 eggs/week vs. less than 1 egg/week) and hypertriglyceridemia with OR = 0.71 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.54 to 0.93, p < 0.05) in the multivariable-adjusted model. Using HDL-c values after 8-year follow-up, we found an association between higher egg consumption and lower HDL-c levels (p for trend = 0.02) with an adjusted difference of -4.01 mg/dl (-7.42 to -0.61) for > 4 vs. < 1 egg/week. Lower means of triglycerides were found in each of the three upper categories of egg consumption compared to the lowest category (< 1 egg/week) with significant results for some of these categories both after 6 and 8 year follow-up. Conclusions: Our data do not support that higher egg consumption was associated with abnormal blood levels of total cholesterol or triglycerides; an inverse association with HDL-c as a quantitative variable was found only in one of our analyses (AU)

Introducción y objetivos: evaluar prospectivamente la asociación entre el consumo de huevo y el riesgo de dislipidemia en una cohorte mediterránea. Métodos: se siguieron 13.104 graduados universitarios españoles durante un periodo medio de 8 años. La dieta se evaluó al inicio utilizando un cuestionario semicuantitativo de frecuencia de consumo de alimentos repetidamente validado. Las concentraciones sanguíneas de colesterol total, lipoproteínas de alta densidad (HDL-c) y trigliceridos autorreferidas fueron evaluadas según categorías de consumo de huevo tras 6 y 8 años de seguimiento. También se evaluó la asociación entre el consumo basal de huevo y la incidencia de hipercolesterolemia, concentraciones bajas de HDL-c e hipertrigliceridemia durante el seguimiento. Resultados: se observó una asociación entre los niveles intermedios de consumo de huevo (2-4 unidades/semana frente a < 1 unidad/semana) y menor riesgo de hipertrigliceridemia con OR = 0,71 (intervalo de confianza del 95% [IC]: 0,54 a 0,93, p < 0,05) en el modelo más ajustado. Tras 8 años de seguimiento, encontramos una asociación entre un mayor consumo de huevo y menores niveles de HDL-c (p tendencia lineal = 0,02) con una diferencia ajustada de -4,01 mg/dl (-7,42 a -0,61) para > 4 vs. < 1 unidad/semana. Se encontraron menores concentraciones de triglicéridos en las tres categorías superiores de consumo de huevo en comparación con la inferior con resultados significativos para algunas de estas categorías después de 6 y 8 años de seguimiento. Conclusiones: un mayor consumo de huevo no se asoció con niveles anormales de colesterol total o triglicéridos; se encontró una asociación inversa con HDL-c como variable cuantitativa solo en uno de nuestros análisis (AU)

Exploratory and descriptive study on nutritional characteristics and quality of eggs from Chilean partridge (Nothoprocta perdicaria).

This work aims to contribute more information on tinamou eggs by performing an exploratory and descriptive study of some of their nutritional and quality characteristics. The chemical composition of tinamou egg showed a high protein content in white (85% dry basis) and high lipid concentration in yolk (52% db). The iron (Fe) content in white was higher than hen egg (0.47 mg/100 g) and this could be associated with the observed pinkish color of the white. As in the hen egg, the major fatty acids in tinamou yolk were: oleic (39%), linoleic (23%) and palmitic (20%). The cholesterol content of tinamou was 21.2 mg/g of yolk, and 100 g of whole egg provides 589 mg of cholesterol. As in the hen egg, tinamou egg white showed high levels of lysine, sulfur-containing amino acids, threonine and valine with respect to the recommended allowance for an adult man. All essential amino acids with the exception of histidine cover the adult requirements. The shell inorganic composition of these eggs is calcium carbonate and the morphology was similar to other avian eggs. Tinamou egg is small and elongated, with a dark brown color. The eggshell is thinner and experiences more deformation but less breaking strength than hen eggshell.

Relación de la imagen corporal con la ingesta de grasas y micronutrientes en escolares chilenos: un estudio descriptivo correlacional / Relationship of the body image with intake of fats and micronutrients in chilean high school students: a descriptive correlational study

Introducción: Existe escasa información respecto a la relación entre la imagen corporal con el consumo de grasas y micronutrientes en escolares. En este sentido, la presente investigación pretende relacionar la percepción de la imagen corporal con la ingesta de grasas y micronutrientes en escolares de 13 a 16 años de distintos establecimientos educacionales de Temuco, Chile. Material y métodos: Participaron 132 escolares (46% mujeres). La imagen corporal se obtuvo a través del Body Shape Questionnaire y la ingesta de grasas (grasas saturadas, grasas monoinsaturadas, colesterol) y micronutrientes (vitaminas y minerales) con un registro nutricional de 24 horas. Resultados: La percepción de la imagen corporal alcanzó un 14,4% de preocupación leve, 9,1% moderada y 1,5% extrema. La ingesta de grasas logró una media de 3,8% de ácidos grasos saturados, 3,7% de monoinsaturados y 162 mg/día de colesterol, mientras que los micronutrientes presentaron porcentajes más bajos de adecuación para el potasio (0%), calcio (8%), magnesio (19%), ácido fólico (14%), vitaminas A y E (20%), y vitamina B12 (27%). Además, se obtuvieron correlaciones inversas entre la imagen corporal con la ingesta de calcio (p<0,05) y directa con la vitamina A (p<0,01). Conclusión: Una mayor preocupación por la imagen corporal se relaciona con una menor ingesta de calcio y un alto consumo de vitamina A en los escolares chilenos evaluados. En el caso de los varones, esta preocupación por la imagen corporal también se relacionó con un alto consumo de colesterol, y en las mujeres, con alta ingesta de vitaminas A y E

Introduction: Information regarding the relationship of the body self-perception with the intake of lipids and micronutrients is scarce in school adolescents. The present study was designed to correlate this nutritional intake with the body self-perception in a school population 13 to 16 years old from diverse educational establishments of Temuco, Chile. women). The body image was obtained by the Body Shape Questionnaire and the intake of lipids (saturated and monounsaturated fatty acids, cholesterol) as well as micronutrients (vitamins, minerals) was obtained by means of 24-hour recall questionnaire. Results: Regarding the body image concern, a 14.4% presented slight concern, a 9.1% moderate concern and a 1.5% extreme concern. The nutritional intake, the adolescents reported a consumption of saturated and monounsaturated fatty acids of 3.8% and 3.7%, respectively, and an average consumption of 162 mg/day cholesterol. The lower adecuation percentages were obtained for the potassium (0%), calcium (8%), magnesium (19%), folic acid (14%), vitamins A and E (20%), and the vitamin B12 (27%). Significant correlations were obtained between the body image concern and the consumption of calcium and vitamin A. Conclusion: the Chilean adolescents evaluated with low intake of calcium and high intake of vitamin A have an increased concern for the body image. In addition, different results were obtained by gender, in the case of males the body image concern was related with a high intake of cholesterol, and in women, with high intake of vitamins A and E

Evaluation of dietary cholesterol intake in elderly Chinese: a longitudinal study from the China Health and Nutrition Survey.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to evaluate daily cholesterol intake across demographic factors and its food sources in elderly Chinese. DESIGN: A longitudinal study was conducted using demographic and dietary data for elders aged 60 and above from eight waves (1991-2011) of the China Health and Nutrition Survey. SETTING: The data were derived from urban and rural communities of nine provinces (autonomous regions) in China. PARTICIPANTS: There were 16 274 participants (7657 male and 8617 female) in this study. OUTCOMES: The primary outcome was daily cholesterol intake, which was calculated by using the Chinese Food Composition Table, based on dietary data. RESULTS: Daily consumption of cholesterol in the elderly significantly increased by 34% from 1991 to 2011 (p<0.0001) and reached 253.9 mg on average in 2011. Secular trends in the proportion of subjects with an intake of >300 mg/day increased significantly during 1991-2011 (p<0.0001). The major food sources of cholesterol by ranked order were eggs, pork, and fish and shellfish in 1991 and 2011, while organ meats which ranked fourth in the contribution to total intake in 1991 was replaced by poultry in 2011. Moreover, younger elders, male elders and elders from a high-income family or a highly urbanised community had higher cholesterol intakes and larger proportions of subjects with excessive cholesterol consumption in each survey year. CONCLUSIONS: The large growth in daily cholesterol intake may pose major challenges for the health of elders in China. Reduced exposure to food enriched in cholesterol is required for elderly Chinese.

Combination effects of wild rice and phytosterols on prevention of atherosclerosis in LDL receptor knockout mice.

Dietary modifications including healthy eating constitute one of the first line strategies for prevention and treatment of atherosclerotic cardiovascular diseases (CVD), including atherosclerosis. In this study, we assessed anti-atherogenic effects of a combination of wild rice and phytosterols in low-density lipoprotein receptor knockout (LDL-r-KO) mice. Male LDL-r-KO mice were divided into four groups and fed with: (1) control diet; (2) the control diet containing 60% (w/w) wild rice; (3) the control diet containing 2% (w/w) phytosterols; or (4) the control diet containing both wild rice and phytosterols for 20weeks. All diets were supplemented with 0.06% (w/w) dietary cholesterol. Blood samples, hearts, and feces were collected and used for biochemical and histological examination. Consumption of 60% (w/w) wild rice in combination with 2% (w/w) phytosterols significantly reduced the size and severity of atherosclerotic lesions in the aortic roots as compared to those in the control group. This effect was associated with significant reductions in plasma total, LDL and VLDL cholesterol concentrations as well as an increase in fecal cholesterol excretion. In conclusion, the dietary combination of wild rice and phytosterols prevents atherogenesis in this animal model. Further investigations are needed to understand mechanisms of action and potential clinical outcome of such dietary intervention.

Pineapple by-product and canola oil as partial fat replacers in low-fat beef burger: Effects on oxidative stability, cholesterol content and fatty acid profile.

The effect of freeze-dried pineapple by-product and canola oil as fat replacers on the oxidative stability, cholesterol content and fatty acid profile of low-fat beef burgers was evaluated. Five treatments were performed: conventional (CN, 20% fat) and four low-fat formulations (10% fat): control (CT), pineapple by-product (PA), canola oil (CO), and pineapple by-product and canola oil (PC). Low-fat cooked burgers showed a mean cholesterol content reduction of 9.15% compared to the CN. Canola oil addition improved the fatty acid profile of the burgers, with increase in the polyunsaturated/saturated fatty acids ratio and decrease in the n-6/n-3 ratio, in the atherogenic and thrombogenic indexes. The oxidative stability of the burgers was affected by the vegetable oil addition. However, at the end of the storage time (120 days), malonaldehyde values of CO and PC were lower than the threshold for the consumer's acceptance. Canola oil, in combination with pineapple by-product, can be considered promising fat replacers in the development of healthier burgers.

Cholesterol determination in foods: Comparison between high performance and ultra-high performance liquid chromatography.

Analytical methods for cholesterol evaluation in foods are crucial since this compound was closely related with cardiovascular disease. In the present study, two chromatographic methods were implemented and validated, in order to achieve the ideal analytical method for the quantification of cholesterol in food matrices. The developed methods were applied to different foodstuffs, sour cream, egg, egg yolk and chicken nuggets. Both HPLC and UHPLC methods are rapid, specific, sensitive, precise (RSD<2.5%) and accurate. The achieved LOD and LOQ for UHPLC were 0.7 and 2.4µg/mL, respectively, while for HPLC were 3 and 11µg/mL. UHPLC method allowed reduction of the organic solvents consumption (8 times lower) and decreased analysis time in 4min, being more eco-friendly, than conventional HPLC methods. Moreover, it will be very useful for the quality control of cholesterol content in food matrices and can be easily adopted by analytical laboratories.

Determination of Milk Fat Adulteration with Vegetable Oils and Animal Fats by Gas Chromatographic Analysis.

This study assessed the potential application of gas chromatography (GC) in detecting milk fat (MF) adulteration with vegetable oils and animal fats and of characterizing samples by fat source. One hundred percent pure MF was adulterated with different vegetable oils and animal fats at various concentrations (0%, 10%, 30%, 50%, 70%, and 90%). GC was used to obtain the fatty acid (FA) profiles, triacylglycerol (TG) contents, and cholesterol contents. The pure MF and the adulterated MF samples were discriminated based on the total concentrations of saturated FAs and on the 2 major FAs (oleic acid [C18:1n9c] and linoleic acid [C18:2n6c], TGs [C52 and C54], and cholesterol contents using statistical analysis to compared difference. These bio-markers enabled the detection of as low as 10% adulteration of non-MF into 100% pure MF. The study demonstrated the high potential of GC to rapidly detect MF adulteration with vegetable and animal fats, and discriminate among commercial butter and milk products according to the fat source. These data can be potentially useful in detecting foreign fats in these butter products. Furthermore, it is important to consider that several individual samples should be analyzed before coming to a conclusion about MF authenticity.

Menu label accuracy at a university's foodservices. An exploratory recipe nutrition analysis.

The increase in the weight of American adults and children has been positively associated with the prevalence of the consumption of food-away-from-home. The objective was to assess the accuracy of claimed nutritional information of foods purchased in contracted foodservices located on the campus of an institution of higher education. Fifty popular food items were randomly collected from five main dining outlets located on a selected campus in the northeastern United States. The sampling was repeated three times on separate occasions for an aggregate total of 150 food samples. The samples were then weighed and assessed for nutrient composition (protein, cholesterol, fiber, carbohydrates, total fat, calories, sugar, and sodium) using nutrient analysis software. Results were compared with foodservices' published nutrition information. Two group comparisons, claimed and measured, were performed using the paired-sample t-test. Descriptive statistics were used as well. Among the nine nutritional values, six nutrients (total fat, sodium, protein, fiber, cholesterol, and weight) had more than 10% positive average discrepancies between measured and claimed values. Statistical significance of the variance was obtained in four of the eight categories of nutrient content: total fat, sodium, protein, and cholesterol (P < .05). Significance was also reached in the variance of actual portion weight compared to the published claims (P < .001). Significant differences of portion size (weight), total fat, sodium, protein, and cholesterol were found among the sampled values and the foodservices' published claims. The findings from this study raise the concern that if the actual nutritional information does not accurately reflect the declared values on menus, conclusions, decisions and actions based on posted information may not be valid.

Cholesterol and fatty acid composition of longissimus thoracis from water buffalo (Bubalus bubalis) and Brahman-influenced cattle raised under savannah conditions.

Male (n=66) water buffalo (Buffalo) and Brahman-influenced cattle (Brahman) were born, raised, weaned, fattened on grazing savannah and harvested at two different ages (19 and 24months) to compare lipid composition of the longissimus thoracis muscle. Half of the animals were castrated at seven months of age (MOA) to examine the castration effects. At 24 MOA Brahman steers showed the highest content of total lipids (P<0.05). No significant variation was detected in cholesterol content for either the main or interaction effects in the age groups. Some individual fatty acids varied with the species (P<0.05), however, interspecific similarities were found in fatty acid ratios. For health-related indices, only atherogenic index (AI) showed lower values in favor of Buffalo meat (P<0.05) at both harvesting ages. Although, meat derived from both bovid groups was leaner and showed lower cholesterol level, AI indicates that Buffalo meat might be beneficial from a human health standpoint.

Cholesterol oxidation and astaxanthin degradation in shrimp during sun drying and storage.

Dried salted shrimps are made from raw shrimps, which are cooked and dried under direct sunlight. The preparation and storage include treatments and conditions that can promote oxidative changes in different components. The aim of this study was to monitor the formation of major cholesterol oxidation products and the changes in the astaxanthin content and fatty acid profile in dried salted shrimp during cooking, sun drying and storage. During sun drying, most of the astaxanthin (75%) was degraded in cooked shrimp, while cholesterol oxidation products (COPs) showed a dramatic increase (8.6-fold), reaching a total concentration of 372.9 ± 16.3 µg/g of lipids. Further storage favoured both astaxanthin degradation (83%) and COPs formation (886.6 ± 97.9 µg/g of lipids after 90 days of storage). The high degradation of astaxanthin and the elevated formation of COPs during sun drying and storage indicate the necessity to re-evaluate the processing and storage conditions of salted dried shrimp.

Sample preparation: a critical step in the analysis of cholesterol oxidation products.

In recent years, cholesterol oxidation products (COPs) have drawn scientific interest, particularly due to their implications on human health. A big number of these compounds have been demonstrated to be cytotoxic, mutagenic, and carcinogenic. The main source of COPs is through diet, and particularly from the consumption of cholesterol-rich foods. This raises questions about the safety of consumers, and it suggests the necessity for the development of a sensitive and a reliable analytical method in order to identify and quantify these components in food samples. Sample preparation is a necessary step in the analysis of COPs in order to eliminate interferences and increase sensitivity. Numerous publications have, over the years, reported the use of different methods for the extraction and purification of COPs. However, no method has, so far, been established as a routine method for the analysis of COPs in foods. Therefore, it was considered important to overview different sample preparation procedures and evaluate the different preparative parameters, such as time of saponification, the type of organic solvents for fat extraction, the stationary phase in solid phase extraction, etc., according to recovery, precision and simplicity.

Meat quality attributes of the Longissimus lumborum muscle of the Kh'ara genotype of llama (Lama glama) reared extensively in northern Chile.

Twenty male llama of the Kh'ara genotype, reared extensively in the north of Chile, were slaughtered at ages between 2 and 4 permanent teeth (2 to 3.5years) and analyses were carried out on the Longissimus lumborum muscle, including composition (moisture, fat, protein, ash, cholesterol, amino acids, fatty acid profile and collagen content) and meat quality parameters (pH, color, water holding capacity and Warner-Bratzler shear-force). Llama meat was characterized by a low cholesterol (39.04mg/100g) and intramuscular fat (1.56%) content, a total collagen content of 6.28mg/g, of which 20.28% was soluble collagen. Amino acid composition and fatty acid profile were similar to those found for beef finished on forage. Llama meat showed a low n-6/n-3 (4.69) and hypocholesterolemic/hypercholesterolemic (1.55) ratio and acceptable values of DFA (65.78%). Quality parameters in llama Longissimus muscle were within the ranges reported for more traditional meats such as beef and lamb.