Impact of protein-rich meals on glycaemic response of rice.

Asians typically consume carbohydrate-rich and high-glycaemic-index diets that have been associated with an increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes. Rice is rarely eaten alone such that it is of interest to investigate the effects of co-ingesting different protein-rich meals with rice on insulin and glycaemic response. This study had a randomised, controlled, non-blind, cross-over design in which fifteen healthy Chinese male participants were required to come on non-consecutive days. Five rice-based test meals were served: rice alone (control), rice with fish (RWF), rice with egg white (RWE), rice with soya beancurd (taukwa) (RWT) and rice with chicken (RWC). The control meal consisted of 50 g of available carbohydrate, whereas all other test meals contained additional 25 g of protein. RWT was the only meal that showed significantly lower glucose response when compared with the control (P<0·05). RWF and RWE had significantly higher insulin response, but no significant increase was observed in RWT and RWC when compared with the control (P<0·05). RWT and RWF showed significantly higher glucagon secretion as compared with the control (P<0·05). The four test meals studied showed varying effects, with RWT showing the greatest reduction in glycaemic response. Therefore, the ingestion of soya beancurd with rice may have a direct impact on reducing the risk in Asians transiting from being pre-diabetics to diabetics.

Postprandial nutrient-sensing and metabolic responses after partial dietary fishmeal replacement by soyabean meal in turbot (Scophthalmus maximus L.).

In this study, we chose a carnivorous fish, turbot (Scophthalmus maximus L.), to examine its nutrient-sensing and metabolic responses after ingestion of diets with fishmeal (FM), or 45% of FM replaced by soyabean meal (34·6% dry diet) balanced with or without essential amino acids (EAA) to match the amino acid profile of FM diet for 30 d. After a 1-month feeding trial, fish growth, feed efficiency and nutrient retention were markedly reduced by soyabean meal-incorporated (SMI) diets. Compared with the FM diet, SMI led to a reduction of postprandial influx of free amino acids, hypoactivated target of rapamycin signalling and a hyperactivated amino acid response pathway after refeeding, a status associated with reduced protein synthesis, impaired postprandial glycolysis and lipogenesis. These differential effects were not ameliorated by matching an EAA profile of soyabean meal to that of the FM diet through dietary amino acid supplementation. Therefore, this study demonstrated that the FM diet and SMI diets led to distinct nutrient-sensing responses, which in turn modulated metabolism and determined the utilisation efficiency of diets. Our results provide a new molecular explanation for the role of nutrient sensing in the inferior performance of aquafeeds in which FM is replaced by soyabean meal.

Sarcopenia in the Cirrhotic Patient: Current Knowledge and Future Directions.

Cirrhosis predisposes to abnormalities in energy, hormonal, and immunological homeostasis. Disturbances in these metabolic processes create susceptibility to sarcopenia or pathological muscle wasting. Sarcopenia is prevalent in cirrhosis and its presence portends significant adverse outcomes including the length of hospital stay, infectious complications, and mortality. This highlights the importance of identification of at-risk individuals with early nutritional, therapeutic and physical therapy intervention. This manuscript summarizes literature relevant to sarcopenia in cirrhosis, describes current knowledge, and elucidates possible future directions.

Considerations for prenatal and postpartum management of a female patient with ornithine transcarbamylase deficiency.

We report on pregnancy management and outcomes in a 27-year-old female patient with ornithine transcarbamylase (OTC) deficiency, the most common inherited enzyme deficiency in the urea cycle. Our patient was diagnosed during childhood after hyperammonemia associated with surgery and steroid treatment and was well-controlled with nitrogen scavenger treatment, low-protein diet, and L-citrulline supplementation. OTC gene sequencing identified a variant of unknown significance that has more recently been classified as likely pathogenic. Women with OTC deficiency are at increased risk of hyperammonemia during pregnancy and the postpartum period, therefore monthly follow up and laboratory assessments are critical in management decision making. Our patient was maintained on glycerol phenylbutyrate, L-citrulline and essential amino acid supplements, along with restricted protein intake during pregnancy. A multidisciplinary approach with the obstetrics, prenatal genetics, high risk obstetric, and anesthesia teams was also necessary for optimal management during pregnancy, throughout labor and delivery, and during the postpartum period. After successful childbirth and discharge, our patient experienced a hyperammonemic crisis related to poor enteral nutrition, and acute management protocols were implemented to stabilize her. For her newborn son, acute hyperammonemia protocols were on standby, and newborn screening and laboratory testing were expedited to assess his risk. He was healthy and did not experience symptoms of concern. In this case report, we emphasize the importance of close collaboration with maternal-fetal medicine team members during and immediately after pregnancy to ensure successful management of a female patient with OTC deficiency and her newborn.

Fortification of Chinese steamed bread with flaxseed flour and evaluation of its physicochemical and sensory properties.

Flaxseed is a popular functional food ingredient that is widely used in various snack foods. In this study, we developed a Chinese steamed bread (CSB) enriched with flaxseed flour. We evaluated the relative nutritional quality of flours made from distinct parts of flaxseeds, and we investigated the effects of adding various amounts of flaxseed flour on the edible acceptance and nutritional quality of CSB. The results showed that with increased flaxseed flour, the crust and core of CSB became darker, hardness and chewiness increased, cohesiveness and springiness changed slightly, the essential amino acid and resistant starch (RS) content increased significantly. Chemical analysis indicated that the major volatile compounds of CSB were alcohols and nitrogen-containing compounds. The RS ranged from 34.89 ± 0.80 to 54.64 ± 0.23%. The antioxidant capacity increased nearly three-fold. In summary, our study showed that the addition of 10% flaxseed flour yielded CSB with increased nutritional value and popular edible acceptance.

Growth performance, haematological assessment and chemical composition of Nile tilapia, Oreochromis niloticus (Linnaeus, 1758) fed different levels of Aloe vera extract as feed additives in a closed aquaculture system.

A 105-day experimental trial was conducted to assess different levels of dietary Aleo vera extract supplementation on water quality parameters, proximate composition, growth performance and haematological parameters of fry Oreochromis niloticus. Four different percentages of dietary leaf extract powder of Aleo vera (ALE) with a basal feed, designated as, i.e., T0 (Control group; without ALE), T1 (1% ALE), T2 (2% ALE), and T3 (3% ALE). Fish fry was reared in concrete tanks (7.0 m, 1.6 m, 1.0: L, W, H; water volume 11.2 m3/tank), with an average initial weight 4.04 ± 0.03 g/ fry, and each treatment was triplicated. Fry was randomly distributed at a stocking rate of 450 individuals/ tanks. The water quality parameters revealed that temperature, pH, salinity, dissolved oxygen (DO) and nitrates were found in a promising range as given by FAO/WHO limits. However, the record values obtained for Electric Conductivity (EC), Total dissolved solids (TDS), and alkalinities were not found in all tanks' suitable range according to FAO/WHO limits. The results revealed a significant impact of different percentages of dietary ALE supplementation on fry's body composition and haematological parameters. Moreover, the final body weight, final body length, average daily weight gain (g), net weight gain (g) and specific growth rate (%) were significantly higher (p < 0.05) in T1 and T2 compared with T0 and T3 treatments. The poorest feed conversion ratio was recorded in the T2 group compared with other treatments. Thus, the current study provides information about the nutritional quality of Nile tilapia culturing in Pakistan.

Maternal malnutrition and anaemia in India: dysregulations leading to the 'thin-fat' phenotype in newborns.

Maternal and child malnutrition and anaemia remain the leading factors for health loss in India. Low birth weight (LBW) offspring of women suffering from chronic malnutrition and anaemia often exhibit insulin resistance and infantile stunting and wasting, together with increased risk of developing cardiometabolic disorders in adulthood. The resulting self-perpetuating and highly multifactorial disease burden cannot be remedied through uniform dietary recommendations alone. To inform approaches likely to alleviate this disease burden, we implemented a systems-analytical approach that had already proven its efficacy in multiple published studies. We utilised previously published qualitative and quantitative analytical results of rural and urban field studies addressing maternal and infantile metabolic and nutritional parameters to precisely define the range of pathological phenotypes encountered and their individual biological characteristics. These characteristics were then integrated, via extensive literature searches, into metabolic and physiological mechanisms to identify the maternal and foetal metabolic dysregulations most likely to underpin the 'thin-fat' phenotype in LBW infants and its associated pathological consequences. Our analyses reveal hitherto poorly understood maternal nutrition-dependent mechanisms most likely to promote and sustain the self-perpetuating high disease burden, especially in the Indian population. This work suggests that it most probably is the metabolic consequence of 'ill-nutrition' - the recent and rapid dietary shifts to high salt, high saturated fats and high sugar but low micronutrient diets - over an adaptation to 'thrifty metabolism' which must be addressed in interventions aiming to significantly alleviate the leading risk factors for health deterioration in India.

Postprandial amino acid, glucose and insulin responses among healthy adults after a single intake of Lemna minor in comparison with green peas: a randomised trial.

A high protein content combined with its enormous growth capacity make duckweed an interesting alternative protein source, but information about postprandial responses in humans is lacking. The present study aimed to assess the postprandial serum amino acid profile of Lemna minor in healthy adults in comparison with green peas. A secondary objective was to obtain insights regarding human safety. A total of twelve healthy volunteers participated in a randomised, cross-over trial. Subjects received two protein sources in randomised order with a 1-week washout period. After an overnight fast, subjects consumed L. minor or peas (equivalent to 20 g of protein). After a baseline sample, blood samples were taken 15, 30, 45, 60, 75, 90, 120, 150 and 180 min after consumption to assess amino acid, glucose and insulin levels. Heart rate, blood pressure and aural temperature were measured before and after consumption, and subjects reported on gastrointestinal discomfort for four subsequent days. Compared with green peas, significantly lower blood concentrations of amino acids from L. minor were observed, indicating lower digestibility. L. minor consumption resulted in lower plasma glucose and insulin levels compared with peas, probably due to different glucose content. There were no significant differences concerning the assessed health parameters or the number of gastrointestinal complaints, indicating that a single bolus of L. minor - grown under controlled conditions - did not induce acute adverse effects in humans. Further studies need to investigate effects of repeated L. minor intake and whether proteins purified from L. minor can be digested more easily.

Nutritional interventions in sarcopenia: a critical review.

The aim of the present paper is to critically review the details of the published nutrition intervention trials, with and without exercise, targeting sarcopenia. Sarcopenia is the loss of muscle mass, strength and/or performance with age. Since amino acids and energy are required for muscle synthesis it is possible that nutritional intake influences sarcopenia. Nutritional studies are challenging to carry out because of the complexity of modulating dietary intake. It is very difficult to change one nutrient without influencing many others, which means that many of the published studies are problematic to interpret. The studies included evaluate whole protein, essential amino acids and ß-hydroxyl ß-methylbutyrate (HMB). Whole-protein supplementation failed to show a consistent effect on muscle mass, strength or function. This can be explained by the variations in study design, composition of the protein supplement and the failure to monitor voluntary food intake, adherence and baseline nutritional status. Essential amino-acid supplements showed an inconsistent effect but there are only two trials that have significant differences in methodology and the supplement used. The HMB studies are suggestive of a beneficial effect on older adults, but larger well-controlled studies are required that measure outcomes relevant to sarcopenia, ideally in sarcopenic populations. The issues of timing and distribution of protein intake, and increased splanchnic amino-acid sequestration are discussed, and recommendations for future trials are made.

Amino acid content of selected plant, algae and insect species: a search for alternative protein sources for use in pet foods.

In response to global economic duress and heightened consumer awareness of nutrition and health, sustainable and natural ingredients are in demand. Identification of alternative sources of nitrogen and amino acids, including taurine, may help meet dietary requirements while fostering sustainability and natural feeding approaches. Twenty plants, eighteen marine algae and five insect species were analysed. All samples were freeze-dried, hydrolysed and filtered prior to amino acid analysis. Samples for amino acids were analysed in duplicate and averaged. Nitrogen was analysed and crude protein (CP) determined by calculation. With the exception of taurine concentration in soldier fly larvae, all insects exceeded both the National Research Council's canine and feline minimal requirements (MR) for growth of all essential amino acids (EAA) and CP. Although some plants and marine algal species exceeded the canine and feline MR for growth for EAA and CP, only very low concentrations of taurine were found in plants. Taurine concentration in insects was variable but high, with the greatest concentration found in ants (6·42 mg/g DM) and adult flesh flies (3·33 mg/g DM). Taurine was also high in some macroalgae, especially the red algal species: Mazaella spp. (4·11 mg/g DM), Porphyra spp. (1·22 mg/g DM) and Chondracanthus spp. (6·28 mg/g DM). Preliminary results suggest that insects and some marine algal species may be practical alternatives to traditional protein and supplemental taurine sources in pet foods. Safety, bioavailability, palatability and source variability of alternative items as food ingredients should be investigated prior to incorporation into canine and feline diets.