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Diet Supplementation (diet + supplementation)
Selected AbstractsOmega-3 fatty acids, vitamin C and Zn supplementation in asthmatic children: a randomized self-controlled studyACTA PAEDIATRICA, Issue 4 2009Mohammed Al Biltagi Abstract Objectives: Bronchial asthma is a chronic inflammatory airways disease. Nutritional intervention is an important tool to decrease the severity of many chronic inflammatory diseases including asthma. The aim of this study is to evaluate the role of omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin C and Zn in children with moderately persistent asthma. Patients and Methods: Randomly assigned, placebo-self-controlled 60 children with moderate persistent asthma completed the study, were subjected to alternating phases of supplementation with omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin C and Zn either singly or in combination separated with washout phases. Childhood asthma control test (C-ACT), pulmonary function tests and sputum inflammatory markers were evaluated at the beginning of the study and at the end of each therapeutic phase. Results: There was a significant improvement of C-ACT, pulmonary function tests and sputum inflammatory markers with diet supplementation with omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin C and Zn (p < 0.001*). There was also significant improvement with the combined use of the three supplementations than single use of any one of them (p < 0.001*). Conclusion: Diet supplementation with omega-3 fatty acids, Zn and vitamin C significantly improved asthma control test, pulmonary function tests and pulmonary inflammatory markers in children with moderately persistent bronchial asthma either singly or in combination. [source] Cryopreservation of fish sperm: applications and perspectivesJOURNAL OF APPLIED ICHTHYOLOGY, Issue 5 2010E. Cabrita Summary Cryopreservation is of interest not only for fish farming but also for the conservation and genetic improvement of resources. This technique has been well established in some freshwater fish species mainly, salmonid, sturgeons and carps, however, only in the last decade research was focused in marine fish species. The benefits of sperm cryopreservation include: (i) synchronization of gamete availability of both sexes, (ii) sperm economy; (iii) simplification of broodstock management, (iv) transport of gametes from different fish farms, and (v) germplasm storage for genetic selection programs or conservation of species. These issues would certainly benefit the aquaculture industry. The tremendous impact that biotechnology is having in aquaculture has been particularly obvious in recent years. Several species are being used as research models not only for aquaculture development applications but also for medical research. Sperm cryopreservation can give an important contribution in the germ storage of all transgenic lines. However, in all applications in fish sperm, cryopreservation needs to overcome a lack in standardization of methodologies and procedures, a correct assay of seminal quality and the development of tools to characterize cryoinjury. Many efforts have recently been made in the study of DNA using different approaches such as the comet assay (single cell gel electrophoresis), TUNEL (terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-nick-end-labelling), SCSA (sperm chromatin structure assay) and the analysis of specific DNA sequences using RT-PCR, since DNA damage may impair fertility or embryo development. Cryopreservation of gametes would certainly benefit from a higher concern on male improvement, basically through nutrition or selection of resistant stocks (e.g. stress resistant individuals or highly adapted to captivity) producing gametes of higher quality. There is a huge window of opportunities for improve the resistance of cells to cryopreservation through diet supplementation of certain compounds such as amino acids (taurine and hypotaurine), vitamins (Vit. E and C) and lipids or through a direct supplementation of the extender media. An equilibrium of those compounds will improve spermatozoa and seminal plasma composition protecting cells against oxidative stress (lipid peroxidation, protein oxidation, DNA fragmentation, enzyme protection) that is gaining each day more importance in cryodamage research. [source] INFLUENCE OF PULSED ELECTRIC FIELD ON SELENOCYSTEINE CONTENT IN SACCHAROMYCES CEREVISIAEJOURNAL OF FOOD BIOCHEMISTRY, Issue 6 2008URSZULA PANKIEWICZ ABSTRACT Culture of Saccharomyces cerevisiae with sodium selenite addition in medium was treated by pulsed electric fields (PEFs). Amino acids from yeast hydrolysates were separated by means of ion-exchange chromatography on amino acid analyzer according to previously established procedure. Selenocysteine was determined in a form of complex with ninhydrin, applying photometric technique. PEF treatment of S. cerevisiae cells resulted in about threefold content increase of selenium bonded within selenocysteine. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS Se yeast is an attractive source of Se because of its low cost and its ability to act as a precursor for selenoprotein synthesis. Se yeast can be consumed as such and as a nutritional supplement. Another possibility is to use selenized yeast instead of conventional yeast for baking bread. Bread is generally low in Se, and hence the use of selenized yeast for this purpose could result in higher Se intakes because bread is a common product consumed by many individuals (Dumont et al. 2006). The presented way to enrich the baking yeast in selenium, namely selenomethionine, may be successfully applied in yeast production, because the studied method is a relatively simple, nontoxic and cheap technique for introducing macrocompounds into the yeast cells. Such enriched selenium yeast may be a valuable and safe source of selenium at diet supplementation. [source] Importance of instrumental and sensory analysis in the assessment of oxidative deterioration of omega-3 long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acid-rich foodsJOURNAL OF THE SCIENCE OF FOOD AND AGRICULTURE, Issue 2 2007Wojciech Kolanowski Abstract Omega-3 long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LC PUFA) positively influence human health. Their main dietary source is fish, especially fish oil. Owing to low fish consumption in many Western countries the average intake of omega-3 LC PUFA is below the recommended level. This raises interest in diet supplementation and food enrichment with fish oil. However, due to a high degree of unsaturation fish oil is extremely susceptible to oxidation. Oxidation of fish oil increases when added to food products, which may be enhanced by some antioxidants, under certain conditions. For quality control of omega-3 LC PUFA-containing foods adequate and combined methods of oxidation assessment should be used, beginning from the raw material and continuing during processing, storage and distribution. To achieve this goal correlation of instrumental and sensory methods with multivariate data analysis may give the best results. In this paper problems of oxidation of fish oil and fish oil-containing foods, as well as methods for its assessment, are reviewed. Copyright © 2006 Society of Chemical Industry [source] The effect of fermented apple diet supplementation on the growth performance and meat quality in finishing pigsANIMAL SCIENCE JOURNAL, Issue 1 2009Sung Dae LEE ABSTRACT The objective of the present study was to investigate the effect of fermented apple diet (FAD) supplementation on the growth performance and meat quality in finishing Berkshires. The FAD was made from dropped apple mixed with rice bran and barley bran. Until 81 ± 1 kg live weight at 133 ± 1 days, the animals were fed a growing diet, after which experimental samples were fixed at 0, 2, 4 and 6% FAD as C, T1, T2 and T3 in the finishing diets. Growth performance, ADG, ADFI and feed efficiency were improved in T1 than other groups. In carcass parameters, carcass weight was higher (P < 0.05) in T1 than in other groups. In meat quality, moisture and crude protein contents decreased (P < 0.05) by addition of FAD. pH24 and WHC were higher (P < 0.05) in T1 than other groups. In sensory evaluation, marbling of fresh meat and tenderness, juiciness, flavor and overall acceptability of cooked meat were improved by the addition of FAD. According to the results of our experiment, FAD can be used for improvement of meat quality parameters. [source] Effect of Thymus vulgaris essential oil on intestinal bacterial microbiota of rainbow trout, Oncorhynchus mykiss (Walbaum) and bacterial isolatesAQUACULTURE RESEARCH, Issue 10 2010Paola Navarrete Abstract The application of natural and innocuous compounds has potential in aquaculture as an alternative to antibiotics. We evaluated the effect of diet supplementation with Thymus vulgaris essential oil (TVEO) on the allochthonous microbial composition of rainbow trout. DNA was extracted directly from the intestinal contents, and the V3-V4 regions of the 16S rRNA genes were amplified by PCR. The bacterial composition was analysed using temporal temperature gradient electrophoresis (TTGE). No significant changes (P>0.05) were detected in the TTGE profiles of TVEO-treated trout compared with the controls. The Dice similarity index revealed a high stability (Cs >70%) of the intestinal microbiota in both groups during the 5-week period. Sequence analyses of the TTGE bands revealed the same bacterial composition in both groups, with most bacteria belonging to the Proteobacteria and Firmicutes phyla. The in vitro antibacterial activity of TVEO was assessed using a range of normal intestinal isolates and fish pathogens. The inhibitory concentrations for all the tested bacteria were higher than the TVEO levels used in trout, which may explain the in vivo results. [source] Omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin C and Zn supplementation in asthmatic children: a randomized self-controlled studyACTA PAEDIATRICA, Issue 4 2009Mohammed Al Biltagi Abstract Objectives: Bronchial asthma is a chronic inflammatory airways disease. Nutritional intervention is an important tool to decrease the severity of many chronic inflammatory diseases including asthma. The aim of this study is to evaluate the role of omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin C and Zn in children with moderately persistent asthma. Patients and Methods: Randomly assigned, placebo-self-controlled 60 children with moderate persistent asthma completed the study, were subjected to alternating phases of supplementation with omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin C and Zn either singly or in combination separated with washout phases. Childhood asthma control test (C-ACT), pulmonary function tests and sputum inflammatory markers were evaluated at the beginning of the study and at the end of each therapeutic phase. Results: There was a significant improvement of C-ACT, pulmonary function tests and sputum inflammatory markers with diet supplementation with omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin C and Zn (p < 0.001*). There was also significant improvement with the combined use of the three supplementations than single use of any one of them (p < 0.001*). Conclusion: Diet supplementation with omega-3 fatty acids, Zn and vitamin C significantly improved asthma control test, pulmonary function tests and pulmonary inflammatory markers in children with moderately persistent bronchial asthma either singly or in combination. [source] |