Pet guardians are increasingly seeking vegan dog foods. However, research on the impact of these diets on gastrointestinal (GI) physiology and health is limited. In humans, vegan diets modify the GI ...microbiota, increasing beneficial digestive microorganisms. This study aimed to examine the canine fecal microbiota in response to a vegan diet compared to an animal-based diet.
Sixty-one client-owned healthy adult dogs completed a randomized, double-blinded longitudinal study. Dogs were randomly assigned into two groups that were fed either a commercial extruded animal-based diet (MEAT,
= 30) or an experimental extruded vegan diet (PLANT,
= 31) for 12 weeks. Fecal collections occurred at the start of the experimental period and after 3 months of exclusively feeding either diet. Bacterial DNA was extracted from the feces, and the V4 region of the 16S rRNA gene was amplified using PCR and sequenced on Illumina MiSeq. Beta-diversity was measured using Jaccard and Bray-Curtis distances, and the PERMANOVA was used to assess for differences in fecal microbiota within and between groups. Alpha-diversity indices for richness, evenness, and diversity, as well as relative abundance, were calculated and compared between groups.
Beta-diversity differences occurred between diet groups at exit time-point with differences on Bray-Curtis distances at the family and genus levels (
= 0.007 and
= 0.001, respectively), and for the Jaccard distance at the family and genus level (
= 0.006 and
= 0.011, respectively). Significant differences in alpha-diversity occurred when comparing the PLANT to the MEAT group at the exit time-point with the PLANT group having a lower evenness (
= 0.012), but no significant differences in richness (
= 0.188), or diversity (
= 0.06). At exit-timepoint, compared to the MEAT group, the relative abundance of
,
, and
was lower in the PLANT group. The relative abundance of
decreased over time in the PLANT group, while no change was observed in the MEAT group.
These results indicate that vegan diets may change the canine gut microbiota. Future studies are warranted to confirm our results and determine long-term effects of vegan diets on the canine gut microbiome.
A feeding trial was conducted to test the effect of dietary glutamate and glycine supplementation on growth potential, nutritional utilization and digestion, and energy metabolism of rainbow trout ...(Oncorhynchus mykiss). Four isonitrogenous and isolipidic diets (2 × 2 factorial design) were formulated with glutamate (Glu) and glycine (Gly) as the main factors. The protein source consisted mainly of black soldier fly larvae meal (40% inclusion in all diets) for its low-level content of glutamate and glycine. Triplicate groups of rainbow trout (30 fish/tank with mean initial body weight of 87.5 g ± 0.9) were restrictively fed by hand twice a day for 6 weeks. Dietary Glu and Gly supplementation did not affect feed intake, specific growth rate, or the feed conversion ratio. Whole body protein, lipid, amino acid and fatty acid composition were also unaffected by the supplementation of Glu and Gly in the diets. Dietary Gly supplementation increased the apparent digestibility of amino acids. Furthermore, supplementation with Gly, increased the concentration of serine, glycine, tryptophane, tyrosine and citrulline, while supplementation with Glu in the diets increased the concentration of hydroxy-proline and β-alanine in the serum of rainbow trout. Both dietary Glu and Gly supplementation improved the digestibility of the fatty acids. The expression of genes involved in the hepatic bile acid synthesis (e.g., apical sodium dependent bile acid transporter and organic solute transporter) were affected by supplementation of Gly in the diets. In general, this study showed that dietary supplementation with Gly and Glu improved the nutrient digestibility in rainbow trout.
•Supplementation with dietary glycine and glutamate improved nutrient digestibility.•NE-AA could be considered as functional amino acids in aquafeed.•Glutamate and glycine might play an important role as an oxidative fuel.•Surplus of dietary glycine increased cycling frequency of bile acids.
Any transition to a sustainable food system will require long-term changes in consumer behaviour, including a major reduction in the proportion of animal-based foods in people's diets. Such long-term ...dietary changes have widely been found difficult to achieve, however, since eating behaviors are interlinked with habits and lifestyles. In order to attain a better understanding of the driving forces that guide and support changes in eating patterns, this study identifies some of the key factors that lead people not only to adopt alternative dietary lifestyles but also to sustain these lifestyles over the long term. A generic qualitative methodology was used to gather and analyse qualitative data on the food-related motivations and identities of 17 long-term ‘alternative dieters’. Our content analysis of this data revealed the following three factors to be particularly relevant in motivations for dietary change: (1) the experience of a ‘key moment’; (2) the accumulation of knowledge; and (3) health concerns. While our findings show that the experience of key moments tends to catalyse immediate behavioral responses, changes due to knowledge and health concerns appear to lead to more gradual and organized processes of change. Regarding the mentalities that seem to reinforce and help sustain the transition to long-lasting alternative diets, our study identified three further characteristics: (1) self-reflectiveness; (2) responsibility; and (3) interconnectedness. Overall, our findings provide valuable insights into the key drivers that initiate processes of long-lasting dietary change as well as the mentalities that serve to underpin and sustain such changes. Follow-up research with a largersample of participants is recommended to confirm and further explore these characteristics as a means of informing policies aiming at achieving a transition to more sustainable food systems.
White bass (
) are a popular sportfish throughout the southern United States, and one parent of the commercially-successful hybrid striped bass (
♂
♀). Currently, white bass are cultured using diets ...formulated for other carnivorous fish, such as largemouth bass (
) or hybrid striped bass and contain a significant percentage of marine fish meal. Since there are no studies regarding the utilization of alternative proteins in this species, we evaluated the global gene expression of white bass fed diets in which fish meal was partially or totally replaced by various combinations of soybean meal, poultry by-product meal, canola meal, soy protein concentrate, wheat gluten, or a commercial protein blend (Pro-Cision™). Six isonitrogenous (40% protein), isolipidic (11%), and isocaloric (17.1 kJ/g) diets were formulated to meet the known nutrient and energy requirements of largemouth bass and hybrid striped bass using nutrient availability data for most of the dietary ingredients. One of the test diets consisted exclusively of plant protein sources. Juvenile white bass (40.2 g initial weight) were stocked into a flow-through aquaculture system (three tanks/diet; 10 fish/tank) and fed the test diets twice daily to satiation for 60 days. RNA sequencing and bioinformatic analyses revealed significant differentially expressed genes between all test diets when compared to fish meal control. A total of 1,260 differentially expressed genes were identified, with major ontology relating to cell cycle and metabolic processes as well as immune gene functions. This data will be useful as a resource for future refinements to moronid diet formulation, as marine fish meal becomes limiting and plant ingredients are increasingly added as a reliable protein source.
The larval waste, exoskeleton shedding, and leftover feed components of the black soldier fly and its larvae make up the by-product known as frass. In this study, we subjected channel catfish (
) to ...a 10-week feeding trial to assess how different dietary amounts of frass inclusion would affect both systemic and mucosal tissue gene expression, especially in regard to growth and immune-related genes. Fish were divided in quadruplicate aquaria, and five experimental diets comprising 0, 50, 100, 200, and 300 g of frass per kilogram of feed were fed twice daily. At the end of the trial, liver, head kidney, gill, and intestine samples were collected for gene expression analyses. First, liver and intestine samples from fish fed with a no frass inclusion diet (control), low-frass (50 g/kg) inclusion diet, or a high-frass (300 g/kg) inclusion diet were subjected to Illumina RNA sequencing to determine global differential gene expression among diet groups. Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) included the upregulation of growth-related genes such as glucose-6-phosphatase and myostatin, as well as innate immune receptors and effector molecules such as toll-like receptor 5, apolipoprotein A1, C-type lectin, and lysozyme. Based on the initial screenings of low/high frass using RNA sequencing, a more thorough evaluation of immune gene expression of all tissues sampled, and all levels of frass inclusion, was further conducted. Using targeted quantitative PCR panels for both innate and adaptive immune genes from channel catfish, differential expression of genes was identified, which included innate receptors (TLR1, TLR5, TLR9, and TLR20A), proinflammatory cytokines (IL-1β type a, IL-1β type b, IL-17, IFN-γ, and TNFα), chemokines (CFC3 and CFD), and hepcidin in both systemic (liver and head kidney) and mucosal (gill and intestine) tissues. Overall, frass from black soldier fly larvae inclusion in formulated diets was found to alter global gene expression and activate innate and adaptive immunity in channel catfish, which has the potential to support disease resistance in this species in addition to demonstrated growth benefits.
In this review, we summarize and discuss the trends and supporting findings in scientific literature on the gut mucosa immune role in European sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax L.). Overall, the purpose ...is to provide an updated overview of the gastrointestinal tract functional regionalization and defence barriers. A description of the available information regarding immune cells found in two immunologically-relevant intestinal compartments, namely epithelium and lamina propria, is provided. Attention has been also paid to mucosal immunoglobulins and to the latest research investigating gut microbiota and dietary manipulation impacts. Finally, we review oral vaccination strategies, as a safe method for sea bass vaccine delivery.
•Teleost gut mucosa is equipped with selective and functional overlaying barriers.•Functional specialization exists along the European sea bass intestinal tract.•Intestinal immune cells are thoroughly discussed.•Attention is paid to effects of pre/probiotics, diet and microbiota on gut mucosa.•Oral strategies are reviewed as a safe method for vaccine delivery.
In this qualitative study, the process of developing a politicized identity around diet was explored through a social psychological lens. Applying one of the most influencial models of group identity ...development proposed by Cross (1978) in which an “encounter” experience spurs an awakening into a politicized identity, we asked 36 participants who followed alternative diets due to political reasons to describe their unique encounter experiences that brought them to their politicized awakening. Their self-identified diets included pescetarian, vegetarian, vegan, raw, non-GMO/organic, and reduced meat consumption. Participants described the rationale for their diets, their “encounter” or awakening to their politicized diets, and whether they viewed their diet as a part of their identity. Using thematic analysis, we identified four key types of encounters that sparked their politicization: a series of integrated events, exposure to educational materials, a direct visceral emotional experience, and guidance from a role model. We discuss the results with regard to the politics of food, the nature of the politicized dieter's identity as part of a minority food culture, and the difficulties of engaging in political action through one's diet. The underexplored benefits of applying social psychological theories of identity to research on dietary subcultures is also discussed.
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•The northern region of Peru showed marine species with the highest LC-PUFA levels.•Edible tissues of sea urchin and oyster contained the highest LC-PUFAs.•High consumption of marine ...species could pose a risk due to As and Cd content.•Potentially edible and non-edible species from Peru are promising future foods.•Gastropods scored as the least nutritional taxon.
Seafood could be a promising way to supplement healthy fatty acids and trace elements to the Peruvian diet. Seafood from northern Peru was characterized with the highest relative concentrations of long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LC-PUFAs), while in the center region marine species had the lowest As and Pb contents. Peruvian marine species are rich in LC-PUFAs and micro-nutrients (Cu, Fe, Mn, Zn), including species considered as potentially edible (e.g. Cycloxanthops sexdecimdentatus), but also non-edible species (e.g. Caulerpa filiformis). Nevertheless, it is crucial to consider toxic metals, e.g. As and Cd, which could pose a risk for consumers. High levels of beneficial LC-PUFAs and micro-nutrients would be taken up (up to 80% of the recommended values) when the Peruvian population would consume the estimated safe amount of seafood. Scoring species for fatty acid and metal content resulted in gastropods (e.g. Bursa ventricosa) as being the least beneficial species.
This study examined what kind of policy instruments and actions are needed for sustainable dietary change and how a large-scale dietary change would impact the climate, thus analysing the economic ...impacts of transitioning from animal-based diets to alternative plant-based diets. The transition would require the support of horizontal measures that can be implemented throughout the food system. Shifting the emphasis toward the drivers of food demand and consumption will increase the role of new policy instruments and the actors involved in the food system. Collaborative research between environmental and nutritional sciences with economics and policy analysis is necessary to link nutritional health and environmental objectives with economic and social impacts. Less resource-demanding diets would reduce the impact from the food system and lower greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Drastic changes in diets and food consumption in Finland would have an impact on primary agricultural production, but the output from the food processing industry would only be slightly affected. However, a successful transition would involve considerable investments in the agricultural and food industry.
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