Supplementing farm animals diet with functional ingredients may improve the nutritional quality of meat products. Diet composition has been also demonstrated to influence the gene expression with ...effect on biological processes and pathways. However, the knowledge on the effect of nutrients at the molecular level is scant. In particular, studies on the effects of antioxidants and polyphenols dietary supplementation have been investigated mainly in rodents, and only scarcely in farm animals so far. RNA-Seq with next-generation sequencing is increasingly the method of choice for studying changes in the transcriptome and it has been recently employed also in pig nutrigenomics studies to identify diet-induced changes in gene expression. The present study aimed to investigate the effect of diets enriched with functional ingredients (linseed, vitamin E and plant extracts) on the transcriptome of pig
to elucidate the role of these compounds in influencing genes involved in muscle physiology and metabolism compared to a standard diet.
Eight hundred ninety-three significant differentially expressed genes (DEGs) (FDR adjusted
value ≤ 0.05) were detected by RNA-Seq analysis in the three diet comparisons (D2-D1, D3-D1, D4-D1). The functional analysis of DEGs showed that the diet enriched with
-3 PUFA from linseed (D2) mostly downregulated genes in pathways and biological processes (BPs) related to muscle development, contraction, and glycogen metabolism compared to the standard diet. The diet supplemented with linseed and vitamin E/Selenium (D3) showed to mostly downregulate genes linked to oxidative phosphorylation. Only few genes involved in extracellular matrix (ECM) organization were upregulated by the D3. Finally, the comparison D4-D1 showed that the diet supplemented with linseed and plant extracts (D4) upregulated the majority of genes compared to D1 that were involved in a complex network of pathways and BPs all connected by hub genes. In particular,
was a hub gene connecting protein metabolism, ECM organization, immune system and lipid biosynthesis pathways.
The supplementation of pig diet with
-3 PUFA from linseed, antioxidants and plant-derived polyphenols can influence the expression of a relevant number of genes in
muscle that are involved in a variety of biochemical pathways linked to muscle function and metabolism.
Population-based studies have shown an inverse association between dietary menaquinones (MK-n, vitamin K2) intake, coronary calcification and CHD risk, suggesting a potential role of vitamin K in ...vascular health. To date, the effects of increased menaquinone intake on (markers of) vascular health have been investigated using predominantly food supplements. Dairy products contain many essential nutrients and can serve as a good matrix for food fortification in order to support health. We were therefore interested to study the effects of a menaquinone-fortified yogurt drink (menaquinone as menaquinone-7 (MK-7); 28 µg MK-7/yogurt drink) on vitamin K status and markers of vascular health. The yogurt drink was also fortified with n-3 PUFA, vitamin D, vitamin C, Ca and Mg to support vascular and/or general health. Healthy men (n 32) and postmenopausal women (n 28) with a mean age of 56 (sd 5) years received either basic or fortified yogurt drink twice per d for 12 weeks. MK-7 was efficiently absorbed from the fortified yogurt drink. Levels of circulating MK-7 were significantly increased from 0·28 to 1·94 ng/ml. In accordance, intake of the fortified yogurt drink improved vitamin K status, as measured by significant decreases in uncarboxylated osteocalcin and desphospho-uncarboxylated matrix Gla-protein. No effects were, however, seen on markers of inflammation, endothelial dysfunction and lipid metabolism. In summary, consumption of a yogurt drink fortified with low doses of among others MK-7 for 3 months significantly improved vitamin K status in a healthy population.
Current work aims to develop a refining process for removing phospholipids, free fatty acids (FFA), and metal ions without affecting n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid (n-3 PUFA) esters present in the ...crude Indian sardine oil. Sardine oil was subjected to degumming with various acids (orthophosphoric acid, acetic acid, and lactic acid), conventional and membrane assisted deacidification using various solvents (methanol, ethanol, propanol and butanol) and bleaching with bleaching agents (GAC, activated earth and bentonite) and all the process parameters were further optimized. Degumming with 5%(w/w) ortho phosphoric acid, two stage solvent extraction with methanol at 1:1 (w/w) in each stage and bleaching with 3% (w/w) activated charcoal loading, at 80ºC for 10 minutes resulted in the reduction of phospholipid content to 5.66 ppm from 612.66 ppm, FFA to 0.56% from 5.64% with the complete removal of iron and mercury. Under these conditions, the obtained bleached oil showed an enhancement of n-3 PUFA from 16.39 % (11.19 Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) + 5.20 Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA)) to 17.91 % (11.81 EPA + 6.1 DHA). Replacing conventional solvent extraction with membrane deacidification using microporous, hydrophobic polytetrafluoroethylene membrane (PTFE), resulted in a lesser solvent residue (0.25% (w/w)) in the deacidified oil. In view of lack of reports on refining of n-3 PUFA rich marine oils without concomitant loss of n-3 PUFA, this report is significant.
Increased use of plant oils with different origins and quality in fish feed needs to be approached from a food safety and fish welfare point of view. Plant oils contain a number of bioactive minor ...lipid compounds that may affect the fish's metabolism and taste perception. This study focuses on the effect of replacing fish oil (FO) with different levels of cold-pressed rapeseed oil (RO) on the lipid composition in muscle and liver as well as on the preference by the fish. Rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) were fed diets with a FO : RO ratio of 100 : 0, 75 : 25, 50 : 50 and 25 : 75 until twofold weight increase. In self-selecting feed trials of single rainbow trout, fish preferred the diet composed of only FO compared with the diets with RO but did not discriminate between different levels of RO. Plant sterols and their metabolites were found in liver of the fish fed RO diets, suggesting an effect on the sterol metabolism different from fish fed a 100% FO diet. The largest effects were seen in the fatty acid composition of the edible tissue of the fish with a decrease in 22:6n-3 and 20:5n-3 and an increase in 18:2n-6 and 18:1n-9.
The exposure to adverse events early in life may affect brain development. Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid (n-3 PUFA) deficiency has been linked to the development of mood and anxiety disorders. ...The aim of this study was to examine the interaction between variations in the early environment (handling or maternal separation) and the chronic exposure to a nutritional n-3 PUFA deficiency on locomotor activity, sucrose preference, forced swimming test and on serum and hippocampal brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) levels. Rats were randomized into Non-handled (NH), Neonatal Handled (H) and Maternal Separated (MS) groups. Pups were removed from their dams (incubator at 32°C on postnatal days (PND) 1–10) during 10min/day (H) or 3h/day (MS). On PND 35, males were subdivided into diets adequate or deficient in n-3 PUFA for 15weeks. H and MS gained weight differently, and animals receiving the n-3 PUFA deficient diet gained less weight. MS displayed a higher food consumption and higher consumption of sucrose solution during the second hour of exposure to the sucrose preference test. No differences were observed in the swimming test. H group had increased locomotion and showed a higher response to amfepramone. No significant effect was observed on serum BDNF levels. BDNF protein levels were decreased in animals receiving the n-3 PUFA deficient diet. We observed that early life environment and a mild n-3 PUFA deficiency are able to affect several behavioral aspects (food and sucrose consumption and locomotor response), and lead to a differential hippocampal BDNF metabolism in adult life.
•We examine possible interactions between early stress and n-3 PUFA deficiency.•Handling and maternal separation procedures were used as early life stressors.•Neonatal handling induced higher response to psychostimulant in adult life.•Maternal separation induced increased body weight.•Hippocampal BDNF metabolism in adult life was altered by n-3 PUFA deficiency.
Dietary changes are a major factor in determining cardiovascular risk. n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids modulate the risk factors for metabolic syndrome via multiple mechanisms, including the ...regulation of the lipid metabolism. We therefore investigated the effect of Odontella aurita, a microalga rich in EPA, which is already used as a food supplement, on the risk factors for high-fat diet induced metabolic syndrome in rats.
Male Wistar rats were divided into 4 groups and were fed with a standard diet (control); with the standard diet supplemented with 3% freeze-dried O. aurita (COA); with a high-fat diet (HF); or with the high-fat diet supplemented with 3% of freeze-dried O. aurita (HFOA) for 7 weeks. In this study we evaluated the impact of these different diets on the risk factors for metabolic syndrome, such as hyperlipidemia, platelet aggregation, thromboxane B2 production, and oxidative stress.
After 7 weeks of treatment, high fat feeding had increased final body weight, glycemia, triacylglycerol, and total cholesterol levels in plasma and liver compared to the control diet. Collagen-induced platelet aggregation and basal platelet thromboxane B2 were also higher in the high-fat fed rats than in those in the control group. In the liver, oxidative stress was greater in the HF group than in the control group. O. aurita intake in HFOA-fed rats resulted in lower glycemia and lipid levels in the plasma and liver relative than in the HF group. Thus, in the HFOA group, n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid levels in the tissues studied (plasma, liver, and platelets) were higher than in the HF group. Platelet hyper-aggregability tended to decrease in HFOA-fed rats as basal platelet thromboxane B2 production decreased. Finally, O. aurita reduced oxidative stress in the liver, with lower malondialdehyde levels and increased glutathione peroxidase activity.
O. aurita is a marine diatom rich in EPA as well as in other bioactive molecules, such as pigments. The synergistic effect of these microalgal compounds, displayed a beneficial effect in reducing the risk factors for high-fat induced metabolic syndrome: hyperlipidemia, platelet aggregation, and oxidative stress.
In the present study, fifteen growing pigs were used to determine the whole-body oxidation, retention efficiency (RE) and apparent conversion (AC) of α-linolenic acid (18 : 3n-3) to n-3 highly ...unsaturated fatty acids (HUFA), including EPA (20 : 5n-3) and DHA (22 : 6n-3). The pigs were fed a diet containing 10% flaxseed for 30 d. Whole-body fatty acid composition was determined at initial (27.7 (SE 1.9) kg), intermediate (day 15; 39.2 (SE 1.4) kg) and final (45.7 (SE 2.2) kg) body weight. On day 12, four pigs were fed 10 mg/kg of uniformly labelled (13)C-18 : 3n-3 (single-bolus dose) to determine the oxidation of 18 : 3n-3. Expired CO2 samples were collected for 24 h thereafter. The whole-body content of n-3 PUFA increased linearly (P< 0.0001) with time; however, the content of 22 : 6n-3 exhibited a quadratic response (P< 0.01) with a peak occurring at 15 h. As a proportion of intake, the RE of 18 : 3n-3 tended to reduce with time (P = 0.098). The AC of ingested 18 : 3n-3 to the sum of n-3 HUFA was reduced with time (P< 0.05; 12.2 v. 7.53 % for days 0-15 and days 15-30, respectively). The AC of 18 : 3n-3 to 20 : 5n-3 or 22 : 6n-3 was lower than that to 20 : 3n-3, both for days 0-15 (P < 0.05; 1.14 or 1.07 v. 7.06 %) and for days 15-30 (P< 0.05; 1.51 or 0.33 v. 4.29 %). The direct oxidation of 18 : 3n-3 was 7.91 (SE 0.98) % and was similar to the calculated disappearance of 18 : 3n-3 between days 0 and 30 (8.81 (SE 5.24) %). The oxidation of 18 : 3n-3 was much lower than that reported in other species. The AC of 18 : 3n-3 to n-3 HUFA was reduced over time and that to 20 : 3n-3 in the present study was much higher than that reported in other species and should be explored further.
Oxygen efficiency influences skeletal muscle contractile function during physiological hypoxia. Dietary fish oil, providing docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), reduces the oxygen cost of muscle contraction. ...This study used an autologous perfused rat hindlimb model to examine the effects of a fish oil diet on skeletal muscle fatigue during an acute hypoxic challenge. Male Wistar rats were fed a diet rich in saturated fat (SF), long-chain (LC) n-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids (n-6 PUFA), or LC n-3 PUFA DHA from fish oil (FO) (8 weeks). During anaesthetised and ventilated conditions (normoxia 21% O
2
(SaO
2
–98%) and hypoxia 14% O
2
(SaO
2
–89%)) the hindlimb was perfused at a constant flow and the gastrocnemius–plantaris–soleus muscle bundle was stimulated via sciatic nerve (2 Hz, 6–12V, 0.05 ms) to established fatigue. Caffeine (2.5, 5, 10 mM) was supplied to the contracting muscle bundle via the arterial cannula to assess force recovery. Hypoxia, independent of diet, attenuated maximal twitch tension (normoxia: 82 ± 8; hypoxia: 41 ± 2 g·g
−1
tissue w.w.). However, rats fed FO sustained higher peak twitch tension compared with the SF and n-6 PUFA groups (P < 0.05), and the time to decline to 50% of maximum twitch tension was extended (SF: 546 ± 58; n-6 PUFA: 522 ± 58; FO: 792 ± 96 s; P < 0.05). In addition, caffeine-stimulated skeletal muscle contractile recovery was enhanced in the FO-fed animals (SF: 41 ± 3; n-6 PUFA: 40 ± 4; FO: 52 ± 7% recovery; P < 0.05). These results support a physiological role of DHA in skeletal muscle membranes when exposed to low-oxygen stress that is consistent with the attenuation of muscle fatigue under physiologically normoxic conditions.
Marine n-3 long-chain PUFA (n-3 LCPUFA) may have a beneficial effect on several aspects of the metabolic syndrome (dyslipidaemia, insulin resistance, hypertension and abdominal obesity). The ...metabolic syndrome is increasing in prevalence during adolescence, but only few studies have investigated the effects of n-3 LCPUFA in adolescence. The present study examines associations between fish intake (assessed by a 7 d pre-coded food diary), erythrocyte (RBC) DHA status (analysed by GC) and metabolic syndrome measures (anthropometry, blood pressure and plasma lipids, insulin and glucose) in 109 17-year-old children from the Copenhagen Birth Cohort Study. Of the children, 8 % were overweight or obese and few showed signs of the metabolic syndrome, but all the metabolic syndrome variables were correlated. Median fish intake was 10·7 (interquartile range 3·6-21·2) g/d. Boys tended to have a higher fish intake (P = 0·052), but girls had significantly higher RBC levels of DHA (P = 0·001). Sex and fish intake explained 37 % of the variance in RBC-DHA (P < 0·001). After adjusting for confounders, high DHA status was found to be significantly correlated with higher systolic blood pressure (P = 0·014) and increased fasting insulin (P = 0·018), but no adverse association was observed with the mean metabolic syndrome z-score. Overall, the present study showed the expected association between fish intake and RBC-DHA, which in contrast to our expectations tended to be associated with a poorer metabolic profile. Whether these results reflect the physiological function of n-3 LCPUFA, lifestyle factors associated with fish intake in Denmark, or mere chance remains to be investigated.
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