The effect of bypass protein supplementation on the reproductive performance of Merino sheep grazing mixed karoo veld

(South African J of Animal Science, 2000, 30, Supplement 1: 60-61

Supplemented low-protein diets : are they superior in chronic renal failure?

CITATION: Herselman, M. G. et al 1995. Supplemented low-protein diets : are they superior in chronic renal failure? South African Medical Journal, 85(5):361-365.The original publication is available at http://www.samj.org.zaTwenty-two patients with chronic renal failure were randomly assigned to a conventional low-protein diet containing 0,6g protein/kg/day or a very-low-protein diet containing 0,6g protein/kg/day supplemented with essential amino acids; they were followed up for 9 months. There were no significant changes in body mass index, arm muscle area, percentage body fat, serum albumin and transferrin levels in any of the groups; neither was there any difference between the groups in respect of these parameters. Renal function, as measured by the reciprocal of serum creatinine over time, stabilised in both groups during intervention, with no significant difference between the groups. There was however no correlation between changes in renal function and changes in blood pressure, or dietary intake of protein, phosphorus, cholesterol, polyunsaturated and saturated fatty acids. There were also no significant changes and no significant differences between the groups in serum levels of parathyroid hormone and alkaline phosphatase, urine cyclic adenosine monophosphate, tubular reabsorption of phosphate, and the theoretical renal threshold for phosphate. The results of this study suggest that the supplemented very-low-protein diet was not superior to the conventional low-protein diet in terms of its effect on protein-energy status, renal function and biochemical parameters of renal osteodystrophy.Publisher’s versio

Supplemented low-protein diets : are they superior in chronic renal failure?

CITATION: Herselman, M. G. et al 1995. Supplemented low-protein diets : are they superior in chronic renal failure? South African Medical Journal, 85(5):361-365.The original publication is available at http://www.samj.org.zaTwenty-two patients with chronic renal failure were randomly assigned to a conventional low-protein diet containing 0,6g protein/kg/day or a very-low-protein diet containing 0,6g protein/kg/day supplemented with essential amino acids; they were followed up for 9 months. There were no significant changes in body mass index, arm muscle area, percentage body fat, serum albumin and transferrin levels in any of the groups; neither was there any difference between the groups in respect of these parameters. Renal function, as measured by the reciprocal of serum creatinine over time, stabilised in both groups during intervention, with no significant difference between the groups. There was however no correlation between changes in renal function and changes in blood pressure, or dietary intake of protein, phosphorus, cholesterol, polyunsaturated and saturated fatty acids. There were also no significant changes and no significant differences between the groups in serum levels of parathyroid hormone and alkaline phosphatase, urine cyclic adenosine monophosphate, tubular reabsorption of phosphate, and the theoretical renal threshold for phosphate. The results of this study suggest that the supplemented very-low-protein diet was not superior to the conventional low-protein diet in terms of its effect on protein-energy status, renal function and biochemical parameters of renal osteodystrophy.Publisher’s versio

Nutritional status of renal transplant patients

Objective. To assess the effect of renal transplantation on the nutritional status of patients.Design. Prospective descriptive study.Setting. Renal Transplant Clinic at Tygerberg Hospital, Western Cape.Subjects. Fifty-eight renal transplant patients from Tygerberg Hospital were enrolled in the study. The sample was divided into two groups of 29 patients each: group 1, less than 28 months post-transplant; and group 2, more than 28 months post-transplant.Outcome measures. Nutritional status assessment comprised biochemical evaluation, a dietary history, anthropometric measurements and a clinical examination.Results. Serum vitamin B6 levels were below normal in 56% of patients from group 1 and 59% from group 2. Vitamin B6 intake, however, was insufficient in only 14% of patients from group 1and10% from group 2. Serum vitamin C levels were below normal in 7% of patients from group 1 and 24% from group 2, while vitamin C intake was insufficient in 21%and14% of patients from groups 1 and 2 respectively. Serum magnesium levels were below normal in 55% of patients from group 1, and in 28% from group 2. Serum albumin and cholesterol levels increased significantly during the post-transplant period in the total sample (P = 0.0001). There was also a significant increase in body mass index (P = 0.0001) during the post-transplant period.Conclusions. Several nutritional abnormalities were observed, which primarily reflect the side-effects of immunosuppressive therapy. The causes, consequences and treatment of the vitamin B6 and vitamin C deficiencies in renal transplant recipients need further investigation

Evaluation of Selected Aspects of the Nutrition Therapeutic Programme Offered to HIV-Positive Women of Child-Bearing Age in Western Cape Province, South Africa

Background: The Nutrition Therapeutic Programme (NTP) involves the provision of food supplements at primary health clinics (PHCs) to correct nutritional deficiencies in vulnerable groups. Although previous studies have identified problems with implementing the programme at PHCs, assessments of its efficiency have been scarce.Objective: To evaluate implementation of the NTP at PHCs that provide antiretroviral therapy.Methods: A cross-sectional, descriptive study was conducted at 17 PHCs located within 3 districts of Western Cape Province. Two target groups were chosen: 32 staff members working at the sites and 21 women of child-bearing age enrolled in the NTP. Questionnaires were used to obtain data.Results: Only 2 women (10%) lived in food-secure households; the rest were either at risk of hunger (29%) or classified as hungry (61%). Most of the women knew they had to take the supplements to improve their nutritional status, but the majority only recalled receiving basic nutritional advice, and the information was mainly given verbally. Ten of the women had shared their supplements with others, mostly with their children. The study identified lack of clearly defined NTP responsibilities at the PHCs, causing confusion amongst the staff. Although many staff members expressed problems with the NTP, only 38% of them reported having routine evaluations regarding the programme.Conclusion: Several aspects compromised the effectiveness of the NTP, including socioeconomic factors leading to clients’ non-compliance. The strategic organisation and implementation of the NTP varied between different PHCs offering antiretroviral therapy, and staff experienced difficulties with the logistics of the programme

Nutritional status of renal transplant patients

CITATION: Du Plessis, A. S. et al. 2002. Nutritional status of renal transplant patients. South African Medical Journal, 92(1):68-74.The original publication is available at http://www.samj.org.zaObjective. To assess the effect of renal transplantation on the nutritional status of patients. Design. Prospective descriptive study. Setting. Renal Transplant Clinic at Tygerberg Hospital, Western Cape. Subjects. Fifty-eight renal transplant patients from Tygerberg Hospital were enrolled in the study. The sample was divided into two groups of 29 patients each: group 1, less than 28 months post-transplant; and group 2, more than 28 months post-transplant. Outcome measures. Nutritional status assessment comprised biochemical evaluation, a dietary history, anthropometric measurements and a clinical examination. Results. Serum vitamin B6 levels were below normal in 56% of patients from group 1 and 59% from group 2. Vitamin B6 intake, however, was insufficient in only 14% of patients from group 1 and 10% from group 2. Serum vitamin C levels were below normal in 7% of patients from group 1 and 24% from group 2, while vitamin C intake was insufficient in 21% and 14% of patients from groups 1 and 2 respectively. Serum magnesium levels were below normal in 55% of patients from group 1, and in 28% from group 2. Serum albumin and cholesterol levels increased significantly during the post-transplant period in the total sample (P = 0.0001). There was also a significant increase in body mass index (P = 0.0001) during the post-transplant period. Conclusions. Several nutritional abnormalities were observed, which primarily reflect the side-effects of immunosuppressive therapy. The causes, consequences and treatment of the vitamin B6 and vitamin C deficiencies in renal transplant recipients need further investigation.Publisher’s versio

Identification and mapping of AFLP markers linked to peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.) resistance to the aphid vector of groundnut rosette disease

Groundnut rosette disease is the most destructive viral disease of peanut in Africa and can cause serious yield losses under favourable conditions. The development of disease-resistant cultivars is the most effective control strategy. Resistance to the aphid vector, Aphis craccivora, was identified in the breeding line ICG 12991 and is controlled by a single recessive gene. Bulked segregant analysis (BSA) and amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) analysis were employed to identify DNA markers linked to aphid resistance and for the development of a partial genetic linkage map. A F2:3 population was developed from a cross using the aphid-resistant parent ICG 12991. Genotyping was carried out in the F2 generation and phenotyping in the F3 generation. Results were used to assign individual F2 lines as homozygous-resistant, homozygous-susceptible or segregating. A total of 308 AFLP (20 EcoRI+3/MseI+3, 144 MluI+3/MseI+3 and 144 PstI+3/MseI+3) primer combinations were used to identify markers associated with aphid resistance in the F2:3 population. Twenty putative markers were identified, of which 12 mapped to five linkage groups covering a map distance of 139.4 cM. A single recessive gene was mapped on linkage group 1, 3.9 cM from a marker originating from the susceptible parent, that explained 76.1% of the phenotypic variation for aphid resistance. This study represents the first report on the identification of molecular markers closely linked to aphid resistance to groundnut rosette disease and the construction of the first partial genetic linkage map for cultivated peanu

Local scale patterns of gene flow and genetic diversity in a crop–wild–weedy complex of sorghum (Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench) under traditional agricultural field conditions in Kenya

Little information is available on the extent and patterns of gene flow and genetic diversity between cultivated sorghum and its wild related taxa under local agricultural conditions in Africa. As well as expanding knowledge on the evolutionary and domestication processes for sorghum, such information also has importance in biosafety, conservation and breeding programmes. Here, we examined the magnitude and dynamics of crop–wild gene flow and genetic variability in a crop–wild–weedy complex of sorghum under traditional farming in Meru South district, Kenya. We genotyped 110 cultivated sorghum, and 373 wild sorghum individuals using a panel of ten polymorphic microsatellite loci. We combined traditional measures of genetic diversity and differentiation with admixture analysis, population assignment, and analyses of spatial genetic structure to assess the extent and patterns of gene flow and diversity between cultivated and wild sorghum. Our results indicate that gene flow is asymmetric with higher rates from crop to wild forms than vice versa. Surprisingly, our data suggests that the two congeners have retained substantial genetic distinctness in the face of gene flow. Nevertheless, we found no significant differences in genetic diversity measures between them. Our study also did not find evidence of isolation by distance in cultivated or wild sorghum, which suggests that gene dispersal in the two conspecifics is not limited by geographic distance. Overall our study highlights likely escape and dispersal of transgenes within the sorghum crop–wild–weedy complex if genetically engineered varieties were to be introduced in Africa’s traditional farming system

A QTL study on late leaf spot and rust revealed one major QTL for molecular breeding for rust resistance in groundnut (Arachis hypogaea L.)

Late leaf spot (LLS) and rust are two major foliar diseases of groundnut (Arachis hypogaea L.) that often occur together leading to 50–70% yield loss in the crop. A total of 268 recombinant inbred lines of a mapping population TAG 24 × GPBD 4 segregating for LLS and rust were used to undertake quantitative trait locus (QTL) analysis. Phenotyping of the population was carried out under artificial disease epiphytotics. Positive correlations between different stages, high to very high heritability and independent nature of inheritance between both the diseases were observed. Parental genotypes were screened with 1,089 simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers, of which 67 (6.15%) were found polymorphic. Segregation data obtained for these markers facilitated development of partial linkage map (14 linkage groups) with 56 SSR loci. Composite interval mapping (CIM) undertaken on genotyping and phenotyping data yielded 11 QTLs for LLS (explaining 1.70–6.50% phenotypic variation) in three environments and 12 QTLs for rust (explaining 1.70–55.20% phenotypic variation). Interestingly a major QTL associated with rust (QTLrust01), contributing 6.90–55.20% variation, was identified by both CIM and single marker analysis (SMA). A candidate SSR marker (IPAHM 103) linked with this QTL was validated using a wide range of resistant/susceptible breeding lines as well as progeny lines of another mapping population (TG 26 × GPBD 4). Therefore, this marker should be useful for introgressing the major QTL for rust in desired lines/varieties of groundnut through marker-assisted backcrossing