DNA-Based Diet Analysis for Any Predator

Background: Prey DNA from diet samples can be used as a dietary marker; yet current methods for prey detection require a priori diet knowledge and/or are designed ad hoc, limiting their scope. I present a general approach to detect diverse prey in the feces or gut contents of predators. Methodology/Principal Findings: In the example outlined, I take advantage of the restriction site for the endonuclease Pac I which is present in 16S mtDNA of most Odontoceti mammals, but absent from most other relevant non-mammalian chordates and invertebrates. Thus in DNA extracted from feces of these mammalian predators Pac I will cleave and exclude predator DNA from a small region targeted by novel universal primers, while most prey DNA remain intact allowing prey selective PCR. The method was optimized using scat samples from captive bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) fed a diet of 6–10 prey species from three phlya. Up to five prey from two phyla were detected in a single scat and all but one minor prey item (2% of the overall diet) were detected across all samples. The same method was applied to scat samples from free-ranging bottlenose dolphins; up to seven prey taxa were detected in a single scat and 13 prey taxa from eight teleost families were identified in total. Conclusions/Significance: Data and further examples are provided to facilitate rapid transfer of this approach to any predator. This methodology should prove useful to zoologists using DNA-based diet techniques in a wide variety of study systems

"Games galore" : a feasibility study to investigate the effect of a physical activity and nutrition education programme for 10-14 year old New Zealand overweight and obese children : a thesis presented in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science in Nutritional Science at Massey University

It is widely acknowledged that obesity has emerged as an epidemic in developed countries during the last quarter of the 20th century [1]. It is an issue of great concern, affecting adults and children of both wealthy and middle-income people in both middle-income countries as well as residents of countries previously considered to be poor [2]. The World Health Organisation has stated that the prevalence of obesity and overweight is increasing in both adult and childhood populations throughout the world, and has acknowledged management of obesity as a priority area of public health action [1]. This feasibility study "Games Galore" investigated the effect of a physical activity and nutrition education intervention for the development of ongoing self-motivated participation in physical activity and of healthy eating habits of both male and female 10-14 year old New Zealand overweight or obese children. Twenty-two students of an intermediate and a full primary school enrolled in the "Games Galore" feasibility study. The participants were all residents of West Auckland, New Zealand and participated twice weekly in a games programme and once every fortnight in a nutrition education programme. Anthropometric data was collected at baseline, 4 months, 6 months (end of the intervention), 10 months (4 months post intervention), and 16 months (10 months post intervention). A qualitative dietary habit questionnaire, a diet and activity questionnaire, a food frequency questionnaire, a 3 day diet and physical activity diary, and a three 24-hour recalls were administered to assess nutrient intake and physical activity. There was no significant change seen in any of the assessed anthropometric indicators from baseline to 16 months post intervention. Some positive change was seen for outdoor play during weekdays (p=0.02). However, there was no significant change in any of the other measurements for physical activity, indicating no increase in self-motivated participation in physical activity. There was also no change in dietary intake during and post intervention, indicating no change in eating habits. During this 16 months "Games Galore" feasibility study (6 month intervention, 10 month follow-up) there was no significant change in the participants' participation of physical activity and the participants' eating habits. This is most likely due to the implementation of too few predictors of childhood overweight and lack of parental support. The latter limits the results due to lack of stimulation and motivation for the participants to participate at the nutrition education sessions and incorporate a "healthy" lifestyl

The benefits to the Australian Pig meat industry from an increase in demand for a hypothetical low cholesterol pork product

This is the third of a series of papers examining the potential economic effects from the introduction of a hypothetical low cholesterol pork product into the Australian market. Here, a newly updated pig meat model reported by Griffith et al. (2010) is used to model the industry wide impacts of the Bellhouse et al. (2010) survey results on consumer willingness to pay for this new pork product. Six different scenarios are examined that are combinations of a 10, 20 or 30 per cent increase in consumer demand, with and without a 10 per cent increase in the costs of producing the more valuable pork. The simulation results for the various scenarios indicate total annual industry benefits of some $450m for an increase in aggregate willingness to pay of 30 per cent and no cost increase, down to$88m for an increase in aggregate willingness to pay of 10 per cent and a 10 per cent cost increase. Australian consumers receive about 80 per cent of total benefits, pork producers receive about 7-8 per cent and all other market participants together receive about 12-13 per cent. These values provide a guide to the size of the annual investment that could be justified by pork producers to produce a pig that is low in cholesterol.cholesterol, pork, Australia, consumer willingness to pay, demand, Agribusiness, Demand and Price Analysis, Environmental Economics and Policy, Farm Management, Food Consumption/Nutrition/Food Safety, Livestock Production/Industries, Production Economics,

Australian consumers' willingness to pay and willingness to purchase a hypothetical lower cholesterol pork product

This study investigated whether there would be an increase in consumer willingness to pay and purchase if reduced cholesterol pork was introduced to the Australian market. A stated choice analysis was used, with the following questions addressed. How are current purchases of fresh pork affected by concerns about cholesterol content? What financial premium, if any, would consumers place on reduced cholesterol pork? Would consumers buy more pork if a low cholesterol option were available? Is there a group of consumers, such as those with high cholesterol, who have an increased willingness to pay for or purchase reduced cholesterol pork when compared to consumers without this health problem? Results from this study indicated that at present the majority of consumers are relatively unconcerned about the cholesterol content of fresh pork and that there is a minimal effect of such concerns on fresh pork purchases. The results also predicted a significant financial premium for the reduced cholesterol product at the retail level, with increased willingness to pay for and consume reduced cholesterol pork by the average pork consuming family. However, as these results are the product of a stated choice analysis and not a revealed preference study, and therefore simply reasonable expectations, it is likely that the reported increase in demand in both quantity and price by potential consumers is overstated to some extent.pork, cholesterol, choice analysis, Australian pork, Agribusiness, Agricultural and Food Policy, Consumer/Household Economics, Farm Management, Food Consumption/Nutrition/Food Safety, Livestock Production/Industries, Risk and Uncertainty,

Screening and Characterization of Phenolic Compounds and Their Antioxidant Capacity in Different Fruit Peels

Fruit peels have a diverse range of phytochemicals including carotenoids, vitamins, dietary fibres, and phenolic compounds, some with remarkable antioxidant properties. Nevertheless, the comprehensive screening and characterization of the complex array of phenolic compounds in different fruit peels is limited. This study aimed to determine the polyphenol content and their antioxidant potential in twenty different fruit peel samples in an ethanolic extraction, including their comprehensive characterization and quantification using the LC-MS/MS and HPLC. The obtained results showed that the mango peel exhibited the highest phenolic content for TPC (27.51 ± 0.63 mg GAE/g) and TFC (1.75 ± 0.08 mg QE/g), while the TTC (9.01 ± 0.20 mg CE/g) was slightly higher in the avocado peel than mango peel (8.99 ± 0.13 mg CE/g). In terms of antioxidant potential, the grapefruit peel had the highest radical scavenging capacities for the DPPH (9.17 ± 0.19 mg AAE/g), ABTS (10.79 ± 0.56 mg AAE/g), ferric reducing capacity in FRAP (9.22 ± 0.25 mg AA/g), and total antioxidant capacity, TAC (8.77 ± 0.34 mg AAE/g) compared to other fruit peel samples. The application of LC-ESI-QTOF-MS/MS tentatively identified and characterized a total of 176 phenolics, including phenolic acids (49), flavonoids (86), lignans (11), stilbene (5) and other polyphenols (25) in all twenty peel samples. From HPLC-PDA quantification, the mango peel sample showed significantly higher phenolic content, particularly for phenolic acids (gallic acid, 14.5 ± 0.4 mg/g) and flavonoids (quercetin, 11.9 ± 0.4 mg/g), as compared to other fruit peel samples. These results highlight the importance of fruit peels as a potential source of polyphenols. This study provides supportive information for the utilization of different phenolic rich fruit peels as ingredients in food, feed, and nutraceutical products

The Impact of Antioxidant Supplementation and Heat Stress on Carcass Characteristics, Muscle Nutritional Profile and Functionality of Lamb Meat

The impact of antioxidant supplementation and short-term heat stress on lamb body weight gain, meat nutritional profile and functionality (storage stability of lipids and colour) of lamb meat was investigated. A total of 48 crossbred ((Merino × Border Leicester) × Dorset) lambs (42 ± 2 kg body weight, 7 mo age) were randomly allocated to three dietary treatments (n = 16) by liveweight (LW) that differed in dosage of vitamin E and selenium (Se) in the diet. Vitamin E and Se levels in the control (CON), moderate (MOD) and supranutritional (SUP) dietary treatments were 28, 130 and 228 mg/kg DM as α-tocopherol acetate and 0.16, 0.66 and 1.16 mg Se as SelPlex™/kg DM, respectively. After four weeks of feeding in individual pens, including one week of adaptation, lambs were exposed to two heat treatments. Animals were moved to metabolism cages for one week and subjected to heat treatments: thermoneutral (TN; 18–21 °C and 40–50% relative humidity) and heat stress (HS; 28–40 °C and 30–40% relative humidity) conditions, respectively. Final LW and hot carcass weight were influenced by dietary treatments with higher final live weight (FLW) (p = 0.05; 46.8 vs. 44.4 and 43.8 kg, respectively) and hot carcass weight (HCW) (p = 0.01; 22.5 vs. 21.3 and 21.0 kg, respectively) recorded in lambs fed the SUP as opposed to the CON and MOD diets. Vitamin E concentration in the longissimus lumborum (LL) muscle tended to be higher in lambs fed MOD or SUP diets than the CON group. Lipid oxidation of aged meat at 72 h of simulated retail display was reduced by antioxidant supplementation. Short-term (one week) heat stress treatment significantly increased muscle linoleic acid and total omega-6 concentrations compared with the CON group. The results demonstrate that four-week antioxidant supplementation at the SUP level improved animal productivity by increasing LW and carcass weight and the functionality of meat exhibited by reduced lipid oxidation. An increase in muscle omega-6 fatty acid concentration from short-term heat stress may induce oxidative stress via proinflammatory action

Evaluation of sugarcane-derived polyphenols on the pre-weaning and post-weaning growth of gilt progeny

Gilt progeny (GP) exhibit poorer growth compared with sow progeny (SP), particularly in the pre-weaning and post-weaning period. Late gestation/lactation sow diets and weaner diets were supplemented with 0.5% Polygain (POL), a sugarcane extract rich in polyphenols, to collectively improve GP growth in these periods. Gilts (n = 60) and sows (n = 68, parities 2 and 3) were fed a control or POL diet. Weaned GP (n = 79) and SP (n = 92) born to these dams were also fed either a CON or POL diet. Gilts litters weighed less than sow litters at birth and 21 days (p < 0.001 for both) and were not improved by POL (p = 0.80 and 0.54, respectively). GP were lighter than SP at day 7 and day 14 post-weaning (p < 0.001 for both) and were not improved by the POL diet at these timepoints (p = 0.61 and 0.97, respectively). Plasma interleukin-1β (IL-1β) was increased at weaning despite POL supplementation (p = 0.022) and GP had reduced IL-1β overall (p = 0.021). Overall, POL was unable to improve growth in GP and the attenuated immune response seen in GP could be contributing to their poor growth performance

Neonatal oxytocin administration and weaning onto a gruel based diet reduce weight loss at weaning and enhance gastric leptin expression

Administering oxytocin to neonatal rats has positive long-term effects on growth and development (Uvnas-Moberg and Petersson, 2005). These effects include a reduction in the stress response to weaning, increased post-weaning feed intake and alterations in the expression of gastrointestinal (GI) hormones regulating feed intake (Uvnas-Moberg et al., 1998; Sohlstrom et al., 1999). Two GI hormones of importance in regulating feed intake are ghrelin and leptin, which have antagonistic actions. Ghrelin expression is increased in response to fasting and leptin expression increases rapidly in response to feed intake. Since weaning the piglet is associated with stress and growth restriction, this study examined whether oxytocin given to young pigs could reduce the extent of the post-weaning growth check, along with any associated changes in ghrelin and leptin expression