The rationale for supplementing an infant formula with prebiotics is to obtain a bifidogenic effect and the implied advantages of a ‘breast-fed-like’ flora. So far, the bifidogenic effect of oligofructose and inulin has been demonstrated in animals and in adults, of oligofructose in infants and toddlers and of a longchain inulin (10 %) and galactooligosaccharide (90 %) mixture in term and preterm infants. The addition of prebiotics to infant formula softens stools but other putative effects remain to be demonstrated. Studies published post marketing show that infants fed a long-chain inulin/galactooligosaccharide mixture (0·8 g/dl) in formula grow normally and have no side-effects. The addition of the same mixture at a concentration of 0·8 g/dl to infant formula was therefore recognized as safe by the European Commission in 2001 but follow-up studies were recommended. It is thought that a bifidogenic effect is beneficial for the infant host. The rising incidence in allergy during the first year of life may justify the attempts to modulate the infant's flora. Comfort issues should not be confused with morbidity and are likely to be multifactorial. The functional effects of prebiotics on infant health need further study in controlled intervention trials.

It is well known that the intestinal availability of Ca from Ca-rich mineral waters is equivalent to that of milk Ca. However, the effect of associated anions on Ca urinary loss needs to be addressed. The aim of the current study was to compare, under ordinary conditions of consumption, milk and a SO4-rich mineral water as the Ca provider in a large number of subjects consuming the same quantity of Ca from the two sources in a crossover study lasting for an extended period. Thirty-seven healthy women completed a 12-week protocol, divided into four periods of 3 weeks (W). In the first (W1–3) and third (W6–9) periods, dietary Ca intake was restricted to 600 mg/d. In the second (W4–6) and final (W10–12) periods, either 400 ml/d medium-fat milk or 1 litre of a Ca- and SO4-rich mineral water, each providing about 480 mg Ca/d, was added to the diet in a random manner. Dietary evaluation, blood and urinary measures were performed during the last week (W6 and W12) of each Ca supplementation period. The urinary excretion of Ca was higher (0·5 mmol/d more) with water than with milk (P<0·001). An examination of all the dietary factors known to influence calciuria suggested that the acidogenic action of SO4 was responsible for this increased calciuria. Thus, despite an equal Ca intake and assuming an unchanged intestinal absorption, these results suggest that Ca balance is better with milk consumption than with CaSO4-rich water.

Studies with teleost larvae have reported poor performance associated with quantitative lipid imbalances in the diet. The present study examined the effect of dietary protein:neutral lipid ratio on fatty acid (FA) absorption efficiency and metabolism in larval Senegalese sole. In addition, the effect of lipid class (triolein (TRI) and l-3-phosphatidylcholine-1,2-di-oleoyl (PC)), carbon number and degree of saturation of the labelled NEFA, stearic acid (SA), oleic acid (OA) and DHA) was tested. FA absorption was determined by tube feeding [1-14C]-labelled lipids and NEFA after a single meal of either non-enriched Artemia (NEA) or Artemia enriched on a soyabean oil emulsion (EA), or after feeding these diets over an extended period of time (18 d). The tested dietary protein:lipid ratios had no short-term influence but long-term feeding of a diet higher in neutral lipid (EA) increased lipid accumulation within the gut epithelium and resulted in lower FA absorption (higher label evacuation and lower retention of dietary FA), which may partially explain the trend for lower growth observed with this diet. The lipids and NEFA, showed different digestive and metabolic properties, independent of feeding regime. FA absorption increased with unsaturation, being lowest for SA, followed by OA, and highest for DHA. In addition, sole larvae had a lower capacity to digest and absorb FA esterified to TRI, compared with PC, with the order of decreasing absorption being NEFA>PC≫TRI. Moreover, larvae appeared to discriminate between the source of OA, as this FA in the free form or esterified to PC was catabolised less than TRI.

Time trends in the food and the corresponding energy and macronutrient intake between 1994 and 2002 are investigated as part of the longitudinal study on nutrition and health status in an ageing population in Giessen, Germany (GISELA study). The dietary intake is assessed via a 3 d estimated dietary record especially developed and validated for this study. A total of 2135 records from 532 subjects, aged 60 years and over, are analysed separately according to sex and age groups (born 1904–1928 and born 1929–1942). Results show that the food, energy and macronutrient intake of the GISELA subjects stayed fairly stable over the study period. However, some significant changes in the consumption pattern are observed, predominantly in the women and the younger age groups, which correspond to the national trends in Germany. Most obvious changes observed among the GISELA subjects are the increased intake of water (between +21·05 and +41·61 ml/d per year) and vegetables (between +2·94 and +3·38 g/d per year) and a reduced consumption of coffee and tea (between −10·65 and −15·99 ml/d per year) as well as of meat (between −1·79 and −2·56 g/d per year). The healthier food choices and the ability to change food habits could be related to the relatively high health-awareness of the GISELA subjects compared to the federal average of equivalent age groups.

Vitamin A (retinol) is essential for epithelial cell growth, differentiation and proliferation. The absorption of retinol occurs in the small intestine, and the metabolism of this vitamin is not well studied in this organ. The intestinal epithelium has a high rate of cell proliferation and differentiation, and the present study looked at the level of retinoids and metabolizing enzymes involved in their interconversion along the villus–crypt axis under normal conditions. Intestine was removed from control rats, and enterocytes at various stages of maturation and differentiation were quantified by the metal chelation method. Using HPLC, various retinoid concentrations in the cell homogenate and the metabolizing enzymes in the cytosol were quantified. The proliferating crypt cells were found to have a higher level of retinoic acid as well as of the enzymes involved in its formation, such as retinaldehyde oxidase and retinol dehydrogenase, compared with the villus cells, suggesting a possible role for this compound in intestinal epithelial cell proliferation and differentiation. The high level of retinol and high retinaldehyde reductase activity in the villus cells suggest the important role played by this enzyme in the conversion of dietary β-carotene to retinol via retinaldehyde. In summary, this study has given for the first time a detailed analysis of the retinoid levels and metabolizing enzymes in different cell populations in the rat small intestinal epithelium.

A recent study from our laboratory has shown that a mixture of glucose and fructose ingested at a rate of 1·8 g/min leads to peak oxidation rates of approximately 1·3 g/min and results in approximately 55 % higher exogenous carbohydrate (CHO) oxidation rates compared with the ingestion of an isocaloric amount of glucose. The aim of the present study was to investigate whether a mixture of glucose and fructose when ingested at a high rate (2·4 g/min) would lead to even higher exogenous CHO oxidation rates (>1·3 g/min).Eight trained male cyclists (VO2max: 68±1 ml/kg per min) cycled on three different occasions for 150 min at 50 % of maximal power output (60±1 % VO2max) and consumed either water (WAT) or a CHO solution providing 1·2 g/min glucose (GLU) or 1.2 g/min glucose+1·2 g/min fructose (GLU+FRUC). Peak exogenous CHO oxidation rates were higher (P<0·01) in the GLU+FRUC trial compared with the GLU trial (1·75 (se 0·11) and 1·06 (se 0·05) g/min, respectively). Furthermore, exogenous CHO oxidation rates during the last 90 min of exercise were approximately 50 % higher (P<0·05) in GLU+FRUC compared with GLU (1·49 (se 0·08) and 0·99 (se 0·06) g/min, respectively). The results demonstrate that when a mixture of glucose and fructose is ingested at high rates (2·4 g/min) during 150 min of cycling exercise, exogenous CHO oxidation rates reach peak values of approximately 1·75 g/min.

A large and diverse variety of bacteria have evolved and adapted to live in the human intestinal habitat in a symbiotic arrangement that influences both physiology and pathology in the host. Symbiosis between host and flora can be optimised by prebiotics. Inulin-type fructans have been shown to improve the metabolic functions of the commensal flora. Clinical and experimental data suggest that they also improve the gut mucosal barrier. Furthermore, modulation of the trophic functions of the flora by these prebiotics could help in the prevention of inflammatory bowel diseases. The anti-inflammatory effects of inulin or oligofructose have been assessed in the rat model of distal colitis induced by dextran sodium sulphate, which histologically resembles human ulcerative colitis, and in the trinitrobenzene sulphonic acid model that resembles human Crohn's disease. Both inulin and oligofructose stimulate colonic production of SCFA and favour the growth of indigenous lactobacilli and/or bifidobacteria. These effects are associated with reduced mucosal inflammation and decreased mucosal lesion scores. Inulin has also been tested in a placebo-controlled clinical trial in patients with relapsing pouchitis. Treatment reduced endoscopic and histological parameters of inflammation of the pouch mucosa. Inulin and oligofructose may offer an opportunity to prevent chronic inflammatory intestinal disorders, and this potential should be tested in further clinical studies.

Four experiments were performed to study the kinetics of purine metabolism and urinary excretion in Zebu crossbred cattle. Fasting excretion was established in Expt 1, using eighteen male Bos indicus×Bos taurus crossbred cattle (261 (se 9·1) kg body weight), six of each of the following genotypes: 5/8 Bos indicus, 1/2 Bos indicus and 3/8 Bos indicus. No significant differences were observed among genotypes in fasting purine derivative excretion (277·3 (se 35·43) μmol/metabolic body weight). In a second experiment we measured the xanthine oxidase activity, which was higher in liver than in duodenal mucosa (0·64 and 0·06 (se 0·12) units/g wet tissue per min respectively; P>0·05) being in plasma 0·60 (se 0·36) units/l per min. The kinetics of uric acid were measured by intravenous pulse dose of [1,3-15N]uric acid (Expt 3). The cumulative recovery of the isotope in urine was 82 (se 6·69) %, and uric acid plasma removal, pool size and mean retention time were 0·284 (se 0·051) per h, 5·45 (se 0·823) mmol and 3·52 (se 0·521) h, respectively. Allantoin was removed from plasma at an estimated fractional rate of 0·273 (se 0·081) per h and mean retention was 3·66 (se 1·08) h. In Expt 4, the relationship between urinary purine derivative excretion (Y; mmol/d) and digestible organic matter intake (X, kg/d) was defined by the equation: Y=7·69 (se 4·2)+5·69 (se 1·68) X; n 16, Se 1·31, r 0·67.

The effects of moderate red wine consumption on the antioxidant status and indices of lipid peroxidation and oxidative stress associated with CHD were investigated. A randomised, controlled study was performed with twenty free-living healthy volunteers. Subjects in the red wine group consumed 375 ml red wine daily for 2 weeks. We measured the total concentration of phenolics and analysed the individual phenolics in the wine and plasma by HPLC with tandem MS. The antioxidant capacity of plasma was measured with electron spin resonance spectroscopy while homocysteine and fasting plasma lipids were also determined. The production of conjugated dienes and thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances (TBARS) were measured in Cu-oxidised LDL. Plasma total phenolic concentrations increased significantly after 2 weeks of daily red wine consumption (P≤0·001) and trace levels of metabolites, mainly glucuronides and methyl glucuronides of (+)-catechin and (−)-epicatechin, were detected in the plasma of the red wine group. These flavan-3-ol metabolites were not detected in plasma from the control group. The maximum concentrations of conjugated dienes and TBARS in Cu-oxidised LDL were reduced (P≤0·05) and HDL cholesterol concentrations increased (P≤0·05) following red wine consumption. The findings from the present study provide some evidence for potential protective effects of moderate consumption of red wine in healthy volunteers.

Diet is known to modulate the development of diabetes in diabetes-prone BioBreeding (BBdp) rats. The objective of the present study was to determine the effect of fermentable fibre (FF) on immune function in BBdp and diabetes-resistant BioBreeding (BBdr) rats after weaning. Weanling BBdp (thirty-six to thirty-eight per diet) and BBdr rats (thirty to thirty-two per diet) were fed a nutritionally complete, semi-purified, casein-based diet containing either cellulose (control diet, 8 % w/w) or FF (3·2 % cellulose+4·8 % w/w inulin). At 35 d, the small intestine was excised and lymphocytes isolated from spleen, mesenteric lymph nodes and Peyer's patches. Feeding FF to both BBdr and BBdp rats affected the production of anti-inflammatory cytokines (P=0·02). In BBdr rats, feeding FF compared with cellulose resulted in an increased small intestinal length (P=0·0031), higher proliferative (stimulation) index from both splenocytes (P=0·001) and mesenteric lymph nodes (P=0·04), and an increased proportion of CD8+ T-cells in the Peyer's patches (P=0·003). We did not observe an effect of diet on the number of IgA-bearing cells in the jejunum from BBdr rats. Feeding FF to BBdp rats did not affect the same parameters. BBdp rats had both a higher proportion of B-cells in the Peyer's patches (P=0·01) and a higher number of IgA+ cells in the jejunum (P=0·0036) when fed a diet containing FF, a response not observed in BBdr rats. We demonstrate that several aspects of the BBdp immune system respond differently than that of BBdr rats when challenged at weaning with FF.

In this three-phase study we first compared the availability of fourteen Fe forms in a wheat-based ready-to-eat breakfast cereal using an in vitro digestion/human colonic adenocarcinoma (CaCo-2) cell model. We then investigated the effect of milk and/or coffee on those fortified cereals found in phase 1 to show promising increases in Fe availability. The Fe forms assessed in phase 1 were reduced (control), carbonyl, electrolytic, FePO4, FeSO4, FeCO3, Na2FeEDTA, Ferrochel® (Albion Laboratories, Clearfield, UT, USA; ferrous bis-glycinate), encapsulated ferrous fumarate, FeSO4, ferrous lactate and Biofer® (LipoTech, Britwell Salome, Oxfordshire; FeSO4), SQM® (Sea-Questra-Min Iron; Quali Tech, Chaska, MN, USA; polysaccharide-complexed FeSO4) and Sun Active® (Taiyo Kagaku, Yokkaichi, Japan). All these forms increased Fe uptake compared with the unfortified cereal. Relative to the control, the following increases in Fe availability were observed: electrolytic, 52 %; ferrous fumarate, 30–35 %; Sun Active, 78 %; Ferrochel, 125 %; Na2FeEDTA, 291 %. Recent human studies have shown similar data with regard to Ferrochel, FeSO4 and Na2FeEDTA, with the latter being more bioavailable. Our phase-2 studies indicated that the addition of milk to FeSO4-fortified cereal increased Fe availability, but this availability was markedly decreased by the addition of coffee to the digest. Conversely, a loss in availability from Na2FeEDTA was observed with the addition of milk; however, the addition of coffee did not markedly affect Fe availability from this form. In phase-3 studies we observed increased Fe availability upon the addition of milk to cereals containing Ferrochel, FeSO4, Sun Active, a mixture of reduced Fe and Na2FeEDTA or reduced Fe. For these forms we did not assess the behaviour after the addition of coffee. In conclusion, when considering possible fortificants for optimizing Fe bioavailability within a foodstuff, it is of paramount importance to consider the interaction between the fortified foodstuffs and other components of the meal (such as milk and coffee with a breakfast).

Ulcerative colitis (UC) is an acute and chronic inflammatory bowel disease of unknown aetiology, although bacterial species belonging to the normal colonic microbiota are known to be involved in its initiation and maintenance. Several organisms have been linked to the disease; however, mucosa-associated bacteria are more likely to be involved than their luminal counterparts, due to their close proximity to the host epithelium. Comparative bacteriological analyses were done on rectal biopsies to investigate differences in mucosal bacteria in patients with UC and healthy controls. Complex bacterial communities were found in both groups, with significant reductions in bifidobacterial numbers in UC, which suggested that they might have a protective role in the disease. Accordingly, a therapy for treating UC was designed, with the aim of modifying the mucosal microbiota to increase bifidobacterial colonisation and reduce inflammation. Ranges of mucosal and faecal bifidobacteria were tested for their substrate preferences and their abilities to survive under a variety of environmental conditions. A synbiotic comprising a probiotic (Bifidobacterium longum) isolated from healthy rectal mucosa combined with a prebiotic (oligofructose-enriched inulin – Synergy 1TM) was developed. The treatment was used in a randomised controlled trial involving eighteen patients with active UC, for a period of 1 month. Rectal biopsies were collected at the beginning and end of the study. Bacteriological analysis and transcription levels of epithelium-related immune markers were assessed. Results demonstrated that short-term synbiotic treatment resulted in increased bifidobacterial colonisation of the rectal mucosa and induced significant reductions in the expression of molecules that control inflammation in active UC.

The purpose of the present study was to investigate the effect of vitamin E supplementation on autoimmune disease in New Zealand black×New Zealand white F1 (NZB/W F1) female mice fed an oxidised oil diet. First, 5-month-old mice were fed an AIN-76 diet containing either 150 g fresh soyabean oil/kg (15S), 50 g fresh soyabean oil/kg + 100 g oxidised frying oil/kg (5S10F) or 5S10F supplemented with all-rac-α-tocopheryl acetate at 275 mg/kg diet level (5S10F5E) or 550 mg/kg (5S10F10E), respectively, in experiment 1. The results showed that mice fed the 5S10F10E diet had a lower anti-double-stranded DNA IgG antibody level and a longer lifespan than those fed the 15S and 5S10F diets. Therefore, the 5S10F and 5S10F10E treatments were repeated in experiment 2 for further analysis. The results showed that vitamin E supplementation in the oxidised oil significantly decreased thiobarbituric acid-reactive substance values in the kidney and spleen of NZB/W F1 mice. Interferon-γ and IL-6 production by mitogen-stimulated splenocytes decreased in mice fed the 5S10F10E diet, whereas the secretion of IL-2 and IL-10 was not affected. The percentage of T-cells was significantly higher and that of MHC class II-bearing cells was lower in the spleens of the 5S10F10E group. The 5S10F10E group had a significantly higher linoleic acid (18: 2n-6) composition than the 5S10F diet group. Therefore, vitamin E supplementation in oxidised oil might decrease oxidative stress, anti-double-stranded DNA IgG antibody, regulate cytokines and lymphocyte subsets, and subsequently alleviate the severity of autoimmune disease such as systemic lupus erythematosus under oxidative stress.

Energy restriction (ER) and dietary fish oil (FO) are known to reduce the severity of glomerulonephritis and increase the lifespan of lupus-prone (NZB×NZW) F1 (B/W) mice. In the present study, mice were fed either ad libitum or energy-restricted (a 40 % lower energy intake than the diet ad libitum), semi-purified diets containing 5 % maize oil or 5 % fish oil supplementation. To estimate the renal damage associated with oxidative stress, the total amounts of reactive oxygen species (ROS), cyclooxygenase-derived ROS and levels of guanidino compounds were measured. Additionally, we assessed the putative action of ER and FO on several key antioxidant enzymes measured in the kidney post-mitochondrial fraction. Results showed that the age-related increase in creatinine level was significantly reduced by ER and FO in old mice. In contrast, arginine and guanidino acetic acid levels showed a decrease with age but were increased by ER and FO. The GSH:GSSG ratio showed a significant decrease with age, whereas ER and FO feeding prevented the decrease. The age-related decrease in antioxidant scavenging superoxide dismutase, catalase and glutathione peroxidase activities were all reversed by ER and FO. The moderately decreased glutathione reductase and glutathione-S-transferase activities with age were significantly increased by ER and FO. Furthermore, the increased total ROS and cyclooxygenase-derived ROS levels were effectively reduced by ER and FO. In conclusion, our data strongly indicate that ER and FO maintain antioxidant status and GSH:GSSG ratio, thereby protecting against renal deterioration from oxidative insults during ageing.

Lactating mammals usually exhibit a breakdown of immunity to parasites, i.e. they have larger worm burdens than their non-lactating counterparts. Here, we tested the hypothesis that a secondary infection with Nippostrongylus brasiliensis in lactating rats is sensitive to dietary protein content. We also tested whether this infection affects host food intake. Rats either remained uninfected throughout the study or were given a single infection before mating (primary infection) and re-infected on day 2 of lactation (secondary infection) with 1600 infective larvae. Infected rats were fed foods during lactation formulated to supply 100 (low protein; LP), 200 (medium protein; MP) or 300 (high protein; HP) g crude protein per kg DM; non-infected rats were fed either the LP or HP food. Litter size was standardized to ten pups between parturition (day 0) and secondary infection (day 2). Ten days after secondary infection, MP and HP rats had excreted fewer nematode eggs, and had fewer adult nematodes in their small intestine and nematode eggs in their colon than the LP rats. Primary infection increased food intake in late pregnancy, and increased maternal body weight and litter size at parturition. Secondary infection did not affect mean food intake, maternal and litter weight, although food intake was reduced for 1 d following infection. These results support the view that a secondary infection with N. brasiliensis is sensitive to dietary protein content, and that the latter infection does not impair lactational performance. Future studies may focus on elucidating the nutritional sensitivity of immune responses underlying the reduced secondary N. brasiliensis infection.

The aim of this study was to assess whether the recently developed Diet Quality Index-International (DQI-I) could be used to evaluate diet quality of a Mediterranean population. A cross-sectional nutritional survey was carried out in the Balearic Islands (Spain) between 1999 and 2000. Dietary information (replicated 24 h recall and a food frequency questionnaire), and socio-demographic and lifestyle data were collected from a representative sample of the population (n 1200: 498 males and 702 females) aged 16–65 years (response rate 77·22 %). The DQI-I was developed according to the method defined by Kim et al. (2003), and focused on four major aspects of a high-quality diet (variety, adequacy, moderation and overall balance). The percentage of adherence to the Mediterranean dietary pattern (MDP) was also calculated and correlation analysis was carried out between the DQI-I score and the percentage of adherence to the MDP. The total score of the DQI-I reached 43 % of the possible score, indicating that the Balearic diet was a poor-quality diet. Correlation analysis between the DQI-I scores and adherence to the MDP showed that the DQI-I subcategories protein, iron and calcium adequacy were negatively correlated with the MDP. Furthermore, moderation in empty calorie food consumption and overall balance subcategories were not significantly correlated with the MDP. Due to some methodological factors and cultural biases, the proposed DQI-I scoring system is not useful to evaluate the quality of this Mediterranean-type diet. Further research is needed to develop a new diet quality index adapted to the MDP.

National survey data show that reported energy intake has decreased in recent decades despite a rise in the prevalence of obesity. This disparity may be due to a secular increase in under-reporting or a quantitatively greater decrease in energy expenditure. This study examines the extent of under-reporting of energy intake in the National Diet and Nutrition Survey (NDNS) in young people aged 4–18 years in 1997 using published equations to calculate estimated energy requirements. It explores secular changes by comparison with the Diets of British School Children (DBSC) survey in 10–11- and 14–15-year-olds in 1983. In the NDNS, under-reporting (estimated energy requirements – energy intake) represented 21 % of energy needs in girls and 20 % in boys. The magnitude of under-reporting increased significantly with age (P<0·001) and was higher in overweight than lean individuals over 7 years of age. To compare reported energy intake in DBSC and NDNS, the estimated physical activity level from dietary records (dPAL=reported energy intake/predicted BMR) was calculated. If there were no under-reporting, dPAL would represent the subject's true activity level. However, dPAL from the NDNS was significantly lower than that from the DBSC by 8 % and 9 % in boys and girls for those aged 10–11 years, and by 14 % and 11 % for 14–15-year-olds respectively, reaching physiologically implausible levels in the 14–15-year-old girls (dPAL=1·17). If activity levels have remained constant between the two surveys, under-reporting has increased by 8–14 %. The evidence supports a secular trend towards increased under-reporting between the two surveys, but the precise magnitude cannot be quantified in the absence of historical measures of energy expenditure.

In children, inappropriate eating habits can induce a disease known as nutritional dwarfing (ND). Due to the link between nutritional condition and bone growth, the effects induced by a 20 % reduction of food intake on bone competence were assessed in an animal model of ND. Bone status during catch-up growth was also analysed. Male Wistar rats were divided into control (C) and ND groups. C rats were fed ad libitum. ND received 80 % of the diet consumed by C for 4 weeks (T4); thereafter, they were fed ad libitum for 8 weeks. Results, expressed as mean (sem) for ND v. C, were as follows. At T4, body weight (g) and length (cm) and femur weight (g) and length (mm) were 97·35 (sem 5·89) v. 199·07 (sem 9·24), 16·91 (sem 0·41) v. 20·26 (sem 0·31), 0·30 (sem 0·01) v. 0·46 (sem 0·01) and 23·09 (sem 0·29) v. 26·98 (sem 0·26), respectively (P<0·001); bone mineral content (g) and density (g/cm2) were 0·014 (sem 0·002) v. 0·030 (sem 0·002) and 0·061 (sem 0·004) v. 0·080 (sem 0·003), respectively (P<0·001); load-bearing capacity (N), yielding load (N) and elastic stiffness (N/mm) were 25·06 (sem 1·24) v. 50·34 (sem 2·94), 23·72 (sem 1·02) v. 46·97 (sem 1·75) and 65·98 (sem 4·42) v. 115·07 (sem 3·85), respectively (P<0·001); cross-sectional area (mm2) and moment of inertia (mm4) were 2·86 (sem 0·19) v. 4·54 (sem 0·17) and 1·27 (sem 0·08) v. 3·03 (sem 0·16), respectively (P<0·001). Significant effects were not evident in material properties. Parameters assessed normalized during re-feeding. These results suggest that the impaired mechanical femur competence in ND rats could be due to an altered bone mass and architectural distribution rather than to intrinsic quality. Re-feeding caused a reversal of the effects of food restriction on growth and bone parameters in ND rats.

A blood cholesterol-lowering margarine containing plant sterolesters was the first functional food placed on the European food market pursuant to the regulation (EC) 258/97. In the following years nine further applicants submitted the request to add plant sterol compounds to dairy products, cheeses, bakery products, sausages, plant oils and other products. The European Scientific Committee on Food (SCF) declared a precautionary intake limit of 3 g plant sterols per d by multiple dietary sources. Using the consumption data of the German National Food Consumption Study, carried out from 1985 to 1988 with 23 209 participants, we hypothetically added 0·3–2 g plant sterols to usual daily servings of ten different food products, selected from the novel food applications. We calculated the prospective plant sterol intake regarding each kind of enriched food and by stepwise accumulation of different functional foods in three enrichment scenarios. Within our enrichment context we find a phytosterol intake satiation, if multiple plant sterol-enriched foods are eaten. An enrichment amount of 2 g plant sterols per proposed food serving size results in an intake maximum of 13 g/d.

The present study was conducted to assess whether glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) release and appetite after a breakfast with or without an additional galactose/guar gum stimulation is different in normal-weight compared with overweight/obese subjects. Twenty-eight overweight/obese (BMI 30·3 (sd 2·7) kg/m2; age 44·3 (sd 9·7) years) and thirty normal-weight subjects (BMI 22·8 (sd 1·4), age 31·5 (sd12·8) years) participated in a crossover study. Fasting and postprandial plasma GLP-1, insulin, glucose and free fatty acid concentrations were measured in response to either a galactose (50 g)/guar gum (2·5 g) load (836 kJ) and a standard breakfast (1·9 MJ; GG), or water (250 ml) and the standard breakfast (W) every 30 min relative to the ingestion for 120 min. Appetite was assessed using 100 mm visual analogue scales. GLP-1 concentrations were significantly increased after GG at 30 and 60 min compared with W in both groups. Plasma GLP-1 concentrations in the W condition were higher in normal-weight than overweight/obese subjects (P=0·03). No difference was observed in the GG condition between groups. Satiety was increased in normal-weight compared with overweight/obese subjects in the GG condition at 30 (P=0·02) and 60 (P=0·04) min. We conclude that after a standard breakfast with water, GLP-1 release was lower in the overweight/obese than the normal-weight subjects. However, postprandial GLP-1 release in overweight/obese subjects was no different from that of normal-weight subjects when galactose/guar gum was added to the breakfast. The latter was not mirrored by subjective feelings of satiety. Disturbed perception of the physiological feedback of a satiety hormone rather than disturbed feedback itself might contribute to obesity.