Cryptomys hottentotus has no access to dietary or endogenous sources of cholecalciferol (D3). Serum concentrations of calcifediol (25(OH)D3) were undetectable (< 5 ng/ml) and calcitriol (1,25(OH)2D3), although detectable in plasma, was at a low concentration (31.40) (SEM 3.06 pg/ml). Despite their naturally impoverished vitamin D status, these animals exhibited highly efficient mineral absorption processes (Ca apparent fractional absorption efficiency, AFA (%) 95.33 (SEM 1.36); inorganic P (Pi) AFA (%) 93.49 (SEM 0.81)). Furthermore, plasma mineral content was tightly regulated (Ca 2.57 (SEM 0.08) mmol/l; Mg 1.23 (SEM 0.05) mmol/l; Pi 2.12 (SEM 0.15) mmol/1). Mode of uptake in C. hottentotus was unlike that in other D3-replete mammals. First, passive (rather than active) uptake occurred in the traditional site of active Ca absorption (with serosal: mucosal (S:M) ratios in the duodenum of 1.32 (SEM 0.13)), and the only site of active Ca uptake was the hindgut (caecum S:M 3.35 (SEM 0.46); proximal colon S:M 2.13 (SEM 0.30)). Despite the presence of active uptake in these hindgut regions, their overall contribution to the daily rate of mineral absorption was small (9.53 (SEM 1.27)%). These underground inhabitants rely upon highly efficient, passive mineral uptake. This is adequate to meet their mineral requirements and maintain mineral homeostasis in the absence of vitamin D.

Low- and intermediate-molecular-weight polyphenols are usually extracted by using different solvents (e.g. water, methanol, aqueous acetone). The aim of the present work was to study the possible effects of some extractable polyphenols (EPP) on fat and protein digestibilities and on the colonic microflora. Degradability of these compounds through the intestinal tract was also studied. Catechin and tannic acid (TA) were chosen as representatives of the most common basic structures of EPP (flavonoids and gallic acid respectively). Three groups of eight male Wistar rats were given either a control diet free of EPP, or diets containing 20 g/kg dry matter of catechin and TA. Body-weight and food intake were monitored during a 3-week experimental period. Faeces and urine were collected daily during the third experimental week. EPP and fat were determined in faeces, and N in both urine and faeces. Only 3.1 and 4.6% of the ingested catechin and TA respectively were excreted in faeces, indicating that absorption and/or degradation of these EPP had occurred. HPLC analysis of the poly phenolic content of faeces showed qualitative differences between groups. A significant increase of total faecal weight as well as water, fat and N excretion was produced by TA. Catechin only caused an increase in fat excretion. In vitro fermentation assays were also performed to study the effect of EPP on the colonic microflora. Both catechin and TA affected the yield of end-products of fermentation, and were also degraded during the fermentation process.

Absorption from wheat intrinsically and extrinsically labelled with 67Zn and extrinsically labelled with 65Zn was measured from 67Zn faecal excretion and 6sZn whole-body retention in rats. There were significant differences between the extrinsically- and intrinsically-labelled 67Zn (P < 0·001), but not between the extrinsically-labelled 65Zn and intrinsically-labelled 67Zn. The effect of chicken meat on the absorption of Zn from intrinsically-labelled wheat was also studied in the rat. Mean Zn absorption from wheat and chicken meat fed separately was 18·5 and 68·2% respectively, and from a mixture of the two containing the same level of Zn was 50·1%. The apparent absorption of Zn from the composite meal was significantly higher than predicted from the results of the foods on their own (P < 0·001).

The aim of the study was to investigate whether proposed dietary scores of atherogenicity and thrombogenicity predict ischaemic heart disease (IHD) risk in a community sample of men aged 45–59 years. Dietary scores were calculated from consumption of various fatty acids, estimated from 7 d weighed intake data obtained from 665 men. Investigation of associations with blood lipids, lipoproteins and haemostatic factors revealed positive associations with low-density-lipoprotein cholesterol (P < 0·05) and white cell count (P < 0·05), and a negative association with antithrombin III (P = 0·05), after taking into account the effects of age, body mass index and smoking. During a 5-year follow-up period, there were twenty-one new IHD events among the 512 men in whom there was no evidence of IHD at baseline. Men with higher atherogenicity or thrombogenicity scores at baseline tended to have a higher risk of subsequent IHD. The trend was consistent but not statistically significant. A similar trend was observed for total saturates, and an inverse trend for total polyunsaturates, expressed as a percentage of total fatty acids. It is, therefore, concluded that proposed dietary indices of atherogenicity and thrombogenicity may be weak predictors of IHD risk, but that these scores are unlikely to be substantially better predictors than more simple approaches such as intakes of total saturates. To enhance the predictive ability, more complex formulas which take into account other dietary factors as well as fatty acid intakes would probably be required.

The present study evaluates the evidence about the principal sources of fat in the Australian diet from the national per capita food supply data (apparent consumption; AC) and the national dietary survey of 6255 adults aged 25 to 64 years (NDSA). The AC and the NDSA data were converted to, and expressed on, an equivalent food basis to allow appropriate comparisons of foods consumed, and food sources of dietary fat. The AC figures showed that the principal sources of fat nationally were meat, edible fats, fat spreads and oils, and milk and milk products. As an estimate of adult food consumption the AC underestimated beef and veal, lamb, total meat, and poultry consumption by 41, 10, 29 and 13% respectively, and overestimated offal, milk and milk products, and fats and oils by 15, 61, 20, and 29% respectively. The AC data rated fat spreads and cooking fats as providing more of the fat in the adult diet than did the NDSA, both in terms of total fat and fat as a percentage of energy. Conversely, on this same basis, the AC underrated meats as sources of fat in the adult diet. Other foods were of similar importance as sources of dietary fat in both sets of data. The AC markedly underestimated adult fat intake at 32% of energy compared with the NDSA result of 37%. These results have implications for epidemiological research and for the development of food and nutrition policy and programmes in Australia and similar countries.

The aims of this work were to quantify the requirements of Zn for wool growth in growing male Merino lambs, and to describe the histological lesions of Zn deficiency in skin and wool follicles. Four groups of male Merino lambs (n 4) weighing 22 kg were fed ad lib. for 96 d on diets that contained 4 (basal diet), 10, 17 or 27 mg Zn/kg. Sheep in a fifth group were fed on the diet containing 27 mg Zn/kg, but were pair-fed to sheep on the 4 mg Zn/kg diet. Zn was added to the basal diet as ZnSO4 to give the respective treatment concentrations. Sheep fed on the diet containing 4 mg Zn/kg showed clinical signs of Zn deficiency and lower feed intakes and wool growth than sheep in the other groups. Their wool fibres were improperly keratinized and the wool follicles contained a higher proportion of apoptotic bodies than other groups. There was no evidence of parakeratosis and the rate of bulb-cell production was not affected. Sheep from other groups showed no clinical signs of Zn deficiency, and mean feed intakes and growth rates did not differ significantly between sheep fed on diets containing 10, 17 or 27 mg Zn/kg. However, wool growth was reduced in sheep fed on the diet containing 10 mg Zn/kg compared with those fed on diets containing 17 or 27 mg/kg. The mean concentration of Zn in the plasma at which wool growth was 90 % of maximum was 0.5 mg/l. The equivalent value for the diet was 12 mg/kg, with 95 % confidence intervals of 8 to 16 mg/kg. The results suggest that Zn deficiency reduces wool growth through a specific mechanism, perhaps involving impaired protein synthesis.

The effects of dietary protein on Ca bioavailability and utilization in bone were examined in male spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) fed on diets containing either casein (200 g/kg (control), 60 g/kg or heat-damaged (HD) 200 g/kg) or soya-bean protein isolate (200 g/kg (control), 60 g/kg, or HD 200 g/kg). Casein was heat-damaged to limit caseinophosphopeptide (CPP) production in order to evaluate casein enhancement of Ca bioavailability. All diets contained an adequate level of Ca (5 g/kg). A 24 h mineral balance study was performed when animals were 10 weeks old, followed by measurement of in situ paracellular Ca disappearance, femur mineralization and biomechanics at 14 weeks of age. Digestibility of soya-bean and both HD proteins estimated in vitro was reduced compared with native casein. Animals fed on HD and 60 g/kg protein diets exhibited decreased (P < 0.05) body weight gain, dry matter intake and feed efficiency compared with controls. The ileal disappearance of 45Ca was lower (P < 0.05) in animals fed on HD casein and all the soya-bean protein diets. Ca balance was not strongly affected by dietary treatments. A significant (P < 0.05) interaction between protein source and reduced protein intake was observed for femur calcification and physical measurements. Femur bending failure energy and biomechanical force measurements were reduced (P < 0.05) in HD and 60 g/kg casein and soya-bean protein fed animals. These findings suggest that whole-body Ca homeostatic mechanisms were involved in compensating for reduced Ca bioavailability and retention from casein diets modified to reduce protein digestibility and CPP production.

The effects of various dietary concentrations of Sn (1, 10, 50, 100 and 200 mg/kg; added as SnCl2) on Fe, Cu and Zn status of rats were determined. After feeding the diets for 28 d body weight was not significantly affected, but there was a Linear inverse response of feed intake. Plasma, kidney, spleen and tibia Fe concentrations as well as blood haemoglobin concentration and percentage transferrin saturation decreased in a linear dose-response manner as the level of dietary Sn increased. The addition of Sn to the diet depressed Cu status, as indicated by a significant inverse response of plasma, Liver, kidney, spleen and tibia Cu levels. Plasma, kidney and tibia Zn concentrations were decreased by increasing levels of dietary Sn, but spleen and Liver Zn concentrations were not significantly influenced. Fe, Cu and Zn status was influenced by dietary Sn concentrations lower than 50 mg/kg. If the results can be extrapolated to man it would follow that a high v. low Sn concentration in the human diet, which can be as distinct as 75 v. 2 mg/kg dry diet, may decrease plasma and tissue concentrations of Fe, Cu and Zn by up to 15%.

Proanthocyanidins (condensed tannins; PA) purified from the leaves of forage legumes Trifolium arvense, Lotus pedunculatus, Lotus corniculatus, Dorycnium rectum, Coronilla varia, Onobrychis viciifolia, or Hedysarum coronarium, were added to soluble lucerne (Medicago sativa) leaf protein and incubated with strained rumen fluid in vitro. Fractions were collected and frozen immediately. Denatured proteins were fractionated by sodium dodecylsulphate–polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS–PAGE), stained, and relative levels were quantified by densitometry. In the absence of PA the large subunit (LSU) of ribulose bisphosphate carboxylase (EC 4. 1. 1. 39) was susceptible to proteolysis by rumen microflora but the small subunit (SSU) resisted breakdown. PA purified from Onobrychis was added to soluble leaf protein, at PA: protein ratios between 1:1 and 1:20. The rate of proteolysis of LSU1 was significantly reduced at PA: protein ratios of 1:2 and 1:1 (P < 0.001) and the rate of digestion was reduced by between 3- and 21-fold. In separate experiments PA isolated from the range of species described was added to rumen fluid to give PA: protein ratios of 1: 5. The addition of PA significantly reduced the rate of proteolysis of LSU, when compared with PA-free control. There were only small differences between PA from different species. The inhibitory effect of PA may have been due to PA binding to the dietary protein or to the rumen proteases, interfering with the action of proteases on susceptible sites within the substrate.

The effect of fasting for 12, 36 and 72 h was studied in twenty-nine healthy subjects (seventeen women and twelve men). Measurements were made of cardiovascular variables, metabolic rate, respiratory exchange ratio, plasma metabolites, insulin, thyroid hormones and catecholamines. During starvation there were no significant changes in blood pressure, whilst heart rate (beatslmin) increased at 36 h and remained elevated after 72 h (12 h 625 (SE 1.8), 36 h 68.0 (SE 1.9), 72 h 69 2 (SE 1.8); P< 0.001). Forearm blood flow (FBF), increased progressively from 3.32 (SE 0.20) to 6.21 (SE 0.46) m1/100 ml per min (P < 0.001). Resting metabolic rate (kJ/min) was significantly increased after 36 h of starvation (12 h 4 60 (SE 0.14), 36 h 4 88 (SE 0.13), P < 0.001), but was not significantly different from the 12 h value after 72 h (72 h 4.72 (SE 0.15) P = 0.06). The respiratory exchange ratio fell progressively from 0.80 to 076 to 0.72 (P < 0.001). Blood glucose fell, whilst plasma glycerol and β-hydroxybutyrate rose and plasma lactate did not change. Plasma insulin and free triiodothyronine fell during starvation. Plasma adrenaline and noradrenaline were unchanged at 36 h, but were significantly increased after 72 h. Both sexes showed a similar pattern of response to starvation, although absolute values of blood pressure, forearm blood flow, metabolic rate and plasma catecholamines were higher in men than women. Acute starvation produces profound cardiovascular and metabolic changes which are not explained by the accompanying hormonal changes.

Mortality from coronary heart disease is decreasing in a number of Western countries, although the pattern of the decrease differs from country to country. In the UK the mortality rate from coronary heart disease has declined since 1979, whereas in the USA mortality from this disease began to fall in 1968 and has continued since that time. Of many factors suggested as reasons for the decline, diet has been implicated, particularly dietary fat intake. However, food balance information suggests little change in fat intake. A recent examination of all published studies from the USA where individual fat intake has been reported indicated that fat intake in that country has fallen steadily since the mid 1960s. The present study describes a similar compilation of all published studies from the UK giving individual fat intakes. Ninety-seven studies, representing information for 24045 individuals, were used. Studies ranged in size from two to 3581 individuals and were drawn from all regions of the UK. Most studies used 7 d weighed intakes as the method of dietary assessment. Quadratic regression equations were applied to the fat intakes from all studies over time, with each study weighted by the number of individuals surveyed. Data were also divided into 10-year periods and weighted fat intakes for each decade were calculated. Data were expressed for all studies, then subdivided into males, females, children and the elderly. Comparisons between Scotland and the South-East of England were made. Results indicate that fat represented 30% or less of dietary energy in the UK until the 1930s, when it began to rise. This rise was curtailed by rationing during and after the Second World War, after which the rise continued, reaching a plateau of about 40% energy in the late 1950s, with little change until the late 1970s. Trends were similar in all age-groups, but less change has occurred recently in Scotland compared with South-East England. These results differ from the pattern in the USA and suggest that if greater changes in mortality from coronary heart disease are to be seen in the UK a greater reduction in dietary fat intake will have to occur.

The present study examines the influence of parental history of death from cardiovascular disease on dietary habits and nutritional status of a group of seventy-two Spanish elderly. Those with at least one parent who had died of cardiovascular disease (43·1% of the cases) had higher diastolic blood pressure (P < 0·05) and nutrient intakes less favourable from the cardiovascular risk point of view than those whose parents died of other causes. Descendants whose parents died of cardiovascular disease had higher total fat, animal fat, saturated fatty acids, myristic acid and palmitic acid intakes and a lower monounsaturated fatty acids: saturated fatty acids value than descendants of those who died from other causes (all P < 0·05).

Plasma cholesterol change, or ‘responsiveness’, to dietary saturated fat modification has long been acknowledged. The present study sought to determine the specific, predicted response of each cholesterol subfraction to known dietary manipulations. Two metabolically controlled diets, one with a low polyunsaturated:saturated fat (low P:S) ratio, and one with a high P:S ratio were fed in a crossover design to sixty-seven normolipidaemic subjects pooled from six foregoing metabolic studies. A series of statistical analyses was performed to identify the lipids and subfractions independently affected by the diet crossover. Multivariate analysis of variance revealed that the changes in total cholesterol (ΔTC), low-density-lipoprotein-cholesterol (ΔLDL-C), and high-density-lipoprotein-cholestero! (ΔHDL-C) were the only statistically significant diet-specific‘responsive’lipids. Multiple regression was performed to identify the independent predictors of ΔTC, ΔLDL-C and ΔHDL-C. It was found that age (years), extent of change in dietary saturated fat, and baseline LDL-C (mg/l) levels determine LDL-C change, while extent of change in saturated and polyunsaturated fat, and baseline HDL-C (mg/l) levels can predict HDL-C change. A series of equations to predict lipoprotein responsiveness to diet are derived for potential use in clinical practice.

White women aged 25–34 years (n 264) from the lower socio-economic classes (C2, D and E) were classified according to their motivation in respect of health and their educational attainment and arithmetical ability. They were randomly allocated to three groups. One group (test) was given a course in basic nutrition consisting of a video and booklet, each embellished with motivational material. Those classed as of low ability also received the training material in simplified format. A second group (control) received a video and booklet with no motivational or simplified materials. The third group (baseline) received no tuition and represented a control of publicly available information during the period of the experiment. The participants answered a series of questions by administered questionnaire to measure their nutritional knowledge before and one week after they viewed the video programme. All participants achieved significantly higher scores at the second questionnaire. The test and control groups achieved significantly higher scores than the baseline group but there was no significant difference between the test and control groups. The presentation of motivational or simplified materials had no significant effect on learning ability though those classified as more highly motivated and of higher ability achieved higher scores at each questionnaire. The results indicate that young adult females can be taught basic nutrition irrespective of their motivation or ability.

Impaired digestion of dietary fat is an almost universal feature of cystic fibrosis (CF) which results in low concentrations of essential fatty acids in plasma lipids. We have evaluated the effect of a high-lipid diet and pancreatic enzyme supplementation, using enteric-coated microsphere preparations, on plasma lipid concentrations in paediatric CF patients. Absorption of dietary lipid was comparable between control and CF subjects. This resulted in plasma cholesterol, triacylglycerol, total phosphatidylcholine and individual phosphatidylcholine molecular species concentrations in CF patients which were in the same range as those in controls. Normal values for these variables were also found in patients with clinically detectable liver disease. These results show that present dietary management of CF patients supports normal plasma lipid concentrations.

Bioefficiencies of α-, γ- and δ-tocopherol in comparison with all-rac-α-tocopherol were established in broiler chickens. For this, 1-d-old male broiler chickens received a diet deficient in vitamin E and supplemented with increasing doses of the corresponding tocopheryl acetates. After 2 and 3 weeks of feeding, the animals were killed to obtain blood and liver samples. The ex vivo tests used were detergent induced haemolysis and pentane production by liver microsomes. Bioefficiencies were calculated by comparison of the dose–response curves. It is concluded that haemolysis and pentane production are appropriate indicators of the bioefficiency of tocopherols in broiler chickens. The values obtained by both tests hardly differed and agree well with the figures previously obtained from rats and other species.

Alcohol accounts for 4-6% of the average energy intake in most Western countries. Alcohol-induced hypoglycaemia is a well-known and feared complication in insulin-dependent diabetic subjects, but little attention has been paid to the impact of alcohol on carbohydrate metabolism in non-insulin-dependent diabetes. The aim of the present study was to investigate in non-insulin-dependent diabetic subjects the acute metabolic effects of a moderate amount of alcohol taken with a light meal, conditions chosen to mimic an everyday situation. The patients received 500 ml non-alcoholic beer with an alcohol content (ml/l) of 0 (treatment A) and 54 (treatment B) together with a light meal, implying identity of the contents of ingredients except for alcohol. We found similar serum glucose, insulin, free fatty acid and triacylglycerol responses irrespective of addition of a modern amount of alcohol. In conclusion, a moderate amount of alcohol can be taken with a meal without eliciting hypoglycaemia in non-insulin-dependent diabetic subjects.

Dietary data from 15-year-old adolescents participating in the West of Scotland Twenty-07 study were examined in order to describe current eating patterns and food habits. Comparison of the data with a ‘healthy eating’ index showed that less than one-third of the sample were eating a diet similar to that promoted by local health education campaigns, Multivariate analysis showed that adolescents from non-manual and wealthier families, non-smokers, and females were more likely to be classified as ‘healthy eaters’. Comparison of the data with that collected from a 35-year-old cohort in the same study showed that significantly fewer 15-year-olds were likely to consume diets associated with long-term health.

The antibody response to a dietary antigen (soya-bean protein) and the development of oral tolerance was studied in pigs in a family pen system where the piglets are left with their mothers and gradually wean themselves onto a soya-bean-based diet over a 12 week period. In the first experiment three groups of pigs (eight pigs/group) aged either 2, 8 or 13 weeks were immunized with soya-bean protein or ovalbumin (OvA; controls) intra-peritoneally (i.p.) in Quill A adjuvant and subsequently boosted 2 weeks later. All groups showed an IgG response to the injected antigens indicating lack of tolerance induction to the dietary antigen. Interestingly the groups injected with OvA showed an almost identical response to soya- bean protein as the groups injected with soya-bean protein. In a second experiment with a similar protocol, soya bean was withdrawn from the feed before immunization which resulted in lack of response to soya-bean protein in the groups injected with OvA and a lack of response to injected soya-bean protein in the 14-week-old group, indicating that systemic tolerance was established by 12 weeks of age. The results from the two experiments suggest a compartmentalized response to soya-bean protein i.e. local antibody production to dietary soya bean along with systemic tolerance to injected soya-bean protein. The work also suggests that delayed‘natural’weaning may avoid damaging hypersensitivity reactions associated with early weaning.