This study aimed to gain insight into how adipose tissue of Tibetan sheep regulates energy homoeostasis to cope with low energy intake under the harsh environment of the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau (QTP). We compared Tibetan and Small-tailed Han sheep (n 24 of each breed), all wethers and 1·5 years of age, which were each divided randomly into four groups and offered diets of different digestible energy (DE) densities: 8·21, 9·33, 10·45 and 11·57 MJ DE/kg DM. When the sheep lost body mass and were assumed to be in negative energy balance: (1) adipocyte diameter in subcutaneous adipose tissue was smaller and decreased to a greater extent in Tibetan than in Small-tailed Han sheep, but the opposite occurred in the visceral adipose tissue; (2) Tibetan sheep showed higher insulin receptor mRNA expression and lower concentrations of catabolic hormones than Small-tailed Han sheep and (3) Tibetan sheep had lower capacity for glucose and fatty acid uptake than Small-tailed Han sheep. Moreover, Tibetan sheep had lower AMPKα mRNA expression but higher mammalian target of rapamycin mRNA expression in the adipocytes than Small-tailed Han sheep. We concluded that Tibetan sheep had lower catabolism but higher anabolism in adipose tissue and reduced the capacity for glucose and fatty acid uptake to a greater extent than Small-tailed Han sheep to maintain energy homoeostasis when in negative energy balance. These responses provide Tibetan sheep with a high ability to cope with low energy intake and with the harsh environment of the QTP.

The aim of the present study was to investigate the effects of dietary Zn level on growth performance, Zn bioaccumulation, antioxidant capacity and innate immunity in juvenile mud crabs (Scylla paramamosain). Six semi-purified diets were formulated to contain dietary Zn levels of 44·5, 56·9, 68·5, 97·3, 155·6 or 254·7 mg/kg. Dietary Zn level significantly influenced percentage weight gain (PWG), with the highest observed in crabs fed the diet containing 97·3 mg/kg Zn. Tissue Zn concentrations significantly increased as dietary Zn levels increased from 44·5 to 254·7 mg/kg. Retention of Zn in hepatopancreas increased with dietary Zn levels up to 68·5 mg/kg and then significantly decreased. Moreover, inadequate dietary Zn (44·5 and 56·9 mg/kg) reduced antioxidation markers including total superoxide dismutase (SOD) and Cu/Zn SOD activities and total antioxidant level. Crabs fed the diet with 44·5 mg/kg Zn also showed significantly lower expression of genes involved in antioxidant status, such as Cu/Zn SOD, glutathione peroxidase, catalase and thioredoxin than those fed diets containing 68·5 and 97·3 mg/kg Zn. The highest activities of phenoloxidase and alkaline phosphatase were recorded in crabs fed the diets containing 68·5 and 97·3 mg/kg Zn. Expression levels of prophenoloxidase and toll-like receptor 2 were higher in crabs fed the 97·3 mg/kg Zn diet compared with crabs fed the other diets. Based on PWG alone, the optimal dietary Zn level was estimated to be 82·9 mg/kg, with 68·5 to 97·3 mg/kg recommended for maintaining optimal Zn bioaccumulation, oxidation resistance and innate immune response of juvenile mud crabs.

Although lignin has been negatively correlated with neutral-detergent fibre (NDF) digestibility (NDFD) in ruminants and used to predict potential extent of NDF digestion of forages, selection of an analysis, Klason lignin (KL) or acid-detergent lignin (ADL), to describe that the nutritionally relevant lignin has not been resolved. Dismissed as an artifact is the difference between KL and ADL (ΔL). A question is whether ΔL influences NDFD. We evaluated the relationships of ΔL, KL and ADL with NDFD in order to determine the nutritionally homogeneous or heterogeneous nature of KL. Data sets from two laboratories (DS1 and DS2) were used that included ADL, KL and in vitro NDFD at 48 h (NDFD48). DS1 contained seven C3 grasses, seventeen C4 maize forages and nineteen alfalfas, and DS2 had fifteen C3 grasses, eight C4 forages and six alfalfas. Mean ΔL was greater than ADL in C3 and C4 samples and less in alfalfas. Within forage type and laboratory, ΔL was not correlated with NDFD48 (r −0·34–0·49; all P > 0·17). ADL was more consistently correlated with NDFD48 (r −0·47–−0·95; P < 0·01–0·21) than with KL (r 0·03–−0·91; P < 0·01–0·94). ΔL as a proportion of KL was correlated with NDFD48 in C3 and C4 samples (r 0·44–0·76; P < 0·01–0·08). The differing behaviours of ΔL and ADL relative to NDFD48 indicate that KL is a nutritionally heterogeneous fraction, the behaviour of which may vary by forage type and ratios of ADL and ΔL present.

Fish-oil supplements are marketed as enhancing intelligence and cognitive performance. However, empirical data concerning the utility of these products in healthy term infants are mixed, particularly with respect to lasting effects into childhood. We evaluated whether fish-oil supplementation during infancy leads to better neurocognitive/behavioural development at 6 years. We conducted a double-blind randomised controlled trial of supplementation with n-3 long-chain PUFA in 420 healthy term infants. Infants received either fish oil (containing at least 250 mg DHA and at least 60 mg EPA) or placebo (olive oil) daily from birth to 6 months of age. Neurodevelopmental follow-up was conducted at a mean age of 6 years (sd 7 months), whereby 335 children were assessed for language, executive functioning, global intelligence quotient and behaviour. No significant differences were observed between the groups for the main neurocognitive outcomes. However in parent-report questionnaire, fish-oil supplementation was associated with negative externalising (P = 0·035, d = 0·24) and oppositional/defiant behaviour (P = 0·006, d = 0·31), particularly in boys (P = 0·01, d = 0·45; P = 0·004, d = 0·40). Our results provide evidence that fish-oil supplementation to predominantly breast-fed infants confers no significant cognitive or behavioural benefit to children at 6 years.

Most childhood disabilities are caused by congenital factors such as birth defects. The present study aims to evaluate the effect of periconceptional nutrition intervention on the prevention of congenital disability among Chinese children using the National Birth Defects Intervention Project as a natural experiment. We obtained individual-level data from the Second National Sample Survey on Disability, a nationally representative survey, and 110 365 children born between September 1999 and August 2003 were included for analysis. Difference-in-differences estimates of the project effects on congenital disability were captured by exploiting temporal variation in the timing of project exposure across four birth cohorts along with geographical variation in project category at the province level. The findings contribute to an emerging body of evidence showing that prenatal micronutrient intervention before and during early pregnancy could substantially reduce the risk of congenital disability in childhood (OR 0·73; 95 % CI 0·57, 0·94). The National Birth Defects Intervention Project improved the awareness of reproductive health and disability prevention in the population. It highlights the need for a potential policy change focusing on early-life health investment in China.

The effects of macronutrient intake on obesity are controversial. This research aims to investigate the associations between macronutrient intake and new-onset overweight/obesity. The relationship between the consumption of carbohydrate and total fat and obesity was assessed by the multivariable Cox model in this 11-year cohort, which included 6612 adults (3291 men and 3321 women) who were free of overweight and obesity at baseline. The dietary intake was recorded using a 24-h recall method for three consecutive days. Moreover, substitution models were developed to distinguish the effects of macronutrient composition alteration from energy intake modification. During 7·5 person years (interquartile range 4·3, 10·8) of follow-up, 1807 participants became overweight or obese. After adjusting for risk factors, the hazard ratio (HR) of overweight/obesity in extreme quintiles of fat was 1·48 (quintile 5 v. quintile 1, 95 % CI 1·16, 1·89; Ptrend = 0·02) in women. Additionally, replacing 5 % of energy from carbohydrate with equivalent energy from fat was associated with an estimated 4·3 % (HR 1·043, 95 % CI 1·007, 1·081) increase in overweight/obesity in women. Moreover, dietary carbohydrate was inversely associated with overweight/obesity (quintile 5 v. quintile 1, HR 0·70, 95 % CI 0·55, 0·89; Ptrend = 0·02) in women. Total fat was related to a higher risk of overweight/obesity, whereas high carbohydrate intake was related to a lower risk of overweight/obesity in women, which was not observed in men.

Little is known about predictors of decline in vitamin D status (vitamin D decline) over time. We aimed to determine demographic and lifestyle variables associated with vitamin D decline by sufficiently controlling for seasonal effects of vitamin D uptake in a middle-aged to elderly population. Using a longitudinal study design within the larger framework of the Murakami Cohort Study, we examined 1044 individuals aged between 40 and 74 years, who provided blood samples at baseline and at 5-year follow-up, the latter of which were taken on a date near the baseline examination (±14 d). Blood 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) concentrations were determined with the Liaison® 25OH Vitamin D Total Assay. A self-administered questionnaire collected demographic, body size and lifestyle information. Vitamin D decline was defined as the lowest tertile of 5-year changes in blood 25(OH)D (Δ25(OH)D) concentration (<6·7 nmol/l). Proportions of those with vitamin D decline were 182/438 (41·6 %) in men and 166/606 (27·4 %) in women (P < 0·0001). In men, risk of vitamin D decline was significantly lower in those with an outdoor occupation (P = 0·0099) and those with the highest quartile of metabolic equivalent score (OR 0·34; 95 % CI 0·14, 0·83), and higher in those with ‘university or higher’ levels of education (OR 2·92; 95 % CI 1·04, 8·19). In women, risk of vitamin D decline tended to be lower with higher levels of vitamin D intake (Pfor trend = 0·0651) and green tea consumption (Pfor trend = 0·0025). Predictors of vitamin D decline differ by sex, suggesting that a sex-dependent intervention may help to maintain long-term vitamin D levels.

Thermodynamic analyses are performed to quantify allocation of the nutritional energy and exergy to most of the life processes by pregnant mice. In these analyses, ‘internal work performance’ is calculated for the first time in the literature for metabolism during pregnancy and found substantially higher than the ‘external work performance’. Variation of the daily entropy generation rates and the daily internal work performance rates during the course of pregnancy showed a highly similar phasic behaviour. With the progression of the pregnancy, external work performance decreased and second law efficiency increased significantly. On the 13th day of pregnancy, net energy extracted from the food at the cellular energy metabolism subsystem was 15·0 kJ; approximately 3 kJ of it was employed for daily internal work performance, 0·8 kJ was allocated to daily external work performance and 0·8 kJ was stored in the adipose tissue without entering into the cellular energy metabolism subsystem. Heat generation in association with internal and external work performance was 9·1 and 2·2 kJ, respectively. Energy, pertinent to the first law, and exergy (useful energy), pertinent to the second law, balances are described graphically, and comparison of these plots showed that the total exergy of the nutrients allocated to internal and external work performance and heat generation is substantially smaller in magnitude when compared with those of energy balance.

Infant feeding guidelines worldwide recommend first foods to be Fe rich with no added sugars and that nutrient-poor discretionary foods are to be avoided. Feeding guidelines also recommend exposing infants to a variety of foods and flavours with increasingly complex textures. Here, we compare nutritional and textural properties of commercial infant and toddler foods available in Australia with established infant feeding guidelines. Nutrition information and ingredient lists were obtained from food labels, manufacturer and/or retailer websites. In total, 414 foods were identified, comprising mostly mixed main dishes, fruit and vegetable first foods and snacks. Most products were poor sources of Fe, and 80 % of first foods were fruit-based. Half of all products were purées in squeeze pouches, and one-third of all products were discretionary foods. The nutritional content of many products was inconsistent with guidelines, being low in Fe, sweet, smooth in consistency or classified as discretionary. Reformulation of products is warranted to improve Fe content, particularly in mixed main dishes, expand the range of vegetable-only foods and textural variety. Greater regulatory oversight may be needed to better inform parents and caregivers. Frequent consumption of commercial baby foods low in Fe may increase the risk of Fe deficiency. Excessive consumption of purées via squeeze pouches may also have implications for overweight and obesity risk.