During endurance exercise, skeletal muscle relies mainly on both carbohydrate (CHO) and fat oxidation to cover energy needs. Numerous scientific studies have shown that increasing the exercise intensity leads to a progressive utilization of CHO. The latter will induce a state of glycogen depletion which is generally recognized as being a limiting factor for the continuation of strenuous exercise. Different dietary interventions have been proposed to overcome this limitation. A high-CHO diet during periods of intense training and competition, as well as CHO intake during exercise, are known to maintain a high rate of CHO oxidation and to delay fatigue. However, it has been recognized also that enhancing fatty acid (FA) oxidation during exercise induces a reduced rate of glycogen degradation, resulting in an improved endurance capacity. This is most strikingly observed as a result of frequent endurance exercise which improves a number of factors known to govern the FA flux and the oxidative capacity of skeletal muscle. Such factors are: (1) blood flow and capillarization; (2) lipolysis of triacylglycerol (TAG) in adipose tissue and circulating TAG and transport of FA from blood plasma to the sarcoplasm; (3) availability and rate of hydrolysis of intramuscular TAG; (4) activation of the FA and transport across the mitochondrial membrane; (5) the activity of enzymes in the oxidative pathway; (6) hormonal adaptations, i.e. sensitivity to catecholamines and insulin. The observation that the plasma FA concentration is an important factor in determining the rate of FA oxidation, and that some dietary factors may influence the rate of FA supply to muscle as well as to the mitochondria, has led to a number of dietary interventions with the ultimate goal to enhance FA oxidation and endurance performance. It appears that experimental data are not equivocal that dietary interventions, such as a high-fat diet, medium-chain TAG-fat emulsions and caffeine intake during exercise, as well as L-carnitine supplementation, do significantly enhance FA oxidation during exercise. So far, only regular endurance exercise can be classified as successful in achieving adaptations which enhance FA mobilization and oxidation.

Preterm and term transitional milks of human subjects and mature milks of human subjects, non-human primates and non-primates were analysed for free amino acids (AA) using precolumn phenylisothiocyanate derivatization and liquid chromatography. Differences in free AA between three types of human milk were small. Milks of pinnipeds (seals and sea lions) contained the highest levels of total free AA (8634–20 862 μmol/1), while the milks of cows and sheep had the lowest levels of total free AA (1061–1357 μmol/1). The milks of human subjects, chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes), gorillas (Gorilla gorilla), elephants (Elephas maximus), horses and pigs had intermediate levels of total free AA (3069–7381 μmol/1). Glutamic acid was the most abundant free AA in milks of human subjects (1339–2157 μmol/1), non-human primates (423–2528 μmol/1), elephants (1332 μmol/1), horses (1119 μmol/1), and cows (349 μmol/1). Taurine was the most abundant free AA in milks of pinnipeds (5776–13 643 μmol/1), pigs (1238 μmol/1), goats (1150 μmol/1) and sheep (341 μmol/1). Taurine was the second most abundant free AA in milks of human subjects and non-human primates, while histidine was the second most abundant free AA in milks of pinnipeds. Milks of each species had a distinctive free AA pattern which may reflect the relative importance of the free AA during early postnatal development.

Apolipoprotein E (ApoE) genotype was determined in sixty-five subjects who had taken part in a 4-week randomized crossover trial to compare the effect of six mugs of black tea per day v. placebo on blood lipids and blood coagulation factors. Four ApoE genotype variants (seven E2/E3, forty-five E3/E3, twelve E3/E4 and one E4/E4) were found. ApoE allele frequency was within the range typical for Caucasian populations (ApoE-E2 5·4 %; ApoE-E3 83·8 %; ApoE-E4 10·8 %). Individuals bearing at least one E4 allele had substantially higher levels of serum total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol and triacylglycerols. Mean plasminogen activator inhibitor (PAI-1) activity was higher in ApoE-E4 allele-bearing individuals (E3/E4 + E4/E4, 11·89 (SE 1·27) U/ml; E3/E3, 9·19 (SE 0·80) U/ml; E2/E3, 7·21 (SE 1·04) U/ml, P values of E4-group v. E3 and E2 being respectively 0·093 and 0·030). These unexpected findings imply that elevated PAI-1 activity may be a hitherto unrecognized additional factor involved in the increased cardiovascular disease risk associated with apoE-E4 allele. The interactions between tea drinking and genotype were also examined. In the E3/E3 homozygotes, HDL-cholesterol was significantly reduced in the tea period (mean placebo 1·54 mmol/l v. mean tea 1·50 mmol/l, P = 0·027). In the E2/E3 group, triacylglycerol concentration was significantly reduced (mean placebo 1·18 mmol/l v. mean tea 1·09 mmol/l, P = 0·039). Tea also caused a significant decrease of PAI-1 activity in the subjects with E2/E3 genotype (mean placebo 7·21 U/ml v. mean tea 5.88 U/ml, P = 0·007). In the other two genotype groups, there was no significant effect of tea. The results indicate that tea drinking has a beneficial effect on some cardiovascular disease risk-associated factors, especially in E2 allele-bearing individuals. Dietary intervention may be particularly effective in population groups with certain genetic characteristics.

We hypothesized that fatty acids at the sn−2 position of chylomicron triacylglycerol are preferentially released into the venous plasma (rather than being taken up and stored in the adipocytes) after hydrolysis by lipoprotein lipase (EC 3.1.1.34) in adipose tissue. Arterio–venous differences across adipose tissue were studied in eight healthy subjects on two occasions for 6 h after ingestion of different structured triacylglycerols rich in palmitic acid either at the sn−2 or the sn−1,3 positions. In particular the specific fatty acids making up lipoprotein fractions and plasma non-esterified fatty acids were analysed. After the different meals there were no differences between either postprandial arterialized or venous plasma metabolite concentrations. Chylomicron triacylglycerol extraction in adipose tissue was the same following the two types of fat. There was no difference between the specific fatty acid composition of the postprandial non-esterified fatty acid release from adipose tissue after ingestion of the two triacylglycerols, indicating that there was no preferential release of a saturated fatty acid at the sn−2 position.

A high intake of fruit and vegetables is believed to be protective against heart disease and cancer. β-Carotene has been closely examined for evidence of these protective properties but evidence is still conflicting and there are many other carotenoids in plant foods which deserve attention. This paper reports studies on the concentrations of lutein and lycopene in the triacylglycerol-rich lipoprotein (TRL) fraction of plasma in comparison with β-carotene following a large dose of the respective carotenoids fed with a standard meal after an overnight fast. β-Carotene (40 mg) was given to twelve volunteers (six men and six women) and six of the same volunteers (three men and three women) also received 31·2mg lutein or 38 mg lycopene. Plasma was collected at hourly intervals for 8 h and the TRL fraction was separated and subsequently analysed for the respective carotenoids and retinyl palmitate in the case of β-carotene. Intestinal uptake of the three carotenoids was estimated using the ‘area under the curve’ method and apparent absorption was calculated from these results. The response curves in the TRL fraction for β-carotene and retinyl palmitate occurred maximally over the fourth to fifth hour postprandially. There was a correlation between the TRL concentrations of β-carotene and retinyl palmitate (males r 0·62, P < 0·001; females r 0·52, P < 0·001) and there was no significant difference between men and women either in the total amount of β-carotene appearing in the TRL fraction or in the amount converted to retinol. On estimation, approximately l·4 mg of the 40 mg β-carotene dose was absorbed and this was not significantly different from the amount of lycopene (l·0 mg) but significantly different (P < 0·05) from the amount of lutein (0·8 mg) absorbed, after correction for the smaller doses administered. There was approximately a twofold difference between subjects in the uptake of β-carotene into the TRL fraction, a two- to threefold variation in lycopene and a two- to threefold variation in lutein. Despite these inter-subject differences, in three volunteers between whom there was a threefold difference in β-carotene in the TRL fraction and a twofold difference in retinol formation, repeat experiments with β-carotene 4 months later found differences of only 3–6 % in the TRL β-carotene content and 4–9% for the TRL retinol formed. In conclusion, large inter-subject variation in TRL carotene uptake precluded any differences between sexes but surprising intra-subject consistency was observed in TRL β-carotene uptake of three subjects.

Three ruminally cannulated non-lactating dairy cows were used to investigate the effects of six different bag cloth types with pore size (μm): free surface area (%) ratios of 200: 45, 41: 33, 16: 5, 10: 2, 6: 5 and 1: 2 respectively on the disappearance of grass silage DM and neutral-detergent fibre (NDF), and on particle-associated carboxymethylcellulase (EC 3.2.1.4; CMCase) and xylanase (EC 3.2.1.8) activties extracted from feed residues. Another objective was to compare microbial activity inside the bags and in rumen ingesta. Rumen incubation periods were 3, 6, 12, 24, 48 and 96 h. DM and NDF disappearance and particle-associated enzyme activities were greatly reduced with the smaller pore size and/or open surface area. Re-analysing some of the data as a 2 x 2 factorial (pore size x free surface area) indicated that, generally, free surface area rather than pore size affected the disappearance of feed components and particle-associated enzyme activities. Enzyme activities were highly correlated with NDF disappearance at 6–48 h of incubation. Cumulative area under CMCase and xylanase activity curves explained 0·79 and 0·88 of the variation in NDF disappearance when different cloth type and 6–48 h incubation data were combined. Weighted mean enzyme activities inside the bags were less than 0·35 those in rumen ingesta. The highest activity values inside the bags (24 or 48 h) were less than 0·50 those found in rumen ingesta. The lower microbial activity inside the bags explains the slower rates of NDF digestion reported with in situ techniques than with rumen evacuation techniques. The general assumption of similar microbial activity inside the bags and in rumen ingesta is not justified by the present results, and caution must be taken in interpreting in situ results quantitatively for feed evaluation systems.

Multi-frequency bioimpedance analysis (MFBIA) was used to determine the impedance, reactance and resistance of 103 lamb carcasses (17·1–34·2 kg) immediately after slaughter and evisceration. Carcasses were halved, frozen and one half subsequently homogenized and analysed for water, crude protein and fat content. Three measures of carcass length were obtained. Diagonal length between the electrodes (right side biceps femoris to left side of neck) explained a greater proportion of the variance in water mass than did estimates of spinal length and was selected for use in the index L2/Z to predict the mass of chemical components in the carcass. Use of impedance (Z) measured at the characteristic frequency (Zc) instead of 50 kHz (Z50) did not improve the power of the model to predict the mass of water, protein or fat in the carcass. While L2/Z50 explained a significant proportion of variation in the masses of body water (r2 0·64), protein (r2 0.34) and fat (r20·35), its inclusion in multi-variate indices offered small or no increases in predictive capacity when hot carcass weight (HCW) and a measure of rib fat-depth (GR) were present in the model. Optimized equations were able to account for 65–90% of the variance observed in the weight of chemical components in the carcass. It is concluded that single frequency impedance data do not provide better prediction of carcass composition than can be obtained from measures of HCW and GR. Indices of intracellular water mass derived from impedance at zero frequency and the characteristic frequency explained a similar proportion of the variance in carcass protein mass as did the index L2/Z50.

The proper use of a time-dependent and controlled nutrition regimen during the hormone-sensitive growth phase before first parturition can significantly affect mammary growth and subsequent lactation performance. The objective of the present study was to determine if a compensatory nutrition regimen improves lactation performance by affecting proliferation and apoptosis of mammary epithelial cells. Forty female rats (7 weeks of age, average weight 148 g) were assigned to either (1) control, free access to diet or (2) stair-step compensatory nutrition regimen, an alternating 3–4-week schedule beginning with an energy-restricted diet (31·2% restriction) for 3 weeks, followed by the control diet for 4 weeks. Estimated milk yield was greater (P <0·05) on day 15 of lactation in the compensatory nutrition group than in the control group. Mammary cell proliferation values were 1·4- and 2·7-fold greater in mammary tissue from the compensatory group during pregnant and early lactating stages respectively, compared with those from the control group. Ornithine decarboxylase (EC 4.1.1.17)mRNA was 24% higher (P <0·05) in mammary tissues of rats from the compensatory nutrition group during pregnancy than in those from the control group. These results indicate that the compensatory nutrition regimen imposed during the peripubertal growth phase stimulated mammary epithelial cell proliferation and improved lactation performance.

The effect of feeding live Lactobacillus reuteri cells containing active bile salt hydrolase (BSH) on plasma cholesterol levels was studied in pigs. During an experiment lasting 13 weeks, twenty pigs were fed on a high-fat, high-cholesterol, low-fibre diet for the first 10 weeks, and a regular pig diet for the last 3 weeks. One group of animals received, twice daily, 11·25 (SD 0·16) log10 colony forming units of the potential probiotic bacteria for 4 weeks (from week 3 until week 7). From week 8 onwards, the treated group was again fed on the same diet as the control group without additions. The total faecal Lactobacillus counts were only significantly higher in the treated pigs during the first 2 weeks of L. reuteri feeding. Based on limited data, it was suggested that the administered Lactobacillus species had caused a temporary shift within the indigenous Lactobacillus population rather than permanently colonizing the intestinal tract. The probiotic feeding brought about significant lowering (P ≤ 0·05) of total and LDL-cholesterol concentrations in the treated pigs compared with the control pigs, while no change in HDL-cholesterol concentration was observed. The data for faecal output of neutral sterols and bile salts were highly variable between the animals of each group, yet they indicated an increased output in the treated pigs. Although the blood cholesterol levels went up in both groups during the 3 weeks following the Lactobacillus administration period, significantly lower serum total and LDL-cholesterol levels were observed in the treated pigs. During the final 3 weeks of normalization to the regular diet, cholesterol concentrations significantly decreased in both animal groups and the differences in total and LDL-cholesterol concentrations between the groups largely disappeared.

While it is well established that the fatty acid composition of dietary fat is important in determining plasma lipoprotein cholesterol concentrations, the effects of changing the absolute quantities of the individual fatty acids are less clear. In the present study Golden Syrian hamsters were fed on isoenergetic, low cholesterol (0·05 g/kg) diets containing 100, 150 or 200 g added fat/kg. This consisted of triolein (TO) alone, or equal proportions of TO and either trimyristin (TM), tripalmitin (TP) or tristearin (TS). Each trial also included a control group fed on a diet containing 50g TO/kg. As the mass of TO in the diet increased, plasma VLDL-cholesterol concentrations rose. The TM-rich diets produced a concentration-dependent increase in total plasma cholesterol which was a result of significant increases in both VLDL and HDL levels. The TP-rich diets increased plasma LDL- and HDL-cholesterol levels in a concentration-dependent manner. TS-containing diets did not increase the cholesterol content of any of the major lipoprotein fractions. Hepatic LDL-receptor mRNA concentrations were significantly decreased in animals fed on TP, while apolipoprotein B mRNA concentrations were significantly increased. Thus, on a low-cholesterol diet, increasing the absolute amount of dietary palmitic acid increases LDL-cholesterol more than either myristic or stearic acid. These effects on lipoprotein metabolism may be exerted through specific modulation of the expression of the LDL receptor and apolipoprotein B genes.

The uptake and metabolism of [14C]oleate-labelled chylomicron remnants derived from olive oil, maize oil, palm oil, fish oil or butter fat was investigated using perfused livers from rats fed on the corresponding fat-supplemented diet (providing 40 % of the dietary energy) or a low-fat diet for 21 d. The percentage of added [14C]oleate-labelled remnant removed from the perfusate was similar for livers from rats fed on the fat-supplemented diets irrespective of the type of fat fed, whereas livers from rats fed on the low-fat diet removed more labelled fish oil and butter fat remnants than olive, maize or palm oil remnants. Following hepatic uptake in the fat-supplemented groups, the oxidation of [14C]oleate-labelled remnant lipid from maize oil, fish oil, and butter fat remnants was greater than that of the lipids from olive and palm oil remnants, although only the oxidation of lipids from maize and palm oil remnants was increased by prior fat-supplementation of the diet. In addition, the livers from rats fed on the fish-oil-supplemented diet incorporated more [14C]oleate-labelled remnant lipid into phospholipid compared with the livers from rats fed on the other fat-supplemented diets or the low-fat diets. These investigations show that both prior fat feeding and the composition of the fat fed, as well as the fatty acid composition of the chylomicron remnant particles themselves, influence the uptake and metabolism of chylomicron remnants by the liver.

The effects of inclusion of different levels of raw kidney bean (Phaseolus vulgaris) of high lectin content (27 g/kg meal) in a high-quality (lactalbumin) control diet were tested in nutritional trials on the growth and metabolism of obese Zucker (fafa) rats and their lean littermates in comparison with pair-fed controls. All diets contained 100 g total protein/kg and either 50 g lipids/kg (low fat) or 150 g lipids/kg (moderate fat). The growth of both obese and lean rats on bean diets was retarded by the daily bean intake in a dose-dependent manner. However, most of this was because bean-fed rats contained less body fat than the controls after 10 d. Thus, after feeding low-fat diets containing up to 130 g kidney bean/kg (lectin intake ≤ 0·2 g/kg body weight (BW) per d) in both 10 d and 70 d trials, the bodies of obese rats contained less fat but not protein than their pair-fed controls. Moreover, by increasing the lipid content of the diet to 150 g/kg, the level of bean inclusion could be increased to 280 g/kg (lectin intake ≥ 0·4 g/kg BW per d) without loss of body protein and skeletal muscle. Although these rats contained more body fat than those which were fed on low-fat diets, their weight reduction could be accounted for exclusively by reduced lipid content. In contrast, significant body protein loss occurred when the same diet of high lectin content was fed to lean littermates. Plasma insulin levels were significantly depressed in the obese Zucker rats on bean diets but the pancreas was not significantly enlarged nor its insulin content changed in 10 d trials. However, significant pancreatic growth occurred on long-term (70 d) bean feeding compared with pair-fed controls. The results suggest that, in addition to animal nutrition, it may also be possible to use the bean lectin as a dietary adjunct or therapeutic agent to stimulate gut function and ameliorate obesity if a safe and effective dose-range can be established for human subjects.