The art of establishing mineral tolerances of dogs and cats.

For over six decades, nutritional science has provided well-developed, peer-reviewed nutrient recommendations to support the health of dogs and cats. These guidelines are updated based on new scientifically valid research and appropriate peer-review. Recent regulatory and scientific positions around health issues have resulted in strong opinions and desires for rapid regulatory action surrounding mineral nutrition, but with limited and conflicting scientific evidence.

Copper metabolism and its implications for canine nutrition.

Canine copper nutrition has received increased attention due to recent reports of apparent copper-associated hepatitis in the USA and European Union. In order to properly address the need to modify the U.S.

Perspective: Assessing Tolerance to Nondigestible Carbohydrate Consumption.

Human intestinal enzymes do not hydrolyze nondigestible carbohydrates (NDCs), and thus, they are not digested and absorbed in the small intestine. Instead, NDCs are partially to completely fermented by the intestinal microbiota. Select NDCs are associated with health benefits such as laxation and lowering of blood cholesterol and glucose.

Fibre intake for optimal health: how can healthcare professionals support people to reach dietary recommendations?

advocate for the importance of translating the health impact of high fibre diets to patients and clients, with emphasis placed on incorporating a variety of plant based foods to achieve dietary fibre recommendations

Effect of Dietary Inulin Supplementation on the Gut Microbiota Composition and Derived Metabolites of Individuals Undergoing Hemodialysis: A Pilot Study.

Objective: The prebiotic fiber inulin has been studied in individuals undergoing hemodialysis (HD) due to its ability to reduce gut microbiota-derived uremic toxins. However, studies examining the effects of inulin on the gut microbiota and derived metabolites are limited in these patients. We aimed to assess the impact of a 4-week supplementation of inulin on the gut microbiota composition and microbial metabolites of patients on HD.

ASAS-NANP SYMPOSIUM: RUMINANT/NONRUMINANT FEED COMPOSITION: Challenges and opportunities associated with creating large feed composition tables.

Traditional feed composition tables have been a useful tool in the field of animal nutrition throughout the last 70 yr. The objective of this paper is to discuss the challenges and opportunities associated with creating large feed ingredient composition tables. This manuscript will focus on three topics discussed during the National Animal Nutrition Program (NANP) Symposium in ruminant and nonruminant nutrition carried out at the American Society of Animal Science Annual Meeting in Austin, TX, on July 11, 2019, namely: 1) Using large datasets in feed composition tables and the importance of standard deviation in nutrient composition as well as different methods to obtain accurate standard deviation values, 2) Discussing the importance of fiber in animal nutrition and the evaluation of different methods to estimate fiber content of feeds, and 3) Description of novel feed sources, such as insects, algae, and single-cell protein, and challenges associated with the inclusion of such feeds in feed composition tables.

Laxative effects of wheat bran and psyllium: Resolving enduring misconceptions about fiber in treatment guidelines for chronic idiopathic constipation.

Background: Treatment guidelines for chronic idiopathic constipation (CIC) recommend an "increase in fiber intake" as a first-line therapy, but most epidemiologic studies fail to support an association between a high-fiber diet and a reduced risk of constipation. Furthermore, randomized controlled clinical studies show that most isolated fibers (e.g.

Perspective: Physiologic Importance of Short-Chain Fatty Acids from Nondigestible Carbohydrate Fermentation.

In recent years, it has become increasingly obvious that dietary fiber or nondigestible carbohydrate (NDC) consumption is critical for maintaining optimal health and managing symptoms of metabolic disease. In accordance with this, the US FDA released its first official definition of dietary fiber in 2016 for regulation of Nutrition and Supplement Facts labels. Included in this definition is the requirement of an isolated or synthetic NDC to produce an accepted physiologic health benefit, such as improved laxation or reduced fasting cholesterol concentrations, upon consumption.

Behavioral response to fiber feedingis cohort-dependent and associated with gut microbiota composition in mice.

Recent data has supported a role for the gut microbiota in improving cognition and shaping behavior. Here, we assessed whether pectin, a soluble, fermentable fiber, could enhance learning and memory in mice. Two cohorts of young male C57Bl/6 J mice, C1 (n = 20) and C2 (n = 20), were obtained from Jackson Laboratory and randomized to semi-purified AIN-93 M diets containing 5% pectin (n = 10) or cellulose (n = 10).

Considerations for best practices in studies of fiber or other dietary components and the intestinal microbiome.

A 2-day workshop organized by the National Institutes of Health and U.S. Department of Agriculture included 16 presentations focused on the role of diet in alterations of the gastrointestinal microbiome, primarily that of the colon.

Critical Factors in Determining Fiber Content of Feeds and Foods and Their Ingredients.

: Because of its chemical complexity, the estimation of dietary fiber content of feed and food materials is a difficult analytical challenge. Three major fiber analyses are conducted routinely in the United States including crude fiber (CF), detergent fiber, and total dietary fiber (TDF). : Factors crucial to the successful measurement of dietary fibers are described and suggestions provided as to how to overcome potential analytical problems within assays.

Phenological changes in bamboo carbohydrates explain the preference for culm over leaves by giant pandas (Ailuropoda melanoleuca) during spring.

Seasonal changes in the foodscape force herbivores to select different plant species or plant parts to meet nutritional requirements. We examined whether the search for calorie-rich carbohydrates explained giant panda's selection for bamboo culm over leaves during spring. Leaves and culms were collected from four Phyllostachys bamboos (P.

In Vitro Digestion and Fermentation of Microencapsulated Tributyrin for the Delivery of Butyrate.

Butyrate possesses negative sensory qualities and is most effectively utilized in the intestine to provide energy to the colonocyte for the maintenance of intestinal health. Butyrate has also shown promise in the treatment of intestinal disorders and diseases such as short bowel syndrome, inflammatory bowel disease, and colon cancer. To modify sensory properties, intestinal release, and butyrate production capabilities, tributyrin (TB) was microencapsulated in whey protein isolate (WPI)-based and gamma-cyclodextrin (GC)-based materials.

Compositional Analysis of Whole Grains, Processed Grains, Grain Co-Products, and Other Carbohydrate Sources with Applicability to Pet Animal Nutrition.

Our objective was to measure the proximate, starch, amino acid, and mineral compositions of grains, grain co-products, and other carbohydrate sources with potential use in pet foods. Thirty-two samples from barley (barley flake, cut barley, ground pearled barley, malted barley, whole pearled barley, pearled barley flakes, and steamed rolled barley); oats (groats, ground oatmeal, ground steamed groats, instant oats, oat bran, oat fiber, oat flour, quick oats, regular rolled oats, steamed rolled oat groats, and steel cut groats); rice (brown rice, polished rice, defatted rice bran, and rice flour); and miscellaneous carbohydrate sources (canary grass seed, hulled millet, whole millet, quinoa, organic spelt hull pellets, potato flake, sorghum, whole wheat, and whole yellow corn) were analyzed. Crude protein, amino acid, fat, dietary fiber, resistant starch, and mineral concentrations were highly variable among the respective fractions (, barley flake malted barley steamed rolled barley) as well as among the various grains (, barley flake brown rice canary grass seed).

Innovations in Canine and Feline Nutrition: Technologies for Food and Nutrition Assessment.

Pet owners have increasing concerns about the nutrition of their pets, and they desire foods and treats that are safe, traceable, and of high nutritive value. To meet these high expectations, detailed chemical composition characterization of ingredients well beyond that provided by proximate analysis will be required, as will information about host physiology and metabolism. Use of faster and more precise analytical methodology and novel technologies that have the potential to improve pet food safety and quality will be implemented.

In Vitro Fermentation of Xylooligosaccharides Produced from Miscanthus × giganteus by Human Fecal Microbiota.

Purified xylooligosaccharides from Miscanthus × giganteus (M×G XOS) were used in an in vitro fermentation experiment inoculated with human fecal microbiota. A commercial XOS product and pectin were used as controls. Decreases in pH by 2.

Agave Inulin Supplementation Affects the Fecal Microbiota of Healthy Adults Participating in a Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled, Crossover Trial.

Background: Prebiotics resist digestion, providing fermentable substrates for select gastrointestinal bacteria associated with health and well-being. Agave inulin differs from other inulin type fibers in chemical structure and botanical origin. Preclinical animal research suggests these differences affect bacterial utilization and physiologic outcomes.

Fiber supplementation influences phylogenetic structure and functional capacity of the human intestinal microbiome: follow-up of a randomized controlled trial.

Background: In our published randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, 3-period crossover trial, healthy adult men (n = 21) consumed bars containing no supplemental fiber (placebo; NFC), polydextrose (21 g/d), and soluble corn fiber (SCF; 21 g/d) for 21 d each. Fecal specimens were collected between days 16 and 21 for fermentative end-product analysis and 16S ribosomal RNA bacterial gene amplification for bacterial taxa identification. Fiber supplementation decreased fecal putrefaction compounds and shifted abundances of several bacterial taxa.

Modulation of the faecal microbiome of healthy adult dogs by inclusion of potato fibre in the diet.

Inclusion of fermentable fibres in the diet can have an impact on the hindgut microbiome and provide numerous health benefits to the host. Potato fibre (PF), a co-product of potato starch isolation, has a favourable chemical composition of pectins, resistant and digestible starch, cellulose, and hemicelluloses. The objective of the present study was to evaluate the effect of increasing dietary PF concentrations on the faecal microbiome of healthy adult dogs.

In vitro hydrolytic digestion, glycemic response in dogs, and true metabolizable energy content of soluble corn fibers.

The objective of this research was to measure in vitro hydrolytic digestion, glycemic and insulinemic responses in dogs, and true ME (TMEn) content of select soluble corn fibers (SCF) in roosters. The first generation (G1) SCF included hydrochloric acid-treated corn syrup (G1-CS-HCl), an SCF with an increased total dietary fiber (TDF) content (G1-SCF-HCl), an SCF that was spray-dried (G1-SCF-SD), and a hydrogenated SCF (G1-SCF-hydrog). The second generation (G2) SCF included those prepared using phosphoric acid catalyzation in both a liquid [G2-SCF-phos (Lq)] and powder [G2-SCF-phos (Pw)] form, and SCF that were prepared using hydrochloric acid catalyzation in both a liquid [G2-SCF-HCl (Lq)] and powder [G2-SCF-HCl (Pw)] form.

Gastrointestinal tolerance and utilization of agave inulin by healthy adults.

Little clinical research exists on agave inulin as a fiber source. Due to differences in botanical origin and chemical structure compared to other inulin-type fibers, research is needed to assess gastrointestinal (GI) tolerance following consumption. This study aimed to evaluate GI tolerance and utilization of 5.

Fecal metabolomics of healthy breast-fed versus formula-fed infants before and during in vitro batch culture fermentation.

Nontargeted metabolomics analyses were used (1) to compare fecal metabolite profiles of healthy breast-fed (BF) and formula-fed (FF) infants before and during in vitro fermentation in batch culture and (2) to evaluate fecal metabolomics in assessing infant diet. Samples from healthy BF (n = 4) or FF (n = 4) infants were individually incubated at 37( °)C in anaerobic media containing 1% (wt/vol) galactooligosaccharides, 6'-sialyllactose, 2'-fucosyllactose, lacto-N-neotetraose, inulin, and gum arabic for up to 6 h, and supernatants were analyzed using GC/MS and LC/MS/MS to assess changes in various compounds. Comparison of over 250 metabolites prior to incubation showed that BF samples contained higher relative concentrations (P ≤ 0.

Human milk oligosaccharides shorten rotavirus-induced diarrhea and modulate piglet mucosal immunity and colonic microbiota.

The impact of human milk oligosaccharides (HMO) on mucosal immunity, gut microbiota and response to rotavirus (RV) infection was investigated in the piglet model. Newborn piglets were fed with formula alone (FF) or formula supplemented with 4 g l(-1) HMO (HMO) or a prebiotic mixture of 9:1 short-chain galactooligosaccharides (3.6 g l(-1)) and long-chain fructooligosaccharides (0.

In vitro disappearance characteristics of selected categories of commercially available dog treats.

Pet owners desire treats with adequate nutritional profiles, functional benefits, long-lasting properties and an interactive nature. Therefore, it is pivotal to understand the digestion characteristics of treats produced by different processing methods and having variable nutritional composition. The objective of the present study was to measure in vitro disappearance characteristics of selected categories of commercially available treats.

Effects of a synbiotic on fecal quality, short-chain fatty acid concentrations, and the microbiome of healthy sled dogs.

Background: Sled dogs commonly suffer from diarrhea. Although multiple etiologies exist there are limited field studies using synbiotics as a supplement to prevent or treat diarrhea. The objective of this study was to examine alterations in fecal quality, short-chain fatty acids (SCFA), and the fecal microbiome in two groups of training sled dogs fed a synbiotic or microcrystalline cellulose placebo.