Identification of individual goat animals by means of near infrared spectroscopy and chemometrics analysis of commercial meat cuts.

Although the identification of animal species and muscles have been reported previously, no studies have been found on the use of NIR spectroscopy to identify individual animals from the analysis of commercial meat cuts. The aim of this study was to evaluate the use of a portable near infrared (NIR) instrument combined with classical chemometrics methods [principal component analysis (PCA) and partial least squares discriminant analysis PLS-DA)] to identify the origin of individual goat animals using the spectral signature of their commercial cut. Samples were collected from several carcasses (6 commercial cuts x 24 animals) sourced from a commercial abattoir in Queensland (Australia).

The ability of a portable near infrared instrument to evaluate the shelf-life of fresh and thawed goat muscles.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the use of a portable near infrared (NIR) instrument to monitor the shelf-life of four goat muscles [longissimus thoracis et lumborum (LTL), semimembranosus (SM), semitendinosus (ST) and biceps femoris (BF)] stored for up to 8 days (4 °C). The NIR spectra of the muscle samples were collected at day 0, and after 1, 4 and 8 days of storage using a MicroNIR instrument (900-1600 nm). The coefficient of determination in cross-validation (R) and the standard error in cross validation (SECV) obtained for the prediction of days of storage ranged between 0.

Characterization and Comparison of the Divergent Metabolic Consequences of High-Sugar and High-Fat Diets in Male Wistar Rats.

Diet-induced obesity (DIO) in laboratory rodents can serve as a model with which to study the pathophysiology of obesity, but obesogenic diets (high-sugar and/or high-fat) are often poorly characterised and simplistically aimed at inducing metabolic derangements for the purpose of testing the therapeutic capacity of natural products and other bioactive compounds. Consequently, our understanding of the divergent metabolic responses to different obesogenic diet formulations is limited. The aim of the present study was to characterise and compare differences in the metabolic responses induced by low-fat, medium-fat/high-sugar and high-fat diets in rats through multivariate statistical modelling.

The paracrine effects of adipocytes on lipid metabolism in doxorubicin-treated triple negative breast cancer cells.

Adipocytes in the breast tumour microenvironment promotes acquired treatment resistance. We used an in vitro adipocyte-conditioned media approach to investigate the direct paracrine effects of adipocyte secretory factors on MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells treated with doxorubicin to clarify the underlying treatment resistance mechanisms. Cell-viability assays, and Western blots were performed to determine alterations in apoptotic, proliferation and lipid metabolism protein markers.

Fatty Acid Metabolism and Associations with Insulin Sensitivity Differs Between Black and White South African Women.

Purpose: Genetic differences in desaturase genes and consequently fatty acid metabolism have been reported. The aims were to examine ethnic differences in serum fatty acid composition and desaturase indices, and assess the ethnic-specific associations with insulin sensitivity (IS) and liver fat in black and white South African (SA) women.

Methods: In this cross-sectional study including 92 premenopausal black (n = 46) and white (n = 46) SA women, serum fatty acid composition was measured in cholesteryl ester (CE) and nonesterified fatty acid (NEFA) fractions.

Exercise Training Alters Red Blood Cell Fatty Acid Desaturase Indices and Adipose Tissue Fatty Acid Profile in African Women with Obesity.

Objective: This study assessed the changes in red blood cell total phospholipid (RBC-TPL) and subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT) fatty acid (FA) composition in response to 12 weeks of exercise training in South African women with obesity and the associations with changes in cardiometabolic risk factors.

Methods: Previously sedentary women were randomized into control (n = 15) or exercise (n = 20) groups. RBC-TPL and SAT FA profiles, SAT gene expression, systemic inflammatory markers, liver fat, and insulin sensitivity (S ) were measured before and after the intervention.

Circulating and Adipose Tissue Fatty Acid Composition in Black South African Women with Obesity: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Unlabelled: : Background and Aims: During positive energy balance, excess lipid storage in subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT) is associated with increased lipolysis. Elevated circulating fatty acid (FA) concentrations from both SAT lipolysis and dietary fat intake may result in visceral adipose tissue (VAT) accumulation, impairment of glucose metabolism, altogether increasing obesity-associated metabolic risks. We aimed to test the hypothesis that FA composition of red blood cell total phospholipids (RBC-TPL) and SAT is associated with body fat centralisation (VAT/SAT ratio) and insulin sensitivity (S) in black South African women with obesity.

Decreased Efficacy of Doxorubicin Corresponds With Modifications in Lipid Metabolism Markers and Fatty Acid Profiles in Breast Tumors From Obese vs. Lean Mice.

Breast cancer cells modulate lipid and fatty acid metabolism to sustain proliferation. The role of adipocytes in cancer treatment efficacy remains, however, to be fully elucidated. We investigated whether diet-induced obesity (DIO) affects the efficacy of doxorubicin treatment in a breast tumor-bearing mouse model.

Chemoresistance: Intricate Interplay Between Breast Tumor Cells and Adipocytes in the Tumor Microenvironment.

Excess adipose tissue is a hallmark of an overweight and/or obese state as well as a primary risk factor for breast cancer development and progression. In an overweight/obese state adipose tissue becomes dysfunctional due to rapid hypertrophy, hyperplasia, and immune cell infiltration which is associated with sustained low-grade inflammation originating from dysfunctional adipokine synthesis. Evidence also supports the role of excess adipose tissue (overweight/obesity) as a casual factor for the development of chemotherapeutic drug resistance.

Correction to: Different effects of γ-linolenic acid (GLA) supplementation on plasma and red blood cell phospholipid fatty acid composition and calcium oxalate kidney stone risk factors in healthy subjects from two race groups with different risk profiles pose questions about the GLA-arachidonic acid-oxaluria metabolic pathway: pilot study.

The authors would like to add the following paragraph in the acknowledgement section of the original version of the paper.

Correction to: Testing the dogma that total phospholipid fatty acid composition of blood plays a role in kidney stone pathogenesis, using a high-low risk human model: results from a pilot study.

The authors would like to add the following paragraph in the acknowledgement section of the original version of the paper.

Nutrient profile and energy cost of food sold by informal food vendors to learners in primary and secondary schools in the Eastern Cape, South Africa.

Objective: To assess type, nutrient profile and cost of food items sold by informal vendors to learners; and to determine nutrient content of corn-based processed snacks frequently sold.

Design: Cross-sectional survey.

Setting: Quintile 1 to 3 schools (n 36) randomly selected from six education districts; Eastern Cape, South Africa.

Hepatic Vitamin A Concentrations in Vervets () Supplemented with Carotenoids Derived from Oil Palm.

Commonly used in biomedical research, vervets (Chlorocebus aethiops) are omnivorous but primarily meet their vitamin A requirements from provitamin A carotenoids. Hypervitaminosis A has occurred in vervets that consume feed high in preformed vitamin A. We investigated the vitamin A status of vervets supplemented daily with various antioxidants derived from palm oil.

Testing the dogma that total phospholipid fatty acid composition of blood plays a role in kidney stone pathogenesis, using a high-low risk human model: results from a pilot study.

Previous studies have suggested that ω-3 and ω-6 polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) composition in plasma and red blood cell (RBC) total phospholipids plays a role in urolithiasis. Our aim was to test the robustness of this dogma by retrospectively comparing baseline profiles of these parameters in subjects from high- and low-stone-risk groups. The documented difference in stone occurrence in white (relatively common) (W) and black (rare) (B) subjects prompted us to select these groups as the high-low risk model for the study.

An Exercise Intervention to Unravel the Mechanisms Underlying Insulin Resistance in a Cohort of Black South African Women: Protocol for a Randomized Controlled Trial and Baseline Characteristics of Participants.

Background: The pathogenesis of type 2 diabetes (T2D) in black African women is complex and differs from that in their white counterparts. However, earlier studies have been cross-sectional and provide little insight into the causal pathways. Exercise training is consistently used as a model to examine the mechanisms underlying insulin resistance and risk for T2D.

Sensitivity of fatty acid desaturation and elongation to plasma zinc concentration: a randomised controlled trial in Beninese children.

Zn status may affect fatty acid (FA) metabolism because it acts as a cofactor in FA desaturase and elongase enzymes. Zn supplementation affects the FA desaturases of Zn-deficient rats, but whether this occurs in humans is unclear. We evaluated the associations between baseline plasma Zn (PZn) concentration and plasma total phospholipid FA composition, as well as the effect of daily consumption of Zn-fortified water on FA status in Beninese children.

Different effects of γ-linolenic acid (GLA) supplementation on plasma and red blood cell phospholipid fatty acid composition and calcium oxalate kidney stone risk factors in healthy subjects from two race groups with different risk profiles pose questions about the GLA-arachidonic acid-oxaluria metabolic pathway: pilot study.

Fatty acid (FA) composition of phospholipids in plasma and red blood cells (RBC) can influence calciuria, oxaluria and renal stone formation. In this regard, the ratio of arachidonic acid (AA) and its precursor linoleic acid (LA) appears to be important. Administration of γ-linolenic acid (GLA) has been shown to increase the concentration of dihomo-gamma linoleic acid (DGLA) relative to AA indicating that it may attenuate biosynthesis of the latter.

Sustained Viral Suppression in HIV-infected Children on Once-daily Lopinavir/Ritonavir in Clinical Practice.

Background: The use of lopinavir/ritonavir once-daily (LPV/r QD) has not been approved for children. Good short-term clinical, virologic and immunologic outcomes have been observed in children on LPV/r QD.

Methods: We evaluated the long-term effectiveness of a LPV/r QD containing regimen in HIV-1-infected children in clinical practice.

Vitamin A, Iron, and Zinc Content of Fortified Maize Meal and Bread at the Household Level in 4 Areas of South Africa.

Background: A national mandatory food fortification program, fortifying wheat flour and maize meal with various micronutrients, was introduced in South Africa in 2003 to address micronutrient deficiencies.

Objective: This study aimed to determine vitamin A, iron, and zinc content of raw maize meal and wheat flour bread sampled at household level from 2 urban and 2 rural areas in South Africa and to compare with the regulatory minimum requirements.

Methods: Maize meal (250 g) and/or supermarket/local shop bread (3 inner slices) were collected from 50 randomly selected households from each study area.

Vitamin A and anthropometric status of South African preschool children from four areas with known distinct eating patterns.

Objective: The aim of this study was to assess the vitamin A and anthropometric status of South African preschool children from four areas with known distinct eating patterns.

Methods: Serum retinol, anthropometric indicators, and dietary intake were determined for randomly selected preschool children from two rural areas, i.e.

A large-scale intervention to introduce orange sweet potato in rural Mozambique increases vitamin A intakes among children and women.

β-Carotene-rich orange sweet potato (OSP) has been shown to improve vitamin A status of infants and young children in controlled efficacy trials and in a small-scale effectiveness study with intensive exposure to project inputs. However, the potential of this important food crop to reduce the risk of vitamin A deficiency in deficient populations will depend on the ability to distribute OSP vines and promote its household production and consumption on a large scale. In rural Mozambique, we conducted a randomised, controlled effectiveness study of a large-scale intervention to promote household-level OSP production and consumption using integrated agricultural, demand creation/behaviour change and marketing components.

Red blood cell membrane fluidity in the etiology of multiple sclerosis.

Organisms adjust the order, or fluidity, of their cellular membranes in response to changes in their physiochemical environment by adjusting the lipid composition of their membranes. We investigated membrane fluidity using the phospholipid, fatty acid and cholesterol content of red blood cells (RBCs) from multiple sclerosis (MS) patients and correlated this with C-reactive protein (CRP) as well as with the severity of neurological outcome as measured by the Kurtzke Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) and its Functional System Scores. The study group consisted of 31 patients with MS and 30 healthy control subjects.

Immune cell membrane fatty acids and inflammatory marker, C-reactive protein, in patients with multiple sclerosis.

Measurement of fatty acids in biological fluids and cell membranes including leucocytes from multiple sclerosis patients is inconsistent. The objective of the present study was to investigate the fatty acid composition within the different membrane phospholipid fractions in peripheral blood mononuclear cells in multiple sclerosis patients, and correlate with severity of neurological outcome as measured by the Kurtzke Expanded Disability Status Scale and Functional System Scores. The fatty acid composition of phosphatidylcholine, phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylserine, sphingomyelin and phosphatidylinositol phospholipids in the peripheral blood mononuclear cells of twenty-six multiple sclerosis and twenty-five control subjects were measured by GC, and C-reactive protein was measured in all subjects.

Erythrocyte membrane fatty acids in patients with multiple sclerosis.

Background: Reports on fatty acids levels in multiple sclerosis remain inconclusive.

Objective: To determine the erythrocyte membrane fatty acid levels in multiple sclerosis patients and correlate with Kurtzke Expanded Disability Status Scale.

Methods: Fatty acid composition of 31 multiple sclerosis and 30 control individuals were measured by gas chromatography.