Role of metabolomics in the delivery of precision nutrition.

Precision nutrition aims to deliver personalised dietary advice to individuals based on their personal genetics, metabolism and dietary/environmental exposures. Recent advances have demonstrated promise for the use of omic technologies for furthering the field of precision nutrition. Metabolomics in particular is highly attractive as measurement of metabolites can capture information on food intake, levels of bioactive compounds and the impact of diets on endogenous metabolism.

Effects of an Extract of the Brown Seaweed on Postprandial Glycaemic Control in Healthy Subjects: A Randomized Controlled Study.

The effects of the consumption of an extract of the brown seaweed (BSW) on postprandial glucose and insulin responses to white bread were investigated in an acute, randomized, double-blind, three-arm, crossover, controlled trial in healthy, normoglycemic subjects. Sixteen subjects were administered either control white bread (50 g total digestible carbohydrates) or white bread with 500 mg or 1000 mg of BSW extract. Biochemical parameters were measured in venous blood over 3 h.

Development and analysis of a multi-module peristaltic simulator for gastrointestinal research.

Many existing in vitro digestion systems do not accurately represent the peristaltic contractions of the gastrointestinal system; most of the systems that have physiologically-relevant peristaltic contractions have low throughput and can only test one sample at a time. A device has been developed that provides simulated peristaltic contractions for up to 12 digestion modules simultaneously using rollers of varying width to modulate the dynamics of the peristaltic motion. The force applied to a simulated food bolus varied from 2.

Investigation of differences in susceptibility of Campylobacter jejuni strains to UV light-emitting diode (UV-LED) technology.

Campylobacter jejuni remains a high priority in public health worldwide. Ultraviolet light emitting-diode technology (UV-LED) is currently being explored to reduce Campylobacter levels in foods. However, challenges such as differences in species and strain susceptibilities, effects of repeated UV-treatments on the bacterial genome and the potential to promote antimicrobial cross-protection or induce biofilm formation have arisen.

A culture-based assessment of the microbiota of conventional and free-range chicken meat from Irish processing facilities.

Chicken meat is the most popularly consumed meat worldwide, with free-range and ethically produced meat a growing market among consumers. However, poultry is frequently contaminated with spoilage microbes and zoonotic pathogens which impact the shelf-life and safety of the raw product, constituting a health risk to consumers. The free-range broiler microbiota is subject to various influences during rearing such as direct exposure to the external environment and wildlife which are not experienced during conventional rearing practices.

Ability of Bifidobacterium breve 702258 to transfer from mother to infant: the MicrobeMom randomized controlled trial.

Background: The composition of the infant microbiome can have a variety of short- and long-term implications for health. It is unclear if maternal probiotic supplementation in pregnancy can affect the infant gut microbiome.

Objective: This study aimed to investigate if maternal supplementation of a formulation of Bifidobacterium breve 702258 from early pregnancy until 3 months postpartum could transfer to the infant gut.

Two mutations at KRT74 and EDAR synergistically drive the fine-wool production in Chinese sheep.

Introduction: Fine-wool sheep are the most common breed used by the wool industry worldwide. Fine-wool sheep have over a three-fold higher follicle density and a 50% smaller fiber diameter than coarse-wool sheep.

Objectives: This study aims to clarify the underlying genetic basis for the denser and finer wool phenotype in fine-wool breeds.

Energy Metabolism Is Altered in Radioresistant Rectal Cancer.

Resistance to neoadjuvant chemoradiation therapy is a significant clinical challenge in the management of rectal cancer. There is an unmet need to identify the underlying mechanisms of treatment resistance to enable the development of biomarkers predictive of response and novel treatment strategies to improve therapeutic response. In this study, an in vitro model of inherently radioresistant rectal cancer was identified and characterized to identify mechanisms underlying radioresistance in rectal cancer.

The large Gunnera's (G. tinctoria and G. manicata) in Europe in relation to EU regulation 1143/2014.

Incorrect labelling of plants in the horticultural trade and misidentification is widespread. For the inspection services of the EU member states, correct identification of G. tinctoria has become important since the species was added to the List of Union concern in accordance with EU regulation 1143/2014 in August 2017.

Using a Metabotype Framework to Deliver Personalized Nutrition Improves Dietary Quality and Metabolic Health Parameters: A 12-Week Randomized Controlled Trial.

Scope: Effective strategies for tailoring dietary advice to individuals are urgently needed. The effectiveness of personalized nutrition advice delivered using a metabotype framework in improving dietary quality and metabolic health biomarkers compared to population-level advice is investigated.

Materials And Results: A 12-week parallel randomized controlled trial is performed with 107 healthy adults.

Variation in salivary cortisol responses in yearling Thoroughbred racehorses during their first year of training.

Thoroughbred horses are bred for competitive racing and undergo intense training regimes. The maintenance of physical soundness and desirable behavioural characteristics are critical to the longevity of a racing career. Horses intended for Flat racing generally enter training as yearlings and undergo introductory training prior to exercise conditioning for racing.

Energy Metabolism, Metabolite, and Inflammatory Profiles in Human Ex Vivo Adipose Tissue Are Influenced by Obesity Status, Metabolic Dysfunction, and Treatment Regimes in Patients with Oesophageal Adenocarcinoma.

Oesophageal adenocarcinoma (OAC) is a poor prognosis cancer with limited response rates to current treatment modalities and has a strong link to obesity. To better elucidate the role of visceral adiposity in this disease state, a full metabolic profile combined with analysis of secreted pro-inflammatory cytokines, metabolites, and lipid profiles were assessed in human ex vivo adipose tissue explants from obese and non-obese OAC patients. These data were then related to extensive clinical data including obesity status, metabolic dysfunction, previous treatment exposure, and tumour regression grades.

Integrative genomics analysis highlights functionally relevant genes for equine behaviour.

Behavioural plasticity enables horses entering an exercise training programme to adapt with reduced stress. We characterised SNPs associated with behaviour in yearling Thoroughbred horses using genomics analyses for two phenotypes: (1) handler-assessed coping with early training events [coping] (n = 96); and (2) variation in salivary cortisol concentration at the first backing event [cortisol] (n = 34). Using RNA-seq derived gene expression data for amygdala and hippocampus tissues from n = 2 Thoroughbred stallions, we refined the SNPs to those with functional relevance to behaviour by cross-referencing to the 500 most highly expressed genes in each tissue.

Influence of Vitamin D Status and Supplementation on Metabolomic Profiles of Older Adults.

Metabolomics can identify metabolite patterns associated with different nutrition phenotypes and determine changes in metabolism in response to nutrition interventions. Vitamin D insufficiency is associated with increased metabolic disease risk; however, the role of vitamin D in metabolic health is not fully understood. This randomised, placebo-controlled trial (RCT) examined the influence of vitamin D status and the effect of vitamin D supplementation on metabolomic profiles in older adults.

Variation in methane uptake by grassland soils in the context of climate change - A review of effects and mechanisms.

Grassland soils are climate-dependent ecosystems that have a significant greenhouse gas mitigating function through their ability to store large amounts of carbon (C). However, what is often not recognized is that they can also exhibit a high methane (CH) uptake capacity that could be influenced by future increases in atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO) concentration and variations in temperature and water availability. While there is a wealth of information on C sequestration in grasslands there is less consensus on how climate change impacts on CH uptake or the underlying mechanisms involved.

Metabotyping: a tool for identifying subgroups for tailored nutrition advice.

Diet-related diseases are the leading cause of death globally and strategies to tailor effective nutrition advice are required. Personalised nutrition advice is increasingly recognised as more effective than population-level advice to improve dietary intake and health outcomes. A potential tool to deliver personalised nutrition advice is metabotyping which groups individuals into homogeneous subgroups (metabotypes) using metabolic profiles.

NKCC transport mediates the insulinotropic effects of taurine and other small neutral amino acids.

Aims: Despite its high concentration in pancreatic islets of Langerhans and broad range of antihyperglycemic effects, the route facilitating the import of dietary taurine into pancreatic β-cell and mechanisms underlying its insulinotropic activity are unclear. We therefore studied the impact of taurine on beta-cell function, alongside that of other small neutral amino acids, L-alanine and L-proline.

Main Methods: Pharmacological profiling of insulin secretion was conducted using clonal BRIN BD11 β-cells, the impact of taurine on the metabolic fate of glucose carbons was assessed using NMR and the findings were verified by real-time imaging of Ca dynamics in the cytosol of primary mouse and human islet beta-cells.

Selection signatures for local and regional adaptation in Chinese Mongolian horse breeds reveal candidate genes for hoof health.

Background: Thousands of years of natural and artificial selection since the domestication of the horse has shaped the distinctive genomes of Chinese Mongolian horse populations. Consequently, genomic signatures of selection can provide insights into the human-mediated selection history of specific traits and evolutionary adaptation to diverse environments. Here, we used genome-wide SNPs from five distinct Chinese Mongolian horse populations to identify genomic regions under selection for the population-specific traits, gait, black coat colour, and hoof quality.

Enteric methane research and mitigation strategies for pastoral-based beef cattle production systems.

Ruminant livestock play a key role in global society through the conversion of lignocellulolytic plant matter into high-quality sources of protein for human consumption. However, as a consequence of the digestive physiology of ruminant species, methane (CH), which originates as a byproduct of enteric fermentation, is accountable for 40% of global agriculture's carbon footprint and ~6% of global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Therefore, meeting the increasing demand for animal protein associated with a growing global population while reducing the GHG intensity of ruminant production will be a challenge for both the livestock industry and the research community.

Spatial-Temporal Event Analysis as a Prospective Approach for Signalling Emerging Food Fraud-Related Anomalies in Supply Chains.

One of the pillars on which food traceability systems are based is the unique identification and recording of products and batches along the supply chain. Patterns of these identification codes in time and place may provide useful information on emerging food frauds. The scanning of codes on food packaging by users results in interesting spatial-temporal datasets.

Common protein-coding variants influence the racing phenotype in galloping racehorse breeds.

Selection for system-wide morphological, physiological, and metabolic adaptations has led to extreme athletic phenotypes among geographically diverse horse breeds. Here, we identify genes contributing to exercise adaptation in racehorses by applying genomics approaches for racing performance, an end-point athletic phenotype. Using an integrative genomics strategy to first combine population genomics results with skeletal muscle exercise and training transcriptomic data, followed by whole-genome resequencing of Asian horses, we identify protein-coding variants in genes of interest in galloping racehorse breeds (Arabian, Mongolian and Thoroughbred).

Isolation of casein for stable isotope ratio analysis of butter, cheese, and milk powder.

Rationale: Stable isotope ratio analysis (SIRA) is commonly used for the authentication of dairy commodities, providing evidence to support the geographical origin and production background of products. We set out to optimise methods for the isolation of a common constituent (casein) from three dairy commodities, which would permit easier inter- and intra-commodity comparisons following SIRA.

Methods: Three published methods for isolation of protein (from cheese, milk, and butter) were adapted to yield protein (casein) fractions from commercial cheddar cheese, whole milk powder (WMP), and butter samples with a high degree of purity for subsequent SIRA.

Multi-nutrient interventions and cognitive ageing: are we barking up the right tree?

As we continue to elucidate the mechanisms underlying age-related brain diseases, the reductionist strategy in nutrition–brain function research has focused on establishing the impact of individual foods. However, the biological processes connecting diet and cognition are complex. Therefore, consideration of a combination of nutritional compounds may be most efficacious.