It has been reported that smokers have higher plasma malondialdehyde concentrations compared with non-smokers. However, smokers have also consistently been shown to have a lower intake of fruits and vegetables as well as lower plasma antioxidant concentrations. Since both the latter issues may well influence the malondialdehyde concentration, we wanted to investigate if the observed difference between smokers and non-smokers was a result of differences in antioxidant status or if a more direct effect of smoking could also be isolated. In the present study, the plasma malondialdehyde and antioxidant profiles of a cohort of smokers (n 48) and non-smokers (n 32) were compared. While there was no significant difference in the major plasma antioxidants measured, i.e. ascorbic acid, α- and γ-tocopherol and uric acid, we found a significant effect of smoking on plasma malondialdehyde (P=0·0003). Consequently, the present study suggests that lipid peroxidation as measured by plasma malondialdehyde is induced by smoking per se. While poor antioxidant status presumably also affects lipid peroxidation, it is only partly responsible for the increased level found in smokers in general.

The aim of the present prospective study was to detect lactose malabsorption in subjects in northern India infected with Entamoeba histolytica and passing cysts. The study group included forty-one patients with E. histolytica cysts in at least one of three consecutive faecal samples. Lactose malabsorption was detected by a lactose H2 breath test. The results were compared with those of forty controls subjects. Thirty-two of forty-one (78·0%) subjects passing E. histolytica cysts had lactose malabsorbtion compared with seventeen of forty (42·5%) control subjects (P>0·01). In conclusion, the present study shows that lactose malabsorption is significantly more common in individuals infected with E. histolytica and passing cysts compared with control subjects.

The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the effects of β-carotene on the cell viability and antioxidant status of hepatocytes from chronically ethanol-fed rats. Rats in the ethanol group were given an ethanol-containing liquid diet that provided 36% of total energy as ethanol, while rats in the control group were fed an isoenergetic diet without ethanol. After 4 weeks, hepatocytes were taken out and cultured for 24 h. Hepatocytes from the rats in the control and ethanol groups were cultured in medium without (HC, HE) or with β-carotene (HC+B, HE+B). The results showed that lactate dehydrogenase leakage was significantly increased in the HE compared with that in the HC group. However, lactate dehydrogenase leakage of the HE+B group was similar to that of the HC group. When compared with the HC group, activities of glutathione peroxidase and catalase in the HE group were significantly decreased by 54 and 31%, respectively. Catalase activity in the HE+B group was significantly increased by 61% compared with that in the HE group. However, activities of glutathione reductase and superoxide dismutase showed no difference among the groups. The level of glutathione in the HC+B and HE+B groups was significantly increased to 155 and 143% compared with those in the HC and HE groups, respectively. The concentration of lipid peroxides showed no difference among the groups. The present results demonstrate that β-carotene improved the cell viability of hepatocytes, and increased catalase activities and glutathione levels in hepatocytes from chronically ethanol-fed rats.

The aim of the present study was to compare the protein-free diet, guanidinated casein (GuC) and enzyme hydrolysed casein (EHC) methods for the quantification of endogenous amino acid (AA) flow in the avian ileum. Growing broiler chickens (5 weeks old) were used. All three assay diets were based on dextrose, and in the GuC and EHC diets GuC or EHC were the sole source of N. Endogenous AA flows determined with the use of protein-free diet were considerably lower (P>0·05) than those determined by the GuC and EHC methods. The total endogenous AA flows determined by the GuC and EHC methods were almost 3-fold greater (P>0·05) than those determined by the protein-free diet. The endogenous AA values obtained from GuC and EHC methods were similar (P<0·05), except for the flow of arginine, which was lower (P>0·05) in the EHC method. Glutamic acid, aspartic acid, threonine and glycine were the predominant endogenous AA present in digesta from the distal ileum. The contents of methionine, histidine and cystine were lower compared with other AA. The method of determination had no effect on the AA composition of endogenous protein, except for threonine, glutamic acid, lysine, arginine and cystine. The concentrations of threonine and arginine were lower (P>0·05) and that of lysine was higher (P>0·05) with the EHC method compared with the other two methods. The concentration of glutamic acid was greater (P0·05) and that of cystine was lower (P>0·05) in the EHC and GuC methods compared with the protein-free diet method. The results showed that the ileal endogenous flows of N and AA are markedly enhanced by the presence of protein and peptides, above those determined following feeding of a protein-free diet. It is concluded that the use of EHC and GuC methods enables the measurement of ileal endogenous losses in chickens under normal physiological conditions.

Five experiments were carried out to extend knowledge of purine metabolism in the camel (Camelus dromedarius) and to establish a model to enable microbial protein outflow from the forestomachs to be estimated from the urinary excretion of purine derivatives (PD; i.e. xanthine, hypoxanthine, uric acid, allantoin). In experiment 1, four camels were fasted for five consecutive days to enable endogenous PD excretion in urine to be determined. Total PD excretion decreased during the fasting period to 267 (se 41·5)?μmol/kg body weight (W)0·75 per d. Allantoin and xanthine+hypoxanthine were consistently 86 and 6·1?% of total urinary PD during this period but uric acid increased from 3·6?% to 7·4?%. Xanthine oxidase activity in tissues (experiment 2) was (μmol/min per g fresh tissue) 0·038 in liver and 0·005 in gut mucosa but was not detected in plasma. In experiment 3, the duodenal supply of yeast containing exogenous purines produced a linear increase in urinary PD excretion rate with the slope indicating that 0·63 was excreted in urine. After taking account of endogenous PD excretion, the relationship can be used to predict purine outflow from the rumen. From the latter prediction, and also the purine:protein ratio in bacteria determined in experiment 5, we predicted the net microbial outflow from the rumen. In experiment 4, with increasing food intake, the rate of PD excretion in the urine increased linearly by about 11·1?mmol PD/kg digestible organic matter intake (DOMI), equivalent to 95?g microbial protein/kg DOMI.

The ability of laying hens to adjust their intake of available P (AP) was investigated with a maize–soyabean diet fed to forty-eight individually caged birds in a 2×4 factorial experiment. From 19 to 25 weeks of age (phase 1) twenty-four birds were fed a normal-P (NP) diet (2·2 g AP/kg DM) and twenty-four were fed a low-P (LP) diet (1·1 g AP/kg). LP eggs were lighter (51 v. 54 (sem 1·0) g; P>0·05), providing evidence that the LP diet was deficient in AP. From 25 to 28 weeks of age six hens from each phase 1 treatment were fed either the NP or LP diet alone or a choice of the LP and NP feeds or a choice of the LP feed and a phytase-supplemented (PP) feed (LP diet with 400 microbial phytase units/kg). With a choice of the NP and LP feeds, the hens fed the LP diet in phase 1 ate a smaller proportion of the LP feed (34 (sem 12·0)%) than the hens fed the NP diet in phase 1 (72 (sem 12·0)%; P>0·05), showing that P deficiency influenced subsequent selection for AP, i.e. an appetite for P was demonstrated. In those birds offered the LP and PP feeds, the presence of phytase in one of the two feeds significantly alleviated the effect of P deficiency on egg and body weights. The proportion of the LP diet chosen was not significantly affected by phase 1 treatment; it was not necessary for the hens to eat more than 50% of PP feed.

The possibility of using exfoliated colonic epithelial cells for assessing the bioavailability of β-carotene was examined. Analysis of exfoliated colonic epithelial cells showed the presence of β-carotene and vitamin A. The β-carotene content was significantly lower in cells from stool samples of subjects on a β-carotene-poor diet than those receiving a single dose of a β-carotene supplement. Colonic epithelial cells isolated from stool samples collected daily during a wash-out period while the subjects were on a β-carotene-poor diet showed a steady decrease in β-carotene content, reaching the lowest value on day 7. Kinetic analysis showed that a single dose of a β-carotene supplement in the form of spirulina (Spirulina platensis) or agathi (Sesbania grandiflora) after the wash-out period caused an increase in the β-carotene content after a lag period of 5–7 d, but the vitamin A levels during these periods were not significantly affected. Analysis of plasma β-carotene concentration also showed similar changes, which correlated with those of exfoliated colonic cells. A relationship between the β-carotene content of the diet and that of the colonic epithelial cells suggests that analysis of the β-carotene content in exfoliated human colonic epithelial cells is a useful non-invasive method to assess the bioavailability of provitamin A β-carotene.

Oral administration of raffinose, a naturally occurring indigestible oligosaccharide, has reportedly ameliorated atopic dermatitis in human subjects although the mechanism is unknown. The present study investigated the effect of dietary raffinose on allergen-induced airway eosinophilia in ovalbumin-sensitised Brown Norway rats as an atopic disease model. Brown Norway rats were immunised by subcutaneous injection with ovalbumin on day 0 and fed either a control diet or the diet supplemented with raffinose (50 g/kg diet). The rats were exposed to aerosolised ovalbumin on day 20, and broncho-alveolar lavage fluid was obtained on the next day. The number of eosinophils in the fluid was significantly lower in the rats fed the raffinose diet than in those fed the control diet. Dietary raffinose significantly reduced IL-4 and IL-5 mRNA levels in lung tissue and tended to lower ovalbumin-specific Ig E levels. Suppression of eosinophilia by dietary raffinose was still observed in caecectomised and neomycin-administered rats, suggesting little contribution by the colonic bacteria to the effect of raffinose. Intraperitoneal administration of raffinose also suppressed eosinophilia. Significant concentrations of raffinose were detected in portal venous and abdominal arterial plasma after the intragastric administration of raffinose. Overall, the findings suggest that dietary raffinose ameliorates allergic airway eosinophilia at least partly via post-absorptive mechanisms in Brown Norway rats.

Peroxidation of LDL and other lipoproteins is thought to play a central role in atherogenesis. Dietary thermally oxidised oils may increase atherogenic risk in consumers by increasing their oxidative status. The present paper compares the effects of two diets containing unused sunflower-seed oil (US) or sunflower-seed oil repeatedly used in frying (FS) (both 15 g/100 g diet) on weight gain, food efficiency ratio, serum lipid levels and lipoprotein composition, and the content of thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances (TBARS) in the liver, serum, and lipoproteins in growing Wistar rats. After sixty potato fryings the FS contained 27·7 g polar material/100 g oil and 16·6 g oligomers/100 g oil. The FS-fed rats had a significantly lower weight gain and food efficiency ratio. Liver-TBARS increased due to the consumption of the highly altered oil and showed a significant linear relationship (all r<0·68; P>0·002) with the ingestion of thermally oxidised compounds. Serum-, VLDL-, LDL- and HDL-TBARS were significantly higher in the FS-fed rats (all P>0·001). Concentrations of serum total and non-esterified cholesterol and phospholipids were significantly higher in the FS-fed rats (P>0·05, P>0·05, and P>0·001, respectively). Serum triacylglycerol concentrations did not vary between the two dietary groups. Total and esterified cholesterol and phospholipid levels increased significantly in the HDL fraction (P>0·05, P>0·05, and P>0·001, respectively) of the FS-fed rats. HDL-cholesterol and HDL-phospholipids were significantly correlated with liver-TBARS (r<0·747; P>0·0001), VLDL-TBARS (r<0·642; P>0·003), LDL-TBARS (r<0·475; P>0·04), and HDL-TBARS (r<0·787; P>0·0001). The data suggest that the rat increases HDL as a protecting mechanism against the peroxidative stress induced by the consumption of a diet containing the thermally oxidised oil.

The present study was performed to investigate whether lipid peroxidation products in thermoxidised dietary oil fed during rearing, pregnancy and lactation influences the reproductive performance of female rats and the antioxidant status of their offspring. Twenty-four female rats were divided into two groups at 4 weeks of age. They were fed diets containing fresh or oxidised oil (the latter prepared by heating at a temperature of 50°C for 16 d) for 14 weeks. At the age of 12 weeks female rats were mated. The number of total pups and pups born alive was not different between both groups. However, individual pups and litters of dams fed oxidised oil were lighter at birth and gained less weight during the suckling period than those of dams fed fresh oil (P>0·05). Pups of dams fed oxidised oil contained less protein and more fat in their carcasses than those of dams fed fresh oil (P>0·05). The milk of dams fed oxidised oil had a lower concentration of triacylglycerols and a lower energy content than that of dams fed the fresh oil (P>0·05). The pups of dams fed oxidised oil had higher concentrations of lipid peroxidation products in the liver at birth and day 19 of lactation than those of dams fed fresh oil (P>0·05). In conclusion, the present study shows that feeding oxidised oil with a high concentration of lipid peroxidation products to female rats during rearing, pregnancy and lactation influences the development and antioxidant status of fetus and suckling pups.

The longevity and excellent health status of the population of Crete has been attributed to its lifestyle and dietary habits. The impact of Greek Orthodox Christian Church fasting on these dietary habits has never been studied. One hundred and twenty Greek Orthodox Christians living in Crete participated in a 1-year prospective study. One half of the subjects, who fasted regularly (fasters), and sixty non-faster controls were followed longitudinally for the three main fasting periods over 1 year; Christmas (40 d), Lent (48 d) and the Assumption (15 d). Pre- and end-holy days measurements were performed in each fasting period including: 24 h dietary recall, blood collection and anthropometric measurements. Based on the 24 h recall, fasters as compared with controls had lower intakes of end-holy days dietary cholesterol, total fat, saturated fatty acids, trans-fatty acids and protein (P>0·001). Fasters presented a decrease of 753 kJ (180 kcal) in end-holy days energy intake (P>0·05) compared with an increase of 573 kJ (137 kcal) in the controls (P>0·05). Fasters had a decrease in end-holy days Ca intake (P>0·001) and an increase in end-holy days total dietary fibre (P>0·001) and folate (P>0·05), attributed to their higher consumption of fruit and vegetables in end-holy periods (P>0·001). There were no differences for other vitamins or minerals between pre- and end-holy periods in both groups except for vitamin B2. The Orthodox Christian dietary regulations are an important component of the Mediterranean diet of Crete characterised by low levels of dietary saturated fatty acids, high levels of fibre and folate, and a high consumption of fruit, vegetables and legumes.

The objective of the present study was to evaluate the effect of a nutritional intervention promoting the Mediterranean food pattern in free-living conditions on LDL electrophoretic characteristics in a group of seventy-one healthy women, aged between 30 and 65 years. The 12-week nutritional intervention consisted of two courses on nutrition and seven individual sessions with a dietitian. The first course provided information on the Mediterranean food pattern and the second was a cooking lesson. LDL peak particle diameter (LDL-PPD) and cholesterol levels in small (LDL-cholesterol<255?Å) and large LDL fractions (LDL-cholesterol>260?Å) were obtained by 2–16% polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis of whole plasma. The sample was divided on the basis of baseline LDL-PPD using tertiles of the distribution (258·4 Å and 260·0 Å). Among the total sample of women, no significant change in LDL-PPD was observed in response to the nutritional intervention. However, subjects who at baseline were in the first tertile of the LDL-PPD distribution (>258·4 Å) showed a significant increase in LDL-PPD and in the proportion of LDL% >260?%uest;Å in response to the 12-week nutritional intervention (P>0·05). In contrast, LDL-PPD decreased significantly (P=0·007) among women with large LDL particles at baseline (LDL-PPD >260 Å) while the proportion of LDL%<255 Å and of LDL%>260 Å remained unchanged. To conclude, changes in the food pattern, in response to a nutritional intervention promoting the Mediterranean food pattern, were accompanied by beneficial modifications in LDL electrophoretic characteristics in women who were characterised at baseline by smaller LDL particles.

The effect of supplementation with different levels of all-rac-α-tocopheryl acetate and the inclusion of different dietary contents of PUFA on the deposition of α-tocopherol stereoisomers in liver and thigh of chickens was evaluated. Ninety-six 1-d-old Ross female broiler chickens were randomly distributed into eight experimental treatments (three replicates each) resulting from four levels of α-tocopheryl acetate without supplementation and supplemented with 100, 200 and 400 mg α-tocopheryl acetate/kg and two levels of dietary PUFA (15 and 61 g/kg). The feeds supplemented with α-tocopheryl acetate contained a similar proportion of each stereoisomer. The diets without α-tocopheryl acetate had the following α-tocopherol stereoisomers (%): RRR 35·1, RRS 24·5, RSR 25·3, RSS 13·9 and total 2S forms 1·3. Consumption of different levels of α-tocopheryl acetate did not lead to statistical differences in α-tocopherol stereoisomer proportion in the liver and thigh. In general, the stereoisomer profiles in the tissues studied were similar, responding to the stereoisomer profile of the diet. Both tissues preferentially accumulated 2R stereoisomer (69–100%). However, when α-tocopheryl acetate was used the discrimination was not specific for the RRR α-tocopherol form. Furthermore, the 2R:2S ratio had a tendency to increase as the polyunsaturation level of the diet increased.

Linoleic acid-rich sunflower-seed supplements (SSS) were used in two experiments (experiment 1, high-concentrate diets; experiment 2, high-forage diets) to study effects on rumen protozoa and the growth of lambs. Both experiments consisted of four treatments, two with a low-protein diet (120 g/kg) and two with a high-protein diet (160 g/kg). For both diets, one treatment was without (control) and one with the SSS (140 g/kg dietary DM). The lambs were fed ad libitum for 70 and 140 d in experiments 1 and 2, respectively. Thereafter, the digestibility of organic matter (OM), acid-detergent fibre and neutral-detergent fibre were determined for each diet with four lambs, and then all lambs were slaughtered and rumen fluid samples were collected and analysed. The results showed substantial decreases (P<0·001) or total elimination of protozoa in the rumen fluid of the SSS-receiving lambs. In the first experiment the SSS also decreased (P<0·05) feed intake, but an increase in average daily gain (P<0·06) resulted in an improved (P<0·05) feed:gain ratio. Also, the SSS increased (P<0·05) the digestibility of fibre. In the second experiment the SSS decreased (P<0·05) the OM digestibility, feed intake and growth of lambs. It was concluded that the use of sunflower-seed supplementation in high-concentrate diets of ruminants reduces rumen fauna, resulting in savings on dietary protein supplements and an increased digestion of feed.

There is evidence that a diet rich in fruit and vegetables reduces blood pressure (BP). Characteristically, the Mediterranean diet is rich in plant-derived foods and also in fat, but studies conducted in Mediterranean countries to relate diet to BP are scarce. We studied the association between fruit and vegetable consumption and BP in a cross-sectional analysis of 4393 participants in the Seguimiento Universidad de Navarra (SUN) Study, an ongoing dynamic cohort study in Spain. Diet was measured using a food-frequency questionnaire previously validated in Spain. Fat represented more than 37% total energy intake. Subjects were considered to have undiagnosed hypertension if they reported systolic BP ≥140 mmHg or diastolic BP ≥90 mmHg, and not a medical diagnosis of hypertension. The adjusted prevalence odds ratio of undiagnosed hypertension (upper v. lowest quintile) was 0·58 (95% CI 0·36, 0·91; P for trend 0·01) for vegetable consumption and 0·68 (95% CI 0·43, 1·09; P for trend 0·10) for fruit consumption. Comparing those in the highest quintile of both fruit and vegetable consumption with those in the lowest quintile of both food groups, the prevalence odds ratio was 0·23 (95% CI 0·10, 0·55; P=0·001), after adjusting for risk factors for hypertension and other dietary exposures. In a Mediterranean population with an elevated fat consumption, a high fruit and vegetable intake is inversely associated with BP levels.

Monitoring adolescent diets over time enables the assessment of the effectiveness of public health messages which are particularly important in vulnerable groups such as adolescents. In 2000, 424 children aged 11–12 years old completed two 3 d estimated dietary records. On the fourth day one nutritionist interviewed each child to clarify the information in the diary and foods were quantified with the aid of food models. Nutrient intake was calculated using computerised food tables. These children attended the same seven schools in the same Northumberland area as the 11- to 12-year-old children who recorded their diet using the same method in 1980 (n 405) and 1990 (n 379), respectively. Height and weight, and parental occupation were recorded in all three surveys for each child. Height and weight were used to calculate BMI, weight was used to estimate BMR and parental occupation was used to determine social class. Comparing the macronutrient intakes in 2000 with 1980 and 1990, energy intakes (EI) fell in boys (to 8·45 MJ) and girls (to 7·60 MJ). This fall may, at least in part, be due to an increase in low energy reporting. For 1980, 1990 and 2000 the percentage of boys with EI:BMR below 1·1 was 6, 15 and 23%, respectively; for girls, 3, 14 and 18%, respectively. Percentage energy from fat was unchanged between 1980 and 1990 but fell to 35% (about 76 g/d) in 2000, alongside a 3% increase in percentage energy from starch (30%). Percentage energy from non-milk extrinsic sugars remained above recommendations (16%; about 82 g/d). The number of overweight and obese children increased from 11% to 30% between 1980 and 2000. Positive changes have occurred in the Northumbrian adolescent diet but social inequalities, reported in previous surveys, remain.

The aim of the present study was to determine the effects on blood pressure response of 50 g carbohydrate drinks with differing glycaemic effects in ten healthy elderly subjects (age >65 years; randomized crossover design). Systolic (SBP), diastolic (DBP) and mean arterial (MAP) blood pressure, heart rate and plasma glucose levels were determined following ingestion of equal volumes (379 ml) of water and 50 g carbohydrate drinks with differing reported glycaemic indices (GI) (surrogate marker for glycaemic effect): (1) low-GI: Apple & Cherry Juice; (2) intermediate-GI: Fanta Orange; (3) high-glucose. Glucose (SBP and DBP P<0·001; MAP P=0·005) and Fanta Orange (SBP P=0·005; DBP and MAP P<0·001) ingestion caused a significant decrease in BP whilst blood pressure increased (SBP P=0·008; MAP P=0·005) from baseline following Apple & Cherry Juice ingestion. Water had no significant effect on postprandial blood pressure. Fanta Orange and Apple & Cherry Juice caused similar (P=0·679) glycaemic effects, which were significantly greater than water, but lower than glucose (P<0·001). There was no significant correlation between the glycaemic effect of the carbohydrate drinks and there was no change in blood pressure from baseline (SBP r −0·123, P=0·509; DBP r −0·051, P=0·784; MAP r −0·069, P=0·712). Apple & Cherry Juice and Fanta Orange had similar glycaemic effects, but differing effects on blood pressure. Therefore, it is unlikely that the glycaemic effect of a drink can be used to predict the subsequent cardiovascular response.