The impact of supplementing lambs with algae on growth, meat traits and oxidative status

The current study examined the effect of supplementing lambs with algae. Forty, three month old lambs were allocated to receive a control ration based on oats and lupins (n=20) or the control ration with DHA-Gold™ algae (~2% of the ration, n=20). These lambs came from dams previously fed a ration based on either silage (high in omega-3) or oats and cottonseed meal (OCSM: high in omega-6) at joining (dam nutrition, DN). Lamb performance, carcase weight and GR fat content were not affected by treatment diet (control vs algae) or DN (silage vs OSCM). Health claimable omega-3 fatty acids (EPA+DHA) were significantly greater in the LL of lambs fed algae (125±6mg/100g meat) compared to those not fed algae (43±6mg/100g meat) and this effect was mediated by DN. Supplementing with algae high in DHA provides a means of improving an aspect of the health status of lamb meat.

Potential of cottonseed oil as fish oil replacer in European Sea Bass feed formulation

Triplicate groups of 20 European sea bass (35 g) were fed five diets in which the added lipid was 100% fish oil (FO), 40% (CSO40), 60% (CSO60), 80% (CSO80) and 100% (CSO100) refined cottonseed oil (CSO), for a period of 120 days. Overall fish growth, feed conversion ratio and protein utilization were unaffected by dietary treatment, but hepatosomatic and visceral fat indexes increased with increasing dietary CSO. Fillet fatty acid composition of total lipids reflected the fatty acids in the test diets. The monounsaturated fatty acids were significantly higher in fillet of fish fed diet FO, CSO40 and CSO60 compared to other treatments while saturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) were not affected by the dietary treatment. Some fatty acids (18:0, 18:1n-9, 20:5n-3 and 22:6n-3) were present in higher concentration in fillet lipid than in the CSO100 dietary lipid indicating accumulation in fillet relative to test diets. Retention of n-3 LC-PUFA within the fillet was increasingly inefficient among fish fed increasing levels of FO. Thus, this study suggests that CSO can be considered as a relatively effective substitute for fish oil in European sea bass (35 g) in terms of growth performances and feed efficiency as far as fish meal is present in the diet.

Growth and nutrient utilization of Murray cod Maccullochella peelii peelii (Mitchell) fingerlings fed diets with varying levels of soybean meal and blood meal

The Australian native freshwater fish Murray cod, Maccullochella peelii pellii (Mitchell), currently supports a fledgling inland aquaculture industry, which is thought to have considerable growth potential. The aim of this study was to evaluate the suitability of two alternate protein sources [blood meal (BM) and defatted soybean meal (SBM)] as substitutes for fish meal at various levels of inclusion in diets for juvenile Murray cod. The growth performance of juvenile Murray cod in response to nine isonitrogenous and isocalorific diets (50% protein, 14% lipid, 20.2 kJ g⁻¹) consisting of a control diet in which protein was supplied from fish meal, and test diets in which the fish meal protein was substituted at levels of 8%, 16%, 24%, and 32% with BM or SBM was evaluated from a 70-day growth experiment. The per cent apparent dry matter (% ADC_dm) and percentage protein digestibility (% ADC_p) of the test diets were also determined using Cr₂O₃ as a marker. Survival in all the SBM dietary treatments was high but that of fish on the BM dietary treatments was significantly (P < 0.05) lower than in all the other dietary treatments. Specific growth rate (% day−1) of Murray cod fed SBM incorporated diets ranged from 1.63 ± 0.06 to 1.78 ± 0.10 and even at the highest level tested (32% of the dietary protein from SBM) was not significantly different (P > 0.05) from the fish fed the control diet (1.65 ± 0.09). Feed conversion ratios of the SBM dietary treatments ranged from 1.36 ± 0.08 to 1.45 ± 0.07. The protein efficiency ratios and protein conversion efficiencies of Murray cod in the soybean meal treatments were also good and for a majority of the SBM diets were better than those for the control diet. Per cent ADC_dm and ADC_p of the SBM diets tested ranged from 70.6 ± 1.46 to 72.3 ± 1.81% and 88.6 ± 0.57 to 90.3 ± 0.17%, respectively, and was not significantly different (P > 0.05) from the control diet (% ADC_dm 74.3 ± 1.63; % ADC_p 91.3 ± 0.55). The reasons for significantly poor survival and growth of Murray cod reared on BM incorporated diets, and relatively poor digestibility of these diets are discussed. The study shows that for Murray cod diets in which fish meal protein is substituted up to 32% performance or carcass composition is not compromised.

Effect of fat replacement by insulin or lupin-kernal fibre on sausage patty acceptability, post-meal perceptions of satiety and food intake in men

The present study examined whether replacing fat with inulin or lupin-kernel fibre influenced palatability, perceptions of satiety, and food intake in thirty-three healthy men (mean age 52 years, BMI 27·4 kg/m²), using a within-subject design. On separate occasions, after fasting overnight, the participants consumed a breakfast consisting primarily of either a full-fat sausage patty (FFP) or a reduced-fat patty containing inulin (INP) or lupin-kernel fibre (LKP). Breakfast variants were alike in mass, protein and carbohydrate content; however the INP and LKP breakfasts were 36 and 37 % lower in fat and 15 and 17 % lower in energy density respectively compared with the FFP breakfast. The participants rated their satiety before breakfast then evaluated patty acceptability. Satiety was rated immediately after consuming the breakfast, then over the subsequent 4·5 h whilst fasting. Food consumed until the end of the following day was recorded. All patties were rated above ‘neither acceptable or unacceptable’, however the INP rated lower for general acceptability (P=0·039) and the LKP lower for flavour (P=0·023) than the FFP. The LKP breakfast rated more satiating than the INP (P=0·010) and FFP (P=0·016) breakfasts. Total fat intake was 18 g lower on the day of the INP (P=0·035) and 26 g lower on the day of the LKP breakfast (P=0·013) than the FFP breakfast day. Energy intake was lower (1521 kJ) only on the day of the INP breakfast (P=0·039). Both inulin and lupin-kernel fibre appear to have potential as fat replacers in meat products and for reducing fat and energy intake in men.

Feed intake, growth, plasma glucose and urea nitrogen concentration, and cacass traits of lambs fed isoenergetic amounts of canola meal, soybean meal, and fish meal with forage based diet.

This experiment was conducted to examine the effect of feeding small, isoenergetic amounts of supplements containing high protein and functional lipid components, rather than the greater amounts of cereal and/or legume grains usually fed during the dry season in Australia, on dry matter intake (DMI), growth performance, plasma metabolites, and fat deposition in lambs consuming low quality roughage. Thirty two crossbred wether lambs ([Merino × Border Leicester] × Poll Dorset) were divided into four groups by stratified randomization according to liveweight (26–33 kg). After a 7-day adaptation to a hay diet (lucerne hay:oaten hay; 30:70), lambs were allocated to four treatments consisting of (1) basal diet of lucerne hay:oat hay (20:80; metabolizable energy (ME) = 7.0 MJ/kg DM), Basal; (2) basal + canola meal (84 g per day), CM; (3) basal + soymeal (75 g per day), SM; or (4) basal + fishmeal (80 g per day), FM. Daily hay and supplement DMI, and weekly liveweight were recorded during a 53-day experimental study. Blood samples were taken on day 1 and pre- and post-feeding on days 30 and 53 to measure changes in plasma glucose and plasma urea nitrogen (PUN) concentration. At the end of the experiment, lambs were slaughtered and hot carcass weight (HCW) recorded; cold carcass fatness (total muscle and adipose tissue depth at 12th rib, 110 mm from midline; GR) was determined at 24 h postmortem. Total DMI was increased (P < 0.001) in CM, SM and FM treatments, but basal hay DMI intake was only increased (P < 0.01) in CM and FM treatments compared with Basal treatment. This resulted in significant (P < 0.01) increases in metabolizable energy (ME) and crude protein (CP) intakes in all supplemented treatments, with the highest intakes recorded in the FM treatment. Liveweight gain (LWG) was significantly increased in CM and SM (P < 0.05) and FM (P < 0.01) treatments but HCW was significantly (P < 0.01) heavier slaughter only in the FM treatment. Feed conversion efficiency (P < 0.001) and GR fat at depth (P < 0.05) was reduced in all supplement treatments compared with Basal. Plasma glucose concentration was significantly (P < 0.05) increased after feeding in all treatments but there was no treatment effect. PUN was significantly increased over time in the supplemented treatments compared with the Basal treatment; there was no significant difference between supplement treatments by day 53. Results show that feeding small amounts of high protein and lipid-containing supplements improves production responses and are beneficial in producing carcasses with more lean compared with carcasses from lambs fed a low quality hay diet.

Involvement of young Australian adults in meal preparation : cross-sectional associations with abdominal obesity and body mass index

Previous research has shown that involvement in meal preparation is positively associated with better diet quality. However, it is unclear whether there is an association between involvement in meal preparation and being overweight or obese. This study investigated whether the level of involvement in meal preparation was associated with objectively measured weight status in young adults. During 2004-2006, a national sample of 1,996 Australian adults aged 26 to 36 years completed a self-administered questionnaire including questions on sociodemographic characteristics, diet, and physical activity. Participants were asked to report who usually prepared the main meal on working days and responses were categorized as “myself,” “shared,” or “someone else.” Waist circumference, weight, and height were measured by trained staff. Moderate abdominal obesity was defined as waist circumference >94 cm for men and >80 cm for women. Overweight was defined as body mass index (calculated as kg/m2) >25. Prevalence ratios were calculated using log binomial regression. After adjusting for age, education, and leisure time physical activity, men who shared the meal preparation had a slightly lower prevalence of moderate abdominal obesity (prevalence ratio=0.92; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.86 to 0.99) than those whose meals were usually prepared by someone else. There was no association with having sole responsibility (prevalence ratio=0.99; 95% CI: 0.92 to 1.06). There were no associations between level of involvement in meal preparation and being overweight (shared responsibility prevalence ratio=0.99; 95% CI: 0.92 to 1.07; sole responsibility prevalence ratio=0.98; 95% CI: 0.91 to 1.05). For women, level of involvement was not associated with moderate abdominal obesity (shared responsibility prevalence ratio=0.93; 95% CI: 0.84 to 1.03; sole responsibility prevalence ratio=0.94; 95% CI: 0.86 to 1.03) or being overweight (shared responsibility prevalence ratio=0.93; 95% CI: 0.84 to 1.02; sole responsibility prevalence ratio=0.93; 95% CI: 0.85 to 1.02). In this sample of young adults, level of involvement in meal preparation was not strongly related to weight status.

Maternal and best friends' influences on meal-skipping behaviours

Skipping meals is particularly common during adolescence and can have a detrimental effect on multiple aspects of adolescent health. Understanding the correlates of meal-skipping behaviours is important for the design of nutrition interventions. The present study examined maternal and best friends’ influences on adolescent meal-skipping behaviours. Frequency of skipping breakfast, lunch and dinner was assessed using a Web-based survey completed by 3001 adolescent boys and girls from years 7 and 9 of secondary schools in Victoria, Australia. Perceived best friend and maternal meal skipping, modelling of healthy eating (eating healthy food, limiting junk food, eating fruit and vegetables) and weight watching were assessed. Best friend and maternal factors were differentially associated with meal-skipping behaviours. For example, boys and girls who perceived that their best friend often skipped meals were more likely to skip lunch (OR ¼ 2·01, 95% CI 1·33, 3·04 and OR ¼ 1·93, 95% CI 1·41, 2·65; P,0·001). Boys and girls who perceived that their mother often skipped meals were more likely to skip breakfast (OR ¼ 1·48, 95% CI 1·01, 2·15; P,0·05 and OR ¼ 1·93, 95% CI 1·42, 2·59; P,0·001) and lunch (OR ¼ 2·05, 95% CI 1·35, 3·12 and OR ¼ 2·02, 95% CI 1·43, 2·86; P,0·001). Educating adolescents on how to assess and interpret unhealthy eating behaviours that they observe from significant others may be one nutrition promotion strategy to reduce meal-skipping behaviour. The involvement of mothers may be particularly important in such efforts. Encouraging a peer subculture that promotes regular consumption of meals and educates adolescents on the detrimental impact of meal-skipping behaviour on health may also offer a promising nutrition promotion strategy.

Classification of main meal patterns - a latent class approach

Relatively little examination of the meals that are prepared in households has been conducted, despite their well-defined properties and widespread community interest in their preparation. The purpose of the present study was to identify the patterns of main meal preparation among Australian adult household meal preparers aged 44 years and younger and 45 years and over, and the relationships between these patterns and likely socio-demographic and psychological predictors. An online cross-sectional survey was conducted by Meat and Livestock Australia among a representative sample of people aged 18–65 years in Australia in 2011. A total of 1076 usable questionnaires were obtained, which included categorical information about the main meal dishes that participants had prepared during the previous 6 months along with demographic information, the presence or absence of children at home, confidence in seasonal food knowledge and personal values. Latent class analysis was applied and four types of usage patterns of thirty-three popular dishes were identified for both age groups, namely, high variety, moderate variety, high protein but low beef and low variety. The meal patterns were associated differentially with the covariates between the age groups. For example, younger women were more likely to prepare a high or moderate variety of meals than younger men, while younger people who had higher levels of education were more likely to prepare high-protein but low-beef meals. Moreover, young respondents with higher BMI were less likely to prepare meals with high protein but low beef content. Among the older age group, married people were more likely to prepare a high or moderate variety of meals than people without partners. Older people who held strong universalist values were more likely to prepare a wide variety of meals with high protein but low beef content. For both age groups, people who had children living at home and those with better seasonal food knowledge were more likely to prepare a high variety of dishes. The identification of classes of meal users would enable health communication to be tailored to improve meal patterns. Moreover, the concept of meals may be useful for health promotion, because people may find it easier to change their consumption of meals rather than individual foods.

Fatty acid metabolism in European sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax) : effects of n-6 PUFA and MUFA in fish oil replaced diets

Monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA)-rich and n-6 polyunsaturated fatty acid (n-6 PUFA)-rich vegetable oils are increasingly used as fish oil replacers for aquafeed formulation. The present study investigated the fatty acid metabolism in juvenile European sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax, 38.4 g) fed diets containing fish oil (FO, as the control treatment) or two different vegetable oils (the MUFA-rich canola/rapeseed oil, CO, and the n-6 PUFA-rich cottonseed oil, CSO) tested individually or as a 50/50 blend (CO/CSO). The whole-body fatty acid balance method was used to deduce the apparent in vivo fatty acid metabolism. No effect on growth performance and feed utilization was recorded. However, it should be noted that the fish meal content of the experimental diets was relatively high, and thus the requirement for n-3 long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acid (n-3 LC-PUFA) may have likely been fulfilled even if dietary fish oil was fully replaced by vegetable oils. Overall, relatively little apparent in vivo fatty acid bioconversion was recorded, whilst the apparent in vivo ?-oxidation of dietary fatty acid was largely affected by the dietary lipid source, with higher rate of ?-oxidation for those fatty acids which were provided in dietary surplus. The deposition of 20:5n-3 and 22:6n-3, as % of the dietary intake, was greatest for the fish fed on the CSO diet. It has been shown that European sea bass seems to be able to efficiently use n-6 PUFA for energy substrate, and this may help in minimizing the ?-oxidation of the health benefiting n-3 LC-PUFA and thus increase their deposition into fish tissues.

Dietary sources and meal distribution of sodium and potassium in a sample of Australian adults

Aim
Reducing dietary sodium and increasing dietary potassium are recommended to reduce blood pressure. This study aimed to determine the main foods sources of sodium and potassium.

Methods
Participants were recruited via advertisements or blood pressure screening sessions. Food sources of sodium and potassium were assessed via 24-hour dietary records in 299 free-living Australian adults (141 male, 158 female; age 54.6(9.5)years; BMI 29.4(3.9)kg/m2).

Results
The mean sodium intake was 118(51)mmol/d (2725(1176)mg/d) and the mean potassium intake was 91(28)mmol/d (3550(1098)mg/d). Breads and cereals provided the majority (38%) of sodium with bread contributing 20%. Vegetable products/dishes contributed most potassium (23%) with potatoes providing 9%. Main meals provided 89% of sodium and 85% of potassium. Lunch and dinner provided similar sodium proportions (34% and 38%, respectively) but more energy was consumed at dinner (26% vs 40%, respectively). Lunch had the highest sodium density of all meals (420 mg/MJ).

Conclusion
A reduction in the salt content of processed foods, particularly bread, is recommended to decrease sodium intake. This reduction in salt content combined with meal specific education focusing on choosing lower sodium foods at lunch in particular, as well as incorporating more fruits and vegetables, could effectively reduce dietary sodium and increase potassium.

Crews, wusses, and whoppas: core and fringe vocabularies of Australian meal-break conversations in the workplace

Conversational samples were collected from 34 nondisabled subjects across four worksites. The total sample was analyzed for core vocabulary, and the five most frequently referenced topics were analyzed for core and fringe vocabularies and the commonality of fringe vocabulary across topics. The results indicated that there was a small stable core vocabulary of 347 words containing words unique to this study, which accounted for 78% of the conversational sample. A total of 21 words in the fringe vocabulary was common to all topics. Implications of this study for vocabulary selection for augmented communicators in employment are discussed.

Topics of meal-break conversations

Meal-break conversational samples were collected from 34 nondisabled participants across four worksites. The samples were analyzed for topics referenced and also for patterns of topics associated with days of the week. The results of the analysis indicated that the participants referenced 73 different topics. Analysis of the 10 most frequently referenced topics in each composite day file revealed 19 topics, of which 5 (i.e., work, fact finding, judgments, food, and family life) were referenced every day. Analysis of the number of communication segments in each of the 19 topics indicated that fact finding was the most frequently referenced topic, but work was the largest topic (i.e., contained the greatest number of words). There was some pattern to topic reference associated with the day of the week. Implications of this information for individuals with severe communication impairments who wish to access the work force are discussed.