Magnesium supplementation alleviates premenstrual symptoms of fluid retention

We investigated the effect of a daily supplement of 200 mg of magnesium (as MgO) for two menstrual cycles on the severity of premenstrual symptoms in a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover study. A daily supplement of 200 mg of Mg (as MgO) or placebo was administered for two menstrual cycles to each volunteer, who kept a daily record of her symptoms, using a 4-point scale in a menstrual diary of 22 items. Symptoms were grouped into six categories: PMS-A (anxiety), PMS-C (craving), PMS-D (depression), PMS-H (hydration), PMS-O (other), and PMS-T (total overall symptoms). Urinary Mg output/24 hours was estimated from spot samples using the Mg/creatinine ratio. Analysis of variance for 38 women showed no effect of Mg supplementation compared with placebo in any category in the first month of supplementation. In the second month there was a greater reduction (p = 0.009) of symptoms of PMS-H (weight gain, swelling of extremities, breast tenderness, abdominal bloating) with Mg supplementation compared with placebo. Compliance to supplementation was confirmed by the greater mean estimated 24-hour urinary output of Mg (p = 0.013) during Mg supplementation (100.8 mg) compared with placebo (74.1 mg). A daily supplement of 200 mg of Mg (as MgO) reduced mild premenstrual symptoms of fluid retention in the second cycle of administration.

Effect of tannin levels in sorghum silage and concentrate supplementation on apparent digestibility and methane emission in beef cattle

This study evaluated the effect of diets containing sorghum silages with higher (HT) and lower-tannin (LT) concentrations supplemented with concentrate or urea on intake, digestibility, ruminal digestibility, methane emission and rumen parameters in beef cattle. Four treatments were distributed according to a 2 x 2 factorial arrangement in a duplicate 4 x 4 Latin square: LT sorghum silage + urea, LT sorghum silage + concentrate, HT sorghum silage + urea, and HT sorghum silage + concentrate. Total digestibility of the organic matter was higher when concentrate was included in the diet (0.749 and 0.753 in the LT and HT treatments, respectively). It was observed lower ruminal apparent digested matter of neutral detergent fiber in HT diets. There was no effect of tannin levels on digestibility and methane emission. The supplementation with concentrate in the LT diet decreased gas losses as a function of gross energy intake in comparison to the supplementation of the diet with urea. These results suggest the potential of concentrate supplementation to minimize energy loss as methane emission by ruminants and increase the efficiency of energy utilization. (c) 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Aerobic training, but not creatine supplementation, alters the gluteus medius muscle

The aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of oral supplementation of creatine on the muscular responses to aerobic training. Twelve purebred Arabian horses were submitted to aerobic training for 90 d, with and without creatine supplementation, and evaluated with respect to BW and BCS and to the area and frequency of the different types of muscle fibers in the gluteus medius. Supplementation consisted of the daily administration of 75 g of creatine monohydrate mixed into the ration for the 90 d of training. Physical conditioning was conducted on a high-performance treadmill, and training intensity was stipulated by calculating the velocity at which blood lactate reaches 4 mmol/L, determined monthly for each animal. The individual intensity of physical force at 80% of aerobic threshold was established. Morphometry of glutens medius muscle fibers was performed on frozen sections processed for histochemical analysis of myosin adenosine triphosphatase and immunohistochemistry of slow-contracting myosin. The results demonstrated that the animals maintained a moderate BCS without alteration of BW during the course of training, providing evidence of equilibrium between food intake and caloric expenditure during the study period. The present study demonstrated that aerobic training for 90 d caused hypertrophy of fiber types I (P = 0.04), IIA (P = 0.04), and IIX (P = 0.01), as well as an increase in the relative area occupied by type I fibers (P = 0.02) at the expense of type IIX fibers (P = 0.03), resulting in modifications of the contractile and metabolic characteristics of the gluteus medius muscle. It was not possible to show any beneficial effect from creatine on the skeletal muscle characteristics examined.

Oral clefts and vitamin supplementation

Objectives: the evidence linking low levels of folic acid and orofacial clefting (OFC) is presently equivocal, There is stronger evidence for the role of folic acid supplementation in protection against the occurrence and recurrence of neural tube defects. The present investigation tested the hypotheses that cleft lip, cleft palate, or both are inversely associated with maternal intake of dietary and supplemental vitamins during the periconceptional period and first 4 months of pregnancy in a Brazilian population.Design: A population-based, case-control study of cleft lip with or without cleft palate (CL(P)) and isolated cleft palate (CP) in a Brazilian population. in structured interviews, case histories were taken from the mothers of a consecutive sample of 450 infants born with nonsyndromic OFC,Results: Mothers who had children with CL(P) were less likely to have been supplemented during the periconceptional period. The statistical significance of the difference in prevalence of the use of supplements between mothers of patients and of controls was greater for the CL(P) group: p < .05 for CP and p < .001 for CL(P). Multivariate analysis confirmed this finding of a protective effect for both types of orofacial cleft,Conclusions: the use of vitamin supplements in the first 4 months of pregnancy was suggestive of a protective effect against the occurrence of CP and CL(P) in this population, the significance of an association between multivitamin supplementation and OFC and the possible role of gene/environment interaction are discussed.

Zinc supplementation does not inhibit basal and metoclopramide-stimulated prolactinemia secretion in healthy men

Dopamine (DA) and zinc (Zn++) share common mechanisms in their inhibition of prolactin (PRL) secretion. Both substances are present in the same brain areas, where Zn++ is released together with DA, suggesting a modulatory effect of Zn++ on dopaminergic receptors. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effect of Zn supplementation on basal and PRL secretion stimulated by metoclopramide (MCP), a dopaminergic antagonist. Seven healthy men were evaluated in controlled study, where MCP (5 mg) was given intravenously, before and after 3 months of oral Zn++ (25 mg) administration. Our results indicate that chronic Zn++ administration does not change basal or MCP-stimulated plasma PRL secretion suggesting that, in humans, Zn++ does not interfere on PRL secretion mediated through dopaminergic receptors.

Effect of early feed restriction and enzyme supplementation on digestive enzyme activities in broilers

The effect of feed restriction and enzymatic supplementation on intestinal and pancreatic enzyme activities and weight gain was studied in broiler chickens. Quantitative feed restriction was applied to chickens from 7 to 14 d of age. An enzyme complex mainly consisting of protease and amylase was added to the chicken ration from hatching to the end of the experiment. Birds subjected to feed restriction whose diet was not supplemented showed an increase in sucrase, amylase, and lipase activities immediately after the restriction period. Amylase, lipase, and chymotrypsin activities were higher in chickens subjected to feed restriction and fed a supplemented diet than in those only subjected to feed restriction. Trypsin activity increased after feed restriction and after supplementation, but there was no interaction between these effects. Early feed restriction had no effect on enzyme activity in 42-d-old chickens. Chickens subjected to early restriction and fed the supplemented diet presented higher sucrase, maltase, and lipase activities than nonsupplemented ones (P < 0.05). There was no effect of early feed restriction or diet supplementation on weight gain to 42 d. Percentage weight gain from 14 to 42 d of age was equivalent in feed-restricted and ad libitum fed birds. Feed-restricted broilers fed a supplemented diet showed a higher percentage weight gain than nonsupplemented birds. We conclude that enzymatic supplementation potentiates the effect of feed restriction on digestive enzyme activity and on weight gain.

Effect of maltodextrin and arabic gum in water vapor sorption thermodynamic properties of vacuum dried pineapple pulp powder

Moisture equilibrium data of pineapple pulp (PP) powders with and without additives - 18% maltodextrin (MD) or 18% gum Arabic (GA) - were determined at 20, 30, 40 and 50 degrees C by using the static gravimetric method in a water activity range of 0.06-0.90. The obtained isotherms were sigmoid, typical type 111, and the Guggenhein-Anderson-de Boer (GAB) model was fitted to the experimental data of equilibrium moisture content versus water activity. Addition of additives was shown to affect the isotherms in such a way that, at the same water activity, samples PP + GA and PP + MD presented lower equilibrium moisture content and were not so affected by varying temperature. The net isosteric heats of sorption of pulp powders with additives were higher (less negative) than those of pineapple pulp powders, suggesting that there are more active polar sites in the product without addition of GA or MD. An empirical exponential relationship could describe the heat of sorption dependence on the material moisture content. (C) 2007 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.