Informações nutricionais de carnes ovinas em rótulos comerciais, comparativamente às obtidas em análises laboratoriais

Objetivou-se estudar as informações nutricionais de carnes ovinas comercializadas, comparativamente às determinadas por análises laboratoriais, utilizando-se 18 ovinos Ile de France x Ideal (cordeiros não castrados, ovelhas adultas de descarte e capões adultos de descarte). Os cordeiros foram desmamados com 17 kg e abatidos aos 32 kg. As ovelhas e capões, com 55 kg. As informações nutricionais dos rótulos de carne ovina embalada foram obtidas através do contato direto com 19 empresas que comercializam carne ovina. A maioria das empresas avaliadas não utiliza a informação nutricional na rotulagem da carne ovina embalada e também não descrimina a categoria ovina dos cortes da carcaça disponibilizados para venda. Os valores das informações nutricionais, analisadas laboratorialmente, da carne ovina evidenciaram, de modo geral, diferenças entre as categorias ovinas e seus respectivos cortes da carcaça para: valor calórico, teor de carboidratos, proteínas, gorduras totais, colesterol, cálcio e ferro. As empresas estudadas, de maneira geral, desconhecem ou ignoram tais diferenças entre as categorias e os cortes da carcaça ovina quanto às informações nutricionais, sendo necessário melhorar os rótulos comerciais dos cortes da carcaça ovina, a fim de informar o consumidor, de maneira mais simples, sobre o produto que está sendo adquirido para o consumo.

Long-Term Exogenous Melatonin Treatment Modulates Overall Feed Efficiency and Protects Ovarian Tissue Against Injuries Caused by Ethanol-Induced Oxidative Stress in Adult UChB Rats

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Impairment of adult male reproductive function in rats exposed to ethanol since puberty

The objective of this work was to evaluate reproductive function in adult male rats exposed to ethanol since puberty. Male Wistar rats, 50 days old, received a liquid diet with 36% of the daily calories derived from ethanol or an isocaloric control diet for 55 days. The ethanol treatment impaired sexual behavior and only 22% of these rats reached ejaculation. The fertility of ethanol-treated animals was significantly reduced, mainly after natural mating. Serum testosterone levels, daily sperm production and sperm count in the epididymis were also significantly diminished after ethanol treatment, associated with an acceleration of the sperm transit time in the cauda epididymidis, decrease in sperm motility and increased percentage of abnormal shaped sperm cells. The results showed that chronic consumption of ethanol beginning at puberty impairs the reproductive function of adult male rats. (c) 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Dietary restriction, caloric value and the accumulation of hepatic fat

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Efeito do teor de soro, açúcar e de frutooligossacarídeos sobre a população de bactérias lácticas probióticas em bebidas fermentadas

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Caracterização bromatológica de oito linhagens de Lentinula edodes (Shiitake) cultivadas em toras de Eucalyptus grandis

O Lentinula edodes é um alimento de qualidade elevada, sendo rico em proteínas, vitaminas e sais minerais e pobre em calorias e gorduras. No entanto, seu valor nutricional varia em função da linhagem cultivada, do processamento após a colheita, do estágio de desenvolvimento do basidioma e do substrato utilizado. Assim, este trabalho teve como objetivo caracterizar bromatologicamente os basidiomas de oito linhagens de L. edodes (LE-95/01, LE-95/02, LE-95/07, LE-96/17, LE-96/18, LE-98/47, LE-98/55 e LE-96/13), inteiros ou em partes (estípete e píleo), produzidos em toras de E. grandis. Verificou-se que tanto as linhagens de L. edodes como as partes dos basidiomas analisados influenciaram nas respostas nutricionais das amostras. O estípete apresentou as maiores médias de fibra bruta e as menores médias de proteína bruta. O píleo, por sua vez, apresentou as maiores médias de cinzas. Nas avaliações de basidiomas inteiros, as maiores médias, quanto ao teor de proteína bruta, foram obtidas nas linhagens LE-95/07, LE-96/17 e LE-96/18. Já a maior média de fibra bruta foi obtida pela linhagem LE-96/13 de L. edodes. O conteúdo de lipídios do píleo e do estípete não variaram entre as linhagens de L. edodes.

Diets rich in saturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids: Metabolic shifting and cardiac health

OBJECTIVE: the aim of this study was to determine the effects of diets rich in saturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids on metabolic pathways and the relation of metabolic shifting to oxidative stress in cardiac tissue.METHODS: Male Wistar rats (age, 60 d; n = 10) were fed with a control low-fat diet, a diet rich in saturated fatty acids (SFAs), or a diet rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs). After 5 wk of treatment, sera were used for protein and lipid determinations. Protein, glycogen, triacylglycerol, lactate dehydrogenase, citrate synthase, beta-hydroxyacyl coenzyme-A dehydrogenase, catalase, glutathione peroxidase, superoxide dismutase, lipoperoxide, and lipid hydroperoxide were measured in cardiac tissue.RESULTS: the SFA group had higher triacylglycerol, cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and atherogenic index (ratio of cholesterol to high-density lipoprotein) than did the PUFA and control groups. The PUFA group had low serum cholesterol, triacylglycerol, and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol as compared with the SFA group. SFA increased myocardial lipid hydroperoxide and diminished glutathione peroxidase. Despite the beneficial effects on serum lipids, the PUFA diet led to the highest levels of myocardial lipoperoxide and lipid hydroperoxide and diminished superoxide dismutase and catalase activities. The PUFA effects were related to increased feed efficiency, increased susceptibility to lipoperoxidation, and metabolic shifting in cardiac tissue. PUFA elevated triacylglycerol levels and decreased myocardial glycogen concentrations. The ratios of lactate dehydrogenase to citrate synthase and beta-hydroxyacyl coenzyme-A dehydrogenase to citrate synthase were increased, indicating myocardial reduction of tricarboxylic acid cycle.CONCLUSIONS: PUFAs have been recommended as a therapeutic measure in preventive medicine to lower serum cholesterol, but PUFAs increased oxidative stress in the heart by providing cardiac susceptibility to lipoperoxidation and shifting the metabolic pathway for energy production. The control diet, which was much lower in calories and fat, produced better overall clinical outcomes, better fat profiles, and less oxidative stress than did the diets rich in fatty acids.

Dietary macronutrients and performance and plasma hormone and metabolite levels of broiler chickens fat by carbohydrate substitution

The present experiment was aimed to study the effects of an isocaloric substitution of fat by carbohydrate calories while maintaining the same CP content - on some endocrine parameters and key metabolites of the lipid (L), protein (CP) and carbohydrate (CHO) metabolism and muscle cell membrane integrity of broiler chickens. Ninety male broiler chicks (Cobb) were obtained at 1-day old and raised in an environmentally controlled room. Food and water was provided ad libitum. At day 7, the chicks were provided with the experimental diets: Control diet (CON: 20% CP; 9.1% L; 39.6% CHO), Low lipid diet (LowL: 22% CP; 3.36% L; 59.7% CHO), and low carbohydrate diet (LowCHO: 22% CP; 8.09% L; 46.7% CHO). T e chickens fed the CON manifested the best growth rate feed conversion compared to both other groups. The CO chickens showed the highest plasma T-3 Concentrations at 14 days of age as compared to both LowL and LowCHO chickens. At 35 days of age however, LowL chickens were characterized by the highest plasma T-3 levels. Overall, CON birds had the highest plasma T-4 levels (P < 0.0001) compared to LowL and LowCHO chickens. Plasma corticosterone levels were not affected by diet composition. Glucose levels increased towards the end of the experimental period, but there was no overall effect of diet composition on plasma glucose levels. Chickens fed the CON diet were consistently characterized by the highest plasma uric acid levels compared to LowL and LowCHO chickens. Irrespectively of diet, plasma triglyceride levels were high at 14 days of age, then decreased and finally increased again during the last week. This latter increase was most pronounced for the CON chickens and is congruous with their high fat deposition. At 28 days of age, a significant effect of diet was observed, as CON birds had lower plasma free fatty acid (FFA) levels compared to LowL but not to LowCHO chickens. However there was no overall effect of diet composition on plasma FFA levels. Creatine kinase (CK) activities increased significantly with age and were consistently higher in CON chickens. In conclusion, fast growth in broiler chickens is positively correlated with catabolism of protein from dietary or endogenous origin and (muscle) cell membrane disruption as reflected in high plasma uric acid levels and CK activity, respectively. The currently investigated substitution of fat by CHO had no marked effects on endocrine functioning and intermediary metabolism, but this does not exclude that larger substitutions between both nutrients can have an effect.

Effects of intrauterine malnutrition on brain free amino acids of young rats, after nutritional recovery during lactation period

The effect of protein-calorie malnutrition during gestation on the brain amino acids of rat pups was studied following nutritional recovery during lactation. The brain amino acids of rat pups born to dam rats malnourished during gestation were studied after these rat pups received proper nutrition during lactation. Pregnant rats were fed a 1% protein diet with total caloric intake restricted to half that of controls. After birth, the offspring of rats fed on deficient diets were nurtured up to the 28th day postpartum by foster mothers receiving adequate diets. At this time, the offspring were killed. The control group consisted of offspring from pregnant rats fed a diet with adequate protein (21%) and calories during the entire gestation and lactation period. Quantitation of brain amino acids in the pups at 28 days postpartum showed lower concentrations of essential and nonessential amino acids in the rats malnourished during gestation. Concentrations of histidine, glycine, and α-aminobutyric acids were all reduced. These findings demonstrate that the brains of rat pups malnourished during gestation show persistent decreases in specific brain amino acids after adequate postpartum nutrition.

Utilization of fish protein hydrolysate in prepared diets for pacu, Piaractus mesopotamicus, larvae

Growth and survival rates of pacu, Piaractus mesopotamicus, larvae fed prepared diets containing different animal protein sources were evaluated. Four diets with the same level of crude protein (CP) (36%) and calories (4.02 kcal gross energy/g of diet) were fed to the larvae. Diets were formulated to contain one of four protein sources: (1) fish meal (FM), (2) tilapia residue silage (TS), (3) protein hydrolysate from tilapia residue (HT), and (4) eviscerated tilapia residue (HET). Larvae were fed Artemia nauplii for six days, prior to the start of the study, and the prepared diet was supplied from day 7 until the study concluded. Variance analysis showed no significant differences (P > 0.05) for survival rates and larval final lengths among treatments. However, final average weights were significantly different (P < 0.05 for larvae fed FM and HT. Average survival rates were relatively high and ranged from 68.1% to 73.9%. After the live food was replaced by prepared diets, no larval growth was observed for any treatment. Fish protein hydrolysate (HT and HET) and fish silage showed potential to be used as ingredients in the diet of pacu larvae. However, hydrolysate inclusion levels, processing methods to minimize nutrient lixiviation, and the best moment to replace live food with an inert diet (weaning) need further investigation. © 2003 by The Haworth Press, Inc. All rights reserved.

Effect of plant density on Stevia rebaudiana Bertoni water consumption

Stevia rebaudiana is a traditional crop of Latin America, now rising to international interest thanks to its specific glycosides that are very sweet and still poor of calories making its potential interesting for dietary recommendations. Its short growing cycle makes this species possible as an annual crop also in non tropical areas, including the Mediterranean Basin and parts of Italy, where rainfall or irrigation is available during late spring and summer. One of the main concerns is the quantity of water necessary for the crop and the ideal number of plants per hectare in order to maximize water use efficiency. The present research was carried out in central Italy to compare yields and water consumption in plots with three plant densities (50, 25, 16 plants per square metre). The results show that the most dense plots can give the best results in the area of the trial.

Lipid and selenium sources on fatty acid composition of intramuscular fat and muscle selenium concentration of Nellore steers

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Meat and carcass traits of the red-winged tinamou (Rhynchotus rufescens)

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Estudo da atividade antioxidante em frutas nativas e exóticas brasileiras

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Avaliação de suporte nutricional sobre a alta hospitalar em cães e gatos

Pós-graduação em Medicina Veterinária - FCAV