Dietary Combination of Fish Oil and Hemoglobin Hydrolysates Alters Serum and Liver Lipid Contents in Rat

Fish oil has been shown to have anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer effects, and to reduce serum triacylglycerol (TAG) levels by stimulating lipid oxidation and inhibiting lipogenesis in the liver. A small number of studies have demonstrated the synergistic effect of fish oil and other bioactive components. This study examined the effect of fish oil in combination with porcine hemoglobin (Hb) hydrolysates on serum and liver lipid contents in rats. Male Wistar rats were divided into four groups;one group was fed a casein and soybean oil-based semi-purified basal diet and other three groups were fed the basal diet supplemented with 2% fish oil, 0.175% Hb hydrolysates, and 2% fish oil plus 0.175% Hb hydrolysates, respectively, for 4 weeks. The fish oil diet decreased serum and liver TAG contents but did not change serum and liver cholesterol levels. The dietary combination of fish oil and Hb hydrolysates decreased serum and liver TAG and cholesterol contents owing to the additive effect of both compounds, and this diet reduced the serum non-high-density lipoprotein cholesterol content as a result of a synergistic effect. This hypolipidemic effect was in part caused by enhanced excretion of fecal fatty acids, neutral steroids, and acidic steroids. The results of this study suggest that the combined intake of fish oil and Hb hydrolysates may play beneficial roles in the prevention of cardiovascular disease as compared with fish oil alone.

Correlation between Mineral Intake and Urinary Excretion in Free-Living Japanese Young Women

To clarify whether the urinary excretion of calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, iron, zinc, copper, manganese, selenium and molybdenum can be used as an index of their intake, the association between urinary excretion and intake in free-living individuals was examined. A total of 102 healthy free-living female university dietetics students aged 18 - 33 years voluntarily participated in this study, of which 76 students were eligible for this assessment. All food consumed for four consecutive days was recorded accurately by a weighed food record method. A 24-h urine sample was collected on the fourth day, and the urinary levels of sodium, potassium, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, iron, zinc, copper, manganese, selenium and molybdenum were measured. Significant correlation between urinary excretion and intake was observed in sodium (r = 0.596, p < 0.001), potassium (r = 0.583, p < 0.001), calcium (r = 0.402, p < 0.001), magnesium (r = 0.365, p < 0.01), phosphorus (r = 0.509, p < 0.001), selenium (r = 0.349, p < 0.01) and molybdenum (r = 0.265, p < 0.01). On the other hand, urinary excretion was very low and completely independent of the intake in iron, zinc, copper and manganese. These results indicate that urinary calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, selenium and mo-lybdenum can be used as an index of their intake, similarly to sodium and potassium.

Phosphorus Balance in Rats with Hypophosphatemia Induced by Lanthanum Carbonate

To examine whether lanthanum carbonate can induce a low phosphorus status in experimental animals, we examined phosphorus balance in rats administered lanthanum carbonate. Male 8-week-old Wistar rats were fed a basal case-in-based semi-purified diet or the basal diet supplemented with 0.45% or 0.90% lanthanum as lanthanum carbonate for 4 weeks. Lanthanum administration did not influence body or several organ weights and liver function. In rats administered lanthanum, a very small quantity of lanthanum was detected in several organs although the apparent absorption was almost zero. The highest lanthanum concentration was observed in the liver followed by the femur and kidney. Lanthanum was not clearly detected in the brain. Differences in organ lanthanum between 0.45% and 0.90% administration groups were not significant;lanthanum accumulation in the body is very low and may reach a plateau in a certain range of intake. Serum phosphorus was decreased and fecal phosphorus was increased by lanthanum administration dose-dependently. Urinary phosphorus excretion was significantly decreased by lanthanum. Since urinary phosphorus of rats fed 0.45% lanthanum diet decreased to near zero, the highest phosphorus balance was observed in rats fed 0.45% lanthanum diet. This high balance is considered to be adaptation to the low phosphorus status induced by lanthanum carbonate. These results indicate that lanthanum carbonate can induce hypophosphatemia without any direct side effects and be used to examine the effect of removing phosphorus from the diet in animal nutritional studies.

Estimation of mineral and trace element intake in vegans living in Japan by chemical analysis of duplicate diets

Thirty-six daily duplicate diet samples were collected from 12 healthy female Japanese vegans and sodium, potassium, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, iron, zinc, copper, manganese, iodine, selenium, chromium and molybdenum in the diets were measured to estimate mineral and trace element intake by Japanese vegans. Significantly higher intake of potassium, magnesium, phosphorus, iron, copper, manganese and molybdenum was observed in vegans than in general Japanese women, but no difference was observed in sodium, iodine, selenium and chromium intake. Vegan calcium intake tended to be low compared to that of general women but the difference was not significant. Since high potassium, magnesium and iron intakes cannot be achieved by general Japanese diets and high intake of potassium and magnesium may prevent hyperextension and cardiovascular disease in vegans, there are few problems with Japanese vegan diets regarding mineral and trace element intake, except for calcium intake, which is low as it is in the general Japanese people.