“Dietary fibre”: moving beyond the “soluble/insoluble” classification for monogastric nutrition, with an emphasis on humans and pigs

This review describes dietary fibres originating from a range of foods,particularly in relation to their plant cell walls.It explores the categorization of dietary fibres into "soluble" or "insoluble".It also emphasizes dietary fibre fermentability,in terms of describing how the gastro-intestinal tract(GIT) microbiota respond to a selection of fibres from these categories.Food is categorized into cereals,legumes,fruits and vegetables.Mention is also made of example whole foods and why differences in physico-chemical characteristics between "purified" and "non-purified"food components are important in terms of health.Lastly,recommendations are made as to how dietary fibre could be classified differently,in relation to its functionality in terms of fermentability,rather than only its solubility.

Tea polyphenol-gut microbiota interactions:hints on improving the metabolic syndrome in a multi-element and multi-target manner

The metabolic syndrome(MS)has become one of the main problems in public health.Tea polyphenols(TPs),the main bioactive components of tea,has been claimed to have the potential to regulate metabolism and effectively prevent or mitigate the MS.However,many studies into the effects of TPs on MS have provided conflicting findings and the underlying mechanism has been elusive.The predominant TPs in unfermentedand and fermented tea are catechins and oxidized polyphenols(theaflavins and thearubigins),both of which have low bioavailability and reach the colon where most gut microbes inhabit.Gut microbiota has been demonstrated to be tightly associated with host metabolism.The interactions between TPs and gut microbiota will lead to the alterations of gut microbiota composition and the production of metabolites including short chain fatty acids,bile acids,amino acids and TPs derived metabolites,accordingly exerting their biological effects both locally and systemically.This review highlighted the contribution of metabolites and specific gut bacteria in the process of TPs intervention on the MS and further discuss how TPs impact the MS via gut microbiota from the viewpoint of gut organ/tissue axis.

Effect of Biscuit Baking Conditions on the Stability of Microencapsulated 5-Methyltetrahydrofolic Acid and Their Physical Properties

Among the folate compounds, 5-methyltetrahydrofolic acid (5-CH3THF) is regarded as one of the most bioactive forms of folate. It is regarded as the better source of folate to humans as compared to folic acid, a synthetic form of folate, which is used for fortifying foods to prevent the incidence of neural tube defects in the new born babies. The use of 5-CH3THF as an alternative fortificant, in place of folic acid, has been explored by various researchers. However, fortification of 5-CH3THF is problematic due to its lower stability. This study investigated the stability of microencapsulated 5-CH3THF in biscuits baked at various temperatures and times as well as changes in their physical properties. Microcapsule with pectin and alginate ratio of 80:20, prepared by spray drying, gave the highest retention (68.6%) of the 5-CH3THF, therefore, chosen for fortification. The encapsulated and unencapsulated 5-CH3THF were mixed separately with flour and biscuit ingredients and baked at 180℃, 200 and 220℃, each for 5, 9 and 12 min. The inclusion of encapsulated and unencapsulated 5-CH3THF in the biscuit formulation and subsequent baking at various temperatures and times resulted in retention of 5-CH3THF from 19.1% to 1.7%. Microencapsulation of 5-CH3THF slightly improved the retention of 5-CH3THF over unencapsuated biscuits at 180℃ for 5 min, but almost no such effect was achieved under baking temperatures of 200℃ and 220℃. Physical analysis showed darker colour, harder texture and lower moisture content for biscuits baked at higher test temperatures. It seems intense heating condition that caused “over baking” of the biscuit likely to be responsible for the loss of the vitamin as well as less desirable physical properties of the biscuits.

Effects of Rice Variety and Growth Location in Cambodia on Grain Composition and Starch Structure

The effects of variety and growth location on grain composition and starch structures were investigated using three rice （Oryza sativa L.） cultivars （Phka Romduol, Sen Pidao and IR66） with different amylose contents. All the three cultivars were planted in three different agro-climatic zones （Phnom Penh, Coastal and Plateau） of Cambodia. The protein content of polished grains increased when rice was planted at a location with higher average temperature, but their lipid content decreased. The amylose content and degree of branching were not greatly affected by the minor temperature differences among the growing locations. Starch fine structures characterized by the chain-length distribution were significantly different among the cultivars, but not significantly among different locations. The results suggested that protein and lipid biosyntheses were more sensitive to the environmental temperature than that of starch in rice grains.

Dietary xylo‑oligosaccharides and arabinoxylans improved growth efficiency by reducing gut epithelial cell turnover in broiler chickens

Background One of the main roles of the intestinal mucosa is to protect against environmental hazards.Supple-mentation of xylo-oligosaccharides(XOS)is known to selectively stimulate the growth of beneficial intestinal bacteria and improve gut health and function in chickens.XOS may have an impact on the integrity of the intestinal epithelia where cell turnover is critical to maintain the compatibility between the digestive and barrier functions.The aim of the study was to evaluate the effect of XOS and an arabinoxylan-rich fraction(AXRF)supplementation on gut func-tion and epithelial integrity in broiler chickens.Methods A total of 128 broiler chickens(Ross 308)were assigned into one of two different dietary treatments for a period of 42 d:1)control diet consisting of a corn/soybean meal-based diet;or 2)a control diet supplemented with 0.5%XOS and 1%AXRF.Each treatment was randomly distributed across 8 pens(n=8)with 8 chickens each.Feed intake and body weight were recorded weekly.On d 42,one male chicken per pen was selected based on aver-age weight and euthanized,jejunum samples were collected for proteomics analysis.Results Dietary XOS/AXRF supplementation improved feed efficiency(P<0.05)from d 1 to 42 compared to the con-trol group.Proteomic analysis was used to understand the mechanism of improved efficiency uncovering 346 dif-ferentially abundant proteins(DAP)(Padj<0.00001)in supplemented chickens compared to the non-supplemented group.In the jejunum,the DAP translated into decreased ATP production indicating lower energy expenditure by the tissue(e.g.,inhibition of glycolysis and tricarboxylic acid cycle pathways).In addition,DAP were associated with decreased epithelial cell differentiation,and migration by reducing the actin polymerization pathway.Put-ting the two main pathways together,XOS/AXRF supplementation may decrease around 19%the energy required for the maintenance of the gastrointestinal tract.Conclusions Dietary XOS/AXRF supplementation improved growth efficiency by reducing epithelial cell migration and differentiation(hence,turnover),actin polymerization,and consequently energy requirement for maintenance of the jejunum of broiler chickens.

Excess dietary Lys reduces feed intake, stimulates jejunal CCK secretion and alters essential and non‑essential blood AA profile in pigs

Background Commercial diets are frequently formulated to meet or exceed nutrient levels including those of lim-iting essential amino acids(AA)covering potential individual variations within the herd.However,the provision of dietary excess of AA,such as Lys,may lead to reduced appetite and growth in pigs.The mechanisms modulat-ing these responses have not been extensively investigated.This study evaluated the effect of Lys dietary excesses on performance and satiety biomarkers in post weaning pigs.Methods Twenty-four pigs aged 21 d and weighing 6.81±0.12kg(mean±SEM)were individually housed and offered 1 of 4 dietary treatments for 3weeks:a diet containing a standardized ileal digestible Lys reaching 100%(T0),120%(T1),150%(T2)or 200%(T3)of the NRC(2012)requirements.At the end of the experiment,blood samples from the cephalic vein of the T0 and T3 groups were obtained for AA analysis.In addition,primary intestinal cultures from T0 pigs were used,following their humane killing,to evaluate the effect of Lys on gut hormone secretion and AA sensors gene expression under ex vivo conditions.Results Feed intake was linearly reduced(P<0.001)and the weight gain to feed ratio reduced(P<0.10)with increased dietary levels of Lys during the third-and first-week post weaning,respectively.Cholecystokinin con-centration(P<0.05)and the metabotropic glutamate receptor 1 and the solute carrier family 7 member 2(P<0.10)gene expression was enhanced in proximal jejunum tissues incubated with Lys at 20mmol/L when compared to the control(Lys 0mmol/L).Plasma Lys and Glu(P<0.05)concentration increased in the T3 compared to T0 pigs.In contrast,plasma levels of His,Val,Thr,Leu(P<0.05)and Gln(P<0.10)were lower in T3 than T0 pigs.Conclusion The present results confirm that excess dietary Lys inhibits hunger in pigs.Moreover,the results provide evidence of pre-and post-absorptive mechanisms modulating these responses.Lys dietary excesses should be nar-rowed,when possible,to avoid negative effects of the AA on appetite in pigs.

Investigating cooked rice textural properties by instrumental measurements

Foods wherein the starch is slowly digested contribute to good health by reducing the tendency to,and for the maintenance of,diabetes,obesity and colo-rectal cancers.While foods with high amylose content have this desirable property,they usually do not have high sensory appeal and consumers are reluctant to eat them.While sensory evaluation by trained human panelists is the best way to obtain consumer preferences,these tests are expensive,time-consuming and require considerable effort and care.Instrumental measurements are easier,cheaper and invaluable for screening,but only useful if they correlate with human data for the type of food being considered.Here,we test this using cooked rice with a wide range of amylose contents.Functional properties were correlated against quantitative descriptive panelist analysis.Swelling power and breakdown viscosity correlated with all panelist sensory attributes,but no other correlations with gelatinization properties were observed.There was a strong correlation between hardness and stickiness measured by texture profile analysis(TPA)and by panelists,suggesting that TPA can be used to measure hardness and stickiness of cooked rice.We also showed that breakdown viscosity is a reliable instrumental means to provide indicative measurements of hardness and rice preference,and swelling power is a predictor of rice stickiness.

Finding biomarkers of experience in animals

At a time when there is a growing public interest in animal welfare,it is critical to have objective means to assess the way that an animal experiences a situation.Objectivity is critical to ensure appropriate animal welfare outcomes.Existing behavioural,physiological,and neurobiological indicators that are used to assess animal welfare can verify the absence of extremely negative outcomes.But welfare is more than an absence of negative outcomes and an appropriate indicator should reflect the full spectrum of experience of an animal,from negative to positive.In this review,we draw from the knowledge of human biomedical science to propose a list of candidate biological markers(biomarkers)that should reflect the experiential state of non-human animals.The proposed biomarkers can be classified on their main function as endocrine,oxidative stress,non-coding molecular,and thermobiological markers.We also discuss practical challenges that must be addressed before any of these biomarkers can become useful to assess the experience of an animal in real-life.

Solid-state fermented plant protein sources in the diets of broiler chickens:A review

Protein sources are the second most important component in poultry diets.Due to the fluctuation in price of soybean meal(SBM) and persistent increase in feed prices,nutritionists have been exploring alternative protein sources.Replacement of SBM with alternative protein sources in poultry diets could reduce human-live stock competition for soybean and support the production of more animal protein.However,the use of alternative protein sources is limited to low inclusion due to the presence of antinutritional factors(ANF) such as glucosinolates(rapeseed meal),gossypol(cottonseed meal),nonstarch polysaccharides(NSP) in lupin flour,high fibre(palm kernel cake),total phenolic contents and phytic acid(canola meal) known to impair animal performance,nutrient digestibility and feed utilization.As a processing technique,solid-state fermentation(SSF) has been researched for a long time in the food industry.An important objective of SSF is the production of enzymes,organic acids and other metabolites of economic importance.In recent times,SSF has been employed to enhance nutrient bioavailability,inhibit gut pathogenic bacteria and reduce ANF in plant protein sources resulting in improved nutrient digestibility,thereby improving performance and gut health of broiler chickens.Unlike pigs,there is still a dearth of information on feeding solid-state fermented feed ingredients to broiler chickens.This review aims to describe the nutritional value of the solid-state fermented products of rapeseed meal,canola meal,cottonseed meal,palm kernel cake and lupin flour on performance and intestinal health of broiler chickens.