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The human yolk sac (hYS) is essential for embryo nutrient biosynthesis/transport and development. However, there lacks a comprehensive study of hYS nutrient-gene interactions. Here we performed a secondary analysis of hYS transcript profiles (n = 9 samples) to identify nutrient-sensitive hYS genes and regulatory networks, including those that associate with adverse perinatal phenotypes with embryonic origins. Overall, 14.8% highly expressed hYS genes are nutrient-sensitive; the most common nutrient cofactors for hYS genes are metals and B vitamins. Functional analysis of highly expressed hYS genes reveals that nutrient-sensitive hYS genes are more likely to be involved in metabolic functions than hYS genes that are not nutrient-sensitive. Through nutrient-sensitive gene network analysis, we find that four nutrient-sensitive transcription regulators in the hYS (with zinc and/or magnesium cofactors) are predicted to collectively regulate 30.9% of highly expressed hYS genes. Lastly, we identify 117 nutrient-sensitive hYS genes that associate with an adverse perinatal outcome with embryonic origins. Among these, the greatest number of nutrient-sensitive hYS genes are linked to congenital heart defects (n = 54 genes), followed by microcephaly (n = 37). Collectively, our study characterises nutrient-sensitive hYS functions and improves understanding of the ways in which nutrient-gene interactions in the hYS may influence both typical and pathological development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An investigation of the impact of adding plant-based organic compost to clay soil from a Moringa oleifera farm focusing on the metal content, bioavailability, and accumulation of nutrients in M. oleifera leaves was conducted. Clay soil was mixed with 15%, 30%, 45% and 60% plant-based organic compost (by volume) in 20 cm wide, 2 L pots. Moringa oleifera plants were planted in four replicates of each treatment and control group. Results revealed that the addition of compost significantly (P < 0.05) altered the concentration of metals in the soil. Correspondingly, accumulation of nutrients in M. oleifera leaves increased with the addition of compost to the soil, except for cobalt and chromium. Trace elements had minimal bioavailability in the amended soils, and their presence in the leaves was lower than the permissible trace metal levels in food. The 30% combination had the highest concentration of calcium (45 042.5 mg/kg), magnesium (17430.0 mg/kg) and phosphorous (8802. 5 mg/kg) in M. oleifera leaves. The study concluded the addition of compost improved bioavailability of nutrients in the soil and their concentration in M. oleifera leaves. The target hazard quotients for heavy metals was less than one, indicating that M. oleifera leaf biomass harvested from soil amended with plant-based compost is safe for human consumption. These results serve as guidelines for recommended organic certification requiremets where plant-based compost is often used in the fast-growing herbal industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nutrient management in shallow transitional aquatic systems is very complex due to the sediment–water exchange, especially for phosphorus. The present study tries to get an in-depth understanding of the distribution of geochemical forms of phosphorus in the surface sediments of Beypore Estuary, a tropical estuarine system in southwest India, which has been subjected to immense climate change in recent times. Total phosphorus in the sediments was found to be abysmally lower (76.8 to 889.12 µg/g) than those reported for other tropical estuaries. Organic-bound phosphorus constituted the majority of the total phosphorus in the sediments, and unlike other tropical estuaries, iron-bound and calcium-bound phosphorus were minor fractions in the study region. However, the bioavailable phosphorus was consistent throughout the study period and varied from 16.5 to 51.0% of total phosphorus. This reveals the active phosphorus buffering in the Beypore Estuary even in the absence of an external source. Statistical evaluation of two contrasting seasons (low and high runoff periods) could illustrate the major biogeochemical pathways for phosphorus in the Beypore Estuary. This study highlights the significant role of hydrographical parameters in regulating phosphorus bioavailability in this estuary; therefore, any modifications to the same by climate change could make nutrient management even more challenging. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Potato protein concentrate (PPC) is a potential fish meal (FM) substitute. We replaced FM in greater amberjack diets with low-temperature air-dried PPC (LT-PPC) and high-temperature rotary-dried PPC (HT-PPC) to investigate their effects on growth and feed utilization. Four experimental and one control diet was prepared. The control diet comprised FM, wherein the experimental diets were prepared by replacing 20 and 40% of FM in the control diet with LT-PPC (LP20 and LP40) or HT-PPC (LP20 and LP40). Following an 8-week growth trial, the final mean body weight, specific growth rate, and feed intake of HP40 diet-fed fish were significantly lower than those of control diet-fed fish (p < 0.05). However, these parameters in LT-PPC and HP20 diet-fed fish did not differ significantly from those of the control diet-fed fish (p > 0.05). In vitro relative protein digestibility did not differ between LT-PPC (91.1%) and HT-PPC (89.5%) (p > 0.05); however, the digestion speed of LT-PPC was higher (63.8%) than that of HT-PPC (46.8%) (p < 0.05). In conclusion, the findings demonstrate that LT-PPC and HT-PPC could be used to replace up to 40 and 20% of FM in greater amberjack diets, respectively, without compromising growth performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The utilization of sustainable and innovative raw materials to substitute for traditional fishmeal (FM) ingredients is required for the aquaculture sector. Sacha inchi meal (SIM), a by-product of sacha inchi oil, is one of the promising FM replacers. In the present study, four isonitrogenous and isolipidic (approximately 30 and 8%, respectively) diets containing 0, 270, 330, and 415 g/kg of SIM (SIM0, 60, 80, and 100, respectively) were prepared. Four replicate groups of red hybrid tilapia (15.87 ± 0.02 g/fish, 20 fish per replicate, 80 fish per diet) were randomly distributed into 16 glass tanks (100 L each) and manually fed one of the test diets until apparent satiation twice daily for 10 weeks. All fish were used to calculate growth parameters. Dietary SIM replacement increased growth performance and feed conversion ratio (P < 0.001 for most parameters). The SIM80 diet resulted in the highest final weight (56.43 g/fish), weight gain (40.53 g/fish), specific growth rate (1.81%/day), and protein productive value (37.30%). The apparent digestibility coefficient of protein was significantly increased (81.65 ‒ 87.65%) by replacement of FM with SIM (P < 0.001) with a significant negative effect observed in the fish fed SIM100 (78.30%). Hematology, total cholesterol, triglycerides, and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol were significantly decreased in all SIM-supplemented groups (P < 0.05). Aspartate aminotransferase and alanine transaminase levels were significantly increased with the highest levels in the SIM100 group (75.20 and 42.61 UL−1, respectively, P < 0.001). Among the histological differences observed in the liver, nuclei shifting and hepatocyte vacuolization were the main abnormalities in the fish fed the SIM80 and SIM100 diets. Intestinal villi height and thickness were increased by the dietary replacement (P < 0.05). These results demonstrate that SIM can replace FM by up to 330 g/kg (SIM80) improving growth, digestibility, blood parameters, and histological integrity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Modern food technology allows designing products aiming to simulate and replace traditional food. In affluent societies there is a rising tendency to consume foods derived from plants including milk imitations or plant drinks based on cereals, nuts, legumes, oil seeds or other plant families. Herein we review production and composition of such drinks, summarize consumers' motivations to change from milk to plant drinks and highlight nutritional and health implications of consuming plant drinks instead of milk, in particular if non-fortified and if consumed by infants, children, adolescents and the elderly. Results: Whereas the macronutrient concentrations of some plant drinks (soy) may approach in some cases (protein) that of cow's milk, the nutritional quality of most plant drinks, e.g., the biological value of protein and the presence and amount of vitamins and essential minerals with high bioavailability does not. If cow's milk is exchanged for non-fortified and non-supplemented plant drinks consumers may risk deficiencies of calcium, zinc, iodine, vitamins B2, B12, D, A, and indispensable amino acids, particularly in infants and toddlers who traditionally consume significant portions of milk. The vegetable nature, appearance and taste of such plant drinks may be appealing to adult consumers and be chosen for adding variety to the menu. However, in young children fed exclusively such plant drinks severe metabolic disturbances may occur. Conclusion: Parents, dietitians, physicians and consumers should be aware of such potential risks, if non-fortified plant drinks are consumed instead of milk. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Phytases are important industrial enzymes able to catalyze the release of up to six phosphates from phytate in a stepwise hydrolysis reaction. Phytases are almost exclusively used as a feed supplement. However, phytases are also used in human nutrition, food processing, non-food industrial products, and emerging applications like enzymatic phosphate recovery from renewable resources. Phytate, the main phosphorus storage form in seeds, and its hydrolysis products act as a chelator and reduce protein and mineral bioavailability in intestinal absorption. Full phosphate hydrolysis from the common storage compound phytate remains a challenge. Phytate hydrolysis patterns of tailored phytases and their protein engineering campaigns are discussed. The aim of our review is to give an overview on developed and emerging application areas (animal nutrition, food processing, and environmental resource management) and thereby generate an awareness for the importance of phosphorus stewardship in a circular bioeconomy. Emphasis will be given to processes using organic-bound phosphorus and related recycling strategy of this valuable resource. In detail, the main challenge in designing phytases to completely hydrolyze phosphate from phytate to inositol and the need for engineering campaigns to broaden their industrial use are described. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A 9-year manipulative experiment with nitrogen (N) and water addition, simulating increasing N deposition and changing precipitation regime, was conducted to investigate the bioavailability of trace elements, iron (Fe), manganese (Mn), copper (Cu), and zinc (Zn) in soil, and their uptake by plants under the two environmental change factors in a semi-arid grassland of Inner Mongolia. We measured concentrations of trace elements in soil and in foliage of five common herbaceous species including 3 forbs and 2 grasses. In addition, bioaccumulation factors (BAF, the ratio of the chemical concentration in the organism and the chemical concentration in the growth substrate) and foliar Fe:Mn ratio in each plant was calculated. Our results showed that soil available Fe, Mn and Cu concentrations increased under N addition and were negatively correlated with both soil pH and cation exchange capacity. Water addition partly counteracted the positive effects of N addition on available trace element concentrations in the soil. Foliar Mn, Cu and Zn concentrations increased but Fe concentration decreased with N addition, resulting in foliar elemental imbalances among Fe and other selected trace elements. Water addition alleviated the effect of N addition. Forbs are more likely to suffer from Mn toxicity and Fe deficiency than grass species, indicating more sensitivity to changing elemental bioavailability in soil. Our results suggested that soil acidification due to N deposition may accelerate trace element cycling and lead to elemental imbalance in soil-plant systems of semi-arid grasslands and these impacts of N deposition on semi-arid grasslands were affected by water addition. These findings indicate an important role for soil trace elements in maintaining ecosystem functions associated with atmospheric N deposition and changing precipitation regimes in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An extracellular β-glucosidase (BGL) from Fusarium oxysporum was purified to homogeneity by a single chromatography step on a gel filtration column. The optimum activity of BGL on cellobiose was observed at pH 5.0 and 60 °C. Under the same conditions, the Km and Vmax values for p-nitrophenyl β- d-glucopyranoside and cellobiose were 2.53 mM, 268 U mg protein −1 and 20.3 mM, 193 U mg protein −1, respectively. The F. oxysporum BGL enzyme was highly stable at acidic pH ( t1/2 = 470 min at pH 3). A commercial BGL Novo188 (Novozymes) and F. oxysporum BGL were compared in their ability to supplement Celluclast 1.5 L (Novozymes). In comparison with the commercial Novo188 (267 mg g substrate −1), F. oxysporum BGL supplementation released more reducing sugars (330 mg g substrate −1) from cellulose under simulated gastric conditions. These properties make F. oxysporum BGL a good candidate as a new commercial BGL to improve the nutrient bioavailability of animal feed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The change in phosphorus and nitrogen content in a common geophyte spring species, Allium ursinum, is studied in alluvial forests in relation to three flooding histories related to river regulation: (1) annually flooded, (2) unflooded for 30 years, and (3) unflooded for 200 years. Flood suppression leads to a reduction of available P soil content as well as decreasing the biomass and the amount of phosphorus in plants, but has no significant effect on N plant content. Plant N:P ratio increases with the suppression of floods and is primarily driven by soil N:P ratios, in turn markedly linked to the total nitrogen in the soil. We highlighted a lower nutrient accumulation in leaves during plant growth in unflooded forests. Overall, our results suggest that P was the main limiting factor in unflooded forests while nitrogen was the main limiting factor in annually flooded forests. Flood suppression strongly affects the morphology and nutrient uptake by Allium ursinum and thus nutrient cycling in riverine forests. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Geophagia, the deliberate ingestion of soil, is a complex eating behaviour with obscure aetiology and numerous health/medical problems. It is conventionally assumed that geophagia may help supplement mineral nutrients in individuals with limited intake of trace elements such as Fe and Zn. This view, however, has largely been based on the bulk nutrient composition of geophagic materials and the assumption that these nutrients are potentially available for absorption in the body. We have tested this assumption by equilibrating five geophagic materials collected from Uganda, Tanzania, Turkey and India with mineral nutrient concentrations and conditions similar to the gastrointestinal tract. The results showed that all five geophagic materials, regardless of their composition, sorbed large amounts of Fe and Zn across a range of dietary intake scenarios, even under acidic conditions (pH 2) similar to the stomach. However, significant amounts of Ca desorption were observed from calcareous soil samples. The findings show that while calcareous geophagic materials may supplement Ca, geophagia can potentially cause Fe- and Zn-deficiency. This is consistent with mineral nutrient deficiency problems observed in clinical nutrition studies conducted amongst geophagic populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]