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The present study evaluated the effects of supplemental dietary α-linolenic acid (ALA, 18:3n-3) on growth performance, body composition, hepatic fat metabolizing enzymes, and fatty acid profiles of coho salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch) alevins cultured in freshwater. Six isonitrogenous and isolipidic experimental diets were formulated to attain different levels of ALA (0.09, 0.41, 0.76, 1.03, 1.32, and 1.68% dry weight) by adding linseed oil in a basal diet, respectively. Each diet was fed to triplicate groups of alevins (50 fish in each tank) with initial mean body weight of 0.352 ± 0.002 g. Fish were reared in a freshwater flow-through rearing system and fed to apparent satiation 4 times daily for 12 weeks. The specific growth rate (SGR) increased with increasing dietary ALA level, which reached the peak at 1.03% ALA group (p < 0.05). The final body weight (FBW) and SGR showed linear, quadratic, and cubic responses with the dietary ALA level. The whole-body crude protein increased with increasing dietary ALA level while lipid content was the opposite trend (p < 0.05). However, the content of crude lipid in the whole-body of fish showed quadratic and cubic responses with the dietary ALA level. In addition, except for fatty acid synthase (FAS), the hepatic enzymes activities of lipoprotein lipase (LPL), hepatic lipase (HL), and malate dehydrogenase (MDH) showed linear, quadratic, and cubic response with the dietary ALA level (p < 0.05) The activities of hepatic LPL and HL in 1.32% ALA group were significantly higher than other groups (p < 0.05). The activities of hepatic MDH and FAS in 1.32% ALA group were the lowest, which were significantly lower than those in ALA groups (form 0.09% to1.03%) (p < 0.05). Except for the content of MUFA, the contents of other fatty acids showed linear, quadratic, and cubic response with the dietary ALA level. The ALA and ∑n-3 PUFA content significantly increased with increasing dietary ALA levels (p < 0.05). These results indicated that dietary ALA actively impacted fish growth performance, hepatic lipid metabolizing enzymes, and muscle fatty acid profile. The cubic regression analysis based on SGR as evaluation indices indicated that the optimal dietary ALA content was 1.33% dry weight of diet for alevins. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, the effects of different dietary iron levels on the growth performance, body composition and antioxidant responses were investigated in the coho salmon Oncorhynchus kisutch alevins. Six experimental diets were formulated to contain graded levels (23.7, 46.4, 59.8, 77.3, 101.7 and 127.7 mg/kg) of iron provided as FeSO4∙7H2O. Each diet was fed to triplicate groups of coho salmon alevins with initial mean weight of 0.35 ± 0.02 g in a flow‐through rearing system for 84 days. The results showed that there was no significant difference in survival among dietary treatments. Specific growth rate (SGR) increased significantly (p < 0.05) while feed conversion rate (FCR) decreased significantly (p < 0.05) with increasing dietary iron level from 23.7 up to 101.7 mg/kg. Whole body moisture and ash showed no significant differences among dietary treatments. Fish fed the diet with 127.7 mg/kg had the significantly highest whole body protein and lipid levels (p < 0.05). Whole body and hepatic iron concentrations increased with increasing dietary iron levels (p < 0.05). However, hepatic iron concentrations were decreased when the dietary iron was higher than 77.3 mg/kg treatment. Fish fed the diet with 77.3 mg/kg had the significantly highest activities of catalase (CAT) and total superoxide dismutase (T‐SOD) but the lowest malondialdehyde (MDA) activity in liver (p < 0.05). Based on the SGR, iron concentrations in the whole body and liver and CAT, T‐SOD and MDA activities in liver, the optimal dietary iron requirements for coho salmon alevins were 101.7, 79.3, 75.7, 90.8, 83.6 and 68.9 mg/kg respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Reduced muscle strength, as measured by handgrip strength (HS), has been associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD). The aim of this study was to examine the association between different HS indexes and CVD risk factors in elderly Chinese individuals. We also determine optimal cutoffs of HS indexes for predicting CVD risk factors.Methods: Data were obtained from 603 men and 789 women aged ≥60 years (average age 66.8 ± 6.4 y). These study participants were recruited in the suburb area of Tianjin, China. An individual was considered a patient when they exhibited any one of three CVD risk factors: diabetes mellitus, hypertension and dyslipidemia. All participants were interviewed face-to-face. In addition, serum samples were collected from all participants, and all participants underwent measures of anthropometry and HS.Results: The optimal cutoffs were 0.376 of HS/weight in men and 0.726 of HS/body fat mass in women for predicting diabetes mellitus. The adjusted odds ratios (ORs) of at least one CVD risk factor for those with low muscle strength identified by HS/body fat mass were 2.14 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.53, 3.44; p < 0.001) in men and 2.32 (95% CI: 1.60, 3.29; p < 0.001) in women.Conclusion: HS/body fat mass appear to be the index best associated with CVD risk factors except diabetes mellitus in men. The optimal cutoffs of HS indexes have the potential to identify elderly adults at risk of CVD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Relative handgrip strength predicts MetS superior to absolute handgrip strength. • The overall prevalence of MetS is 38.4 % in this study. • HS/body fat mass appears to be the index best associated with MetS. • The cut-off value of HS/body fat mass to detect MetS is 1.92 in men and 1.25 in women. Currently there is no consensus on the correlation between metabolic syndrome (MetS) and muscle strength. The objective of this study was to examine the associations between MetS and its components and different handgrip strength (HS) indexes among Chinese community-dwelling elderly individuals. In addition, we hoped to find an optimal cutoff point for the index most relevant to MetS. Data were obtained from 909 participants aged ≥ 60 years (385 men, average age, 68.0 ± 5.9 y). We used the International Diabetes Federation metabolic syndrome guidelines to define MetS. General data of all participants were collected through questionnaires and anthropometric data were measured. At the same time, blood samples were collected. The prevalence of MetS was 26.8 % in men and 46.9 % in women. In all HS indexes, HS/body fat mass was most strongly correlated with MetS, and the areas under the receiver-operating characteristic curve were 0.723 (95 % confidence interval [CI] = 0.669-0.776) in men and 0.619 (95 % CI = 0.571-0.667) in women, and the optimal cutoffs were 1.92 in men and 1.25 in women. The adjusted odds ratios (ORs) of MetS for low HS/body fat mass were 5.38 (95 % CI = 3.03–9.56, p < 0.001) in men and 2.39 (95 % CI = 1.56–3.64, p < 0.001) in women. HS/body fat mass appears to be the index best associated with MetS and its components, and in men it is more relevant than in women. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]