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Osmolalities of selected defined-formula products for use in treatment of inherited disorders of amino acid metabolism were measured at 12 energy concentrations. Osmotic behaviors of six carbohydrate modules as components of L-amino acid formulas were also studied. Osmolality measurements were made using a Wescor vapor pressure depression osmometer (model 5100 C). Phenyl-Free at concentrations greater than 10 kcal/oz yielded high osmolalities that exceeded the recommended level for infants. Lofenalac, Low Phe/Tyr Diet Powder, and MSUD Diet Powder at concentrations up to but no greater than 20 kcal/oz exerted osmolalities acceptable for use with infants. Low Methionine Diet Powder produced the lowest osmolality of the products tested. Differences among products can be explained by the formulations of the products, with sources of nitrogen and carbohydrate and percents of protein, carbohydrate, and fat considered. Carbohydrate type significantly affected formula osmolality; differences among carbohydrate sources can be attributed to their molecular sizes. Formulas that contained glucose exerted the highest osmolalities, while those with corn syrup or sucrose yielded the next highest. Protein Free Diet Powder, Polycose, and Moducal exerted reasonably low osmolalities.

Body composition measurements, performed by multiple isotope dilution, were used to determine the protein and caloric requirements of patients receiving total parenteral nutrition (TPN). In addition the relative efficacy of lipid as opposed to carbohydrate calories were evaluated. Patients requiring TPN were randomly allocated to receive one of the following TPN solutions: a) 2.5% amino acid with 25% dextrose b) 5% amino acid with 25% dextrose c) 2.5% amino acid with 12.5% dextrose and a 5% lipid emulsion. The efficacy of each solution was evaluated by determining body composition at the onset,and at two week intervals during the course of TPN. In 204 patients who received TPN for 4447 days, 533 body composition studies were performed to evaluate 308 periods of TPN. In the normally nourished patient, as defined by the pre-TPN body composition, the body composition remained unchanged and normal with the three solutions. In the presence of preexisting malnutrition, two weeks of TPN resulted in a significant increase in body weight, arising primarily from an increase in the body cell mass. To evaluate the relative importance of the various factors responsible for the increase in the body cell mass, a multiple linear regression analysis was performed. The mean daily change in the body cell mass was correlated with the carbohydrate, protein and lipid calories infused and with the nutritional state. The resulting regression equation, which was statistically significant, indicated that the rate at which a depleted body cell mass was restored was related to the lipid and carbohydrate calories infused and to the nutritional state of the patient. Carbohydrate calories were more efficient than lipid calories. However increasing the amino acid concentration from 2.5 to 5% had no effect on the rate at which the body cell mass increased. The repletion rate was also directly related to the severity of malnutrition. Thus the correction of a malnourished individual with TPN is dependent on the severity of malnutrition, the type and amount of calories infused but is not affected by increasing the amino acid concentration from 2.5 to 5%.

This review has attempted to examine information pertaining to the role of cassava (Manihot esculenta) as a major food source for a large part of the world population, particularly the countries of South America, Africa, and Asia, where it is primarily a major source of energy for 300 to 500 million people. Its cultivation, usually on small farms with little technology, is estimated to cover on an annual basis about 11 million hectares providing about 105 million tons, more than half of which is consumed by humans. The importance of cassava as an energy source can be seen by its growing demand in the European economic community countries where it forms up to 60% of the balanced diets for swine. Cassava is one of the crops that converts the greatest amount of solar energy into soluble carbohydrates per unit of area, thus 1 kg of moisture-free cassava meal may yield up to about 3750 kcal which would mean that a yearly production of 15 tons of cassava meal per hectare would yield some 56 million kcal. The major limitations of cassava as food appear to be its poor protein content and quality and the rapid post harvest deterioration of its roots which usually prevents their storage in the fresh state for more than a few days. However, in addition to its use for culinary purposes, cassava finds application in industrial products such as an adhesive for laundry purposes, for manufacturing paper, alcohol, butanol, dextrin, adhesive tape, textile sizing, and glue.

Thirty-six daily food rations given as the basic diet to children in two paediatric hospitals in the City of Cracow were analysed. Using laboratory methods in these meals the contents were analysed of protein, fat and carbohydrates and the energy value was determined. Parallelly the theoretical values++ of these parameters were calculated using "Tables of Composition and Nutritional Value of Food Products". For the assessment of the differences between analytical and theoretical values the following were used: 1) deviations of the values obtained in analysis from the theoretical ones accepted as 100%, 2) indices of differences. The general characteristics of the results was determined by the arithmetical++ mean, standard deviation, variance coefficient and 95% confidence limits. The results shown in the study demonstrate that the lowest mean deviation from the theoretical values was found in the case of protein (1.1%) and energy value (12.5%) with the largest one for carbohydrates (38.9%).

1. The feasibility of improving iron nutrition by fortifying cane sugar with Fe and ascorbic acid was studied. 2. It was found to be possible to add a number of Fe salts together with ascorbic acid to sugar without affecting its appearance or storage properties. 3. The absorption of Fe from fortified sugar eaten with maize-meal porridge or made into jam or biscuits was measured in ninety-four volunteer multiparous Indian women using the 59-Fe erythrocyte utlization method. 4. The absorption of Fe from sugar fortified with ascorbic acid and ferrous sulphate and eaten with maize-meal porridge was increased about twofold in the ratio, ascorbic acid:Fe was 10:1 by weight. If the ratio was increased to 20:2, Fe absorption was increased a further threefold. 5. Sugar fortified with soluble Fe salts, including FeSO4.7H2O, discoloured both tea and coffee; sugar fortified with ferric orthophosphate did not have this effect. 6. Fe from FePO4.H2O was poorly absorbed when added with sugar to maize-meal porridge, and also when added with adequate quantities of ascorbic acid. This form of Fe was absorbed much less well than was the intrinsic Fe present in the maize. 7. When sugar fortified with FePO4.H2O and ascorbic acid was added to maize-meal porridge before cooling or was made into jam there was a several-fold increase in the amount of Fe absorbed.