Computer-generated vegan menus: The importance of food composition database choice

Precise data on food chemical composition is crucial for any quantitative nutrition research and indispensable for evaluation and planning of computer-based menus. Moreover, exact food chemical composition is of the utmost importance in composing specific diets that may be low in certain essential nutrients. Therefore, this research evaluated a weekly vegan menu using three different food composition databases (FCDB): the Croatian, the official Danish Food Composition Database and the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) – National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference. Significant differences (p < 0.05) were determined in evaluated and optimised offers for the same menu when using different FCDBs. Furthermore, in these menus quantities of some nutrients have not reached official daily recommendations needed for prevention of non-communicable diseases. In this research, new vegan menus that can provide adequate quantity of essential nutrients, regardless of FCDB utilized, were created with linear optimisation (LO). This resulted in high quality daily menu offers. However, depending on the FCDB that was used, optimal menus differed in daily meal combinations, and the effectiveness of the optimisation in the minimisation of differences caused by differences of data in FCDBs was tested. Linear optimisation has been proved to be an effective tool in planning of specific diets, such as vegan diets. Nonetheless, the quality of computer-planned menus depends heavily on the quality of FCDB used.     

纤维素酶对玉米秸青贮营养成分及其奶牛瘤胃降解率的影响

本研究探讨了添加纤维素酶制剂对玉米秸青贮营养成分含量变化及其瘤胃内降解率的影响。以去穗玉米秸为试验材料,分别以0.00 g/1kg(C)、0.05g/1kg(Ⅰ)、0.2g/1kg(Ⅱ)、1g/1kg(Ⅲ)进行添加纤维素酶,贮藏4周后进行常规营养成分含量变化分析和饲养试验。用4头装有永久性瘘管荷斯坦乳牛,按4×4拉丁方设计进行瘤胃内降解率的试验。结果为:Ⅰ组、Ⅱ组和Ⅲ组玉米秸青贮DM含量差异不显著,但均显著低于C组;不同处理组的玉米秸青贮CP含量随纤维素添加量增加而显著提高,以1g/1kg纤维素酶添加处理的提高幅度最大;NDF和ADF含量均随着纤维素添加量增加而显著下降,其中1g/1kg纤维素酶添加处理的下降幅度最大。Ⅲ组、Ⅱ组和Ⅰ组玉米秸青贮的DM和CP奶牛瘤胃有效降解率均显著高于C组,并且Ⅲ组显著高于Ⅱ组和Ⅰ组;不同处理组的玉米秸青贮NDF有效降解率之间差异显著,Ⅲ组>Ⅱ组>Ⅰ组>C组;玉米秸青贮ADF有效降解率Ⅲ组、Ⅱ组和Ⅰ组之间无显著差异,但均显著高于C组。表明纤维素酶处理能提高青贮营养价值,且纤维素酶以1g/1kg添加量为宜。     

The effect of seamustard on blood lipid profiles and glucose level of rats fed diet with different energy composition

Recently, Korean people are consuming seaweeds almost 3.5 times more now than three decades ago. It is well known that seaweeds contain lots of soluble dietary fiber in addition to micronutrients such as β-carotene, iodine and some bioactive components. Seaweeds are considered to be effective for preventing chronic diseases including obesity, diabetes mellitus, atherosclerosis, cancer or constipation. This study was conducted to investigate the effect of seamustard intake on body weight gain, blood glucose level and lipid profiles in rats fed diets with different energy nutrient composition. Male Sprague-Dawley rats (average initial weight 103.7 g) were divided into groups for two experiments as follows; Control, M2.5 & M5 groups (Exp. I) and M5, M10, HCM5, HCM10, HFM5 & HFM10 groups (Exp. II). The rats were fed diet and water ad libitum for 4 weeks. In general, there was no significant difference in blood glucose and triglyceride concentration among groups. In Exp. I, serum LDL-cholesterol level of rats fed diet with 5% seamustard powder (M5) was significantly lower than that of control group, while HDL-cholesterol level, TC/LDL ratio and weight of adrenal gland were higher. In Exp. II, food intake, body weight gain and EER of high fat diet with 10% seamustard group (HFM10) were the lowest among groups. Except gastrocnemius muscle, all organ weights of HFM10 group were the lowest. Fecal cholesterol excretion and serum LDL-cholesterol concentration of HFM10 group were the highest, while serum HDL-cholesterol level was the lowest among groups. Interestingly, HDL-cholesterol concentration was the highest in HCM5 group among groups. From these results, it was suggested that seamustard intake might be more effective for body weight control, but not for improving blood lipid profiles in high fat diet than in high carbohydrate diet.     

Chemical composition and cytotoxic activity of the leaf essential oil of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Eugenia zuchowskiae</Emphasis> from Monteverde,Costa Rica

The leaf essential oil of Eugenia zuchowskiae from Monteverde, Costa Rica, has been obtained by hydrodistillation and analyzed by GC–MS. The principal constituents of E. zuchowskiae leaf oil were α-pinene (28.3%), β-caryophyllene (13.2%), α-humulene (13.1%), and α-copaene (8.1%). The leaf essential oil of E. zuchowskiae showed pronounced in-vitro cytotoxic activity against MCF-7, MDA-MB-468, and UACC-257 human tumor cell lines. The major components showed cytotoxic activities comparable to doxorubicin (LC₅₀ 14–70 μg/ml).