No description available.

Abstract available in Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.

No description available.

No description available.

Recently maternal intake of multivitamins has been associated with a reduced risk of orofacial clefts (OFC)in human epidemiologic studies. In the Philippines, vitamin B-6 deficiency was found to be associated with increased risk of OFCs. The birth prevalence of OFCs in the Philippines is among the highest known, but Filipino emigrants in the United States have lower rates, indicating that environmental factors may play an important role in causing OFCs in the Philippines. The prevalence and possible causes of vitamin B-6 deficiency were investigated through dietary and biochemical assessments in case-control study in Negros Occidental, Philippines. Mothers with OFC offspring (cases) were ascertained during a 2-week OFC surgical mission of Operation Smile in 1997, and mothers without OFC offspring (controls) were recruited at randomly selected neighborhood health centers. Sixty-three percent case-mothers and 41 percent control-mothers were vitamin B-6-deficient. Dietary vitamin B-6 intake was low in both cases and controls but lower in cases. Case-mothers consumed 9.4 percent fewer calories than the control-mothers. Rice was the major contribution of total energy, carbohydrate, and protein for both cases and controls. Both cases and controls consumed fruits, seafood, dairy, fats, and oils with similar frequency, but cases consumed grains and grain products, vegetables, meats, beans and bean products, and roots less frequently. The vitamin B-6 activity coefficient, an indicator of vitamin B-6 deficiency, was correlated positively with plasma homocystine and negatively with plasma and red cell folate in cases only. No significant correlations were found between vitamin B-6 status and maternal age, smoking, or drinking, in either cases or controls. Vitamin B-6 deficiency appears to be an important yet complex problem in Negros Occidental because it is widespread and strongly associated with the risk of OFC birth defects. This condition may be a consequence of 1) high polished rice consumption, 2) low vitamin B-6 intake from other food sources, 3) presence of glycosylated vitamin B-6 in plant foods, 4) high vitamin C-induced vitamin B-6 hydroxylation, or 5) a potential zinc deficiency.

Growth and enterotoxin production by Staphylococcus aureus straings, in the presence of different starter [2:1 (V/V) blend of AM2:ML8 strains of Streptococcus lactis] levels was investigated. Sterile, 10 per cent non-fat dry milk was inoculated with S. aureus strains capable of producing all types of enterotoxins, and reduced levels of starters; and was incubated at 32 C for 24 hours. The pH and S. aureus population were determined at 2 hour intervals until 8 hours and at 24 hours. The inhibitory response of lactic streptococci was studied by spot-tests on a lawn of S. aureus strains. The drop in pH, from 4 to 8 hours incubation, for all starter levels, was proportional to their inocula. The rate of acid formation, or drop in pH, from 4 to 8 hours, was correlated with the change in staphylococcal population from 6 to 24 hours (Correlation Coefficient = Y = -0.805). Regression analysis indicated that change in pH from 4 to 8 hours could be used to predict the staphylococcal population change from 6 to 24 hours. All four enterotoxigenic strains showed differential susceptibility to the starter metabolite(s). A 0.1 per cent starter level did not allow the increase of approximately 104 cells per milliliter, of an eterotoxin D producing strain of S. aureus (23235). Approximately 106 cells per milliliter of S. aureus 23235, decreased to about 104 cells in the presence of a 0.1 per cent starter level; while 0.01 per cent starter level did not allow the inocula of approximately 106 cells pe milliliter, of enterotoxin B producing strain of S. aureus, did not increase in the presence of 0.01 per cent starter level. The same inocula of enterotoxin A and C producing straings of S. aureus decreased to about 103 to 104 cells per milliliter in the presence of 0.01 per cent starter. These strains sharply declined in population in the presence of 0.1 per cent starter level. The lactic organism did not produce inhibitory levels nisin, or over 5 micrograms of hydrogen peroxide per milliliter of broth. When the lactic streptococci were spotted on lawns of enterotoxins B, C, and D producing strains of S. aureus, staphylococcal grothwas inhibited around the spots, on both agar, with and without added calcium carbonate. Enterotoxin A producing strain was not inhibited on agar. The degree of inhibition for B and D enterotoxin producing strains, was greater in agar fortified with calcium carbonate, than that without fortification while the revers was true for enterotoxin C producing strain.

Danish type swiss cheese has the characteristic "eye" of a regular swiss cheese and is similar in texture. The flavor is milder and has a softer body. Because of its milder flavor and softer body it is of interest for consumption. Because it cures faster than swiss cheese it has the added advantage of cutting down curing cost and thus requires a shorter time to reach the consumers. Another advantage is that it is made in small loaves or wheels which make for better handling, for it can be sold in both wholes ale and retail establishments without cutting before wrapping. Still another advantage of Danish type swiss cheese is that small equipment needed which is also adapted to manufacturing of cheddar cheese. The problem was to make better Danish type swiss cheese by applying different types and amounts of starters using Streptococcus lactis with a mixture of (1) Streptococcus thermophilus and (2) Lactobacillus bulgaricus and also to find the best combination of these bacilli and cocci. The influence of warm room temperature upon the eye formation and body and texture was studied. The Cheese was held in brine solution for different lengths of time to find the most effective salt concentration. Different temperatures were maintained in a warm room to find out which temperature was best for a higher quality of cheese. A pancreatic enzyme was added in different amounts to a few lots of milk before pasteurization, to find out whether it affects the body and texture and reduce the curing time. Pure trypsin was used in one lot to determine its influence on the quality of cheese.

Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) can respond to dietary stimuli modulating the up-regulation of pro-inflammatory cell signaling, which is associated with metabolic disease and has been seen to be elevated in African American (AA) when compared to Caucasian American (CA) women. Little is known about the response of PBMCs to a high fat meal among women and the potential impact of ethnicity and/or weight status on this response. The purpose of this study was to examine PBMC response to consuming a high fat meal and the response to culturing PBMCs in media supplemented with lipid among AA and CA women, and to determine the impact that ethnicity and/or weight status may have on this response. Twenty-one women participated in the study: 10 AA (age: 28.00±6.60), 11 CA (age: 26.91±6.28), of whom 11 were lean (BMI

As the rates of obesity continue to increase among adolescents and young adults, adopting healthy dietary and lifestyle habits is necessary in order to prevent obesity-related chronic disease later in life. Although several studies have addressed nutrition education and its effect on weight in college students, few studies have assessed percent fat as it relates to a semester-long nutrition course. As such, the effectiveness of a formal introductory nutrition course on lifestyle habits and percent fat of college students was examined. The current study aimed to address the relationship between percent body fat and nutrition education over the course of 8-months. Using a quasi-experimental design, this study compared changes among an intervention group and a comparison group pre-semester, post-semester and at 8-months follow-up. Participants completed a dietary habits survey and body composition was measured between August 2015 and May 2016. Results indicated that nutrition knowledge may have a short-term impact on dietary habits and body fat percentage among college-aged students. Between baseline and 4-months, we found a 1.9% reduction (27.29%-26.77%) in body fat percentage among the experimental group, while there was a 2.5% increase (25.25%-25.89%) in body fat percentage among the control group. Although we could not determine the exact reason, our results suggest that the reduction in body fat percentage may be due to knowledge and exercise. Our findings suggest that nutrition education has the potential to affect body composition among college students.

The local food environment plays an important role in the health of adolescents, especially in rural areas. Often, rural areas lack the accessibility and availability of healthy food choices, making a healthy lifestyle difficult to achieve. This study presents a cross-sectional survey of rural adolescents in 8 counties in Kentucky and North Carolina to determine the association between food store choice, body mass index (BMI), and key dietary outcomes. Although BMI had no association with food store choice, those who infrequently shopped at gas stations, convenience stores, and fast food restaurants consumed significantly less added sugar (p < 0.05) than those who shopped at those stores more regularly. Increasing the availability and accessibility of food venues with healthy food options such as supermarkets may decrease added sugar intake among rural adolescents.