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Nutrient databases are a critical component of nutrition science and the basis of exciting new research in precision nutrition (PN). To identify the most critical components needed for improvement of nutrient databases, food composition data were analyzed for quality, with completeness being the most important measure, and for FAIRness, how well the data conformed with the data science criteria of findable, accessible, interoperable, and reusable (FAIR). Databases were judged complete if they provided data for all 15 nutrition fact panel (NFP) nutrient measures and all 40 National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) essential nutrient measures for each food listed. Using the gold standard the USDA standard reference (SR) Legacy database as surrogate, it was found that SR Legacy data were not complete for either NFP or NASEM nutrient measures. In addition, phytonutrient measures in the 4 USDA Special Interest Databases were incomplete. To evaluate data FAIRness, a set of 175 food and nutrient data sources were collected from worldwide. Many opportunities were identified for improving data FAIRness, including creating persistent URLs, prioritizing usable data storage formats, providing Globally Unique Identifiers for all foods and nutrients, and implementing citation standards. This review demonstrates that despite important contributions from the USDA and others, food and nutrient databases in their current forms do not yet provide truly comprehensive food composition data. We propose that to enhance the quality and usage of food and nutrient composition data for research scientists and those fashioning various PN tools, the field of nutrition science must step out of its historical comfort zone and improve the foundational nutrient databases used in research by incorporating data science principles, the most central being data quality and data FAIRness.

Overdependence on exotic plant species constitutes a major setback for the consumption of wild fruits and vegetables among South Africans. The country is not spared from the adverse effects of climate change which play a substantial role in altering the ecosystem and have a ripple effect on food security. Wild fruits and vegetables have been identified to be underutilized despite the country's struggle in nourishing its population. This paper reviewed the impacts of climate change on the phenology, physiology, and economic benefits of wild fruits and vegetables in South Africa. Furthermore, spatial-based data was used to evaluate the possible productivity of wild fruits and vegetables through land use/land cover (LULC) assessment. The result showed that South Africa had varied vegetation and land cover dynamics. For example, Northern Cape and Western Cape Provinces are dominated by shrubland and barren land, thus unsuitable for fruit and vegetable production. In contrast, Limpopo, North-West, Mpumalanga, Gauteng, Free State, some parts of KwaZulu-Natal and Eastern Cape Provinces are covered with grassland and cultivated areas which made them good for vegetable farming and potential ground for wild fruit and vegetable cultivation. Thus, there is a need to develop cultivation strategies for edible wild fruits and vegetables with known nutritional characteristics to expand knowledge about nutritional benefits and options in utilizing the wild species. This will boost the country's economy, help to improve diet, and can play a crucial role in food security.

Global climate change affects agriculture and tends to aggravate the effect of various environmental stress factors including soil salinity. Beneficial elements such as titanium (Ti) may improve the performance of plants facing restrictive environments such as saline soils. This research work evaluated the individual effect of sodium chloride (0, 50, and 100 mM NaCl) in solution, that of leaf-applied Ti (0, 500, and 1000 mg L−1 Ti), and their interactions on physiological, biochemical, and nutritional variables of tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) seedlings cv. Rio Grande in a factorial design in greenhouse hydroponics. NaCl reduced seedling height, stem diameter, leaf area, SPAD units, and sugar and K concentrations, and increased antioxidant activity in stems and roots, photosynthetic pigments, sugars. Titanium increased the N, P, K, Ca, Mg, and Ti concentrations in leaves, but the concentration of total sugars in leaves was reduced when applying 500 mg Ti L−1. Under moderate salinity conditions (50 mM NaCl) the application of Ti increased the antioxidant activity in roots, while, at all salinity levels tested, Ti increased the concentrations of macro-nutrients and Ti in leaves. Titanium is concluded to have a positive effect on the antioxidant activity and nutrition of seedlings under saline stress conditions.

Objectives The present systematic review examined the available evidence on distinctive salivary ion profile in periodontitis compared to periodontal health and provided a qualitative assessment of the literature. Background Macro and trace elements are essential for cellular physiology, and their changes in biological fluids can be revelatory of an underlying pathological status. Methods Data from relevant studies identified from PubMed, Embase, and Scopus databases were retrieved to answer the following PECO question: "In systemically healthy individuals, are there any differences in any salivary macro or trace element concentration between periodontally healthy subjects (H) and patients with periodontitis (P)?" Quality of included studies was rated using a modified version of the QUADOMICS tool. A consistency analysis was performed to identify significantly discriminant chemical elements. Results After the screening of 873 titles, 13 studies were included reporting data on 22 different elements. Among them, levels of sodium and potassium were consistently and significantly higher in P compared to H. Conflicting results were found for all the other elements, despite concentration of calcium, copper, and manganese mostly increased in saliva of P. Levels of magnesium were found higher in P than in H in 2 studies but lower in 3. Zinc resulted significantly increased in saliva from H compared to P individuals in 2 studies, but one study reported opposite results. Four studies were considered as high quality, while reporting of operative protocols and statistical analysis was a major limitation for the others. Due to high methodologic heterogeneity, meta-analysis was not performed. Conclusions Levels of macro or trace elements were differentially identified in saliva across diverse periodontal conditions, having a major potential for investigation of oral homeostasis and for high-resolution periodontal diagnosis. Products of inflammatory physiologic cellular impairment, such as sodium and potassium, were the most consistently associated with periodontitis (PROSPERO CRD42021235744).

Background This study aimed to determine if obese cats undergoing energy restriction for weight loss would meet the National Research Council’s (NRC) indispensable amino acid and vitamin recommendations when fed a purpose-formulated diet. Thirty cats were placed into one of two groups; obese (BCS 8 to 9/9; n = 16) and lean (BCS 4 to 5/9; n = 14) and included in a non-randomized retrospective observational study. Cats were fed a veterinary weight loss food during a 4-week period of weight maintenance. Obese cats (O-MAINT) refers to obese cats during this period, L-MAINT to lean cats. After this initial 4-week period, the lean cats finished the study at this time and the 16 obese cats continued and were energy restricted for a 10-week period (O-RESTRICT). Analysis for dietary concentrations of indispensable amino acid and vitamin contents were performed. Daily food intakes were used to determine minimum, maximum and average daily intakes of individual nutrients for all three groups and compared against NRC 2006 minimum requirements (MR), adequate intakes (AI) and recommended allowances (RA) for adult cats. Results Over 10 weeks, O-RESTRICT cats lost 672 g ± 303 g, representing a weight loss rate of 0.94 ± 0.28% per week. Daily intake of the majority of indispensable amino acids and vitamins was greater than the NRC 2006 recommended allowance (RA per kg ideal body weight ^0.67), except for arginine, choline, crude protein, phenylalanine plus tyrosine and threonine. All O-RESTRICT cats had minimum, average, and maximum arginine intakes less than the NRC AI. Minimum daily intake of choline was below NRC RA for all O-RESTRICT cats and below NRC MR for two. All, except one, O-RESTRICT cats had a maximum and average choline intake below RA. Conclusions All cats remained clinically healthy and showed no clinical signs of deficiency. Dietary choline and arginine requirements of obese cats as well as health risks associated with low dietary intake during energy restriction warrant further investigation.

Spectral characteristics of solar radiation have a major role in plant growth and development and the overall metabolism, including secondary metabolism, which is important for the accumulation of health-promoting phytochemicals in plants. The primary focus of this study was to determine the effect of spectral characteristics of solar radiation on the nutritional quality of lettuce (Lactuca sativa L., cv. red leaf ‘New Red Fire’ and green leaf ‘Two Star’ and tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L., cv. BHN-589) grown in high tunnels in relation to the accumulation of essential nutrients and phytochemicals. Solar spectrum received by crops was modified using photo-selective poly covers. Treatments included commonly used standard poly, luminescence poly (diffuse poly), clear poly, UV blocking poly, exposure of crops grown under the standard poly to full sun 2 weeks prior to harvest (akin to movable tunnel), and 55% shade cloth on the standard poly. All the poly covers and shade cloth reduced the PAR levels in the high tunnels, and the largest reduction was by the shade cloth, which reduced the solar PAR by approximately 48%. Clear poly allowed the maximum UV-A and UV-B radiation, while standard poly allowed only a small fraction of the solar UV-A and UV-B (between 15.8% and 16.2%). Clear poly, which allowed a higher percentage of solar UV-A (60.5%) and UV-B (65%) than other poly covers, increased the total phenolic concentration and the antioxidant capacity in red leaf lettuce. It also increased the accumulation of flavonoids, including quercetin-3-glucoside, luteolin-7-glucoside, and apigenin-3-glucoside in red leaf lettuce, compared to the standard poly. Brief exposure of crops grown in high tunnels to full sun prior to harvest produced the largest increase in the accumulation of quercetin-3-glucoside, and it also resulted in an increase in luteolin-7-glucoside and apigenin-3-glucoside in red leaf lettuce. Thus, clear poly and brief exposure of red leaf lettuce to the full sun, which can increase UV exposure to the plants, produced a positive impact on its nutritional quality. In contrast, shade cloth which allowed the lowest levels of solar PAR, UV-A and UV-B relative to the other poly covers had a negative impact on the accumulation of the phenolic compounds in red leaf lettuce. However, in green leaf lettuce, luminesce poly, clear poly, UV-block poly, and shade treatments increased the accumulation of many essential nutrients, including protein, magnesium, and sulfur in green leaf lettuce compared to the standard poly. Poly cover treatments including shade treatment did not affect the accumulation of either carotenoids (lutein, β-carotene, and lycopene) or essential nutrients in mature tomato fruits. The results show that clear poly cover can enhance the accumulation of many phenolic compounds in red leaf lettuce, as does the brief exposure of the crop to the full sun prior to harvest. Thus, UV radiation plays an important role in the accumulation of phenolic compounds in red leaf lettuce while the overall spectral quality of solar radiation has a significant influence on the accumulation of essential nutrients in green leaf lettuce.

CAPES - Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior A alface (Lactuca sativa L.) é uma hortaliça folhosa de grande importância na alimentação e na saúde humana, destacando-se, principalmente, como fonte de vitaminas e sais minerais. Em países subdesenvolvidos, as deficiências de ferro, zinco e vitamina A são um problema de saúde pública. Apesar da importância desses elementos na saúde humana, os principais alimentos consumidos nos países em desenvolvimento apresentam baixos teores, tornando seu consumo insuficiente para atender aos requerimentos mínimos diários. Diante disso, objetivou-se avaliar o efeito de diferentes doses de zinco via foliar em quatro cultivares de alface crespa, visando a biofortificação. O experimento foi realizado em campo, na Universidade Federal de Uberlândia - Campus Monte Carmelo. O delineamento experimental utilizado foi o de blocos casualizados, em esquema fatorial 4 x 5 com quatro repetições, sendo quatro cultivares de alface crespa (Brida, Isabela, Thaís, Vanda) e cinco doses de sulfato de zinco foliar (0; 400; 800; 1.200 e 1.600 g ha-1 de zinco). Quando as plantas estavam completamente desenvolvidas, avaliou-se: altura de planta (cm), índice SPAD, massa fresca total (kg planta-1), diâmetro do caule (mm), diâmetro da cabeça (cm), número de folhas por planta, produtividade média estimada (kg m-2) e teor foliar de zinco. Os dados foram submetidos à análise de variância, pelo teste F (α = 0,05). Para os dados qualitativos, as médias foram comparadas pelo teste Tukey a 5% de probabilidade e, para os dados quantitativos, realizou-se análises de regressão. Houve interação significativa entre cultivares e doses de Zn, ao nível de 5% de probabilidade para altura da planta, massa fresca total, índice SPAD e produtividade média. De acordo com os resultados obtidos, foi possível concluir que todas as cultivares de alface avaliadas podem ser consideradas biofortificadas, porém, a cultivar Thaís destacou-se por apresentar alto teor de zinco foliar, além de resultados satisfatórios para a maioria das características agronômicas avaliadas. As doses de 300 a 706 g ha-1 de zinco via foliar podem ser utilizadas para serem aplicadas na cultura da alface por proporcionarem plantas biofortificadas sem afetar a grande maioria das características produtivas da cultura. Lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) is a leafy vegetable of great importance in food and human health, especially as a source of vitamins and minerals. In underdeveloped countries, deficiencies of iron, zinc and vitamin A are a public health problem. Despite the importance of these elements in human health, the main foods consumed in developing countries have low levels, making their consumption insufficient to meet the minimum daily requirements. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of different doses of zinc via leaf on four cultivars of crisp lettuce. The experiment was a field research, which occurred in Federal University of Uberlandia - Monte Carmelo Campus. The trial design was a randomized complete block design in a 4x5 factorial scheme with four replicates, four cultivars of crisp lettuce (Brida, Isabela, Thaís, Vanda) and five doses of zinc sulphate per leaf (0, 400, 800, 1200 and 1600 g ha-1 of zinc). When the plants were fully developed, it was evaluated: SPAD index, plant height (cm), total fresh mass (kg plant-1), stem diameter (mm), head diameter (cm), number of leaves per plant, estimated average productivity (kg m- 2) and zinc foliar content. Data were submitted to analysis of variance by the F test (α = 0.05). For the qualitative data, the averages were compared by the Tukey test at 5% probability and for the quantitative data, regression analyzes were performed. There was a significant interaction between cultivars and Zn doses at the 5% probability level for plant height, total fresh mass, SPAD index and average productivity. According to the results obtained, it was concluded that all evaluated lettuce cultivars can be considered biofortified, but the cultivar Thaís stands out because it has a high content of leaf zinc and satisfactory results for most of the evaluated agronomic characteristics. The doses of 300 to 706 g ha-1 of foliar zinc can be used to be applied in the lettuce crop, because they provide biofortified plants, without affecting the great majority of the productive characteristics of the crop. Dissertação (Mestrado)

The present study investigated the effects of foliar application of zinc (Zn) and selenium (Se) on bioavailability of Zn and Se and toxicity of cadmium (Cd) and lead (Pb) to different water spinach ecotypes (LA and HA) grown in slightly (XZ) or moderately (LJY) contaminated fields via in vitro digestion combined with Caco-2/HL-7702 cell model. The obtained results revealed that foliar application of Zn and Se promoted yield, increased total, bioaccessible and bioavailable fractions of Zn and Se in plants, indicating that foliar application is a feasible way of biofortification. Although there was no significant effect on liver cell proliferation (MTT), membrane stability (LDH) and hepatocyte enzyme (ALT and AST) activities, the obvious ecotype and soil dependent fluctuations of lipid peroxidation (MDA) and antioxidant enzyme (SOD, POD and CAT) activities in serum highly suggest that the low accumulator and clean field should be used in agricultural production rather than the high accumulator and contaminated farmland. Moreover, foliar application of Zn and Se improved nutritional quality of all water spinach genotypes in both fields, including increased Fe, vitamin C, cellulose and chlorophyll, maintained concentrations of potassium (K), manganese (Mn), copper (Cu), protein, and nitrate. These results demonstrate that this agricultural management practice may prove to be an effective approach for minimizing health risk and alleviating "hidden hunger" in the developing countries.

Understanding citrus tree root development and dynamics are critical in determining crop best nutrient management practices. The role of calcium (Ca) and magnesium (Mg), manganese (Mn), Zinc (Zn), and boron (B) on huanglongbing (HLB) affected citrus trees&rsquo, root growth and lifespan in Florida is not fully documented. Thus, the objective of this study was to determine the impact of foliar and ground-applied essential nutrients on seasonal fine root length density (FRLD, diameter (d) &lt, 2 mm) and coarse roots (d &gt, 2 mm), FRLD dynamics, root survival probability (lifespan), and root-zone soil pH of HLB-affected sweet orange trees. Results indicated that Ca treated trees budded on Cleopatra (Cleo) and Ca and Mg combined treatments on Swingle (Swc) rootstocks significantly increased seasonal FRLD of fine (&lt, 2 mm) and coarse roots. The highest median root lifespan of Ca treated trees was 325 and 339 days for trees budded on Cleo and Swc rootstocks, respectively. In the second study, the coarse roots showed a significantly higher reaction to the nutrition applied than the fine roots. Meanwhile, the 2&times, (1&times, foliar and 1&times, ground-applied) treated trees showed a significantly higher median root lifespan compared to the other treatments. Thus, the current study unwraps future studies highlighting the combined soil and/or foliar application of the above nutrients to stimulate FRLD and improve root lifespan on HLB-affected sweet oranges with emphasis on root-zone soil pH.

Introduction: Prenatal nutritional status plays a remarkable role in neurocognitive development of an offspring. Although, essential nutrients like iron, calcium, and vitamins are being supplemented during pregnancy, very few studies have focussed on essential brain nutrients and its role on foetal mental development and neurocognitive outcomes through ageing. Studies show that prenatal supplementation of essential brain nutrient such as choline alone enhances learning and memory functions and protects adult rats against spatial memory deficits across the lifespan. Similarly, studies also show that supplementation of Docosahexaenoic Acid (DHA) during pregnancy confers positive developmental outcomes in the offspring such as increased birth weight, enhanced visual acuity, hand to eye coordination, attention, problem solving and information processing. Aim: To assess the neurocognitive developmental outcomes of early adolescent rats prenatally supplemented with either choline or DHA or both. Materials and Methods: E0 Day pregnant dams were divided into five groups 1: Normal control, 2: Saline control 3: Choline 4: DHA, 5: Choline+DHA. Pregnant dams from the normal control group were undisturbed in their home cage and were provided normal animal feed and water ad libitum. Saline, choline (4.6 mmol/kg/day) and DHA (400 mg/day of DHA) were supplemented to appropriate groups during the same period. Subsequent to weaning period, rat pups from all groups of dams were subjected to t-maze and passive avoidance tests. Results: The behavioural studies indicate that offspring prenatally treated with (Group 5) both choline and DHA showed significantly (p

In this report, we present a practical approach to teaching several topics in nutrition to science students at the high school and college freshmen levels. This approach uses baker's yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) as a biological system model. The diameters of yeast colonies, which vary according to the nutrients present in the medium, can be observed, compared, and used to teach metabolic requirements. The experiments described in this report show simple macroscopic evidence of submicroscopic nutritional events. This can serve as a useful base for an analogy of heterotrophic human cell. Fil: Alonso, Manuel. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Medicina. Departamento de Bioquímica Humana; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina Fil: Stella, Carlos Alberto. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Medicina. Departamento de Bioquímica Humana; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina

Several catastrophes could block the sun, including asteroid/comet impact, super volcanic eruption, and nuclear war with the burning of cities (nuclear winter). Previous work has analyzed alternate food supplies (e.g., mushrooms growing on dead trees, bacteria growing on natural gas). This was shown to be technically capable of feeding everyone with macronutrients (protein, carbohydrates, and lipids) and minerals, although economics and politics remain uncertain. The present work analyzes vitamin availability in such alternative food scenarios. The vitamin content of various alternate foods is compared to the US recommended daily allowance (RDA) as well as the average requirement defined by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) and insufficiencies of single food sources are discussed. Single alternate food sources are always deficient in some vitamins, and the problems associated with this are discussed. To prevent disease in an alternative food scenario a wide range of foods must be consumed, or the diet must be supplemented. Backup plans discussed include chemical synthesis of vitamins, plants grown with artificial light and growing bacteria rich in certain vitamins. Finally, insights from this analysis are provided for combating existing micronutritional deficiencies using alternative foods today.