Jeong S. Sim

Changes in the Breast Milk Fatty Acids and Plasma Lipids of Nursing Mothers Following Consumption of n-3 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acid Enriched Eggs

The effect of chicken eggs enriched with n-3 fatty acids on breast milk and plasma fatty acids was determined in eight nursing women. The n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) enriched eggs (n-3 eggs) contained 690 mg of n-3 fatty acid with 165 mg composed of longer chain n-3 fatty acid (C20:5 n-3, C22:5 n-3, and C22:6 n-3). Consuming two n-3 eggs as a part of their normal daily meal for 6 wk resulted in a significant (p < 0.05) deposition of total n-3 fatty acids at 3.6% compared with 1.9% for the pretest milk and a reduction in n-6:n-3 ratio (6.7 vs. 3.0). The C20 and C22 n-3 PUFA comprised 1.2% compared with 0.4% in the pretest milk (p < 0.05). Consuming n-3 eggs did not (p > 0.05) alter the C20:4 n-6 or the total n-6 fatty acid content of breast milk. Mean plasma total cholesterol and triglycerides were unchanged at the end of the 6-wk trial. Analysis of the breast milk lipids revealed increased (p < 0.05) predominance of n-6 and n-3 PUFA in the milk phospholipids over triglycerides. Positional distribution of phospholipid fatty acids indicated 20:4 n-6 and 20:5 n-3 in the sn-2 position, whereas the sn-1 position had increased levels of C16:0 and C18:0 (p < 0.05). The present study demonstrates that breast milk n-3 PUFA content can be increased without altering the plasma cholesterol or triglycerides when the n-3 PUFA eggs were consumed by nursing women.

Isolation and characterization of proteoglycans from growing antlers of wapiti (Cervus elaphus)

Proteoglycans were extracted with 4 M guanidine-HCl from the zone of maturing chondrocytes, the site of endochondral ossification of growing antlers of wapiti (Cervus elaphus). Proteoglycans were isolated by DEAE-Sephacel chromatography and separated by Sepharose CL-4B chromatography into three fractions. Fraction I contained a high molecular mass (> 1000 kDa) chondroitin sulfate proteoglycan capable of interacting with hyaluronic acid. Its amino acid composition resembled that of the cartilage proteoglycan, aggrecan. Fraction II contained proteoglycans with intermediate molecular weight which were recognized by monoclonal antibodies specific to chondroitin sulfate and keratan sulfate. Fraction III contained a low molecular mass (< 160 kDa) proteoglycan, decorin, with a glucuronate-rich glycosaminoglycan chain.

Lack of chondroitin sulphate epitope in the proliferating zone of the growth plate of chicken tibia.

SummaryMonoclonal antibodies specific to chondroitin sulphate (CS-56) and keratan sulphate (AH12) were used to localize proteoglycans in the proximal tibial articular cartilage and growth plate of broiler chickens. There was no CS-56 labelling in the proliferative zone of the growth plate. In contrast, intense labelling with this antibody was observed in the transitional and hypertrophic zones of the growth plate and the articular cartilage. This was confirmed by extracting chondroitin sulphate fractions from different zones of the growth plate and articular cartilage, and examining their antigenicities to CS-56 by ELISA inhibition assay. It was suggested that the maturation of chondrocytes in the growth plate is related to the production of chondroitin sulphate with CS-56 epitope, which may be a prerequisite for normal endochondral bone formation in the chicken tibia. The role of chondroitin sulphate recognized by CS-56 in the articular cartilage is unknown.

Chemical composition of the infrapatellar fat pad of swine

The porcine infrapatellar fat pad is a structure composed of adipocytes and adipose connective tissues. Limited information is available concerning its chemical composition. Samples of the fat pad collected from young hogs were dissected into two portions: a relatively hard core of the pad with cushioning properties (inner tissue), and a soft adipose tissue surrounding the core (outer tissue). The inner tissue contained less moisture and nitrogen than did the outer tissue. The yield of dry‐delipidated tissue was also lower in the inner tissue, indicating a higher content of lipid in this tissue. Fatty acid analysis showed that the proportions of C18: 1, C16: 1 and C18: 2n‐6 are higher, and the proportion of C16: 0 is lower in the inner than in the outer tissue. Collagen is the major protein, with relatively small amounts of glycosaminoglycans in both tissues. The content of hyaluronic acid relative to sulphated galactosaminoglycan was lower in the inner than in the outer tissue. The electrophoresis pattern of sulphated galactosaminoglycan was also different between the two tissues. These results suggest that chemical composition varies between adipose tissues with different biomechanical function.

Potential Uses of Velvet Antler as Nutraceuticals, Functional and Medical Foods in the West

Abstract Velvet antlers have been used as Oriental medicine for many centuries. Traditional medical reports and clinical observations from the Eastern world convincingly show that velvet antler is biologically active. However, little information is available on chemical and biological efficacy of antler products in the West due to the incomplete understanding of the uses and pharmacological properties of velvet antlers. To make antler products acceptable as nutraceuticals and functional foods in the West, antler research has been conducted to isolate and characterize the chemical and biological properties of velvet antlers. The chemical composition of antler was determined in four sections (tip, upper, middle, and base). Contents of dry matter, collagen, ash, calcium, phosphorus, and magnesium increased (P < 0.05), and those of protein and lipid decreased (P < 0.05) downward from the tip to the base. The concentrations of uronic acid, sulfated glycosamino-glycan (GAG), and sialic acid decreased (P < 0.05) downward. Amino acid and fatty acid contents, expressed as percentage of total protein and lipid, respectively, also varied (P < 0.05) among sections. The yield of chondroitin sulfate (CS) was approximately six fold greater in the cartilaginous (tip and upper) sections than in the bony (middle and base) sections. In addition to CS, the antler sections contained small amounts of keratan sulfate (KS), hyaluronic acid, and dermatan sulfate. Two proteoglycans associated with GAGs were also extracted from the cartilaginous section; a large aggregated proteoglycan with CS and KS and small molecules of decorin. Water soluble extracts rich in GAG stimulated the growth of bovine fibroblast in culture. Feeding antler diet for 54 days showed a significant effect on the growth rate of immunized rats. Diet antler powder resulted in a significant increase of HDL-C/LDL-C ratio (P < 0.05). The result appears to reflect the involvement of unknown factor(s) derived from the antler diet suggesting the importance for the prevention of the risk of coronary heart disease. Hematocrit value and iron content in plasma also significantly increased by feeding antler powder (P < 0.05). Thus, our data suggest that there are significant unknown factor(s) in the antler powder that enhances the biological performance of growing rats.