• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.27 no.12
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• pp.1712-1720
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• 2014

Little is known about the gender differences in energetic requirements of goats in early life. In this study, we determined the energy requirements for maintenance and gain in intact male, castrated male and female Saanen goat kids using the comparative slaughter technique and provide new data on their body composition and energy efficiency. To determine the energy requirements for maintenance, we studied 21 intact males, 15 castrated males and 18 females ($5.0{\pm}0.1kg$ initial body weight (BW) and $23{\pm}5d$ of age) using a split-plot design with the following main factors: three genders (intact males, castrated males, and females) and three dry matter intake levels (ad libitum, 75% and 50% of ad libitum intake). A slaughter group included three kids, one for each nutritional plane, of each gender, and all three animals within a group were slaughtered when the ad libitum kid reached 15 kg in BW. Net energy requirements for gain were obtained for 17 intact males, eight castrated males and 15 females ($5.1{\pm}0.4kg$ BW and $23{\pm}13d$ of age). Animals were fed ad libitum and slaughtered when they reached 5, 10, and 15 kg in BW. A digestion trial was performed with nine kids of each gender to determine digestible energy, metabolizable energy and energy metabolizability of the diet. Our results show no effect of gender on the energy requirements for maintenance and gain, and overall net energy for maintenance was $205.6kJ/kg^{0.75}$ empty body weight gain (EBW) ($170.3kJ/kg^{0.75}$ BW) from 5 to 15 kg BW. Metabolizable energy for maintenance was calculated by iteration, assuming heat production equal to metabolizable energy intake at maintenance, and the result was $294.34kJ/kg^{0.75}$ EBW and $k_m$ of 0.70. As BW increased from 5 to 15 kg for all genders, the net energy required for gain increased from 9.5 to 12.0 kJ/g EBW gain (EWG), and assuming $k_g=0.47$, metabolizable energy for gain ranged from 20.2 to 25.5 kJ/g EWG. Our results indicate that it is not necessary to formulate diets with different energetic content for intact male, castrated male and female Saanen goat kids weighing from 5 to 15 kg.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.46 no.4
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• pp.307-314
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• 2013

Resveratrol (RSV) exerts several beneficial effects on metabolism and metaflammation-related diseases, including diabetes and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). The purpose of this study is to investigate whether RSV affects pathophysiology of diabetes and NAFLD as well as hepatic autophagy in a rodent model of diet induced obesity (DIO). DIO was induced in a subset of C57BL/6J mice fed a high fat (HF, 45% kcal fat) diet. After six weeks of HF diet treatment, RSV (8 mg/kg/day) was administered via an osmotic pump for a period of four weeks. Therefore, the experimental groups were as follows: 1) lean control (CON), 2) HF diet-induced obese control (HF), and 3) HF_RSV. Body weight and food intake were monitored daily. Fasting glucose, insulin, and adiponectin in serum and lipid profiles in serum and liver were analyzed. In addition, the autophagic process was investigated using transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Body weight and food intake were not affected by RSV treatment. Impaired glucose control accompanied by DIO was recovered with RSV as shown by lower levels of fasting serum glucose and insulin when compared with HF obese controls. In addition, RSV treatment resulted in increased levels of serum adiponectin, however, indices of lipid profile in serum and livers were reduced. Results of TEM analysis showed that a HF diet induced excessive autophagy with the presence of double-membrane autophagosomes, which was ameliorated by RSV. The regulatory effect of RSV on autophagy was confirmed by the altered LC3-II formation, which increased with a HF diet and was decreased by RSV treatment. These results suggest that RSV treatment improves glucose control and lipid profile and these beneficial effects may be mediated by an altered autophagic process.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.22 no.7
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• pp.1016-1025
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• 2009

Two experiments were conducted to determine energy and nutrient digestibility in four sources of distillers dried grains with solubles (DDGS) produced from corn and fed to growing pigs. The objective was to test the hypothesis that energy and nutrient digestibility in DDGS does not vary if samples are procured from ethanol plants that use similar production technologies and use corn that is grown within a narrow geographical area. The four sources of DDGS that were used were procured from ethanol plants that were less than 10 yr old and located within 250 km of each other. In Exp. 1, five growing barrows (initial BW = 71.4 kg) that were fitted with a T-canula in the distal ileum were allotted to a 5${\times}$5 Latin square design and used to measure apparent (AID) and standardized (SID) ileal digestibility of AA in the four sources of DDGS. Results of this experiment showed that the SID of CP and all AA except Cys and Pro were greater (p<0.05) in two of the DDGS sources than in the other two sources. Exp. 2 was conducted to measure the concentration of DE and ME and the apparent total tract digestibility (ATTD) of energy, N, P, ether extract, NDF, and ADF in corn and in the same four sources of DDGS as used in Exp. 1. Five pigs (initial BW = 29.7 kg) that were placed in metabolism cages and allotted to a 5${\times}$5 Latin square design were used. Results of Exp. 2 showed that the average DE and ME in DDGS were 4,072 and 3,750 kcal/kg DM, respectively, which was less (p<0.01) than the DE and ME in corn (4,181 and 4,103 kcal/kg DM, respectively). The average ATTD for P in DDGS was 56.1%, which was greater (p<0.01) than the ATTD for P in corn (31.9%). The ATTD for ADF in DDGS was also greater (p<0.05) than in corn, but the ATTD for ether extract and NDF were greater (p<0.05) in corn than in DDGS. It is concluded that energy and nutrient digestibility vary among sources of DDGS even when the DDGS is procured from ethanol plants that use corn grown within a narrow geographical region. Thus, factors other than corn growing region are responsible for the variability of energy and nutrient digestibility in DDGS.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.27 no.6
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• pp.907-915
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• 2014

Alpha-lipoic acid (${\alpha}$-LA) is not only involved in energy metabolism, but is also a powerful antioxidant that can protect against hepatic oxidative stress induced by some drugs, toxins, or under various physiological and pathophysiological conditions. Here, we investigated the effect of ${\alpha}$-LA against liver oxidative damage in broilers exposed to aflatoxin $B_1$ ($AFB_1$). Birds were randomly divided into four groups and assigned different diets: basal diet, 300 mg/kg ${\alpha}$-LA supplementation in basal diet, diet containing 74 ${\mu}g/kg$ $AFB_1$, and 300 mg/kg ${\alpha}$-LA supplementation in diet containing 74 ${\mu}g/kg$ $AFB_1$, for 3 weeks. The results revealed that the addition of 300 mg/kg ${\alpha}$-LA protected against the liver function damage of broilers induced by chronic low dose of $AFB_1$ as estimated by a significant (p<0.05) change in levels of plasma total protein, albumin, alkaline phosphatase and the activities of liver glutamic-oxalacetic transaminase and glutamic-pyruvic transaminase. The histopathological analysis also showed that liver tissues were injured in the $AFB_1$ diet, but this effect was alleviated by the addition of 300 mg/kg ${\alpha}$-LA. Additionally, $AFB_1$ induced a profound elevation of oxidative stress in birds, as indicated by an increase in malondialdehyde level, a decrease in glutathione peroxidase activity and a depletion of the glutathione content in the liver. All of these negative effects were inhibited by treatment with ${\alpha}$-LA. Our results suggest that the inhibition of $AFB_1$-induced excess production of lipid peroxides and the maintenance of intracellular antioxidant status may play important roles in the protective effects of ${\alpha}$-LA against $AFB_1$-induced oxidative damage in the liver.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.26 no.10
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• pp.1474-1483
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• 2013

The objective was to evaluate the use of prediction equations based on the chemical composition of feedstuffs to estimate the values of apparent metabolisable energy corrected for nitrogen balance (AMEn) of corn and soybean meal for broilers. For performance and carcass characteristics, 1,200 one-d-old birds (male and female) were allotted to a completely randomised factorial $2{\times}8$ (two genders and eight experimental diets) with three replicates of each sex with 25 birds. In the metabolism trial, 240 eight-d-old birds were distributed in the same design, but with a split plot in time (age of evaluation) with five, four and three birds per plot, respectively, in stages 8 to 21, 22 to 35, and 36 to 42 d of age. The treatments consisted of the use of six equations systems to predict the AMEn content of feedstuffs, tables of food composition and AMEn values obtained by in vivo assay, totalling eight treatments. Means were compared by Scott-Knott test at 5% probability and a confidence interval of 95% was used to check the fit of the energy values of the diets to the requirements of the birds. As a result of this study, the use of prediction equations resulted in better adjustment to the broiler requirements, resulting in better performance and carcass characteristics compared to the use of tables, however, the use of energy values of feedstuffs obtained by in vivo assay is still the most effective. The best equations were: AMEn = 4,021.8-227.55 Ash (for corn) combined with AMEn = -822.33+69.54 CP-45.26 ADF+90.81 EE (for soybean meal); AMEn = 36.21 CP+85.44 EE+37.26 NFE (nitrogen-free extract) (for corn) combined with AMEn = 37.5 CP+46.39 EE+14.9 NFE (for soybean); and AMEn = 4,164.187+51.006 EE-197.663 Ash-35.689 CF-20.593 NDF (for corn and soybean meal).

• Preventive Nutrition and Food Science
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.45-52
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• 2004

Effects of dietary calcium lactate (CaL-A) and Chungkukjang (Korean native fermented soybean) on bone mass, calcium status, body weight, serum glucose and cholesterol levels in young male rats were investigated. Chungkukjang was fermented by mixing 4 types of Bacillus sp., and then dried at 45$^{\circ}C$. Calcium lactate was prepared from the ash of black snail. The rats were fed a commercial rat diet for 1 week and then the experimental diets for 4 weeks. Animals were divided into four dietary groups: one calcium-deficient diet (Ca-De) and one of three with calcium supplemented diets (5 g calcium/kg diet) with either calcium phosphate (Ca-P), CaL-A, or CaL-A + Chuntkukjang (CaL-AC). Calcium supplemented diets contained 39 g Ca-P/kg diet and 28 g/kg of calcium lactate in the CaL-A and CaL-AC diets. Body weight gains during the 4 weeks in the Ca-P, CaL-A, CaL-AC and Ca-De groups were 130.45 g,112.50 g, 143.40 g and 10.20 g, respectively. Feed consumption of the groups from high to low was CaL-AC > Ca-P > CaL-A > Ca-De. The Ca-De group had low femur weights and low serum calcium concentrations, while they were comparatively high in CaL-AC, Ca-P and CaL-A groups. The Ca-De groups excreted less calcium in urine than did the other rats, probably due to increased absorption of the mineral in Ca-P, CaL-A and CaL-AC groups. Microscopic observations revealed that there were many regularly spaced holes in the femur of Ca-De group, while there were much smaller regularly spaced holes in Ca-P group. However, no holes in femur were observed in the CaL-A and CaL-AC groups. Bone surfaces were especially smooth and clean in the CaL-AC group. Serum concentrations of glucose and total cholesterol were remarkably lower in the CaL-AC group than in the other supplemented groups. These results suggest that calcium from CaL-A has higher bioavailability than from Ca-P, and dietary Chungkukjang may have a beneficial effect on calcium metabolism.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.28 no.4
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• pp.320-327
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• 2020

In current study, we aimed to investigate whether the gentiopicroside (GPS) derived from Gentiana manshurica Kitagawa could block the progression of alcoholic hepatic steatosis to fibrosis induced by chronic ethanol intake. C57BL/6 mice were fed an ethanol-containing Lieber-DeCarli diet for 4 weeks. LX-2 human hepatic stellate cells were treated with GPS 1 h prior to transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) stimulation, and murine hepatocyte AML12 cells were pretreated by GPS 1 h prior to ethanol treatment. GPS inhibited the expression of type I collagen (collagen I), α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) and tissue inhibitor of metal protease 1 in ethanol-fed mouse livers with mild fibrosis. In addition, the imbalanced lipid metabolism induced by chronic ethanol-feeding was ameliorated by GPS pretreatment, characterized by the modulation of lipid accumulation. Consistently, GPS inhibited the expression of collagen I and α-SMA in LX-2 cells stimulated by TGF-β. Inhibition of lipid synthesis and promotion of oxidation by GPS were also confirmed in ethanol-treated AML12 cells. GPS could prevent hepatic steatosis advancing to the inception of a mild fibrosis caused by chronic alcohol exposure, suggesting GPS might be a promising therapy for targeting the early stage of alcoholic liver disease.

• Journal of Korean Society on Water Environment
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• v.36 no.4
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• pp.284-299
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• 2020

Dam reservoirs play a particularly crucial role in processing the allochthonous and the autochthonous dissolved (DOC) and the particulate (POC) organic carbon and in the budget of global carbon cycle. However, the complex physical and biogeochemical processes make it difficult to capture the temporal and spatial dynamics of the DOC and the POC in reservoirs. The purpose of this study was to simulate the dynamics of the DOC and the POC in Daecheong Reservoir using the 3-D hydrodynamics and water quality model (AEM3D), and to quantify the mass balance through the source and sink fluxes analysis. The AEM3D model was calibrated using field data collected in 2017 and showed reasonable performance in the water temperature and the water quality simulations. The results showed that the allochthonous and autochthonous proportions of the annual total organic carbon (TOC) loads in the reservoir were 55.5% and 44.5%, respectively. In season, the allochthonous loading was the highest (72.7%) in summer, while in autumn, the autochthonous loading was the majority (77.1%) because of the basal metabolism of the phytoplankton. The amount of the DOC discharged to downstream of the dam was similar to the allochthonous load into the reservoir. However, the POC was removed by approximately 96.6% in the reservoir mainly by the sedimentation. The POC sedimentation flux was 36.21 g-C/㎡/yr. In terms of space, the contribution rate of the autochthonous organic carbon loading was high in order of the riverine zone, the transitional zone, and the lacustrine zone. The results of the study provide important information on the TOC management in the watersheds with extensive stagnant water, such as dam reservoirs and weir pools.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.19 no.12
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• pp.1841-1846
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• 2009

Menopause is often associated with the incidence of several chronic diseases including osteoporosis, cardiovascular disease, and obesity. Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) is an effective regimen that has been found to prevent these diseases in postmenopausal women. However, HRT is accompanied by an increased risk of unfavorable outcomes. Therefore, this study was conducted to evaluate the effects of Ecklonia cava, a kind of seaweed, extract on bone turnover markers in symptomatic menopausal women. For this study, the following four groups of 9-week-old Sprague-Dawley rats were evaluated over 6 weeks: normal rats (SHAM), ovariectomized rats (OVX-CON) and ovariectomized rats that were treated with Ecklonia cava extracts. The optimum extraction temperature and solvent of Ecklonia cava were found to be $80^{\circ}C$ and 80% ethanol. We measured the osteocalcin and CTx content, enzyme ALP activity in serum and collagen content in the cartilage, bone, skin and lungs. We found that the levels of indicators of bone metabolism such as ALP, osteocalcin and CTx were lower in rats in the Ecklonia cava extract group than the OVX-CON group. In addition, the collagen contents in the bone, cartilage, skin and lungs decreased in response to ovariectomy, but the levels of collagen were greater in the bone of rats that were treated with Ecklonia cava extract than in the bone of rats in the OVX-CON group. According to these results, we were able to know the effects of Ecklonia cava extract on bone aging in ovariectomized rats. Consequently, we expect Ecklonia cava extract to have an effect on bone aging in postmenopausal women.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.40 no.5
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• pp.580-585
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• 2008

The principal objective of this study was to determine the effects of defatted soybean grits (DSG) on body lipidmetabolism with 4 weeks of feeding on a high-fat diet. The rats were divided into the following 4 groups: control group (Con), control group treated with 20% DSG (C20D), high-fat group (HF), and high-fat group treated with 20% DSG (HF20D). The plasma total cholesterol and LDL-cholesterol concentrations were significantly lower in the HF20D group than in the HF group. On the other hand, the DSG supplement resulted in a significant increase in plasma HDL-cholesterol levels. The DSG supplement reduced the hepatic total lipid, total cholesterol, and triglyceride contents as compared to what was observed in the HF diet groups. In addition, the fecal total cholesterol and triglyceride contents increased in the DSG treatment groups. The hepatic HMG-CoA reductase activities were demonstrated to be significantly lower in the HF20D group than in the HF group. These results showed that the DSG powder lowered plasma cholesterol levels, tissue lipid contents, and cholesterol accumulation in the rats.