• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.30 no.1
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• pp.118-126
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• 2020

Silicon and phosphorus are elements that are beneficial for plant growth. Despite the abundant availability of silicate and phosphate in the Earth's crust, crop nutritional requirements for silicon and phosphorus are normally met through the application of fertilizer. However, fertilizers are one of the major causes of heavy metal pollution. In our study, we aimed to assess silicate and phosphate solubilization by the bacteria Enterobacter ludwigii GAK2, in the presence and absence of phosphate [Ca₃(PO₄)₂] or silicate (Mg₂O₈Si₃), to counteract cadmium stress in rice (Oryza sativa L). Our results showed that the GAK2-treated rice plants, grown in soil amended with phosphate [Ca₃(PO₄)₂] or silicate (Mg₂O₈Si₃), had significantly reduced cadmium content, and enhanced plant growth promoting characteristics including fresh shoot and root weight, plant height, and chlorophyll content. These plants showed significant downregulation of the cadmium transporter gene, OsHMA2, and upregulation of the silicon carrier gene, OsLsi1. Moreover, jasmonic acid levels were significantly reduced in the GAK2-inoculated plants, and this was further supported by the downregulation of the jasmonic acid related gene, OsJAZ1. These results indicate that Enterobacter ludwigii GAK2 can be used as a silicon and phosphorus bio-fertilizer, which solubilizes insoluble silicate and phosphate, and mitigates heavy metal toxicity in crops.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.89-97
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• 1993

This study was carried out to estimate the relationship between dietary intake, blood level, and urinary excretion of minerals and blood pressure in 30 healthy adults living in rural area of Korea(12 males and 18 females). Analysis for the nutritional status of the subjects were performed by 3-day dietary intake record, duplicated diet collection, 24-hour urine collection, and venous blood sampling before measuring blood pressure. The mean blood pressure of subjects was 117.50/80.83mmHg in males and 110.00/73.89mmHg in females. The mean daily intakes of Na, K, Ca, P, Mg, Fe, Cu, Zn estimated for 3 days were 199.97mEq, 49.56mEq, 452.50mg, 725.57mg, 240.40mg, 12.48mg, 3.41mg, 8.28mg, respectively. The serum concentration of Na, K, Ca, P, Mg, Fe, Cu, Zn were 139.83mEq/dl, 4.06mEq/dl, 8.86mg/dl, 3.28mg/dl, 2.13mg/dl, 0.12mg/dl, 0.12mg/dl, 0.14mg/dl, respectively. The 24-hour urinary excretions of Na, K, Ca, p, Mg, Fe, Cu, Zn estimated for 169.60mEq, 39.37mEq, 80.40mg, 398.97mg, 64.77mg, 0.21mg, 0.07mg, 0.29mg, respectively. No significant correlation was found between dietary intake, serum concentration, and urinary excretion of minerals and blood pressure. But, the serum Ca/Mg ratio showed negative correlation with the systolic and diastolic blood pressure at the level of significance of 5%. The study verifies the need for more systematic studies on interrelationship among minerals and mineral requirements in normotensive and hypertensive subjects.

• Nutrition Research and Practice
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• v.4 no.3
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• pp.222-228
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• 2010

Breastfeeding is an unequalled way of providing ideal food for the infants. The benefits of breastfeeding practices to infants and mothers are well documented. However, information on breastfeeding practices and its effect on body mass index (BMI) of mothers are scarce, particularly in Ekiti State of Nigeria. Therefore, the present study is designed to assess breastfeeding practices and its association with BMI of mothers. A descriptive and cross-sectional study was conducted among breastfeeding mothers that attended postnatal clinic of the state specialist hospitals and maternity centers in the study location. The specialist hospital and two-third of the nine maternity centers were purposively selected because of their health facilities and personnel. The mother-child pairs (200 respondents) were randomly selected from the study locations. Information on demographic characteristic, socio-economic parameters, nutritional knowledge of breastfeeding and dietary intakes of mothers were collected using questionnaires. BMI of mothers was determined as described by World Health Organization. Age distribution of mothers was between 25-34 years; and almost half of respondents had good educational background and were engaged in different occupations. The respondent monthly income ranged between = N = 3500 - 26000 ($26.92 - $200); and their dietary intakes varied between starchy and protein-based food. The result also showed that the respondent consumed enough nutrients to meet up the recommended daily allowance for protein, carbohydrate, fat, zinc, magnesium, sodium and phosphorous requirements. The BMI classifications showed that over three-fifth of respondents were normal, while the remaining were underweight (6%) and overweight/obese (26.5%). Also, large proportion of respondents engaged in exclusive breastfeeding and with good knowledge of breastfeeding practices. Statistically, exclusive breastfeeding practices had no correlation between the BMI and frequency of breastfeeding. The study, therefore, concluded that mothers had good knowledge of breastfeeding practice; and that there was no association between breastfeeding practices and BMI.

• Korean journal of applied entomology
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• v.42 no.4
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• pp.329-334
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• 2003

To study the interaction between rice weevil and storage molds, the preference of rice weevil to the four mold species (Aspergilus candidus, A. niger, A. flavus and Penicillium spp.) and the resulting reproduction of the rice weevil were observed. The rice weevil preferred rice grains contaminated with the molds to autoclaved ones regardless of the mold species tested. Among the four mold species, A. candidus and Penicillium sp. were highly preferred than the others. Reproduction of the rice weevil was higher on the grains contalminated with A. candidus and Penicillium sp., than on autoclaved ones, but was lower on the grains contaminated with A. flavus. The partial disagreement between preference and reproduction of the rice weevil might be a suggestion that both the weevil behavior adapting nutritional requirements and the process of the long intensive coadaptation of the rice weevil and storage molds requiring similar moisture niche are the major components of the population interaction between the weevil and molds.

• Preventive Nutrition and Food Science
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• v.16 no.4
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• pp.394-407
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• 2011

Better understanding of the complex factors leading to human diseases will be necessary for both long term prevention and for managing short and long-term health problems. The underlying causes, leading to a global health crisis in both acute and chronic diseases, include finite global health care resources for sustained healthy human survival, the population explosion, increased environmental pollution, decreased clean air, water, food distribution, diminishing opportunities for human self-esteem, increased median life span, and the interconnection of infectious and chronic diseases. The transition of our pre-human nutritional requirements for survival to our current culturally-shaped diet has created a biologically-mismatched human dietary experience. While individual genetic, gender, and developmental stage factors contribute to human diseases, various environmental and culturally-determined factors are now contributing to both acute and chronic diseases. The transition from the hunter-gatherer to an agricultural-dependent human being has brought about a global crisis in human health. Initially, early humans ate seasonally-dependent and calorically-restricted foods, during the day, in a "feast or famine" manner. Today, modern humans eat diets of caloric abundance, at all times of the day, with foods of all seasons and from all parts of the world, that have been processed and which have been contaminated by all kinds of factors. No longer can one view, as distinct, infectious agent-related human acute diseases from chronic diseases. Moreover, while dietary and environmental chemicals could, in principle, cause disease pathogenesis by mutagenic and cytotoxic mechanisms, the primary cause is via "epigenetic", or altered gene expression, modifications in the three types of cells (e.g., adult stem; progenitor and terminally-differentiated cells of each organ) during all stages of human development. Even more significantly, alteration in the quantity of adult stem cells during early development by epigenetic chemicals could either increase or decrease the risk to various stem cell-based diseases, such as cancer, later in life. A new concept, the Barker hypothesis, has emerged that indicates pre-natal maternal dietary exposures can now affect diseases later in life. Examples from the studies of the atomic bomb survivors should illustrate this insight.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.1 no.4
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• pp.201-208
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• 1988

Fifty-six lactating Surti buffaloes, fed rice straw, were allocated to seven treatment groups as follows: 1. Straw supplemented with 2% urea (SS) + 1.5kg rice bran (RB) 2. Straw treated with 4% urea in an open stack (TS open) 3. TS open + 1.5 kg RB 4. TS open + 3.0 kg RB 5. TS open + 1.5 kg RB + 3.0 kg Gliricidia (Gl) 6. Straw treated with 4% urea in a closed pit (TS closed) 7. TS closed + 1.5 kg RB + 3.0 kg Gl Milk production, butterfat percentage and liveweight gain of cows and calves were measured and tested with analysis of variance. The results are: - The animals on urea treated straw (group 2) had a higher milk production (p<0.05), higher butterfat production (p<0.05) and less liveweight gain loss (p<0.05) than the animals on urea supplemented straw (group 1). Butterfat percentage also increased by treatment, although not significantly (p>0.05). - Increasing levels of rice bran (groups 3 and 4 compared to 2) increased total milk production and milked quantity of butterfat, while butterfat percentage decreased (p < 0.05). - Milk production increased (p <0.05) with extra rice bran added (group 4 compared to 3), but was not affected (p > 0.05) by Gliricidia addition (group 5 compared to 3). Butterfat percentage dropped with extra rice bran supplement (p <0.05). The lack of response to Gliricidia indicated that protein is not limiting in treated straw, or that Gliricidia protein is partly insoluble. - System of treatment had no effect on milk production (p >0.05), while supplementation with 1.5 kg RB and 3.0 kg Gliricidia increased production and caused a lower butterfat percentage (p <0.05) (groups 2, 5, 6 and 7 compared). A significant (p <0.05) interaction treatment system x supplementation was present. It was concluded, that both treatment and supplementation did affect milk production as well as milk composition. Gliricidia addition gave less effect than rice bran, indicating different requirements for starchy substances in the feed. Treatment of straw does not negatively affect butterfat production, it can increase butterfat production and even butterfat percentage.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.19 no.10
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• pp.1415-1421
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• 2006

Proper nutritional management during the dry period is required to prevent metabolic disorders during the time of parturition and for potential increase milk yield during early lactation, especially under the heat of summer. The effect of prepartum diets on partitioning of nitrogen (N), calcium (Ca), phosphorus (P), magnesium (Mg) and potassium (K) during dry period and early lactation in summer was investigated. Nine cows were assigned to two groups and fed either control (group C: four cows) or high concentrate (group H: five cows) diets to meet 110% of their requirements before parturition. The proportion of concentrate in control diet was 35%, and that in the high concentrate diet was 45%. After parturition, all cows were fed the same diets ad libitum during lactation. Balance trials were conducted at 9, 8 and 7 days before parturition and at 12, 13 and 14 days after parturition. Before parturition, dry matter intake (DMI), DM and NFE digestibility in group C tended to be lower than those in group H. The retention of N (p<0.01) and P (p<0.05) in group C during the dry period was significantly lower than those in group H. The retention of Mg in group C during the dry period tended to be lower than in group H. The concentration of plasma NEFA in group C tended to be higher than in group H during dry period. The prepartum diet did not have an apparent effect on DMI and milk yield at 2 weeks after parturition and N, Ca, P, Mg and K balance after parturition.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.9 no.5
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• pp.525-531
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• 1996

Nutritional status of minerals of beef and dairy cattle and buffalo in central Thailand were investigated by evaluating the mineral concentrations in feedstuff and blood plasma of animals. Three crossbred beef cow herds, a native cow herd, a buffalo female herd and 3 dairy cattle herds which consisted of the herds of lactating cows, dry cows and heifers were studied in both rainy and hot seasons. Low Na concentrations (<0.07% on a dry matter basis) in pasture samples from the fields for a cross bred beef cow were observed. Copper concentrations in all the pasture samples ranged from 3.7 to 13.5 mg/kg. Iron and Se concentration in pasture samples had a wide variety ranging from 185 to 1,345 and 0.033 to 1.127 mg/kg, respectively. The concentrations of K, Ca, Mg, P, Zn and Mn in total diets were higher than the requirements for beef and dairy cattle. Some animals with subnormal plasma Cu concentrations(< $0.65{\mu}g/ml$) existed in each herd. The animals which showed subnormal plasma Se concentrations(< $0.03{\mu}g/ml$) were observed in beef cow herds. The concentrations of Ca, Mg and Zn in plasma of animals were normal. Attention should be paid to the deficiencies in Na, Cu and Se of the animals in central Thailand.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.24 no.4
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• pp.540-572
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• 2011

The present review focuses on the effects of energy intake on performance, changes in body tissue during lactation, and metabolic parameters in dairy cows. Especially, pre-partum nutrition and its influence on lactation are emphasized. In recent decades the increase in genetic potential of dairy cows has increased milk yield. This fact sharpens the problem of a negative energy balance in early lactation because the amount of energy required for maintenance and milk production exceeds the amount of energy cows can consume. Around parturition, reduced feed intake reinforces the situation. Continuing negative energy balance causes decreasing milk yield, fertility problems, and incidence of metabolic diseases. Hence, the cow has to rely on body reserves that were stored in late lactation and the dry period. It is evident that the nutritional status pre-partum acts as the key factor for milk yield and fertility parameters in the following lactation. Cows overfed during the foregoing gestation and which have gained large quantities of body fat have lower dry matter intake along with the need to mobilize larger quantities of body reserves in lactation. The milk yield in the following lactation is lower than in cows fed according to their requirements. Cows restrictively fed in late gestation have a higher feed intake in lactation and a lower mobilization of body reserves. The effect of energy intake post-partum plays only a minor role for performance parameters in lactation. Lipid mobilized from body reserves makes a substantial contribution to the energetic cost of milk production in early lactation and adipose tissue undergoes specific metabolic alterations. Adipose tissue is degraded to free fatty acids, which are used in liver for energy purposes. High lipid mobilisation promotes the development of a fatty liver and therefore a reduced gluconeogenesis.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.26 no.9
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• pp.1282-1288
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• 2013

A comparative slaughter trial was conducted to estimate the phosphorus (P) requirement for maintenance and growth of crossbred lambs of Dorper with a Chinese indigenous sheep breed, thin-tailed Han sheep. Thirty-five Dorper${\times}$thin-tailed Han crossbred, noncastrated ram lambs ($20.3{\pm}0.22kg$ of shrunk body weight (SBW)) were used. Seven lambs were randomly chosen and slaughtered at 20 kg SBW as the baseline group for measuring initial body composition. Another seven lambs were also randomly chosen and offered a pelleted mixed diet for ad libitum intake and slaughtered at 28 kg SBW. The remaining 21 sheep were randomly divided into 3 groups with 7 sheep each and subject to the same diet of either 70 or 40% of ad libitum intake. The 3 groups were slaughtered when the sheep fed ad libitum reached 35 kg of SBW. Body P contents were determined after slaughter. The results showed that the net P requirement for maintenance was 30.0 mg/kg of empty body weight (EBW) or 23.4 mg/kg body weight (BW), and the P requirement for growth decreased from 5.3 to 5.0 g/kg of EBW gain as the lamb grew from 20 to 35 kg. The net P requirement for growth of Dorper${\times}$thin-tailed Han crossbred ram lambs was lower than that of sheep adopted by the American nutritional system.