• Journal of Animal Science and Technology
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• v.62 no.4
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• pp.504-520
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• 2020

Proliferation of shrubs at the expense of native forage in pastures has been associated with large changes in dry-matter intake and dietary components for grazing ruminants. These changes can also affect the animals' physiology and metabolism. However, little information is available concerning the effect of pastoral-shrub grazing on the rumen bacterial community. To explore rumen bacteria composition in grazing yaks and the response of rumen bacteria to increasing shrub coverage in alpine meadows, 48 yak steers were randomly assigned to four pastures with shrub coverage of 0%, 5.4%, 11.3%, and 20.1% (referred as control, low, middle, and high, respectively), and ruminal fluid was collected from four yaks from each pasture group after 85 days. Rumen fermentation products were measured and microbiota composition determined using Ion S5™ XL sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene. Principal coordinates analysis (PCoA) and similarity analysis indicated that the degree of shrub coverage correlated with altered rumen bacterial composition of yaks grazing in alpine shrub meadows. At the phyla level, the relative abundance of Firmicutes in rumen increased with increasing shrub coverage, whereas the proportions of Bacteroidetes, Cyanobacteria and Verrucomicrobia decreased. Yaks grazing in the high shrub-coverage pasture had decreased species of the genus Prevotellaceae UCG-001, Lachnospiraceae XPB1014 group, Lachnospiraceae AC2044 group, Lachnospiraceae FCS020 group and Fretibacterium, but increased species of Christensenellaceae R-7 group, Ruminococcaceae NK4A214 group, Ruminococcus 1, Ruminococcaceae UCG-002, Ruminococcaceae UCG-005 and Lachnospiraceae UCG-008. These variations can enhance the animals' utilization efficiencies of cellulose and hemicellulose from native forage. Meanwhile, yaks grazed in the high shrub-coverage pasture had increased concentrations of ammonia nitrogen (NH₃-N) and branched-chain volatile fatty acids (isobutyrate and isovalerate) in rumen compared with yaks grazing in the pasture without shrubs. These results indicate that yaks grazing in a high shrub-coverage pasture may have improved dietary energy utilization and enhanced resistance to cold stress during the winter. Our findings provide evidence for the influence of shrub coverage on the rumen bacterial community of yaks grazing in alpine meadows as well as insights into the sustainable production of grazing yaks on lands with increasing shrub coverage on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau.

• Nutrition Research and Practice
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• v.10 no.5
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• pp.555-562
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• 2016

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Childhood obesity has become a global epidemic. Development of effective and sustainable programs to promote healthy behaviors from a young age is important. This study developed and tested an intervention program designed to promote healthy eating and physical activity among young children in South Korea by adaptation of the US National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Mission X (MX) Program. SUBJECTS/METHODS: The intervention program consisted of 4 weeks of fitness and 2 weeks of nutrition education. A sample of 104 subjects completed pre- and post- surveys on the Children's Nutrition Acknowledgement Test (NAT). Parents were asked for their children's characteristics and two 24-hour dietary records, the Nutrition Quotient (NQ) at baseline and a 6-week follow-up. Child weight status was assessed using Korean body mass index (BMI) percentiles. RESULTS: At baseline, 16.4% (boy: 15.4%; girl: 19.2%) of subjects were overweight or obese (based on $BMI{\geq}85%tile$). Fat consumption significantly decreased in normal BMI children ($48.6{\pm}16.8g$ at baseline to $41.9{\pm}18.1g$ after intervention, P < 0.05); total NQ score significantly increased from 66.4 to 67.9 (P < 0.05); total NAT score significantly improved in normal BMI children (74.3 at baseline to 81.9 after the program), children being underweight (from 71.0 to 77.0), and overweight children (77.1 at baseline vs. 88.2 after intervention, P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: The 6-week South Korean NASA MX project is feasible and shows favorable changes in eating behaviors and nutritional knowledge among young children.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.43 no.6
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• pp.675-682
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• 2011

This study was conducted to monitor the concentrations of 24 anti-impotence drugs and their analogues in various foods and dietary supplements, with the aim of ensuring the safety of the foods and supplements. The measurements were done in 226 samples using high performance liquid chromatography/photodiode array detector (HPLC/PDA) and liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry (LC-ESI-MS/MS). Five male sexual function enhancing products have been detected as follows: acethylvardenafil (21,476 mg/kg; 15 mg/capsule from one sample), sildenafil (52,778 mg/kg, 29 mg/capsule in one sample; 71,535 mg/kg, 48 mg/capsule in one sample), and tadalafil (9,772-55,545 mg/kg, 6-33 mg/capsule in four samples). A sustainable monitoring of anti-impotence drugs and their analogues in various foods and dietary supplement is recommended.

• Nutrition Research and Practice
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• v.6 no.6
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• pp.481-490
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• 2012

Phytochemicals are reported to provide various biological functions leading to the promotion of health as well as the reduced risk of chronic diseases. Fat-soluble plant pigments, carotenoids, are extensively studied micronutrient phytochemicals for their potential health benefits. It is noteworthy that specific carotenoids may be responsible for different protective effects against certain diseases. In addition, each carotenoid can be obtained from different types of plant foods. Considering the fact that the phytochemical content in foods can vary according to, but not limited to, the varieties and culture conditions, it is important to establish a database of phytochemicals in locally produced plant foods. Currently, information on individual carotenoid content in plant foods commonly consumed in Korea is lacking. As the first step to support the production and consumption of sustainable local plant foods, carotenoids and total phenolic contents of plant foods commonly consumed in Korea are presented and their potential biological functions are discussed in this review.

• Journal of Animal Science and Technology
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• v.62 no.3
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• pp.365-373
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• 2020

This study was designed to evaluate the influence of dietary supplementation of Tenebrio molitor larvae (TM) as an alternative source of protein to fish meal on growth response, retention of nutrient, hematological factors, immune system, and intestinal integrity in weaned pigs. A total of 180 weanling pigs (initial bodyweight of 6.27 ± 0.15 kg; 21 d) were distributed based on the bodyweight between 3 treatments with 6 replicates in each treatment including 10 piglets per replicate. The diets corresponding to treatments consisted of a fish meal diet (CON), a fish meal-dried mealworm diet (TM1, 50% replacement of fish meal with TM meal), and a dried mealworm diet (TM2, 100% replacement of fish meal with TM meal). This study was performed in two phases as phase 1 (d 0 to 14) and phase 2 (d 15 to 28). The pigs in the TM2 treatment showed a greater gain to feed ratio compared with the TM1 pigs in phase 1. Throughout the experimental period, the average daily gain (ADG) of the TM1 pigs was significantly greater than that of the TM2 treatment. The IgG concentration was increased in the TM1 and TM2 treatments compared with the CON pigs in phase 1. In conclusion, the supplementation of TM meal (50% replacement of fish meal) did not show any adverse effects in the performance of weanling pigs, however, 100% replacement of fish meal with TM meal is not recommended.

• Nutrition Research and Practice
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• v.16 no.6
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• pp.789-800
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• 2022

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to examine the validity and reproducibility of a food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) developed in Korea for breast cancer survivors. SUBJECTS/METHODS: Ninety-nine breast cancer survivors who completed an FFQ twice and three 3-day dietary records (DRs) between 2016-2017 were included. Energy and 14 nutrient intakes were calculated from FFQs and DRs. To determine the validity of the FFQ, energy-adjusted de-attenuated Pearson correlations between two FFQ assessments and the average of the three 3-day DRs were calculated, and to determine reproducibility, energy-adjusted Pearson correlations and degrees of agreement were calculated between the first and second FFQ assessments. RESULTS: Correlation coefficients of validity ranged from 0.29 (protein) to 0.47 (fat) (median value = 0.36) for the FFQ assessment and from 0.20 (riboflavin) to 0.53 (calcium) (median value = 0.37) for the second. Correlation coefficients of reproducibility ranged from 0.22 (sodium) to 0.62 (carbohydrate) (median value = 0.36). Regarding FFQ reproducibilities, percentage classifications of exact agreements for energy-adjusted nutrients ranged from 27.3% (sodium) and 45.5% (fat). A median 76.8% of participants were classified into the same or adjacent quartiles, while a median of 5.6% of participants were classified in extreme quartiles. Bland-Atman plots for the majority of data points of three macronutrients, calcium and vitamins A and C fell within limits of agreement. CONCLUSIONS: These results indicated that the newly developed FFQ for Korean breast cancer survivors has acceptable validity and reproducibility as compared with three 3-day DRs collected over a one-year period.

• Korean Journal of Exercise Nutrition
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• v.23 no.3
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• pp.29-38
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• 2019

[Purpose] Effective nutritional intervention can help reduce the risk of nutritional problems and improve athletic performance in adolescents. The five A's (assess, advise, agree, assist, and arrange) model is widely used as the theoretical framework for advice on nutrition, smoking, drinking, and physical activity and it recommends that practitioners in primary health care promote behavior change to facilitate positive outcomes. This model has also been useful in understanding the underlying processes of behavior change. This study aimed to develop both a novel evidence-based nutritional intervention protocol, rooted in sound nutritional theory, and a customizable nutritional intervention program to support sustainable healthy eating, enhance nutrient intake, and improve athletic performance in adolescent athletes. [Methods] In this study, we adapted the 5 A's behavioral change model and motivational interview to develop a theoretical framework to help adolescent athletes change their behavior and achieve their goals. [Results] During each step of the 5 A's protocol, a customized nutritional intervention protocol was developed by nutrition experts for each of adolescent athletes. Each plan was developed to improve the eating habits of adolescent athletes through group education and counseling. All nutritional counseling sessions were designed to enable participants to apply nutritional knowledge and practical action plans to their training and competition conditions to enable each of them to achieve individual athletic goals and facilitate self-management. [Conclusion] A theoretical and evidence-based nutritional intervention protocol was developed to identify and address obstacles to healthy dietary habits in adolescent athletes. This could be used as the basis for further studies aimed at improving nutrient intake and athletic performance in adolescent athletes.

• Nutrition Research and Practice
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• v.17 no.6
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• pp.1155-1169
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• 2023

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Unhealthy food choices among young adults are common globally, and the incidence of chronic diseases, such as obesity, is rising. Food literacy (FL) is important for improving and maintaining individual health in a rapidly changing food environment and can form the basis for following a sustainable diet. Therefore, it is essential to improve FL among young adults, particularly college students, who are in the formative years of their lifelong food habits. This study examined the facilitators and barriers of FL and related dietary behavior among college students in South Korea. SUBJECTS/METHODS: This study recruited 25 college students with different residence types using convenience and snowball sampling. In-person, telephone, and video interviews were conducted from March to November 2021. The interview data were analyzed using framework analysis based on the socio-ecological model. RESULTS: At the individual level, prior good experiences with food were the most frequently mentioned facilitator. In contrast, the major barriers were a lack of knowledge, financial hardship, irregular schedules, and academic stress. At the interpersonal level, the influences of family and peers, such as early exposure to healthy eating habits and opportunities to have easy accessibility to farms and farming, are major facilitators, but the lack of a sense of community was the major barrier. At the environmental level, the major barriers were unfavorable food environments at home and in neighborhoods, such as the absence of kitchens in housing and large packaging of produce at markets. CONCLUSIONS: Many factors affected the students' FL and related healthy eating practices. These findings suggest that a campus-based FL program should be developed by reflecting on these facilitators and barriers.

• Animal Bioscience
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• v.37 no.2
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• pp.161-172
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• 2024

For sustainable development, better performance, and less gas pollution during rumen fermentation, there is a need to find a green and safe feed additive for ruminants. Cysteamine (CS) is a biological compound naturally produced in mammalian cells. It is widely used as a growth promoter in ruminants because of its ability to control hormone secretions. It mainly controls the circulating concentration of somatostatin and enhances growth hormone production, leading to improved growth performance. CS modulates the rumen fermentation process in a way beneficial for the animals and environment, leading to less methane production and nutrients loss. Another beneficial effect of using CS is that it improves the availability of nutrients to the animals and enhances their absorption. CS also works as an antioxidant and protects the cells from oxidative damage. In addition, CS has no adverse effects on bacterial and fungal alpha diversity in ruminants. Dietary supplementation of CS enhances the population of beneficial microorganisms. Still, no data is available on the use of CS on reproductive performance in ruminants, so there is a need to evaluate the effects of using CS in breeding animals for an extended period. In this review, the action mode of CS was updated according to recently published data to highlight the beneficial effects of using CS in ruminants.

• Food Science of Animal Resources
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• v.44 no.2
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• pp.284-298
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• 2024

Restructured meat (RM) products are gaining importance as an essential component of the meat industry due to consumers' interest in health benefits. RM products imply the binding or holding of meat, meat by-products, and vegetable proteins together to form a meat product with meat's sensory and textural properties. RM products provide consumers with diversified preferences like the intake of low salt, low fat, antioxidants, and high dietary fiber in meat products. From the point of environmental sustainability, RM may aid in combining underutilized products and low-valued meat by adequately utilizing them instead of dumping them as waste material. RM processing technique might also help develop diversified and new hybrid meat products. It is crucial to have more knowledge on the quality issues, selection of binding agents, their optimum proportion, and finally, the ideal processing techniques. It is observed in this study that the most crucial feature of RM could be its healthy products with reduced fat content, which aligns with the preferences of health-conscious consumers who seek low-fat, low-salt, high-fiber options with minimal synthetic additives. This review briefly overviews RM and the factors affecting the quality and shelf life. Moreover, it discusses the recent studies on binding agents in processing RM products. Nonetheless, the recent advancements in processing and market scenarios have been summarized to better understand future research needs. The purpose of this review was to bring light to the ways of sustainable and economical food production.