Search Results (1,373)

Background: Self-care and healthy dietary habits are fundamental components of heart failure (HF) management, yet the relationship between dietary quality and self-care remains insufficiently explored. This study investigated the association between dietary habits and self-care behaviors among patients with HF. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 137 adults with HF attending outpatient clinics in Greece. Self-care behaviors were assessed using the Hippocratic Heart Failure Self-Care Scale (HHFSCS), and dietary quality was evaluated using the validated Greek version of the Cardiovascular Diet Questionnaire-2 (CDQ-2). Associations between demographic characteristics, dietary measures, and self-care were examined using non-parametric tests and multivariable general linear models adjusted for demographic characteristics. Results: The mean HHFSCS score was 41.0 ± 11.3, indicating a moderate level of self-care. Higher scores were observed for medication adherence and appointment keeping, whereas lower scores were observed for exercise, smoking-related behaviors, alcohol-related behaviors, and symptom monitoring. The mean total CDQ-2 score was 8.57 ± 7.17. Overall dietary quality was not significantly associated with total self-care after adjustment for age, sex, marital status, educational level, and employment status (B = −0.102, 95% CI: −0.338 to 0.134, p = 0.394). Among the dietary components, only the saturated fatty acid (SFA) score remained significantly associated with total self-care after adjustment (p = 0.015), whereas fruit and vegetable and monounsaturated fatty acid scores were not significant. Employment status was also significantly associated with self-care (p < 0.001). Conclusions: Overall dietary quality was not significantly associated with total self-care in this sample of patients with HF. However, the observed association between the SFA component and self-care suggests that specific aspects of dietary behavior may warrant further investigation. Given the cross-sectional design and reliance on self-reported measures, these findings should be interpreted cautiously and do not establish directionality or causality. Prospective studies incorporating objective dietary and behavioral measures are needed to further clarify the relationship between dietary habits and self-care in HF. Full article

The study aimed to investigate the effect of the inclusion of Tenebrio molitor meal (TM) in the diet of layer hens on the quality characteristics of eggs and their fatty acid profile. A total of 90 layers (age 33 weeks) were involved in the trial. They were allocated to 5 dietary groups, each consisting of 6 replicate cages with 3 layers per cage. The layers were fed a basal diet (C) and diets including TM in amounts of 1% (T1), 2% (T2), 3% (T3), and 4% (T4) for a period of 10 weeks. The dietary incorporation of TM was associated with decreased weight of the eggs (p < 0.0001), albumen (p < 0.0001), yolk (p = 0.0008), and shell (p < 0.0001) as well as decreased shell thickness (p < 0.0001), corresponding to the deteriorated performance indicators. Additionally, the yolks of the hens receiving TM had a darker colour (p < 0.0001). The diets containing the insect meal led to significant decrease in the saturated (SFA) (p = 0.0019) and increase in monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA) (p < 0.0001) in the yolks. The content of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) declined in the groups fed TM (p = 0.0028), particularly T3 and T4. This was, however, compensated by the favourably lower peroxidability (PI) (p = 0.0137), atherogenic (AI) (p = 0.0111) and thrombogenic (TI) (p = 0.0070) index and raised ratio between hypo- and hypercholesterolemic fatty acids (h/H) (p = 0.0039). Full article

Microalgae are a rich source of bioactive metabolites, including unsaturated fatty acids, chlorophylls, carotenoids, and phenolic compounds with antioxidant and nutraceutical potential. Salicylic acid (SA) and its volatile ester, methyl salicylate (MS), are well-known elicitors of secondary metabolism in higher plants, yet their mechanisms of action in green microalgae, particularly the effects of MS, remain poorly understood. Therefore, we evaluated how salicylates applied at concentrations of 0.1, 1, and 10 µM affect the growth and accumulation of bioactive compounds in a high-productivity clone of Planktochlorella nurekis, combining gas chromatography coupled mass spectrometry (GC-MS) fatty acid profiling with spectrophotometric determination of pigment levels, total phenols, and L-phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL) activity. SA increased cell number and size, whereas 0.1 µM MS resulted in a six-fold gain in cell number. Accordingly, 10 µM MS raised chlorophyll b levels—nearly three-fold (from 76 to 211 µg per g D.W.)—and total carotenoids—roughly four-fold (129 to 520 µg per g D.W.)—while both elicitors significantly increased the monounsaturated fatty acid fraction (from 29% to about 40%). Notably, 10 µM SA lowered the levels of saturated fatty acids. Moreover, 10 µM MS doubled the PAL activity and increased the total phenols by 17% compared to the control. Thus, SA and MS act as effective elicitors of high-value metabolites in P. nurekis. Full article

This research examined how dietary bile acids (BAs) influence hepatic fatty acid composition and cecal microbial community of late-laying hens. A total of 1080 Hy-Line Brown hens, aged 76 weeks, were randomly divided into four groups, each receiving a basal diet with 0 (CON), 200 (BA200), 300 (BA300), or 500 (BA500) mg/kg BAs for 35 days. Results showed that hepatic stearic acid (C18:0) concentrations were significantly reduced in all BAs-supplemented groups (p < 0.05). The BA300 group exhibited a significant increase in oleic acid (C18:1n9c), total monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs), and n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), alongside a decreased n-6/n-3 PUFA ratio (p < 0.05). Furthermore, the Chao1 index increased in all BAs-supplemented groups (p < 0.05), and the Simpson index was higher in BA300 (p < 0.05). LEfSe analysis indicated that the CON group had a higher abundance of opportunistic pathogens, while BA supplementation altered the cecal microbial composition. Notably, the BA300 group exhibited the most favorable microbial profile, characterized by enrichment of beneficial Enterococcus and improved microbial stability. In conclusion, supplementation with 300 mg/kg BAs most effectively improved hepatic fatty acid composition and cecal microbial diversity in late-laying hens, supporting its use as a nutritional strategy in the late laying phase. Full article

This study explores the biotechnological applications of the ovine secretome by mapping protein expression trends and lipidomic dynamics in Chios (n = 5) and Karagouniko (n = 10) ewes during early lactation (1, 3, 5, 9, and 15 days post-partum-DPP). Immunoglobulin-G (IgG) expression was monitored via ELISA, lactoferrin (Lf) profiles were quantified using densitometric Tricine-SDS-PAGE, and fatty acid (FA) patterns were resolved by gas chromatography. Two-way mixed-factor repeated-measures ANOVA and Principal Component Analysis (PCA) revealed a highly significant temporal transition (p < 0.0001) across all components. Total IgG expression dropped sharply from DPP 1 (62.0–83.5 mg/mL) to day 15 (12.8–21.4 mg/mL), displaying a significant breed-by-time interaction (p < 0.0001), while the resilient Karagouniko breed exhibited a more buffered clearance slope. Conversely, local Lf mucosal expression followed a parallel, breed-independent temporal decay trajectory (p = 0.5877). Concurrently, saturated FAs decreased while monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fractions rose (p < 0.01), optimizing health-related lipid indices over time, including Atherogenicity (IA), Thrombogenicity (IT), and Health-Promoting (HPI). Unsupervised PCA successfully isolated early colostrum profiles based on coordinated immunological and lipidomic vectors. These findings demonstrate that tracking early secretome trajectories serves as a valuable, non-invasive indicator for translational veterinary medicine, establishing these genotype-specific fractions as potential substrates for future evaluation in bioactive functional food matrices research. Full article

This preliminary within-animal study focuses on the comprehensive characterization of pork jowl (PJ) by comparing it with pork belly (PB), Boston butt (BB), and spare ribs (SR) collected from the same ten castrated Duroc × Landrace × Yorkshire (DLY) pigs; headspace volatile analysis used a matched subset of six pigs. Instrumental quality, proximate composition, amino-acid and fatty-acid profiles, low-field nuclear magnetic resonance (LF-NMR) water distribution and headspace solid-phase microextraction–gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (HS-SPME-GC-MS) volatile profiles were evaluated. PB exhibited the lowest shear force, hardness, and chewiness. Across the four pork cuts, crude protein content ranged from 16.87% to 18.10%, whereas crude fat content ranged from 13.03% to 22.20%. BB had the lowest crude fat content (13.03%) and relatively high protein (18.10%) and amino-acid contents. PJ showed highest content of monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs) and the lowest numerical atherogenic (AI) and thrombogenic indices (TI), but also the highest n-6/n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) ratio. LF-NMR showed that PJ had the highest T₂₃ and P23 values, consistent with its higher cooking and centrifugal losses. Sixty-five headspace volatile compounds were tentatively identified under the standardized 80 °C HS-SPME conditions. OPLS-DA differentiated the four cuts, and ten compounds meeting the combined criteria of VIP > 1, q < 0.05, and OAV > 1 were retained as candidate discriminant aroma-relevant compounds. Overall, the four cuts exhibited distinct quality profiles: PJ combined a MUFA-rich lipid fraction with greater free-water mobility and water loss, PB showed the greatest instrumental tenderness, BB had the lowest crude fat content and relatively high protein and amino-acid contents, and SR exhibited the greatest headspace volatile abundance. The data provide a reference for cut-specific utilization of pork raw materials. Full article

The lipid and fatty acid composition of the little Baikal oilfish (Comephorus dybowskii Korotneff, 1905) was studied to identify the features of its biochemical adaptation to the environmental conditions of Lake Baikal. Multivariate analysis of lipid classes and FA profiles revealed reproducible clustering patterns in both muscle tissue and whole-body samples, indicating the presence of distinct physiological states differing in membrane organization and lipid metabolism. Lipid-class variability was primarily associated with sphingomyelin, cholesterol esters, phosphatidylinositol, and lysophosphatidylcholine, suggesting the coordinated regulation of membrane structure. The fatty-acid profiles were mainly presented by variations in saturated, monounsaturated, and long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids, with muscle tissues characterized by a relatively longer carbon chain (ACL = 19 vs. 18 I whole body) and unsaturation (UI = 1.98–2.76 vs. 1.64–2.53 in whole body). At the same time, comparative analysis demonstrated low correspondence between lipid and FA profiles, indicating partially independent adaptive mechanisms. The experimental transfer of fish from their natural habitat to controlled conditions resulted in the significant remodeling of both lipid and FA compositions, including increases in acylglycerols, membrane phospholipids, and monounsaturated fatty acids, together with a decline in long-chain n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids. The results suggest that lipid classes and fatty acids represent complementary but functionally distinct levels of biochemical adaptation contributing to the maintenance of membrane organization and metabolic homeostasis in C. dybowskii, revealing a previously undescribed multi-level organization of lipid-related adaptive responses in this endemic deep-water fish. Full article

Obesity is a major health concern within the United States. Previous studies have shown that a diet high in monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA) may help combat metabolic disease by improving cardiometabolic and inflammatory status. Pecans have high MUFA content and the highest antioxidant capacity of any nut. The aim of this preliminary study is to determine if a diet supplemented with 1.5 ounces of pecans daily for eight weeks could improve blood glucose, lipid panel, inflammatory markers, and body composition in individuals with overweight and obesity as compared to a control group who maintained their normal diet. Post-intervention measurements showed no significant difference from baseline values for either the experimental or the control group. Data acquired using the Vioscreen Food Frequency Questionnaire found negative correlations were present between LDL cholesterol and dietary intake of iron, selenium, zinc, MUFA, polyunsaturated fatty acids, saturated fatty acids, and dietary cholesterol. Furthermore, there were negative correlations determined between fasting blood glucose and dietary intake of magnesium, MUFA, and SFA. Regarding inflammatory markers, no detectable levels of IL-10 nor TNF-α were found in the majority of samples. IL-6 was detectable in all samples, but showed no statistical difference between any of the groups in the study. Thus, an intervention of 1.5 oz of pecans for eight weeks did not significantly change measured metabolic parameters nor levels of serum IL-6. However, due to the sample size limitations of this hypothesis-generating preliminary study, further research is needed. Further studies should include a longer intervention period, a larger cohort, and potentially a larger dosage of pecans to increase the amount of MUFA in the diet to determine if such interventions may influence cardiometabolic and inflammatory parameters. Full article

This study evaluated the effects of precision dietary crude protein (CP) reduction through corn dust substitution for soybean meal on lactational performance, milk fatty acid composition, and antioxidant status in mid-lactation dairy cows. Six Holstein Friesian cows were assigned to a replicated 3 × 3 Latin square design with three 28-day periods and fed total mixed rations containing 17.40% (TMR17), 16.29% (TMR16), or 15.18% CP (TMR15). Forage was maintained at 40% of dietary dry matter. Dry matter intake and plasma metabolites were unaffected by dietary treatment (p > 0.05). However, apparent digestibility of dry matter, organic matter, and crude protein declined significantly (p < 0.05), while acid detergent fiber digestibility showed a linear downward tendency (p = 0.06). Actual milk yield, lactose yield, and solids-not-fat (SNF) yield were unaffected by treatments (p > 0.05), but milk protein percentage decreased linearly (p = 0.01) as dietary CP declined. Body weight change also tended to decline (p = 0.09), suggestive of possible increased body reserve mobilization, although this was not confirmed with body condition score or direct metabolic indicators. Milk urea nitrogen decreased linearly (p = 0.05), which suggested improved nitrogen utilization. Plasma superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity, GSH-Px activity, and total antioxidant capacity were not significantly modified (p > 0.05); however, plasma DPPH radical scavenging capacity increased linearly with higher protein levels (p = 0.01; Trt: p = 0.02). Conversely, TMR15 improved milk lipid quality by significantly increasing monounsaturated fatty acids (p = 0.03; Trt: p = 0.05), particularly oleic acid (p = 0.05), whereas total saturated fatty acids remained unchanged (p = 0.55). Overall, reducing dietary CP improved MUFA proportions and nitrogen efficiency but decreased milk protein percentage and plasma DPPH antioxidant protection, highlighting a trade-off between production performance, animal health, and milk quality. Full article

Adipose tissue exhibits profound anatomical heterogeneity that underpins distinct physiological roles, yet depot-specific morphological and metabolic differentiation in camelids remains elusive. Here, we systematically characterized hump adipose tissue (HAT), mesenteric adipose tissue (MAT), pericardial adipose tissue (PAT), and perirenal adipose tissue (PRAT) from 13 adult male Junggar Bactrian camels using H&E histomorphometry and GC-MS-based targeted fatty acid profiling. Morphologically, PRAT displayed significantly larger mean adipocyte equivalent diameter and cross-sectional area than HAT and MAT (p < 0.05); conversely, MAT exhibited the highest adipocyte density, whereas HAT featured smaller, uniformly sized cells with densely packed lipid droplets. Targeted fatty acid profiling revealed that HAT contained markedly elevated monounsaturated fatty acids—particularly palmitoleic acid (C16:1 n-7) and oleic acid (C18:1 n-9)—constituting 34.60% ± 2.82% of total fatty acids compared to 28.32% ± 1.23% in visceral depots (p < 0.01). In contrast, visceral fats (MAT, PRAT, PAT) were dominated by saturated fatty acids, with MAT exhibiting the highest stearic acid (C18:0) content. Principal component analysis and partial least squares discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) revealed marked metabolic differentiation of HAT from other depots, while PAT and PRAT shared highly similar profiles. Differentially abundant metabolites were predominantly enriched in fatty acid biosynthesis and unsaturated fatty acid biosynthesis pathways. These findings reveal distinct depot-associated differences in adipocyte morphology and fatty acid composition. The unique phenotypic profile of HAT is consistent with a putative role in lipid storage, potentially reflecting an adaptation to arid environments, while visceral depots exhibited traits conducive to biomechanical cushioning and metabolic regulation. This work describes depot-associated differences in adipocyte morphology and fatty acid composition in the Junggar Bactrian camel, supporting the potential for valorizing unique camel fat resources. Full article

Glioblastoma (GBM) exhibits profound metabolic reprogramming, among which the balance between unsaturated and saturated fatty acids (UFA/SFA) emerges as a critical determinant of tumor behavior and treatment response. Recent studies have shown that fatty acid metabolic reprogramming is a key mechanism driving GBM progression. Abnormalities in fatty acid uptake, synthesis, desaturation, and oxidation collectively reshape the lipid composition of tumor cells, particularly by altering the unsaturated/saturated fatty acid ratio. Monounsaturated fatty acids mainly promote tumor cell proliferation and membrane biosynthesis, polyunsaturated fatty acids can induce lipid peroxidation and ferroptosis under specific stress conditions, whereas excessive saturated fatty acids can cause lipotoxicity when desaturation is limited. Key enzymes in fatty acid metabolism constitute a regulatory network and provide potential therapeutic targets for GBM. In addition, fatty acid metabolism can remodel the tumor immune microenvironment, especially by affecting the functional state of tumor-associated macrophages. Rather than targeting a single lipid species or isolated metabolic enzyme, therapeutic strategies that recalibrate the UFA/SFA ratio may provide a more integrated approach to restraining GBM progression and improving treatment sensitivity. Full article

The chemical composition of donkey and sheep milk showed significant differences, with donkey milk containing less fat and protein and a higher level of lactose, while sheep milk had more dry matter and a higher proportion of casein and saturated, unsaturated, monounsaturated, and polyunsaturated fatty acids. This study investigated the biological effects of in vitro-digested donkey and sheep milk, and their blends at different ratios, on differentiated human intestinal Caco-2 cells. Gene expression analysis showed that treatment with digested donkey milk (100%) significantly altered the expression of the autophagy-related gene (SQSTM1), tight junction (CLDN4), and innate defense genes (DEFB1, MUC2, and MUC5), showing a non-cytotoxic response and a profile consistent with a barrier-related transcriptional response. In contrast, sheep milk (100%) and certain milk blends (70% and 50% sheep’s milk) down-regulated genes involved in the autophagy process (ULK1, AMBRA, BECN1, ATG5, GABARAP, and SQSTM1), tight junction genes (OCLN and CDH1), and innate defense genes (DEFB1 and MUC2), suggesting a distinct epithelial response that warrants further confirmation. Metabolomic profiling revealed clear compositional and functional distinctions among the digested milks, identifying 166 metabolites that were differentially regulated (136 compounds were down-regulated and 30 up-regulated). Donkey milk digestion yielded a metabolite profile enriched in polar peptides and compounds with reported antioxidant associations, whereas sheep milk digestion showed a different pattern dominated by hydrophobic peptides and lipid-related metabolites. These findings indicate that, under the tested in vitro conditions, donkey milk digestion is associated with gene expression and metabolomic patterns consistent with epithelial barrier support. Full article

Integrated rice–fish farming is increasingly promoted as a sustainable aquaculture model, yet its effects on flesh quality and gut microbial assembly in Pelteobagrus fulvidraco remain insufficiently understood. Here, we compared pond-cultured (PP) and rice-field-cultured (PR) individuals using growth measurements, muscle amino acid and fatty acid profiling, untargeted LC-MS/MS metabolomics and 16S rRNA gene sequencing. Body weight and length did not differ significantly between groups, whereas PP fish showed greater body width and height. PR fish contained higher levels of Ser, Val, Ile and total essential amino acids, together with amino acid and energy-related metabolites. In contrast, PP fish showed higher concentrations of saturated fatty acids, monounsaturated fatty acids, n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids, total fatty acids and lipid-associated metabolites. The gut microbiota also differed markedly between culture systems. PP fish exhibited higher α-diversity and enrichment of Proteobacteria, Firmicutes, Pseudomonas and Ralstonia, whereas PR fish were characterized by Verrucomicrobiota, Fusobacteriota, Akkermansia and Cetobacterium. Predicted functions suggested enhanced carbohydrate and energy metabolism in PR fish and stronger environmental-response-related functions in PP fish. These findings indicate that pond and rice-field culture promote distinct quality-forming pathways in yellow catfish, providing a basis for optimizing rice–yellow catfish co-culture toward quality-oriented production. Full article

This study evaluated the use of finishing diets to reduce fish oil (FO) inclusion in European sea bass feeds while preserving fillet quality and n-3 fatty acid content. Fish (197 g) were fed for 25 weeks with a control FO diet, based on 9% FO and 6% plant oil, or diets where 6% FO was replaced by rapeseed oil (RO) or microalgae (AO; Nannochloropsis sp. and Schizochytrium sp.). After 13 weeks, 2 groups of fish fed the RO diet were switched to the FO or AO finishing diets for the final 12 weeks. Growth, feed efficiency, body composition, and health were unaffected by dietary treatments. However, long-term RO feeding reduced eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexanoic acid (DHA) and increased monounsaturated and n-6 fatty acids compared to fish fed AO or FO. A 12-wk FO finishing diets shifted morphometric traits, fatty acid profiles, liver histology, and overall fish quality of fish previously fed with RO toward those of fish continuously fed FO, whereas the AO finishing diet produced a smaller shift. Longer finishing periods may further enhance fillet quality when using microalgae-based oils. Full article

The peripartum period in prolific ewes is associated with increased metabolic demands, and dietary lipid supplementation may increase the energy density of the prepartum diet. This study evaluated the effects of prepartum supplementation with alternative lipid matrices on the physicochemical characteristics and comprehensive fatty acid (FA) profiles of mature and transitional sheep milk. Thirty-two pregnant Olkuska ewes were randomly assigned to four cohorts (n = 8/group): Control (basal diet), flaxseed oil (low n-3/high n-6 variety; FO), black soldier fly larvae oil (BSFL oil), and Mix oil (2:1 ratio of FO to BSFL oil). Dietary treatments exerted no significant effects (p > 0.05) on transitional milk composition or lipid quality indices. In contrast, in mature milk, BSFL oil supplementation significantly increased milk fat content (6.09%) compared to the Control group (4.70%; p < 0.01). Furthermore, all oil treatments significantly reduced total saturated FAs (p < 0.01), while the BSFL oil and Mix oil supplementation significantly increased the monounsaturated FA fraction (p < 0.01). The differences, particularly the increase in cis-9, trans-11 CLA concentration and the significant reduction in both the atherogenic and thrombogenic indices (p < 0.01), were observed exclusively in mature milk. These findings suggest that the combination of sustainable insect lipids with high-linoleic plant oils may represent a viable strategy to transform sheep milk into a functional food with potential cardiovascular health benefits for consumers. These findings additionally indicate that prepartum lipid supplementation may exert a persistent carry-over effect into early lactation, influencing the fatty acid composition of mature sheep milk. Full article