Serum amyloid A (SAA) is an acute-phase response protein in the liver, and SAA1 is the major precursor protein involved in amyloid A amyloidosis. This amyloidosis has been reported as a complication in chronic inflammatory conditions such as arthritis, lupus, and Crohn's disease. Obesity is also associated with chronic, low-grade inflammation and sustained, elevated levels of SAA1. However, the contribution of elevated circulating SAA1 to metabolic disturbances and their complications is unclear. Furthermore, in several recent studies of transgenic (TG) mice overexpressing SAA1 that were fed a high-fat diet (HFD) for a relatively short period, no relationship was found between SAA1 up-regulation and metabolic disturbances. Therefore, we generated TG mice overexpressing SAA1 in the liver, challenged these mice with an HFD, and investigated the influence of elevated SAA1 levels. Sustained, elevated levels of SAA1 were correlated with metabolic parameters and local cytokine expression in the liver following 16 weeks on the HFD. Moreover, prolonged consumption (52 weeks) of the HFD was associated with impaired glucose tolerance and elevated SAA1 levels and resulted in systemic SAA1-derived amyloid deposition in the kidney, liver, and spleen of TG mice. Thus, we concluded that elevated SAA1 levels under long-term HFD exposure result in extensive SAA1-derived amyloid deposits, which may contribute to the complications associated with HFD-induced obesity and metabolic disorders.

This study analyzed the antioxidant properties of Equisetum arvense and its effects on serum factor levels in mice fed a high-fat diet. The aim was to establish a new effective resource for biologically active materials. E. arvense stem and root extracts were obtained using deionized water at 95℃, and 70.5% ethanol at 85℃. These extracts were used to analyze the total phenolic compounds and antioxidant (ABTS, DDPH, and FRAP) activities. The effects of prepared ground samples were evaluated by feeding them to mice. E. arvense extracts showed strong antioxidant effects. The caffeic acid content was highest in the 70.5% ethanol extract of the vegetative stem, as determined by high-performance liquid chromatography. The blood concentrations of insulin and leptin were significantly lower in mice fed a high-fat diet supplemented with extracts of the root, reproductive stem, and vegetative stem of E. arvense than in mice fed only a high-fat diet. These results suggest that the polyphenolic compounds in E. arvense extracts exert various antioxidant effects. The stems and root of E. arvense can lower the blood levels of insulin and leptin, even after consumption of a high-fat diet.

In this study, we determined the effect of the mulberry leaf powder on blood lipid metabolism and liver function improvement of mice fed a high fat diet. The mulberry leaf showed a moisture content of 10.74±0.56%, ash 9.67±0.56%, crude protein 25.24±1.02%, and crude fat 2.66±0.08%. In the group with high fat diet supplemented with mulberry leaf powder, serum low-density lipoprotein (LDL-cholesterol) and total cholesterol levels were significantly lower (p<0.05); also, serum phospholipid and aspartate amino transferase (AST) levels were significantly lower (p<0.05). Serum insulin and leptin levels were high in mice fed a high fat diet; however, addition of mulberry leaf powder 10% in the diet had no significant effect on blood insulin and leptin control. The results of the study suggested that various plant sterols in mulberry leaf improve lipid metabolism and liver function in ICR-mice.

To develop an elderly diet food that can easily be chewed and swallowed, we manufactured elderly diet food using chicken breast meat with various amounts (0.9, 1.1, 1.3 and 1.5 g) of gelatin used as a viscosity agent, and evaluated their physico-chemical and sensory properties. As the amount of gelatin decreased, the lightness were increased, but the redness and yellowness were decreased. In the texture profile analysis, hardness, springiness, gumminess and chewiness were significantly increased with increased amounts of gelatin, but adhesiveness gradually decreased. Cohesiveness was no significantly difference. Free amino acid contents in elderly diet food using chicken breast meat did not show trend to increase or decrease, but the tyrosine contents were significantly decreased with increased amounts of gelatin. The sensory evaluations including taste, flavor and color were not significantly different. However, the texture and overall acceptance of elderly diet food using chicken meat containing 1.3 g of gelatin had the highest acceptance.

The diet composition of juvenile Trachurus japonicus were studied using 195 specimens collected from 2013 (May, June, July, and September) to 2014 (May, June, and July) in the coastal waters of Geumodo, Yeosu, Korea. The size of juvenile T. japonicus ranged from 4.3 to 15.2 cm in body length (BL). Juvenile T. japonicus was carnivorous and crustaceans predators that consumes mainly consumed copepods. Its diet also included small quantities of decapods, cirripedians, nematods, chaetognathans, fishes, amphipods, cumaceans, ostracods and euphausiids. The graphical method for feeding strategy revealed that juvenile T. japonicus is an opportunistic and specialized predator on copepods, especially Corycaeus. affinis, and showed narrow niche width. Juvenile T. japonicus showed ontogenetic diet change. Small size group individuals (4.3–8.0 cm BL) mainly consumed copepods. The portion of this prey item decreased in the large size group (8.0–15.2 cm BL), and this decrease was paralleled with increased consumption of decapods.

Obesity is a risk factor for various diseases, including cardiovascular disease, diabetes, renal disease, hypertension, cancer, and neural disease. Adipose tissue in animals is important for the mobilization of lipids, milk production, deposition of fat in different depots, and muscle and meat production. Understanding the genetic and physiological causes of metabolic disease is a priority in biomedical genome research. In this study, we examined several variables in mice fed a high-fat diet, including serum composition, body weight, total calorie intake, and differentially expressed genes. Body weight and blood glucose levels were not significantly different between animals fed high-fat and normal diets. However, high-fat diet groups showed reduced calorie and food intakes. Levels of sodium, ionized calcium, glucose, hematocrit, hemoglobin, pH, PCO2, PO2, TCO2+, HCO3+, base excess, and SO2 in the blood were not significantly different between mice fed high-fat and normal diets. Serum potassium concentration, however, was lower in mice a high-fat diet. Differentially expressed genes were also compared between the two groups. The purpose of this study was to discover new genes as a result of annealing control primer (ACP) PCR using 20 random primers. Five down regulated genes were identified and three of others were up-regulated by high-fat diet. Known genes were excluded from this result. In addition, the relationships among candidate genes and high-fat diet should be investigated according to potassium concentration in the blood. In conclusion, mice fed normal and high-fat diets showed no significant difference in body weight, whereas high-fat diet led to changesin blood composition and differential expression of several genes. These findings may provide a better understanding of the mechanisms underlying the association between obesity and metabolic diseases.

This research was conducted to examine the awareness and preference levels related to MSG (monosodium glutamate) according to well-being dietary life pursuit attitude factors as well as to improve opportunities to meet value conscious consumption of well-being-oriented customers. According to well-being dietary life pursuit attitude factors, respondents were divided to three clusters, indifference type, well-being-oriented type, and active health action type. Sensory evaluations were carried out on soybean paste soup (Doenjang-guk) and seasoned spinach with different levels of MSG. In the results, 74.4% of all respondents preferred Doenjang soup with 2% MSG, 65.4% preferred seasoned spinach with the same ratio of MSG, and 35.9% preferred seasoned spinach with 0.5% MSG. Regarding the acceptance level of MSG, addition of MSG to improve taste was acceptable to the indifference type (cluster 1). On the contrary, active health action type did not prefer MSG, wanted natural seasonings despite high prices, and preferred to dine at restaurants that serve MSG-free foods. Based on this study, restaurant companies should segment their customers on the basis of MSG usage and establish their positioning strategies according to their concepts.

Macronutrient balance has a strong influence on fitness in insects. Previous studies have revealed that altering the concentrations of yeast and sugar in the semi-synthetic diet has a profound impact on lifespan and fecundity in Drosophila melanogaster, indicating the role of dietary protein:carbohydrate (P:C) balance in determining these two key components of fitness. However, since yeast contains not only proteins but also other macro- and micronutrients, this lifespan-determining role of dietary P:C balance needs to be corroborated using a chemically defined diet. In this study, the effects of dietary P:C balance on lifespan and fecundity were investigated in female D. melanogaster flies on one of eight isocaloric synthetic diets differing in P:C ratio (0:1, 1:16, 1:8, 1:4, 1:2, 1:1, 2:1 or 4:1). Lifespan and dietary P:C ratio were related in a convex manner, with lifespan increasing to a peak at the two intermediate P:C ratios (1:2 and 1:4) and falling at the imbalanced ratios (0:1 and 4:1). Ingesting nutritionally imbalanced diets caused flies to start ageing earlier and senesce faster. Egg production increased progressively as the dietary P:C ratio rose from 0:1 to 4:1. Long-lived flies at the intermediate P:C ratios(1:2 and 1:4) stored a greater amount of lipids than those short-lived ones at the two imbalanced ratios (0:1 and 4:1). These findings provide a strong support to the notion that dietary P:C balance is a critical determinant of lifespan and fecundity in D. melanogaster.

The effects of different feeding times, using a diet containing 800 ppm betaine, on production, blood profile, and the short-chain fatty acid (SCFA), was investigated using 240 Cherry Valley (Anas platyrhynchos) meat ducks exposed to a scorching heat wave. The animals were randomly assigned to four groups, each of which was replicated three times with twenty ducks per replicate. The experimental period was 42 days for each group. Four groups were assigned into C (heat wave control group without betaine), T1 (ad libitum group fed a diet containing 800 ppm betaine), T2 (diet-restricted group fed twice daily between 05:00-10:00 and 17:00-20:00, using a diet containing 800 ppm betaine), and T3 (night-restricted group, fed from 17:00-10:00, with a diet containing 800 ppm betaine). At 42 days, body weight increased in order of T2, T1, T3 compared to the heat wave control group although. However, these differences were not found between the groups of T1 and T3. The heat wave control group, provided an ad libitum diet without betaine (C), showed an elevated feed conversion ratio compared to the groups fed a diet containing betaine. However, these differences were not found between the groups of T1, T2 and T3. RBC and platelet profiles except for PLT and MPV showed statistically significant differences between study groups fed a diet containing betaine. T2 presented significantly higher blood electrolytes Na+ and Cl- than the other groups. T2 also showed a blood gas level that was generally higher than the other groups. Total SCFA, acetic acid and propionic acid concentration has been the increasing trend in T2, but butyric acid, isobutyric acid and valeric acid concentration has been the decreasing trend in T2 compared to the other groups. It is concluded that the feeding-restricted group, fed two times daily between 05:00-10:00 and 17:00-20:00, with a diet containing 800 ppm betaine may improve growth performance in meat ducks exposed to a scorching heat wave.

도심하천에 양서류를 재입식하기 위한 연구의 일환으로 2013, 14년에 걸쳐 강원도, 경기도 일부 지역에서 옴개구리 (Rana rugosa)를 대상으로 먹이활동 특성을 분석하였다. 옴개구리 위 내용물을 적출하여 70% 에탄올에 고정한 후 해부현미경으로 관찰 및 촬영하였고, 옴개구리 서식지에서 포충망을 이용한 쓸어잡기 (sweeping), 트랩 (trap) 채집을 실시하여 포획 생물들을 동정한 결과를 위 내용물 분석 결과와 비교하였다. 결과로서, 옴개구리는 벌목 (Hymenoptera), 딱정벌레목 (Cleoptera)의 곤충을 주로 섭식하는 것으로 확인되었다. 특히 위 내용물에서 확인된 벌목의 98% 이상은 개미과 (Formicidae)로 확인되었다. 옴개구리 서식지 주변 배회성 서식곤충은 남양주의 경우 벌목 58% (개미과 99%), 톡토기목 17%, 메뚜기목 10%, 파리목 9% 순으로 출현했다. 양평의 경우 톡토기목 49%, 메뚜기목 14%, 거미목 9%, 파리목 9%, 딱정벌레목 7%, 벌목 3% 순으로 출현했다. 이러한 결과는 하천변에 노린재목, 파리목이 많이 분포하지만 옴개구리는 하천변 바위나 초지에서 발견되는 개미나 딱정벌레들을 비교적 쉽게 사냥한다는 것을 의미한다. 옴개구리는 특정 먹이를 선호하기보다는 하천변에서 쉽게 발견되는 소형 육상곤충을 섭식하는 것으로 사료된다. 도심하천에 먹이자원은 옴개구리 서식의 제한요인이 되지 않을 것으로 사료된다.