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At least 19 records
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2024

Multicriteria Measures to Assess the Sustainability of Diets: A Systematic Review

Abstract Context Assessing the overall sustainability of a diet is a challenging undertaking requiring a holistic approach capable of addressing the multicriteria nature of this concept. Objective The aim was to identify and summarize the multicriteria measures used to assess the sustainability characteristics of diets reported at the individual level by healthy adults. Data Sources Articles were identified via PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science. The search strategy consisted of key words and MeSH terms, and was concluded in September 2022, covering references in English, Spanish, and Portuguese. Data Extraction This systematic review followed the PRISMA guidelines. The search identified 5663 references, from which 1794 were duplicates. Two reviewers independently screened the titles and abstracts of each of the 3869 records and the full-text of the 144 references selected. Of these, 7 studies met the inclusion criteria. Data Analysis A total of 6 multicriteria measures were identified: 3 different Sustainable Diet Indices, the Quality Environmental Costs of Diet, the Quality Financial Costs of Diet, and the Environmental Impact of Diet. All of these incorporated a health/nutrition dimension, while the environmental and economic dimensions were the second and the third most integrated, respectively. A sociocultural sustainability dimension was included in only 1 of the measures. Conclusion Despite some methodological concerns in the development and validation process of the identified measures, their inclusion is considered indispensable in assessing the transition towards sustainable diets in future studies. Systematic Review Registration PROSPERO registration no. CRD42022358824.

Rei, Mariana (ORCID:0000000189453708)↗
DOE OSTI2024

Time-resolved multi-omics reveals diverse metabolic strategies of Salmonella during diet-induced inflammation

With a rise in antibiotic resistance and chronic infection, the metabolic response of Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium to various dietary conditions over time remains an understudied avenue for novel, targeted therapeutics. Elucidating how enteric pathogens respond to dietary variation not only helps us decipher the metabolic strategies leveraged for expansion but also assists in proposing targets for therapeutic interventions. In this study, we use a multi-omics approach to identify the metabolic response of Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium in mice on both a fibrous diet and high-fat diet over time. When comparing Salmonella gene expression between diets, we found a preferential use of respiratory electron acceptors consistent with increased inflammation in high-fat diet mice. Looking at the high-fat diet over the course of infection, we noticed heterogeneity in samples based on Salmonella ribosomal activity, which is separated into three infection phases: early, peak, and late. We identified key respiratory, carbon, and pathogenesis gene expressions descriptive of each phase. Surprisingly, we identified genes associated with host cell entry expressed throughout infection, suggesting subpopulations of Salmonella or stress-induced dysregulation. Collectively, these results highlight not only the sensitivity of Salmonella to its environment but also identify phase-specific genes that may be used as therapeutic targets to reduce infection.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2025

What's on the menu? Examining native apex‐ and invasive meso‐predator diets to understand impacts on ecosystems

Abstract Understanding how carnivores impact ecological communities is essential for guiding effective management actions and conserving biodiversity. Quantifying predators' diets, including prey selectivity, allows for the assessment of the relative effects native and invasive predators may have on prey populations. In Australia, populations of a native, terrestrial apex predator, the dingo Canis dingo/C. familiaris , and introduced and invasive subordinate mesopredators, the European red fox Vulpes vulpes and feral cat Felis catus , co‐occur, but there is limited understanding of their relative impacts on native and invasive prey in different ecosystems. To assess the possible effects of dingoes, foxes and cats on prey, we examined their diet and prey selectivity across a ~10,000 km 2 semi‐arid mallee ecosystem. Using macroscopic scat analysis, we identified strong dietary niche separation. Larger‐bodied dingoes primarily consumed large marsupial herbivores, whereas foxes and cats primarily consumed smaller prey, including introduced and native rodents and birds. Foxes had the broadest diet, and the greatest dietary overlap with cats ( = 0.81), compared with dingoes ( = 0.50) or between dingoes and cats ( = 0.36). Livestock were identified in 2% of dingo and 7% of fox scats. Cats and foxes consumed more than 15 times the volume of small native mammals compared with dingoes, including threatened species such as fat‐tailed dunnarts Sminthopsis crassicaudata . Cats and foxes also selectively consumed small mammals relative to their estimated availability and consumed fewer large mammals. In contrast, dingoes consumed fewer birds and more echidnas relative to their availability. Our results suggest limited intraguild competition within this semi‐arid ecosystem, as dingoes are primarily exerting top‐down pressure on large herbivores, whereas invasive mesopredators are disproportionately impacting smaller prey, including threatened native mammals. Practical implication . Our findings suggest that ongoing conservation management of dingoes, red foxes and feral cats must consider the variation in diets, impacts on prey and ecological roles of these different predator species, and avoid indiscriminate lethal control methods. Quantifying actual, rather than assumed, impacts of predators on threatened native species, large herbivores and livestock is essential to achieve effective and integrated ecosystem management.

Mason, Rachel T. [School of Life and Environmental↗
DOE OSTI2024

High-fat and high-carbohydrate diets increase bone fragility through TGF-β–dependent control of osteocyte function

Obesity can increase the risk of bone fragility, even when bone mass is intact. This fragility stems from poor bone quality, potentially caused by deficiencies in bone matrix material properties. However, cellular and molecular mechanisms leading to obesity-related bone fragility are not fully understood. Using male mouse models of obesity, we discovered TGF-β signaling plays a critical role in mediating the effects of obesity on bone. High-carbohydrate and high-fat diets increase TGF-β signaling in osteocytes, which impairs their mitochondrial function, increases cellular senescence, and compromises perilacunar/canalicular remodeling and bone quality. By specifically inhibiting TGF-β signaling in mouse osteocytes, some of the negative effects of high-fat and high-carbohydrate diets on bones, including the lacunocanalicular network, perilacunar/canalicular remodeling, senescence, and mechanical properties such as yield stress, were mitigated. DMP1-Cre–mediated deletion of TGF-β receptor II also blunted adverse effects of high-fat and high-carbohydrate diets on energy balance and metabolism. These findings suggest osteocytes are key in controlling bone quality in response to high-fat and high-carbohydrate diets. Calibrating osteocyte function could mitigate bone fragility associated with metabolic diseases while reestablishing energy balance.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2025

Diet outperforms microbial transplant to drive microbiome recovery in mice

A high-fat, low-fibre Western-style diet (WD) induces microbiome dysbiosis characterized by reduced taxonomic diversity and metabolic breadth, which in turn increases risk for a wide array of metabolic, immune and systemic pathologies. Recent work has established that WD can impair microbiome resilience to acute perturbations such as antibiotic treatment, although little is known about the mechanism of impairment and the specific consequences for the host of prolonged post-antibiotic dysbiosis. Here, in this study, we characterize the trajectory by which the gut microbiome recovers its taxonomic and functional profile after antibiotic treatment in mice on regular chow (RC) or WD, and find that only mice on RC undergo a rapid successional process of recovery. Metabolic modelling indicates that a RC diet promotes the development of syntrophic cross-feeding interactions, whereas in mice on WD, a dominant taxon monopolizes readily available resources without releasing syntrophic byproducts. Intervention experiments reveal that an appropriate dietary resource environment is both necessary and sufficient for rapid and robust microbiome recovery, whereas microbial transplant is neither. Furthermore, prolonged post-antibiotic dysbiosis in mice on WD renders them susceptible to infection by the intestinal pathogen Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium. Our data challenge widespread enthusiasm for faecal microbiota transplant (FMT) as a strategy to address dysbiosis, and demonstrate that specific dietary interventions are, at a minimum, an essential prerequisite for effective FMT, and may afford a safer, more natural and less invasive alternative.

Kennedy, M. S. [University of Chicago, IL (United ↗
DOE OSTI2024

Interaction of Wheat Bran Particle Size and Stimbiotic Supplementation on Growth Performance and Gut Health Parameters in Broilers

A 42-day study was conducted with 720-day-old Cobb male broiler chicks allocated to treatments in a 3 × 2 factorial, with the factors as wheat bran (WB) inclusion (no WB, 50 g/kg coarse WB, or 50 g/kg fine WB) and stimbiotic (STB) supplementation in corn-based diets. The inclusion of WB (p < 0.05) or STB supplementation (p < 0.05) increased the FCR and feed intake in the day 0–10 phase. During the day 0–28 phase, coarse-WB inclusion increased (p < 0.05) the FCR, compared to fine WB or diets without WB. In the day 0–42 phase, WB marginally decreased weight gain in diets without STB supplementation, but the STB-supplemented diet, weight gain was greater (p < 0.05) the diet with fine WB compared with diets with coarse WB. Fine-WB inclusion increased the ileal nitrogen and energy digestibility determined at day 18 compared to coarse WB or diets without WB. Supplementation with STB (p < 0.05) or fine WB (p < 0.05) inclusion increased the villi height compared to diets without STB supplementation or coarse WB, or the diet without WB. Coarse or fine WB decreased (p < 0.05) cecal branched-chain fatty acids compared to diets without WB. In conclusion, stimbiotic supplementation to fine WB improved the performance and nutrient digestibility of broilers compared to coarse WB with no effects on the caeca total SCFA concentration.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2024

The interactivity of sources and dietary levels of resistant starches – impact on growth performance, starch, and nutrient digestibility, digesta oligosaccharides profile, cecal microbial metabolites, and indicators of gut health in broiler chickens

In a 21-d study, 480 Cobb 500 (off-sex) male broiler chicks were used to investigate the effects of feeding different sources and levels of resistant starches (RS) on growth performance, nutrient and energy utilization, and intestinal health in broiler chickens. The birds were allocated to 10 dietary treatments in a 3 × 3 + 1 factorial arrangement. The factors were 3 RS-sources (RSS): banana starch (BS), raw potato starch (RPS), and high-amylose corn starch (HCS); each at 3 levels (RSL) 25, 50, or 100 g/kg plus a corn-soybean meal control diet. Birds and feed were weighed on d 0, 8, and 21. On d 21, samples of jejunal tissue and digesta were collected for chemical analysis. Data were analyzed using the mixed model procedure of JMP with factor levels nested with the control. In the 0 to 21 phase, the birds fed the RPS diets had higher (P = 0.011) FI than those fed HCS or control diets, and FCR was greater (P = 0.030) in birds that received BS diets than in other diets. RSS × RSL was significant (P < 0.05) for total tract nutrient retention, AME, and AMEn on d 21. The starch digestibility was higher (P < 0.001) in birds that received the control diet than in RS diets, and decreased as RS levels increased, except for HCS. The apparent metabolizable energy (AME) and nitrogen-corrected AME (AMEn) were higher (P < 0.001) in birds fed 100 g/kg HCS diet, with both decreasing with increasing levels of BS and RPS, except for HCS. Relative ileal oligosaccharides profile showed significant (P < 0.05) RSS × RSL with a higher relative abundance of Hex(3) (P = 0.01) and Pent(3) (P = 0.001) in HCS diets. In conclusion, RS may influence gut health and growth performance in broiler chickens through modulation of cecal SCFA and nutrient digestion, but these depend largely on the botanical origin and concentrations of individual RS.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2024

Land cover and space use influence coyote carnivory: evidence from stable-isotope analysis

For many species, the relationship between space use and diet composition is complex, with individuals adopting varying space use strategies such as territoriality to facilitate resource acquisition. Coyotes ( Canis latrans ) exhibit two disparate types of space use; defending mutually exclusive territories (residents) or moving nomadically across landscapes (transients). Resident coyotes have increased access to familiar food resources, thus improved foraging opportunities to compensate for the energetic costs of defending territories. Conversely, transients do not defend territories and are able to redirect energetic costs of territorial defense towards extensive movements in search of mates and breeding opportunities. These differences in space use attributed to different behavioral strategies likely influence foraging and ultimately diet composition, but these relationships have not been well studied. We investigated diet composition of resident and transient coyotes in the southeastern United States by pairing individual space use patterns with analysis of stable carbon (δ 13 C) and nitrogen (δ 15 N) isotope values to assess diet. During 2016–2017, we monitored 41 coyotes (26 residents, 15 transients) with GPS radio-collars along the Savannah River area in the southeastern United States. We observed a canopy effect on δ 13 C values and little anthropogenic food in coyote diets, suggesting 13 C enrichment is likely more influenced by reduced canopy cover than consumption of human foods. We also observed other land cover effects, such as agricultural cover and road density, on δ 15 N values as well as reduced space used by coyotes, suggesting that cover types and localized, resident-like space use can influence the degree of carnivory in coyotes. Finally, diets and niche space did not differ between resident and transient coyotes despite differences observed in the proportional contribution of potential food sources to their diets. Although our stable isotope mixing models detected differences between the diets of resident and transient coyotes, both relied mostly on mammalian prey (52.8%, SD = 15.9 for residents, 42.0%, SD = 15.6 for transients). Resident coyotes consumed more game birds (21.3%, SD = 11.6 vs 13.7%, SD = 8.8) and less fruit (10.5%, SD = 6.9 vs 21.3%, SD = 10.7) and insects (7.2%, SD = 4.7 vs 14.3%, SD = 8.5) than did transients. Our findings indicate that coyote populations fall on a feeding continuum of omnivory to carnivory in which variability in feeding strategies is influenced by land cover characteristics and space use behaviors.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2024

Impacts of feeding three strains of microalgae alone or in combination on growth performance, protein metabolism, and meat quality of broiler chickens

Variations in nutrient compositions, especially amino acid (AA) profiles, among microalgal species may enable a superior feeding outcome from a combined than singular supplementation in poultry diets. Therefore, a feeding trial was conducted to compare the effects of three strains of microalgal biomass supplemented alone or in combination to replace 5 % (starter) and 10 % (grower) soybean meal (on weight-to-weight basis) on growth performance, protein metabolism, and meat quality of broiler chickens. Day-old Cornish Cross male chicks (total = 180) were divided into 5 groups (6 cages/treatment, 6 birds/cage) and fed a corn-soybean meal basal diet (BD), BD + H117 (Chlorella sp., H117), BD + C985 (Tetraselmis sp., C985), BD + Nannochloropsis oceanica (NO), and BD + H117 + C985 + NO (Combination). Feeding any of the microalgae diets did not alter growth performance nor meat quality including texture, pH, color, and water holding capacity of breast and thigh meats. However, the breast weight percentages were decreased (P < 0.05) by feeding the C985, NO, and Combination diets. Compared with the BD, the 4 microalgal diets led to higher (P < 0.05) plasma uric acid and protein concentrations at weeks 3 and (or) 6. The mRNA levels of MAFbx, MURF1, FOXO1, and calpastatin in the breast and thigh muscles were altered by the microalgal diets but not those of genes associated with other quality traits. In conclusion, replacing 5 % or 10 % soybean meal with three sources of microalgae in broiler diets decreased breast weights percentage but not absolute weight. Furthermore, feeding chickens with the combination of three microalgae did not restore the breast loss and induced different expressions of genes related to muscle hypertrophy or atrophy.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2024

Evaluation of Apparent Metabolizable Energy and Apparent Ileal Amino Acid Digestibility of Spirulina (Arthrospira platensis) in Broiler Chickens and Laying Hens

Our study objective was to determine the apparent metabolizable energy (AME) and apparent ileal amino acid digestibility (AIAAD) of spirulina fed to broiler chickens and laying hens using the difference method. In both experiments, birds were either fed corn-soybean meal basal diets, containing no spirulina and formulated to provide the nutrient requirements of either broilers or layers, or fed test diets consisting of 25% spirulina and 75% of the appropriate basal diet. Titanium dioxide was added to all diets as an indigestible marker. The diets were fed to 10 replicate cages/treatment of broilers and 15 replicate cages/treatment of laying hens. The AME of spirulina for broilers was significantly lower (p < 0.05) (2368 ± 104 kcal/kg, as fed) than for laying hens (3144 ± 173 kcal/kg, as fed), suggesting bird type and age may influence energy utilization. The AIAAD of spirulina fed to broiler chickens did not differ from that of laying hens (p > 0.05), except for valine, alanine, and glycine, which were all significantly higher in laying hens (p < 0.05). Overall, the AIAAD for nonessential amino acids averaged 81.1%, with no significant difference between essential and nonessential amino acids. Differences in spirulina nutrient content cited in the literature support further research to determine the optimal inclusion of this alternative ingredient in broiler and layer diets.

Agriculture↗
DOE OSTI2025

Impact of Nutrition on the Gut Microbiota: Implications for Parkinson’s Disease

Abstract Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a multifactorial neurodegenerative disease that is characterized by the degeneration of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra pars compacta and by the anomalous accumulation of α-synuclein aggregates into Lewy bodies and Lewy neurites. Research suggests 2 distinct subtypes of PD: the brain-first subtype if the pathology arises from the brain and then spreads to the peripheral nervous system (PNS) and the body-first subtype, where the pathological process begins in the PNS and then spreads to the central nervous system. This review primarily focuses on the body-first subtype. The influence of the gut microbiota on the development of PD has been the subject of growing interest among researchers. It has been suggested that gut inflammation may be closely associated with pathogenesis in PD, therefore leading to the hypothesis that gut microbiota modulation could play a significant role in this process. Nutrition can influence gut health and alter the risk and progression of PD by altering inflammatory markers. This review provides an overview of recent research that correlates variations in gut microbiota composition between patients with PD and healthy individuals with the impact of certain nutrients and dietary patterns, including the Mediterranean diet, the Western diet, and the ketogenic diet. It explores how these diets influence gut microbiota composition and, consequently, the risk of PD. Last, it examines fecal transplantation and the use of prebiotics, probiotics, or synbiotics as potential therapeutic strategies to balance the gut microbiome, aiming to reduce the risk or delay the progression of PD.

Sobral, Joana (ORCID:0009000334922337)↗
DOE OSTI2026

Relating Oxidative Protein Damage to Antioxidant Status in Health and Disease (Full Technical Report for 24-LW-026)

This two-year project evaluated how dietary antioxidants influence oxidative damage in cancer using complementary analytical and in-vivo approaches. We initially developed a protein oxidation labeling workflow and a parallel accelerator and molecular mass spectrometry (PAMMS) quantification method, but ultimately discontinued the labeling strategy due to unresolved separation challenges; PAMMS was instead leveraged to quantify radiolabeled catechol in rat plasma as a methodological benchmark. The biological study used a genetically engineered murine model (GEMM) for breast cancer (n = 40; four groups of 10: cancer/high antioxidant diet, cancer/normal diet, healthy/high-antioxidant diet, healthy/normal diet). In lieu of the abandoned labeling assay, untargeted metabolomics profiled plasma across groups, revealing widespread treatment-dependent changes in metabolites.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2024

The effect of dietary supplementation of Lycium barbarum leaves on the growth performance, organ indexes and intestinal microflora of rats

This study was conducted to investigate both fruit and different levels of leaf supplementation on the growth performance, organ indices and intestinal microflora of rats. Twenty-five healthy male Sprague–Dawley rats were randomly divided into five groups. The rats in the control (NC) and positive control (PC) groups were fed by gavage a basal diet and a basal diet with 4 g/kg of L. barbarum fruit homogenate, respectively. The test (LD, MD, and HD) groups were fed basal diets with additional 2, 4, and 8 g/kg of L. barbarum leaf homogenate, respectively. The feeding period was 35 d. The result revealed that the rats in the LD group had the highest average weight gain ( p < 0.05). The cardiac and renal indexes in the LD and MD groups were significantly higher than in NC group, respectively ( p < 0.05). Diversity analysis revealed that adding low concentrations of L. barbarum leaf homogenates markedly reduced the Shannon index of the rats cecum ( p < 0.05). The relative abundance of Verrucomicrobiota was higher in the LD group than those in other groups ( p < 0.05). The relative abundance of Actinobacteriota was found significantly higher in PC group than others ( p < 0.05). The relative abundance of Akkermansia in LD group was the highest ( p < 0.05). The relative abundance of Romboutsia in the PC group was considerably higher than that in other groups. The relative abundance of Candidatus_Saccharimonas in the supplementation groups was appreciably lower than those found in other groups. The relative abundance of Alloprevotella was significantly lower in PC, LD, and MD groups than in NC and HD groups ( p < 0.05). The relative abundance of Oscillibacter was significantly higher in HD group than in other groups ( p < 0.05). Thus, L. barbarum leaf homogenate fed to rats could increase their growth performance, internal organ weights and additionally enhance the relative abundance of beneficial bacteria. Therefore, based on the obtained data in the current study, a dose of L. barbarum leaf homogenate supplemented with 2 g/kg in diet is recommended, however, further studies are required to confirm, especially in animals.

Guo, Yindi↗
DOE OSTI2026

Wheat fiber mitigates colitis via non-SCFA microbial metabolite-trained intestinal macrophages

The advent of highly refined wheat products has reduced fiber consumption, which is associated with increased risk for inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). We found that enriching diets with wheat fiber (WF) protected mice against colitis, especially relative to a low-fiber diet, as assessed by clinical, histopathologic, morphologic, and immunologic parameters. WF’s protection against colitis was independent of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) yet associated with preservation of microbiota diversity, including maintenance of Bacteroides thetaiotaomicron (B. theta), which was necessary and sufficient for WF’s colitis protection. B. theta’s presence in gnotobiotic mice resulted in WF-induced fecal metabolites that reprogrammed macrophages toward an M2-like phenotype. Metabolic and phenotypic reprogramming of macrophages ex vivo via WF-induced metabolites, followed by their transplantation into mice, recapitulated WF’s protection against colitis. Thus, microbiota-mediated metabolism of WF promotes macrophages that reduce proneness to intestinal inflammation, suggesting a mechanism by which WF consumption may curb development of IBD.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗