Rowett Research Institute

About: Rowett Research Institute is a based out in . It is known for research contribution in the topics: Rumen & Population. The organization has 2986 authors who have published 4459 publications receiving 239472 citations.

Preferential uptake of long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids by isolated human placental membranes

Abstract: Fatty acid uptake by the placenta is thought to be a carrier-mediated process, however the mechanism by which long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LCPUFA) are preferentially accumulated from the maternal circulation to the fetal tissues is still unclear To examine the role of the placenta in this process, binding of four different radiolabelled fatty acids ([14C]oleate, [14C]linoleate, [14C]a-linolenate and [14C]arachidonate) to human placental membranes was studied Binding of fatty acid was found to be time- and temperature dependent At equilibrium, the total binding of oleate was highest (51 ± 01 nmoles/mg protein) followed by linoleate (28 ± 031 nmoles/mg protein) and arachidonate (206 ± 04 nmoles/mg protein) and α-linolenate binding was lowest (05+01 nmoles/mg protein) However, oleate had the lowest specific binding (37% of the total binding) whereas arachidonate had the highest specific binding (∼ 86% of the total binding) followed by linoleate and a-linolenate (62%, and 69% of the total binding, respectively) Binding of each [14C] fatty acid was also assessed in the presence of 20-fold excess of other unlabelled ligands Binding sites seem to have preference for the binding of [14C] fatty acids in the following order: arachidonic acid ⋙ linoleic acid ≫ a-linolenic acid ⋙≫ oleic acid, whereas BSP and a-tocopherol did not show any competition with any of the [14C] fatty acids These data suggest that the fatty acid binding sites in placental membranes are specific for the fatty acids but that they have heterogeneous affinitiesTrans fatty acids (elaidic and linoelaidic acids) also competed very strongly for the [14C] fatty acid binding Polyclonal antiserum raised against placental FABPpm inhibited binding of these [14C]fatty acids but with variable degrees of inhibition; EFA/LCPUFA binding was much more than that of oleate Our data suggest that EFA/LCPUFA bound to albumin are preferentially transported by human placental membranes and that the placental FABPpm may be involved in the sequestration of EFA/LCPUFA by the placenta

Biochemical and physiological indicators of mineral status in animals: copper, cobalt and zinc.

Abstract: The value of estimates of trace element requirements or of data on tissue trace element content for identifying and controlling trace element-related disorders is often limited by inadequate data on the relationships of such criteria to physiological performance. Investigations of metabolic events initiating early pathological responses to deficiency are beginning to suggest more effective indicators of physiologically relevant abnormalities in trace element intake or status. Progress in studies of metabolic responses to deficiencies of copper, cobalt and zinc is reviewed.

Hydroxycinnamic acids in the digestive tract of livestock and humans

Abstract: Hydroxycinnamic acids are consumed as water-soluble conjugates and in larger amounts bound to plant cell walls Bound acids are primarily released by microbial action in the modified forestomach of ruminants and the hindgut of non-ruminant species, including humans In the rumen, rapid hydrogenation of p-coumaric, ferulic and caffeic acids, followed by dehydroxylation at C4 and more slowly at C3 yields 3-phenylpropionic acid Phenylpropionate is absorbed and undergoes β-oxidation in the liver to benzoic acid which is then excreted predominately (75-95%) as its glycine conjugate (hippuric acid), but also as the free acid or glucuronide In non-ruminants, hydroxycinnamates may be absorbed unchanged in the upper digestive tract via a Na + -dependent saturable transport system or escape to the hindgut where they are subject to microbial transformations with further absorption of metabolites Metabolites of p-coumaric acid found in rat urine are the unchanged compound and its glycine conjugate, the reduced derivative and the β-oxidation product, 4-hydroxybenzoic acid Caffeic acid and its methyl ethers (ferulic and iso-ferulic acids) are interconvertable and share metabolites As in the rumen, reduction of the C 3 side-chain, demethylation of ferulate and dehydroxylation at C4 are products of microbial action Dehydroxylation at C3 is more rarely encountered The resulting 3-hydroxyphenylpropionic acid is commonly found in the urine of all species and is the major metabolite in rats where relatively little chain-shortening occurs A larger range of metabolites including C 6 -C 1 compounds have been detected in human urine Metabolism of hydroxycinnamate dimers found as cross-links between polysaccharide chains has been little studied although evident differences in the ability to metabolise such compounds exist between the human and rumen microflora

The effect of Lactobacillus spp. on the attachment of enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli to isolated porcine enterocytes

Abstract: A total of 43 strains of lactobacilli were isolated from the gastrointestinal tract of piglets at the time of weaning. Isolates, grown on solid media, were allocated to strongly adherent or non/weakly adherent groups on the basis of numbers attaching to isolated porcine enterocytes. Strains of Lactobacillus fermentum were disproportionally represented amongst the strongly-adherent strains and Lact. acidophilus and Lact. salivarius amongst the non/weakly-adherent group. Lactobacilli showed significantly better attachment ability when grown on agar than when grown in broth culture. Strongly adherent strains were not found to effect the attachment of enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli to porcine enterocytes, tested under the conditions of exclusion (lactobacilli added to the enterocytes before E. coli), competition (lactobacilli and E. coli added simultaneously) and displacement (E. coli added before lactobacilli). Tests were made with [14C]-labelled E. coli. Suspensions of bacteria and enterocytes were passed through a filter selected to retain enterocytes but pass free bacterial cells. Counts (dpm) obtained from filters after solubilization were taken as a measure of E. coli attachment. Some strains of lactobacilli coaggregated with enterotoxigenic E. coli with K88 fimbriae, but not with a K88-negative mutants strain. These were excluded from the competitive exclusion experiments. In the apparent absence of a direct effect on the association of E. coli with host tissue, removal of potential gut pathogens by aggregation could contribute to the probiotic properties ascribed to lactic acid bacteria.