1. Arachidonic acid drives fat metabolism during hibernation Researchers assembled the first telomere-to-telomere genome of a hibernating mammal, the Daurian ground squirrel (2.69 Gb across 19 chromosomes). Comparing its genes with 17 other mammals and profiling its liver across four seasons pointed to arachidonic acid, an omega-6 fatty acid, as a key regulator of fat metabolism during hibernation. The fatty acid acts through PPARα and TRPV channels, triggering calcium signalling that increases the activity of lipid-metabolism enzymes in liver cells.
2. Serotonin and the “startle response” linked to dairy cow productivity A study of 24 The startle response is an automatic, reflexive reaction to a sudden, unexpected stimulus, such as a loud noise, a flash of light or a rapid movement. Holstein cows on an automatic milking system found that cows with a larger startle response produced more milk and energy-corrected milk. These cows were also refused by the milking robot less often. Higher blood serotonin was associated with a stronger startle response and less freezing behaviour afterwards. Together, serotonin and startle response helped describe temperament traits relevant to cow welfare and productivity. The study was small and exploratory.
3. Betaine improves performance in late-laying hens Sixty-week-old Fayoumi laying hens received betaine at 0.3, 0.6 or 1.2 g/kg of feed for 24 weeks. The 0.6 g/kg level gave the best laying rate, egg mass, fertility, eggshell thickness and carcass weight, along with less abdominal fat. The 1.2 g/kg level lowered serum lipids and LDL, increased beneficial gut bacteria such as Lactobacillus, and reduced pathogenic bacteria.
4. Better diet quality associated with higher testosterone in men Data from 5,434 adult men in the US National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2011–2016) showed that every 10-point increase in Healthy Eating Index-2020 score was linked to a modest rise in total testosterone, following a linear dose-response pattern. Sodium and dairy were the most influential dietary components. The association appeared to work partly through body mass index and waist circumference. The study was cross-sectional, so it shows an association rather than cause and effect.
5. Moringa leaf protein improves glucose control in mice A low-molecular-mass protein fraction from Moringa oleifera leaves, called Mo–D3, reduced blood glucose after a glucose challenge in mice, with 5 mg/kg the lowest effective dose. It also increased glycogen storage in the liver and muscle and partially restored insulin responsiveness impaired by dexamethasone, a steroid. After five days of treatment, muscle Akt gene expression almost doubled and pancreatic insulin (Ins1) gene expression rose more than ten-times. The fraction was given by injection, and only male mice were tested.
6. Dietary fats and amino acids linked to inflammation in women with obesity Among 90 Egyptian women (60 with obesity and 30 of normal weight), higher intake of total fat, saturated fat and branched-chain amino acids was associated with higher levels of IL-17, a pro-inflammatory cytokine, and lower levels of IL-10, an anti-inflammatory cytokine. Omega-3 fatty acids (EPA and DPA) and glutamine showed the opposite pattern. These links were stronger in the women with obesity. The correlations were not adjusted for body fat, so they suggest relationships rather than prove them.
#Nutrition #Physiology #NutritionScience #Metabolism #AnimalScience #AnimalNutrition #DairyScience #PoultryNutrition #Hibernation #Genomics #Testosterone #MensHealth #Moringa #Diabetes #InsulinResistance #Inflammation #Obesity #Omega3 #MaverickMiniBytes Kabir Chowdhury
Sources:
- T2T genome & arachidonic acid in hibernation, Communications Biology
- Serotonin, temperament & dairy cow performance, Frontiers in Animal Science
- Betaine in late-stage laying hens, Frontiers in Animal Science
- Diet quality & testosterone, International Urology and Nephrology
- Moringa protein fraction & glucose tolerance, Advances in Traditional Medicine
- Fatty acids, amino acids & inflammation in Egyptian women, Scientific Reports
