Nutrigenetics and Nutrigenomics of Caloric Restriction

The application of omics technologies for understanding tropical plants-based bioactive compounds in ruminants: a review

Finding out how diet impacts health and metabolism while concentrating on the functional qualities and bioactive components of food is the crucial scientific objective of nutritional research. The complex relationship between metabolism and nutrition could be investigated with cutting-edge "omics" and bioinformatics techniques. This review paper provides an overview of the use of omics technologies in nutritional research, with a particular emphasis on the new applications of transcriptomics, proteomics, metabolomics, and genomes in functional and biological activity research on ruminant livestock and products in the tropical regions. A wealth of knowledge has been uncovered regarding the regulation and use of numerous physiological and pathological processes by gene, mRNA, protein, and metabolite expressions under various physiological situations and guidelines. In particular, the components of meat and milk were assessed using omics research utilizing the various methods of transcriptomics, proteomics, metabolomics, and genomes. The goal of this review is to use omics technologies-which have been steadily gaining popularity as technological tools-to develop new nutritional, genetic, and leadership strategies to improve animal products and their quality control. We also present an overview of the new applications of omics technologies in cattle production and employ nutriomics and foodomics technologies to investigate the microbes in the rumen ecology. Thus, the application of state-of-the-art omics technology may aid in our understanding of how species and/or breeds adapt, and the sustainability of tropical animal production, in the long run, is becoming increasingly important as a means of mitigating the consequences of climate change.

Implementation of Nutrigenetics and Nutrigenomics Research and Training Activities for Developing Precision Nutrition Strategies in Malaysia

Nutritional epidemiological studies show a triple burden of malnutrition with disparate prevalence across the coexisting ethnicities in Malaysia. To tackle malnutrition and related conditions in Malaysia, research in the new and evolving field of nutrigenetics and nutrigenomics is essential. As part of the Gene-Nutrient Interactions (GeNuIne) Collaboration, the Nutrigenetics and Nutrigenomics Research and Training Unit (N2RTU) aims to solve the malnutrition paradox. This review discusses and presents a conceptual framework that shows the pathway to implementing and strengthening precision nutrition strategies in Malaysia. The framework is divided into: (1) Research and (2) Training and Resource Development. The first arm collects data from genetics, genomics, transcriptomics, metabolomics, gut microbiome, and phenotypic and lifestyle factors to conduct nutrigenetic, nutrigenomic, and nutri-epigenetic studies. The second arm is focused on training and resource development to improve the capacity of the stakeholders (academia, healthcare professionals, policymakers, and the food industry) to utilise the findings generated by research in their respective fields. Finally, the N2RTU framework foresees its applications in artificial intelligence and the implementation of precision nutrition through the action of stakeholders.

Nutrigenomic Interventions to Address Metabolic Stress and Related Disorders in Transition Cows

For dairy cattle, the period involving a shift from late pregnancy to early lactation termed transition or periparturient is an excruciating phase. Health-related disorders are likely to happen in this time frame. Timely postpartum and metabolic adjustments to this new physical state demands correct management strategies to fulfill the cow's needs for a successful transition to this phase. Among the management strategies, one of the most researched methods for managing transition-related stress is nutritional supplementation. Dietary components directly or indirectly affect the expression of various genes that are believed to be involved in various stress-related responses during this phase. Nutrigenomics, an interdisciplinary approach that combines nutritional science with omics technologies, opens new avenues for studying the genome's complicated interactions with food. This revolutionary technique emphasizes the importance of food-gene interactions on various physiological and metabolic mechanisms. In animal sciences, nutrigenomics aims to promote the welfare of livestock animals and enhance their commercially important qualities through nutritional interventions. To this end, an increasing volume of research shows that nutritional supplementation can be effectively used to manage the metabolic stress dairy cows undergo during the transition period. These nutritional supplements, including polyunsaturated fatty acids, vitamins, dietary amino acids, and phytochemicals, have been shown to modulate energy homeostasis through different pathways, leading to addressing metabolic issues in transition cows.

Alignment of diet prescription to genotype does not promote greater weight loss success in women with obesity participating in an exercise and weight loss program

OBJECTIVE

Genetics contribute to variability in individual response to weight-loss interventions. The objective of this study was to determine the efficacy of a commercially available exercise and weight-loss program and whether alignment of diet to genotype related to lipid metabolism promotes greater success.

DESIGN

Sedentary women with obesity (n = 63) had genotype (FABP2rs1799883, PPARG2rs1801282, ADRB3rs4994C3, ADRB2rs1042713, rs1042714) determined using a direct-to-consumer genetic screening kit purported to promote greater weight-loss success through dietary recommendations based on these genes. Participants were randomly assigned to follow a moderate carbohydrate (MC) or lower carbohydrate (LC) hypo-energetic diet that aligned (A) or did not align (NA) with genotype for 24 weeks while participating in a resistance training and walking program. Data were analysed by general linear model repeated measures adjusted for baseline variables and are presented as mean (95% confidence interval) changes from baseline.

RESULTS

Participants in the LC group experienced greater improvements (p = 0.051, ηp 2 = 0.025) in per cent changes in body composition (weight: MC -3.32 [-1.4, -5.2], LC -5.82 [-4.1, -7.6]; fat mass: MC -7.25 [-3.2, -11.2], LC -10.93 [-7.3, -14.5]; fat-free mass: MC -0.32 [1.4, -2.0], LC -1.48 [0.7, -3.0]; and body fat percentage: MC -4.19 [-1.6, -6.8], LC -5.60 [-3.3, -7.9] %). No significant differences were observed between genotype groups (weight: A -5.00 [-3.3, -6.7], NA -4.14 [-2.2, -6.1]; fat mass: A -10.15 [-7.0, -13.6], NA -8.02 [-4.0, -12.0]; fat-free mass: A -1.23 [0.3, -2.8], NA -0.56 [1.12, -2.3]; and body fat: A -5.28 [-3.0, -7.6], NA -4.51 [-1.9, -7.1] %).

CONCLUSIONS

Adherence to this exercise and weight-loss program promoted improvements in body composition and health outcomes. While individuals following the LC diet experienced greater benefits, alignment of these diets to this genetic profile did not promote greater health outcomes.

Sugar Addiction: From Evolution to Revolution

The obesity epidemic has been widely publicized in the media worldwide. Investigators at all levels have been looking for factors that have contributed to the development of this epidemic. Two major theories have been proposed: (1) sedentary lifestyle and (2) variety and ease of inexpensive palatable foods. In the present review, we analyze how nutrients like sugar that are often used to make foods more appealing could also lead to habituation and even in some cases addiction thereby uniquely contributing to the obesity epidemic. We review the evolutionary aspects of feeding and how they have shaped the human brain to function in "survival mode" signaling to "eat as much as you can while you can." This leads to our present understanding of how the dopaminergic system is involved in reward and its functions in hedonistic rewards, like eating of highly palatable foods, and drug addiction. We also review how other neurotransmitters, like acetylcholine, interact in the satiation processes to counteract the dopamine system. Lastly, we analyze the important question of whether there is sufficient empirical evidence of sugar addiction, discussed within the broader context of food addiction.

Prenatal caloric restriction alters lipid metabolism but not hepatic Fasn gene expression and methylation profiles in rats

Background

Undernutrition is an increasingly common problem. Insufficient calorie intake and nutrient deficiencies during pregnancy may have an impact not only on the mother, but may also alter metabolism in the infant. In this study, we have applied a calorie-restricted diet during gestation and examined its effect on hepatic Fasn mRNA and DNA methylation profiles in rats and their female progeny. The body composition and blood lipid profiles were also evaluated in both generations.

Results

The results showed that the investigated diet regimen exerted a greater effect on the dams than on the offspring. We found that, in the calorie-restricted group, the transcript level of the Fasn gene in the liver increased in the mothers, while in the progeny it was only slightly enhanced. The implemented diet altered lipid profile in the dams by decreasing total cholesterol, HDL, and TG levels. An increase in LDL was noted in the offspring. No change in DNA methylation profile was observed in response to the calorie-restricted diet.

Conclusions

Calorie restriction during pregnancy modified the hepatic Fasn mRNA transcript level and altered the blood cholesterol concentrations in dams, but there were no such effects in their four-week-old offspring. The examined dietary regimen had no effect on DNA methylation of the Fasn 5′-flanking region in the rat liver.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12863-017-0544-0) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Functional foods and cardiometabolic diseases* International Task Force for Prevention of Cardiometabolic Diseases

Mounting evidence supports the hypothesis that functional foods containing physiologically-active components may be healthful. Longitudinal cohort studies have shown that some food classes and dietary patterns are beneficial in primary prevention, and this has led to the identification of putative functional foods. This field, however, is at its very beginning, and additional research is necessary to substantiate the potential health benefit of foods for which the diet-health relationships are not yet scientifically validated. It appears essential, however, that before health claims are made for particular foods, in vivo randomized, double-blind, placebo controlled trials of clinical end-points are necessary to establish clinical efficacy. Since there is need for research work aimed at devising personalized diet based on genetic make-up, it seems more than reasonable the latter be modeled, at present, on the Mediterranean diet, given the large body of evidence of its healthful effects. The Mediterranean diet is a nutritional model whose origins go back to the traditional dietadopted in European countries bordering the Mediterranean sea, namely central and southern Italy, Greece and Spain; these populations have a lower incidence of cardiovascular diseases than the North American ones, whose diet is characterized by high intake of animal fat. The meeting in Naples and this document both aim to focus on the changes in time in these two different models of dietary habits and their fall out on public health.

Personalized weight loss strategies-the role of macronutrient distribution

A large number of different dietary approaches have been studied in an attempt to achieve healthy, sustainable weight loss among individuals with overweight and obesity. Restriction of energy intake is the primary method of producing a negative energy balance leading to weight loss. However, owing to the different metabolic roles of proteins, carbohydrates and lipids in energy homeostasis, diets of similar overall energy content but with different macronutrient distribution can differentially affect metabolism, appetite and thermogenesis. Evidence increasingly suggests that the fuel values of calories provided by distinct macronutrients should be considered separately, as metabolism of specific molecular components generates differences in energy yield. The causes of variation in individual responses to various diets are currently under debate, and some evidence suggests that differences are associated with specific genotypes. This Review discusses all available systematic reviews and meta-analyses, and summarizes the results of relevant randomized controlled intervention trials assessing the influence of macronutrient composition on weight management. The initial findings of research into personalized nutrition, based on the interactions of macronutrient intake and genetic background and its potential influence on dietary intervention strategies, are also discussed.

Isoflavone supplement composition and equol producer status affect gene expression in adipose tissue: a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled crossover trial in postmenopausal women

BACKGROUND

Isoflavone supplements, consumed by women experiencing menopausal symptoms, are suggested to have positive effects on menopause-related adiposity and cardiovascular disease risk profile, but discussions about their safety are still ongoing.

OBJECTIVE

The objective was to study the effects of an 8-wk consumption of 2 different isoflavone supplements compared with placebo on whole-genome gene expression in the adipose tissue of postmenopausal women.

DESIGN

This double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled crossover intervention consisted of 2 substudies, one with a low-genistein (LG) supplement (56% daidzein + daidzin, 16% genistein + genistin, and 28% glycitein + glycitin) and the other with a high-genistein (HG) supplement (49% daidzein + daidzin, 41% genistein + genistin, and 10% glycitein + glycitin). Both supplements provided ∼ 100 mg isoflavones/d (aglycone equivalents). After the 8-wk isoflavone and placebo period, whole-genome arrays were performed in subcutaneous adipose tissue of postmenopausal women (n = 26 after LG, n = 31 after HG). Participants were randomized by equol-producing phenotype, and data analysis was performed per substudy for equol producers and nonproducers separately.

RESULTS

Gene set enrichment analysis showed downregulation of expression of energy metabolism-related genes after LG supplementation (n = 24) in both equol-producing phenotypes and oppositely regulated expression for equol producers (down) and nonproducers (up) after HG supplementation (n = 31). Expression of inflammation-related genes was upregulated in equol producers but downregulated in nonproducers, independent of supplement type. Only 4.4-7.0% of the genes with significantly changed expression were estrogen responsive. Body weight, adipocyte size, and plasma lipid profile were not affected by isoflavone supplementation.

CONCLUSIONS

Effects of isoflavones on adipose tissue gene expression were influenced by supplement composition and equol-producing phenotype, whereas estrogen-responsive effects were lacking. LG isoflavone supplementation resulted in a caloric restriction-like gene expression profile for both producer phenotypes and pointed toward a potential beneficial effect, whereas both supplements induced anti-inflammatory gene expression in equol producers. The study was registered at clinicaltrials.gov as NCT01556737.

Supplementation with methyl donors during lactation to high-fat-sucrose-fed dams protects offspring against liver fat accumulation when consuming an obesogenic diet

Methyl donor supplementation has been reported to prevent obesity-induced liver fat accumulation in adult rats. We hypothesized that this protection could be mediated by perinatal nutrition. For this purpose, we assessed the response to an obesogenic diet (high-fat-sucrose, HFS) during adulthood depending on maternal diet during lactation. Female Wistar rats fed control diet during pregnancy were assigned to four postpartum dietary groups: control, control supplemented with methyl donors (choline, betaine, folic acid, vitamin B12), HFS and HFS supplemented with methyl donors. At weaning, the male offspring was transferred to a chow diet and at week 12th assigned to a control or a HFS diet during 8 weeks. The offspring whose mothers were fed HFS during lactation showed increased adiposity (19%, P<0.001). When fed the HFS diet as adults, offspring whose mothers were HFS supplemented had more body fat (23%, P<0.001) than those from HFS non-supplemented. However, they showed lower liver fat accumulation (-18%, P<0.001). Srebf1, Dnmt1 and Lepr liver mRNA levels increased after adulthood HFS feeding. In those animals HFS fed during adulthood, previous maternal HFS decreased Lepr and Dnmt1 expression levels when compared with c-HFS offspring, while the supplementation of control and HFS-fed dams, respectively, induced higher hepatic Mme and Lepr mRNA levels after adult HFS intake compared with hfs-HFS offspring. In conclusion, maternal HFS diet during lactation influenced the response to an obesogenic diet in the adult progeny. Interestingly, dietary methyl donor supplementation in lactating mothers fed an obesogenic diet reduced liver fat accumulation, but increased adipose tissue storage in adult HFS-fed offspring.

Gender-specific association between FSHR and PPARG common variants and human longevity

Men and women have different life expectancies. Not unexpectedly, several genes involved in life span determination have been found to influence the probability of achieving longevity differently in men and women. This investigation examines the association between longevity and polymorphisms of follicle-stimulating hormone receptor (FSHR, Asn680Ser polymorphism) and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARG, Pro12Ala polymorphism), two genes that previous investigations suggested may exert a gender-specific influence on human longevity. A sample of 277 individuals (mean age, 82.9±5.7years) was recruited in 2000. On the basis of mortality data collected in 2009, the sample was divided into two groups of subjects surviving over 90 years (long-lived) or not (controls). The frequency of the FSHR 680 Ser/Ser genotype was significantly higher in the sample of long-lived women compared to controls, indicating that the FSHR 680 Ser/Ser genotype may favor survival to more than 90 years of age only in women (odds ratio [OR]=4.21; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.10-16.10, p=0.036). In contrast, the frequency of the PPARG Pro/Ala genotype was significantly higher in the sample of male subjects who died before 90 years of age than in the long-lived, suggesting that carrying the PPARG Pro/Ala genotype may prevent the attainment of advanced age only in men (OR=0.13; 95% CI, 0.02-0.79; p=0.03). We then searched the literature for studies reporting a differential role for the genetic component in male and female longevity. To do this, we selected longevity genes with a gender-specific effect. A review of the studies showed that genetic factors tend to have a greater relevance in determining longevity in men than in women. The possible impact of this phenomenon is discussed.

Obesity-related gene ADRB2, ADRB3 and GHRL polymorphisms and the response to a weight loss diet intervention in adult women

The individual response to diet may be influenced by gene polymorphisms. This study hypothesized that ADRB2 (Gln27Glu, rs1042714 and Arg16Gly, rs1042713), ADRB3 (Trp64Arg, rs4994) and GHRL (Leu72Met, rs696217) polymorphisms moderate weight loss. The study was a seven weeks dietary weight loss intervention with Brazilian adult obese women (n = 109). The body mass index (BMI) was calculated and polymorphisms in these genes were assessed by real-time PCR assays. Two-way repeated-measures ANOVA (2 × 2) were used to analyze the intervention effect between polymorphisms and BMI over the period and after stratification for age and socioeconomic status (SES). The weight loss intervention resulted in decreased BMI over the seven-week period (p < 0.001), for high and low SES (p < 0.05) and mainly for participants with 30–49 y. The intervention did not result in a statistically significant difference in weight loss between polymorphism carriers and non-carriers, and although, the ADRB2, ADRB3 and GHRL polymorphisms did not moderate weight loss, the Gln27Glu polymorphism carriers showed a lower BMI compared to non-carriers in the low SES (p = 0.018) and the 30–39 y (p = 0.036) groups, suggesting a role for this polymorphism related to BMI control.