The use of protein hydrolysate improves the protein intestinal absorption in undernourished mice infected with Schistosoma mansoni

Patients residing in endemic areas for schistosomiasis in Brazil are usually undernourished and when they develop the hepatosplenic clinical form of the disease should usually receive hospital care, many of them being in need of nutritional rehabilitation before specific treatment can be undertaken. In the mouse model, investigations carried out in our laboratory detected a reduced aminoacid uptake in undernourished animals which is aggravated by a superimposed infection with Schistosoma mansoni. However, in well-nourished infected mice no dysfunction occurs. In this study, we tried to improve the absorptive intestinal performance of undernourished mice infected with S. mansoni by feeding them with hydrolysed casein instead of whole casein. The values obtained for the coefficient of protein intestinal absorption (cpia) among well-nourished mice were above 90 percent (either hydrolysed or whole protein). In undernourished infected mice, however, the cpia improved significantly after feeding them with hydrolysed casein, animals reaching values close to those obtained in well-nourished infected mice

Spleen and thymus histology and proliferative response of splenic cells in rats fed raw and cooked Phaseolus vulgaris beans

Histological studies of the spleen and thymus of rats fed raw black beans (Phaseolus vulgaris) show an atrophy of both lymphoid organs. Decrease in relative thymus weight was most marked. All histological organization of this organ appeared altered. An evident decrease in cell number was also observed in both organs. Proliferative response of splenic cells stimulated in vitro with Concanavalin A was increased as compared to that from animals fed the control diet. It is likely that histological changes observed in the spleen and the thymus are due mainly to a protein caloric deficiency, although the possibility that toxic factors present in the raw diet have an effect on the immune system of the rat can not be overruled

Biological utilization of naturally fermented pearl millet flour (Pennisetum typhoideum)

Natural fermentation of pearl millet flour at 20, 25 and 30 degrees for 72 h brought about an improvement in its apparent and true protein digestibility. Utilisable protein, net protein retention and protein retention efficiency values were also enhanced as a result of fermentation. Rats fed on flour fermented at 20 and 25 degrees C had higher food as well as protein efficiency ratios than the flour fermented at 30 degrees C. Feeding of the fermented products did not bring about any histopathological abnormality in rats. Cutlets prepared from the fermented flour were organoleptically acceptable to a panel of judges

Consideracoes sobre a biodisponibilidade do ferro dos alimentos / Considerations regarding eron biovailability

Neste artigo se apresenta uma revisao documentada com mais de 60 referencias sobre o tema da disponibilidade do ferro. O trabalho oferece uma secao dedicada a terminologia empregada, enfatizando a conveniencia do termo "biodisponibilidade ou disponibilidade biológica de nutrientes" que tem certa discrepancia. Depois estuda os factores extrínsecos ou fisiológicos e os fatores intrínsecos ou dietéticos que afectan a disponibilidade do ferro. A continuacao se apresenta uma discussao sobre a biodisponibilidade do ferro dos alimentos de origem animal e vegetal, dos alimentos fortificados com sais de ferro e dos alimentos com ferro provenientes de contaminacao. O artigo refere como pesquisadores compararam métodos "in vitro" e "in vivo" para determinar a biodisponibilidade do ferro, concluindo que ambos os métodos devem ser associados. Para finalizar explica que apesar das mudancas ocurridas em diversos ambitos, novas questoes surgen sobre a importancia do ferro dos alimentos na solucao do problema da deficiencia desde mineral