The Alberta Pregnancy Outcomes and Nutrition (APrON) cohort study: rationale and methods.

The Alberta Pregnancy Outcomes and Nutrition (APrON) study is an ongoing prospective cohort study that recruits pregnant women early in pregnancy and, as of 2012, is following up their infants to 3 years of age. It has currently enrolled approximately 5000 Canadians (2000 pregnant women, their offspring and many of their partners). The primary aims of the APrON study were to determine the relationships between maternal nutrient intake and status, before, during and after gestation, and (1) maternal mood; (2) birth and obstetric outcomes; and (3) infant neurodevelopment. We have collected comprehensive maternal nutrition, anthropometric, biological and mental health data at multiple points in the pregnancy and the post-partum period, as well as obstetrical, birth, health and neurodevelopmental outcomes of these pregnancies. The study continues to follow the infants through to 36 months of age. The current report describes the study design and methods, and findings of some pilot work. The APrON study is a significant resource with opportunities for collaboration.

Medical students' perceptions of nutrition education in Canadian universities.

Patients routinely seek physicians' guidance about diet and the relation between nutrition and the prevention and treatment of disease. However, the adequacy of nutrition instruction in undergraduate medical education is questionable. The purpose of this study was to investigate Canadian medical students' perceptions of and satisfaction with their education in nutrition. At 9 universities across Canada, a 23-item survey questionnaire was distributed in English and French to undergraduate medical students after at least 8 months of medical school. Overall, 9 of 17 universities participated in the survey, and 933 of the 3267 medical students approached completed the survey (response rate, 28.6%). Mean satisfaction with nutrition instruction received during medical school was 4.7 (+/-0.06) on a scale of 1-10, where 1 is very dissatisfied and 10 is very satisfied, and there were significant differences among schools (p < 0.0001). Students were comfortable in their ability to counsel patients regarding basic nutrition concepts and the role of nutrition in prevention of disease, but were much less comfortable discussing the role of nutrition in the treatment of disease and nutrient requirements across the lifecycle, and in identifying credible sources of nutrition information. Of the 933 respondents, 87.2% believe that their undergraduate program should dedicate more time to nutrition education. The amount of nutrition instruction correlated with student satisfaction (p < 0.0001), but varied among schools. A significant number of students are dissatisfied with the nutrition education they receive and their ability to provide relevant and appropriate nutrition counselling. This study paves the way for further discussions and development of strategies to improve nutrition education in medical schools in Canada.

Total lipids of Sarda sheep meat that include the fatty acid and alkenyl composition and the CLA and trans-18:1 isomers.

The total lipids of the longissimus dorsi muscle were analyzed from commercial adult Sarda sheep in Sardina taken from local abattoirs, and in the subsequent year from three local farms in the Sassari region that provided some information on the amount and type of supplements fed to the pasture-fed sheep. The complete lipid analysis of sheep meat included the fatty acids from O-acyl and N-acyl lipids, including the trans- and conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) isomers and the alk-1-enyl ethers from the plasmalogenic lipids. This analysis required the use of a combination of acid- and base-catalyzed methylation procedures, the former to quantitate the O-acyl, N-acyl and alkenyl ethers, and the latter to determine the content of CLA isomers and their metabolites. A combination of gas chromatographic and silver-ion separation techniques was necessary to quantitate all of the meat lipid constituents, which included a prior separation of the trans-octadecenoic acids (18:1) and a separation of fatty acid methyl esters and the dimethylacetals (DMAs) from the acyl and alk-1-enyl ethers, respectively. The alk-1-enyl moieties of the DMAs were analyzed as their stable cyclic acetals. In general, about half of the meat lipids were triacylglycerols, even though excess fat was trimmed from the meat. The higher fat content in the meat appears to be related to the older age of these animals. The variation in the trans-18:1 and CLA isomer profiles of the Sarda sheep obtained from the abattoirs was much greater than in the profiles from the sheep from the three selected farms. Higher levels of 10t-18:1, 7t9c-18:2, 9t11c-18:2 and 10t12c-18:2 were observed in the commercial sheep meat, which reflected the poorer quality diets of these sheep compared to those from the three farms, which consistently showed higher levels of 11t-18:1, 9c11t-18:2 and 11t13c-18:2. In the second study, sheep were provided with supplements during the spring and summer grazing season, which contributed to higher levels of 11t-18:1 and 9c11t-18:2. The farm that provided a small amount of supplements during the spring had the better lipid profile at both time periods. The polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) content was higher in the meat from Sarda sheep from the three farms than in the meat from those sheep obtained from commercial slaughter operations. The plasmalogenic lipid content ranged from 2 to 3% of total lipids, the alk-1-enyl ethers consisted mainly of saturated and monounsaturated moieties, and the trans-18:1 profile was similar to that of the FA. The n-6 (6-8%) and n-3 PUFA (2-3%) contents, the n-6/n-3 ratio (3:1), as well as the saturated fatty acid (SFA) content (42-45%) and the SFA to PUFA ratio (4:1 to 5:1) of the Sarda sheep from the three farms were comparable to sheep meat lipids found in similar commercial operations in Europe. Inclusion of small amounts of supplements for the grazing Sarda sheep resulted in improved quality of sheep meat lipids.

Conjugated linoleic acid-enriched beef production.

Canadian beef consumption is approximately 31 kg per annum, or a third of all meats consumed. Beef is a nutrient-rich food, providing good quality protein, vitamins B-6 and B-12, niacin, iron, and zinc. However, animal fats have gained the reputation of being less healthy. The identification of the anticarcinogenic effects of beef extracts due to the presence of conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) has heightened interest in increasing the amount of CLA deposited in beef. Beef cattle produce CLA and deposit these compounds in the meat; thus, beef consumers can receive bioformed CLA. Beef contains both of the bioactive CLA isomers, namely, cis-9, trans-11 and trans-10, cis-12. The relative content of these CLA isomers in beef depends on the feeds consumed by the animals during production. Feeding cattle linoleic acid-rich oils for extended periods of time increases the CLA content of beef. Depending on the type and relative maturity of the pasture, beef from pasture-fed cattle may have a higher CLA content than beef from grain- or silage-fed cattle. In feedlot animals fed high-grain diets, inclusion of dietary oil along with hay during both the growth and finishing phases led to an increase in CLA content from 2.8 to 14 mg/g beef fat, which would provide 77 mg CLA in an 85-g serving of beef. The CLAs appear to be concentrated in intramuscular and subcutaneous fat of beef cattle, with the CLA trans-10, cis-12 isomer being greater in the subcutaneous fat.