Life Sciences Commons^™

Characteristics Of Yogurt And Culture Bacteria As Affected By Ingredients That Help Treat Leaky Gut, Ricardo Jose Santos Aleman

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

At least 100 million people have leaky gut syndrome. This syndrome is associated with multiple health problems such as diabetes, celiac disease, asthma, multiple sclerosis, and inflammatory bowel disease, costing more than $3 billion per year to treat. L-Glutamine, quercetin, slippery elm bark, marshmallow root, N-acetyl-d-glucosamine (NAG), licorice root, maitake mushrooms, and zinc orotate have been reported to help treat leaky gut.

The objectives were to explore the characteristics of yogurt and culture bacteria as affected by ingredients that help treat leaky gut. In yogurt, the pH, titratable acidity, syneresis, viscosity, color, Streptococcus thermophilus, Lactobacillus bulgaricus, yeast and mold and …

Measuring Food Literacy Among Limited-Resourced Adults, Emelia Clement

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Food literacy is the interrelated knowledge, skills and behaviors needed to plan and manage, select, prepare, and eat healthy food. It is positively associated with improved consumption of nutritious diets, and can be beneficial to limited-resource adults, who are often at risk for chronic diet-related diseases. Valid instruments for measuring food literacy in this population are scarce but urgently needed. The Eating and Food Literacy Behavior Questionnaire (EFLBQ) can be used to measure food literacy among limited-resource audiences.

Part one of this study aimed to determine the fitness of the EFLBQ to measure food literacy in limited-resource adults. A convenience …

Understanding Motivations Among Sustained Cooperative Extension Partners For Obesity Prevention In Rural Louisiana, Catherine R. Losavio

LSU Master's Theses

Louisiana consistently has one of the highest rates of obesity in the nation with higher concentrations of obesity in many rural parishes (i.e., counties). Due to over a century of visibility and engagement in rural communities, Cooperative Extension (Extension) is uniquely poised to reach remote rural communities disproportionately impacted by obesity. As Extension increases its use of community coalitions and implements its new National Framework for Health Equity and Well-Being, understanding motivations and communication preferences among long-term rural coalition partners for obesity prevention and health promotion has become essential for duplicating successful local-level policy, system, and environmental (PSE) changes. This …

Qualifying Factors That Predict Weight Loss Success Within Diet Interventions, Jordan Losavio

LSU Master's Theses

Evidence-based diet strategies lead to weight loss for some, while for others, the same diet approach could result in trivial weight loss or even in weight gain. This prompts the underlying research question: what factors predict that a given diet strategy will be efficacious for some, but not for others? This research was a secondary analysis of clinical weight loss studies to determine which factors influence an individual’s weight loss success for three diet intervention strategies: low-carbohydrate, low-fat, and low-calorie. A combination of physiological, psychological, behavioral, and dietary factors was evaluated for each diet study. Multiple linear regression and logistic …

Assessment Of Cash Value Benefits And The Effects On Participant Vegetable Consumption In The Louisiana Wic Program, Celia Rene Bridgeforth

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) is administered by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Food and Nutrition Service (FNS). The WIC program serves low-income women, infants, and children by providing supplemental foods, nutrition education, breastfeeding support and promotion, and referrals to healthcare and social service programs (Oliveira & Frazão, 2015). Revisions of the WIC food packages to include cash value benefits (CVB) that provided WIC participants the opportunity to purchase fruits and vegetables with their WIC benefits. There is significant research that indicates the benefit of F.V. consumption and the impact on diet-related …

Evaluation Of Food Safety Practices At Louisiana Summer Feeding Sites And Food Safety Communication Via Social Media During Crises, Peyton E. Haynes

LSU Master's Theses

The United States Department of Agriculture’s Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) provided children under the age of 18 in low-income areas 145 million free meals in 2018 through summer feeding sites. Food safety issues arise for Louisiana feeding sites due to time-temperature controlled foods served, weather patterns in Louisiana, seasonal staff and short operation time, and lack of equipment. The purpose of this study was to assess food safety practices at Louisiana feeding sites through observational study with intention to compare food practices at institutional and noninstitutional sites. A rubric following USDA food safety guidelines based on categories: hot holding, …

Evaluating The ‘Small Changes, Healthy Habits’ Curriculum For Influencing Change In Eating And Physical Activity Behaviors, And Habit Formation In Adults, Praja Adhikari

LSU Master's Theses

This study evaluated the initial influence of the Small Changes, Healthy Habits (SCHH) pilot program on food/eating, and physical activity behaviors and habits among participants. A convenience sample of 56 adults (≥18 years old) with representation from communities in all five LSU AgCenter regions, was recruited for the program. Complete datasets from 47 participants were collected and used for the evaluation. The participant group was 83% female (n = 39), 89% 51 years or older, and living in rural areas; approximately 83% white (n=38), 13% African American (n=6), and 2% Asian (n=1). A 22-question participant survey was developed to quantify …

Assessing Breastfeeding Knowledge, Attitudes And Intention Among Adult Female Undergraduate And Graduate Students, Kritee Niroula

LSU Master's Theses

This study measured the breastfeeding knowledge, attitude and intention of adult female students of Louisiana State University. Participants (n=1039; mean age 20.12 ± 3.122 years) were recruited to complete the questionnaire. Racial/ethnic representation was White (76.1%), African American (14.3%), Asian (5.5%), American Indian/ Alaska Native or Native Hawaiian/ Pacific Islander (0.8%) and Multi-racial (3.3%). The questionnaire was used to deliver a set of knowledge, attitude and intention items. Participants were evaluated based on their scores in each section. The questionnaire was pilot tested among five students for comprehensibility and understandability and necessary changes were made according to their suggestions. The …

Development Of High-Fiber Belgian Waffles And Evaluation Of Product Acceptance, Product-Elicited Emotion, And Purchase Intent By Millennial Consumers, 2253299685 Velasquez

LSU Master's Theses

Dietary fiber may help reduce LDL cholesterol levels and prevent cardiovascular diseases. The US-FDA recommends 14g of fiber/1000kcal consumed, but Americans consume/day. A product containing ≥5 grams of fiber/serving can be claimed as a high-fiber product. Adding dietary fiber to food affects their physicochemical properties and sensory quality, possibly leading to less product acceptability. This study was performed to assess selected physicochemical properties and consumer perception of “high-fiber” Belgian waffles. Waffles were formulated to have fiber contents of

The Effects Of Skeletal Muscle Specific Cpt1b Knock Out On Genetically Obese Ay Mice, Allison Stone

LSU Master's Theses

Fatty acid oxidation inhibition is one approach to reducing blood glucose levels in type II diabetes. Skeletal muscle specific Carnitine Palmitoyltransferase 1b knockout mice (Cpt1b^m-/-) cannot transport long-chain fatty acids into the mitochondria to be oxidized in order to produce energy. Cpt1b^m-/- mice have debilitated fat oxidation, less fat mass and improved glucose utilization compared to control C57BL/6 mice fed a 25% fat diet.

We hypothesized that CPT1b inhibition could reduce fat mass and lower blood glucose levels in a genetic mouse model of obesity and diabetes. To test this, we bred Cpt1b^m-/- mice to A …

Development, Validation, And Testing Of The Eating And Food Literacy Behaviors Questionnaire With Young Adult University Students, Kwadernica Rhea

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The Eating and Food Literacy Behaviors Questionnaire (EFLBQ) was developed, and its validity, reliability, and ability to measure construct changes was established. Items related to the originally proposed domains of food literacy were included in the initial questionnaire, however five, new components were discovered. The second version of the EFLBQ was tested with 257 young adult university students using exploratory factor analysis, and a five-factor model (R²=57.4%) was returned. Cronbach’s alpha coefficients were calculated (health and nutrition=0.89, taste=0.72, food preparation=0.77, planning /decision-making=0.64, and convenience=0.63). A confirmatory factor analysis, with 923 new responses provided evidence of an adequate fit …

Effects Of Red Raspberry Polyphenols And Metabolites On Biomarkers Of Inflammation And Insulin Resistance In Prediabetes And Type 2 Diabetes, Reynaldo Moreno Ucles

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Berry fruits are rich sources of polyphenolic compounds (PCs), which can promote health benefits. Anthocyanin concentrations of red raspberry (RR)(Rubus idaeus) extracts were determined to be a total of 887.6 ± 262.8 μg/g cyanidin-3-sophoroside (C3S) equivalents with C3S being the most prevalent. Ellagitannin analysis by MALDI-TOF indicated sanguiin H-6 and lambertianin C were the major ellagitannins present in RR. To explore the efficacy of RR in modulating diabetes, seven type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and two pre-diabetic patients were given drinks delivering one RR serving (123 g) per day in a smoothie for two weeks. Blood samples were …

Rats Fed Dietary Bioactive Components (Resistant Starch, Whole Grains, And Fat) Undergo Altered Biometrics And Gene Expression As A Result Of Gut Fermentation, Justin Lamont Guice

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The whole grain and fat content of the diet have been previously shown to affect intestinal fermentation and phenotype conferred by high–amylose maize resistant starch (HAMRS), a form of fermentable dietary fiber. The current studies were designed to compare rodent gut health following consumption of whole grain and non–whole grain prebiotics on moderate fat (MF) and high fat (HF) diets, and to optimize health effect based on dosage of whole grain resistant starch prebiotics.

Study 1: Diets were prepared to contain the following factors RS (Present/Absent), WG (Present/Absent), and Fat (HF/MF). A three–way ANOVA was performed with statistical slice …

Development, Validation, And Testing Of A Self-Determination Theory Instrument Called The Motivation To Prepare Healthy Foods Questionnaire, Ariana Delong Bailey

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The objectives of these studies were to validate and confirm the structure of a previously developed questionnaire that measures the psychosocial constructs defined by the Self-Determination Theory (SDT) and then test this questionnaire in a nutrition education setting. The instrument, titled the Motivation to Prepare Healthy Foods Questionnaire (MPHFQ), included items that measured intrinsic motivation, perceived competence, relatedness, autonomy, and autonomy support. These studies evaluated the questionnaire’s validity and ability to measure changes in the SDT construct scores.

The MPHFQ is a previously developed and reliable instrument intended to measure adults’ intrinsic motivation and perceived competence to prepare healthy foods, …

Endocannabinoid Metabolome Of Human Breast Milk, Adriana V. Gaitan Espinoza

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Human breast milk (HBM) is an extremely complex yet fascinating biofluid tailored to meet an infant’s nutritional requirements for development. Amongst the nutrients present in HBM, the long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LCPUFAs) are of high importance due to the pivotal role they play in infant cognitive and visual development, and growth. In addition, the LCPUFAs are precursors to endocannabinoids (EC) which are endogenous lipid mediators. EC exert metabolic responses including appetite and food intake regulation, and they have been identified to play a role in establishing the suckling response of the newborn that is needed to nurse. Thus, we aimed …

Whole Tart Cherry Improves Disease Activity Index In Rat Model Of Dextran Sulfate Solution – Induced Ulcerative Colitis By Downregulating The Janus 1 And Janus 3 Kinases And Tnf - Alpha, Johana Alexandra Coronel

LSU Master's Theses

Ulcerative colitis (UC) is a disabling inflammatory bowel disease. UC is characterized by chronic, relapsing inflammation of the colon and rectum. Current treatments such as monoclonal antibodies against TNF-α, IL-6, IL-12/p40, adhesion molecules, Janus kinases (JAK) inhibitors have side effects or lose their effects over time. Alternative approaches with fewer side effects for patients are needed. Montmorency tart cherries (Prunus cerasus) are a good source of anti-inflammatory flavonoids. We hypothesized that regular consumption whole tart cherry (TC) standardized to its major anthocyanin content, namely cyanidin-3-glucosyl-rutinoside, would be effective in reducing inflammation in UC. The aim of this research was to …

Insufficient Dha Intake In Pregnant And Lactating Women Of Baton Rouge, Louisiana: Further Nutrition Education Needed, Zoe Wilhelm

Honors Theses

No abstract provided.

Antimicrobial Spice Cinnamon At Low Concentrations Has No Effect On The Counts Of Lactococcus Lactis R 604, But At High Concentrations Lowered Its Counts, Madison Hannan

Honors Theses

No abstract provided.

Modifiable And Non-Modifiable Factors Related To The Macular Pigment Optical Density (Mpod) In A Population Of College-Aged Adults, Genesis Gisselle Guerra Gaitan

LSU Master's Theses

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is one of the leading causes of blindness among the elderly worldwide. Retinal problems, specifically in the macula, hold potential for development of AMD. Macular pigment optical density (MPOD) gives a measure of the thickness of the macula and therefore health of the macula. Some of the populations at risk for development of AMD include being white, female, and having light eye color. Factors related to the development of the disease have been divided into modifiable and non-modifiable; non-modifiable include a genetic predisposition. Control of modifiable factors, including body mass index (BMI) and diet [dietary intake …

Failure To Achieve Recommended Omega-3 Dha Intake During Pregnancy: Nutrition Education Needed, Carly Thaxton

Honors Theses

No abstract provided.

A Comparison Of Nutrient Intake, Nutrient Adequacy, Diet Quality, And Obesity Prevalence In Low-Income Children (2-18 Yr) Based On Participation In The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program: Nhanes 2003-2010, Matthew J. Landry

Honors Theses

No abstract provided.

The Detection Of The Norovirus In A Wastewater Treatment Plant As A Potential Source Of Environmental Contamination, Dorothee Goettert

Honors Theses

No abstract provided.

Development, Implementation, And Evaluation Of A Media-Awareness Wellness Program For High School Students, Rachel Firmin Johnson

Honors Theses

No abstract provided.

Increased Dietary Docosahexaenoic Acid Consumption And Its Effect On Macular Pigment Optical Density: The Eye Health In College-Age Students Iii Pilot Study, Markita M. Lewis

Honors Theses

No abstract provided.

The Ability Of Households In Southeast Louisiana Eligible For The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program To Meet The Food Recommendations Of The 2010 Dietary Guidelines For Americans, Alicia Rodriguez

Honors Theses

No abstract provided.

Effects Of Dietary Fat On Resistant Starch Fermentation In Mice, Diana Badkoobeh

Honors Theses

No abstract provided.

Effects Of Dietary Fat On Resistant Starch Fermentation In Mice, Diana Badkoobeh

Honors Theses

No abstract provided.