Nutrition Commons^™

Effects Of Vagotomy And Fenugreek On Hyperlipidemia And Insulin Resistance, Rituraj Khound

Department of Nutrition and Health Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Hyperlipidemia is the impairment of lipid metabolism marked by abnormally high levels of lipid in circulation. This has been implicated in a number of metabolic diseases including diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. Insulin resistance is the impairment of insulin action, which leads to several diseases such as obesity and type 2 diabetes. New clinical and therapeutic approaches are warranted for the prevention and treatment of hyperlipidemia and insulin resistance. In our study, we investigated the mechanism underlying the effect of complete disruption of the sub-diaphragmatic vagus nerve (vagotomy) on hyperlipidemia and insulin sensitivity. We observed that vagotomy …

Red Grain Sorghum Whole Kernel Crude Lipid Protects Energy Metabolism And Short Chain Fatty Acid Profile In A Hamster Model To Minimize Intestinal Stress Caused By A High Fat Diet, Haowen Qiu

Department of Nutrition and Health Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Multiple studies have shown throughout the past 10+ years that grain sorghum (GS) lipid extract protects against high plasma and hepatic cholesterol and, to a lesser degree, positively modulate the gut microbiota in response to a high fat (HF) diet. However, the impact of GS lipids on intestinal stress induced by such a diet remains largely unknown. The objective of this project was to determine the ability of GS crude lipid (GS-CL) obtained from the surface of GS whole kernel to protect energy metabolism and short chain fatty acid (SCFA) profile produced by the gut microbiome that may be negatively …

Characterization Of Extraction Methods To Recover Phenolic-Rich Extracts From Black Beans (Phaseolus Vulgaris) That Inhibit Alpha-Amylase And Alpha-Glucosidase Using Response Surface Approaches, Mazen Alharbi

Department of Nutrition and Health Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Black beans contain high phenolic contents that are considered potent antioxidants. Relatively little is known about their ability to inhibit the carbohydrate-hydrolyzing enzymes α-amylase and α-glucosidase from releasing glucose from starch and/or disaccharides. The objective of this project was to determine the optimum procedures for extracting total phenols (TP), total flavonoids (TF) and total condensed tannins (TCT) from black beans (Phaseolus vulgaris), and then to determine the ability of the phenolic rich extracts to inhibit α-amylase and α-glucosidase. Due to their high phenolic levels, it was hypothesized that black beans would be an effective inhibitor of α-amylase and α-glucosidase, which …

Synbiotic Ice Cream As A Probiotic Carrier Tested In A Human Blind Crossover Trial, Erin M. Mcnamara

Department of Nutrition and Health Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Diet is an important factor in gastrointestinal health. A synbiotic food option utilizing prebiotic and probiotic ingredients may be beneficial for improving gastrointestinal health. To conduct a human subject study of synbiotic ice cream containing prebiotic (inulin) and two strains of probiotics (Lactobacillus casei KE99 and Bifidobacterium bifidum) to determine its effectiveness as a carrier for a these ingredients and to identify any negative gastrointestinal side effects.

The study started with baseline data collection including a food frequency, a three day food recall, and one stool sample. The study was a 12 week crossover design with three weeks consuming …

Assessing The Sociocultural Impact Of Special Events In The Context Of Germanfest In Nebraska, Usa, Yanli Wang

Department of Nutrition and Health Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

The present study examined the sociocultural impact of special events based on the cultural festival of GermanFest in Syracuse, Nebraska. A total of 143 (71.5%) local residents responded to the self-administered survey. The dimensions of the sociocultural impact, the important reasons for celebrating the festival, the relationship among festival stakeholders, the levels of community involvement, and the improvement of the quality of life in the community as impacts of the festival and demographic information were investigated separately.

The Festival Social Impact Attitude Scale (FSIAS) was utilized to identify the dimensions of the sociocultural impact of GermanFest. Three dimensions were identified …

Micrornas Are Absorbed In Biologically Meaningful Amounts From Nutritionally Relevant Doses Of Cow’S Milk And Chicken Eggs And Affect Gene Expression In Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells, Cell Cultures, And Mouse Livers, Scott Baier

Department of Nutrition and Health Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Throughout the twenty-first century, evidence has been continually increasing to show the importance of epigenetic regulation in health. While the term “epigenetics” can be applied to many different processes, the focus of this dissertation will be on microRNAs and chromatin structure. Ultimately, both of these forms of epigenetic regulation can be used to fine tune gene expression based on environmental cues. The first three chapters of the dissertation focus on microRNA bioavailability, stability, and function from two commonly consumed food products: cow’s milk and chicken eggs. This important work has been the first of its kind to demonstrate the bioavailability …

Evaluation Of A Social Marketing Campaign: 4 Day Throw Away, Katie J. James

Department of Nutrition and Health Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Children are at a heightened risk for foodborne illness. Handling leftover food safely was identified as a concern from focus groups with the main food preparer in families with young children in two Midwestern states. To design, implement, and evaluate a theory-based food safety education intervention to raise awareness of the USDA guideline for handling leftover food. The food safety social marketing campaign “4 Day Throw Away” launched in towns throughout Nebraska and Iowa. The campaign included both traditional and social media methods to relay the message of discarding leftovers after four days. A total of 600 guardians of young …