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Fish Oil Pills Might Cut Diabetes Risk, Researchers Say

Wed, 22 May 2013 12:00 GMT

Higher blood levels of a beneficial hormone seen in those who took the omega-3 supplements

USDA'S Novel Cell Line Identifies All Foot-and-Mouth Virus Serotypes

Thu, 16 May 2013 11:38 GMT

ARS scientists have developed the basis for a faster, more accurate test for all strains of the foot-and-mouth disease virus, which causes a highly contagious and economically devastating disease in cattle and other cloven-hoofed animals. Click the image for more information about it.

USDA'S Novel Cell Line Identifies All Foot-and-Mouth Virus Serotypes

By Sandra Avant
May 16, 2013

WASHINGTON—U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) scientists have developed a new cell line that rapidly and accurately detects foot-and-mouth disease virus (FMDV), which causes a highly contagious and economically devastating disease in cattle and other cloven-hoofed animals.

The cell line was created by Agricultural Research Service (ARS) scientists at the Plum Island Animal Disease Center, Orient Point, N.Y. ARS is USDA's chief intramural scientific research agency. The research, published online in the Journal of Clinical Microbiology, supports the USDA priority of promoting international food security.

"This important breakthrough is an example of how ARS scientists are working to improve agricultural productivity in the face of increasing demand for food," said ARS Administrator Edward B. Knipling. "This new cell line will help in the global effort to control a disease that can cause significant economic losses."

"The new cells detect the FMD virus in field samples that come directly from naturally infected animals faster than existing cell lines currently used for diagnostics," said Luis Rodriguez, research leader at Plum Island's Foreign Animal Disease Research Unit (FADRU). "The new cells are the first permanent cell line capable of identifying all seven serotypes of FMD virus."

The United States has not had an FMD outbreak in more than 80 years. However, the disease is still a serious threat and is considered to be the most economically devastating livestock disease worldwide. Outbreaks in other countries have resulted in the slaughter of millions of animals to prevent the disease from spreading.

Being able to rapidly detect the virus during outbreaks would allow researchers to quickly develop the appropriate vaccine among the seven serotypes and dozens of subtypes, thereby saving valuable time and millions of dollars.

The novel cell line stems from earlier research where FADRU scientist Hernando Duque isolated a primary cell receptor, called alpha v beta 6, which allows FMD virus to attach to and enter the animal's cells and replicate, Rodriguez said. Molecular biologist Michael LaRocco was a member of the team, led by former ARS scientist Barry Baxt, which created the new cell line.

The approach used to make the new cell line consisted of cloning the FMD receptor genes from bovine (cattle) tissue and incorporating them into a cell line previously established at Plum Island, and then comparing them to other cells currently used in diagnosing and studying FMD.

FADRU molecular biologist Peter Krug designed tests to validate the cell line by comparing it to other cell types using virus samples from animal tissues. The new cell line proved to be faster and more reliable than all current diagnostic cell lines in detecting virus in FMD-infected cattle and pig tissue samples from numerous countries.

"Other cell types currently used to diagnose FMD don't survive long and have to be obtained directly from animals as primary cell cultures, causing variation from one batch to the other," Rodriguez said. "This new cell line can be continually grown in culture, maintains susceptibility to FMDV much longer, and doesn't require getting new cells from animals repeatedly."

Scientists have applied for a patent on the new cell line and are making plans to distribute it to diagnostic laboratories in the United States and other countries.

Director's Message: Dietary Supplements for Hepatitis C? Not So Fast

Thu, 16 May 2013 08:00 GMT

An estimated 3.2 million Americans have chronic hepatitis C, a contagious liver disease caused by the hepatitis C virus. What is particularly worrisome about this disease is that most people do not have any symptoms until the virus has caused liver damage, which can take 10 years or more. Conventional medical therapies are available, but still, some people with hepatitis C try complementary health approaches, such as dietary supplements.

Farm-raised Salmon Retains Healthy Omega-3s When Baked

Mon, 13 May 2013 07:46 GMT

Read the magazine story to find out more.

Baking farm-raised Atlantic salmon maintains its healthy levels of omega-3 fatty acids as long as the fish is not over cooked, according to ARS research. Click the image for more information about it.

Farm-raised Salmon Retains Healthy Omega-3s When Baked

By Rosalie Marion Bliss
May 13, 2013

U.S. producers of farm-raised salmon are working hard to help fill today's growing demand for seafood. Now U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) nutritionist Susan Raatz, physiologist Matthew Picklo, and cooperators have found that farm-raised Atlantic salmon maintains its healthy levels of omega-3 fatty acids when baked.

Two omega-3 fatty acids, EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) and DHA (docosahexaenoic acid), are abundant in oily fish such as salmon, tuna, mackerel, and herring. Some data have shown that consuming 250 milligrams daily of EPA and DHA—the amount found in a 3-ounce salmon fillet—is associated with reduced risk of heart-disease.

Raatz and Picklo are with the Agricultural Research Service (ARS) Grand Forks Human Nutrition Research Center in Grand Forks, N.D. ARS is USDA's chief intramural scientific research agency.

While eating seafood rich in omega-3 fatty acids is known to reduce risk of heart disease, it has not been known whether baking causes loss of omega-3s in farm-raised Atlantic salmon. The team also examined the extent to which baking Atlantic salmon alters healthful fatty acids through oxidation that leaves unhealthy compounds, such as toxic omega-3 oxidation byproducts.

The researchers demonstrated that baking salmon to the proper temperature does not decrease its content of beneficial omega-3 fatty acids. They found that baking actually decreases the presence of fatty acid oxidation byproducts. Preparing the fish based on restaurant and safety guidelines—to a tender-but-safe 145 degrees Fahrenheit rather than overcooking—was a key factor, according to authors.

The research was published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry.

Read more about this research in the May/June 2013 issue of Agricultural Research magazine.

Time to Talk Tips: 5 Things You Should Know About Dietary Supplements for Hepatitis C

Mon, 13 May 2013 07:43 GMT

Hepatitis C is a liver disease caused by a virus. It is usually chronic (long-lasting), but most people do not have any symptoms until the virus causes liver damage, which can take 10 or more years to happen. Without medical treatment, chronic hepatitis C can eventually cause liver cancer or liver failure. Conventional medical treatments are available for chronic hepatitis C. Some people with hepatitis C also try complementary health approaches, especially dietary supplements.

If you are considering any dietary supplement for hepatitis C, here are some things you should know.

Exercise and depression

Thu, 09 May 2013 00:01 GMT

Exercise can reduce C-reactive protein, or CRP, a marker of inflammation. Higher levels of CRP can signal a higher risk of heart disease and other conditions like type 2 diabetes. But one study indicates people with symptoms of depression don’t reduce CRP through exercise.

Fighting the Impact of Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria

Tue, 30 Apr 2013 07:30 GMT

David White, chief science officer in FDA's Office of Food and Veterinary Medicine, and Edward Cox, director of FDA's Office of Antimicrobial Products, explain the efforts FDA is making to combat the public health impact of antibiotic-resistant bacteria.

FDA Wants YOU (to Get Involved)

Tue, 23 Apr 2013 11:30 GMT

FDA's Patient Liaison Program helps to bring the unique perspective of patients, family members, caregivers and patient advocates to the decision-making processes of the FDA. Learn the many ways you can get involved and become part of the process that regulates food and drugs.

Improved Vitamin B12 Test May Help Young and Old Alike

Mon, 22 Apr 2013 08:30 GMT

Read the magazine story to find out more.

A new vitamin B12 assay developed by ARS scientists requires only a tiny drop of blood. Click the image for more information about it.

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Improved Vitamin B12 Test May Help Young and Old Alike

By Marcia Wood
April 22, 2013

In the United States, the very young and the elderly are among the groups at risk of becoming deficient in vitamin B12, an essential nutrient. Now, a team of U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) scientists led by research chemist John W. Newman has developed and tested an improved method for measuring an indicator of the body's stores of B12 in blood.

Importantly, the blood sample can be very small in volume. That's an advantage in both medical and research situations. Blood samples that are taken from newborns and infants—for health exams at a hospital, or perhaps for use by medical or nutrition researchers—are typically very small. In addition, a small amount of sample is often the norm in complex, large-scale studies in which blood samples from volunteers have to be allocated among many researchers, each of whom may need it for a different research purpose.

Newman and his colleagues have shown that a specimen of only 25 microliters of blood plasma or serum—the equivalent of about one-half of a drop of water—can be analyzed with speed, accuracy, reliability and precision using an analytical technology called UPLC-ESI-MS/MS (ultra-performance liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization-tandem mass spectrometry).

If the assay is performed using robotics, the sample could perhaps be as small as 5 microliters, according to Newman.

His team built upon earlier work in which scientists elsewhere used an older technology to measure the same indicator compound that Newman's group selected, namely, MMA (methylmalonic acid). MMA can build up in the bloodstream if there isn't enough vitamin B12 in the body.

The 25-microliter sample size needed for the new MMA assay represents a 4- to 10-fold reduction in the volume of specimen required for other MMA-based B12 tests. Samples take only about four minutes to process, according to Newman, who works at the Agricultural Research Service (ARS) Western Human Nutrition Research Center in Davis, Calif. ARS is the chief intramural scientific research agency of USDA, and the B12 research supports the USDA priority of improving children's health and nutrition.

In developing the assay, Newman collaborated with Lindsay H. Allen, director of the ARS research center, and with three other ARS colleagues: chemist Theresa L. Pedersen, physical scientist William R. Keyes, and nutritionist Setareh Shahab-Ferdows. The team documented the research in a peer-reviewed article published in 2011 in the Journal of Chromatography B.

Read more about this research in the April 2013 issue of Agricultural Research magazine.

Stimulant Potentially Dangerous to Health, FDA Warns

Thu, 11 Apr 2013 13:00 GMT

FDA's efforts to get dietary supplements containing the stimulant DMAA off the market illustrates the agency's role in regulating dietary supplements and serves as a warning to consumers.

Food Price Outlook

Mon, 25 Jun 2012 09:00 GMT

The Consumer Price Index (CPI) measures price changes for all consumer goods and services, including food, whereas the CPI for food measures the changes in the retail prices of only food items. The CPI for food at home is the principal indicator of changes in retail food prices and is closely followed by industry analysts, food market participants, and policymakers. ERS regularly updates food price forecasts for the short-term period and examines changes in the CPI for food.

Amber Waves, Volume 10, Issue 2

Tue, 05 Jun 2012 08:00 GMT

Amber Waves presents the broad scope of ERSs research and analysis. The magazine covers the economics of agriculture, food and nutrition, the food industry, trade, rural America, and farm-related environmental topics. Available on the Internet, Amber Waves is issued four times a year (March, June, September, and December).

Estimating the Range of Food-Insecure Households in India

Wed, 30 May 2012 12:00 GMT

This study provides a quantitative assessment of food security using a large household-level expenditure survey conducted by the Government of India during 2004/05. The analysis tests the impact of several key assumptions required to estimate actual calories consumed from the expenditure data. The authors found significant differences in the estimates of calories consumed and the number of food-insecure people under alternative plausible assumptions for computing the calorie content of nonprocessed foods, processed foods, and meals eaten outside the household. The measurement errors were largest in accounting for calories consumed by the highest and lowest income households. Overall, the difference between the highest and lowest estimate of the number of people consuming an average of less than 2,100 calories per day was equivalent to about 17 percent of Indias population, or 173 million people in 2004/05. Given the significant measurement error in estimating calories consumed, it is important to consider not only consumption surveys, but also aggregate food availability studies and survey data on anthropometric measures that accompany undernourishmentsuch as growth stuntingin assessing food insecurity.