No abstract

SummaryA meta-analysis was conducted to understand quantitative aspects of calcium (Ca) and phosphorus (P) absorption in adult dogs and cats. 34 studies in dogs and 14 studies in cats met the criteria for inclusion in the meta-analysis. Intake and faecal excretion values of Ca and P were subjected to a modified Lucas test and subsequent regression analyses. According to the current scientific consensus, Ca true digestibility (absorption) should increase at low Ca intake and decrease at high Ca intake. If true, this should result in a nonlinear relationship between the percentage of Ca excreted and dietary Ca intake. The present metaanalysis showed a highly significant linear relationship (p < 0.0001) between Ca intake and Ca excretion suggesting a lack of systematic quantitative adaptation in true Ca digestibility. This finding suggests either that the time period covered by standard digestion trials is too short to induce adaptation mechanisms or that dogs and cats at maintenance will not efficiently alter quantitative Ca absorption percentage according to the amount ingested. If the latter is true, a dietary Ca supply differing greatly from the recommended dietary intake might impair the health of cats and dogs when fed long term. The data plots for P intake and faecal excretion were less uniform suggesting other factors not just dietary intake influence faecal P excretion. In adult cats, the dietary Ca:P ratio strongly influenced the true digestibility of P, whereas this effect was less marked in adult dogs. Faecal P excretion was significantly correlated to faecal Ca excretion in both species (p < 0.0001), and surprisingly, the level of P intake did not appear to be an important determinant of true digestibility of P.

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The oleosins are a group of hydrophobic proteins present on the surface of oil bodies in seeds, where they are thought to prevent coalescence. They contain a central hydrophobic domain of 68-74 residues that is thought to form a loop into the triacylglycerol matrix of the oil body, but the conformation adopted by this sequence is uncertain. We have therefore expressed an oleosin cDNA from sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) in Escherichia coli as a fusion with maltose-binding protein (MBP) and isolated a peptide corresponding to the hydrophobic domain by sequential digestion with factor Xa (to remove the MBP) followed by trypsin and Staphylococcus V8 protease to remove the N- and C-terminal domains of the oleosin. Circular dichroism spectroscopy of the peptide in two solvent systems chosen to mimic the environment within the oil body (trifluoroethanol and SDS) demonstrated high proportions of alpha-helical structure, with no beta-sheet. A model was therefore developed in which the domain forms an alpha-helical hairpin structure, the two helices being separated by a turn region. We consider that this model is consistent with our current knowledge of oleosin structure and properties.

During processing of pet food, the Maillard reaction occurs, which reduces the bioavailability of essential amino acids such as lysine and results in the formation of advanced Maillard reaction products (MRPs). The aim of this study was to quantitate MRPs (fructoselysine (FL), carboxymethyllysine (CML), hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF)) and the cross-link lysinoalanine (LAL) in commercial pet foods. Sixty-seven extruded, canned, and pelleted dog and cat foods for growth and maintenance were analyzed using UPLC-MS. Canned pet foods contained on average the most FL, CML, and HMF (4534, 37, and 1417 mg/kg dry matter, respectively) followed by pelleted and extruded foods. Average daily intake (mg/kg body weight(0.75)) of HMF is 122 times higher for dogs and 38 times higher for cats than average intake for adult humans. As commercial pet foods are most often the only source of food for dogs and cats, future research focus should be on the bioavailability and long-term health implications of MRP consumption by dogs and cats.