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The Science of the Total Environment Sep 2023In this paper, a systematic review approach was used to evaluate how environmental Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) has been applied in agroforestry in the context of food... (Review)
Review
In this paper, a systematic review approach was used to evaluate how environmental Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) has been applied in agroforestry in the context of food systems. This review was used as the basis for discussing methodological issues in the LCA framework for agroforestry systems (AFS) and relevant environmental outcomes in the agroforestry literature. A total of 32 LCAs in 17 countries identified in four databases and spanning a decade form the basis for this paper. Studies were selected based on pre-defined inclusion criteria and followed established guidelines and a review protocol. Qualitative data were extracted and categorized into multiple themes. Results were quantitatively synthesized for the four phases of the LCA for each individual agroforestry practice (i.e., based on its structural composition). Results showed that around half of the selected studies are located in tropical climates, the rest being in temperate climates, predominantly in Southern Europe. Studies primarily used a mass functional unit and rarely included post-farm gate system boundaries. Almost half of the studies account for multifunctionality, and most allocation methods were based on physical properties. Climate change had the greatest coverage from all impact categories with some variations within milk, meat, and crop production systems. Methodological issues were related to limited system boundaries, few impact categories, and differing functional units and multifunctionality approaches. The identified effects of AFS on biodiversity, climate change mitigation, water, soil, pollination, and pest and disease were only partially documented or not analyzed in the LCA studies or the LCA framework. Gaps in knowledge and limitations of the present review were discussed. Further methodological improvements remain necessary to determine the net environmental effects of food products resulting from individual AFS, especially within the area of multifunctionality, carbon sequestration, and biodiversity.
Topics: Animals; Environment; Soil; Farms; Europe; Life Cycle Stages
PubMed: 37207768
DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.164094 -
PloS One 2024Postpartum hypogalactia (PH) is prominent during lactation and may negatively impact the mother's or infant's health. Acupuncture is widely used to increase maternal... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis
BACKGROUND
Postpartum hypogalactia (PH) is prominent during lactation and may negatively impact the mother's or infant's health. Acupuncture is widely used to increase maternal breast milk production. However, the effects of acupuncture on PH remain unclear. Therefore, this review aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of acupuncture in individuals with PH.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
Articles on potentially eligible randomized controlled trials (RCTs) on acupuncture for PH published from database inception to October 2023 were retrieved from the PubMed, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, EMBASE, EBSCO, Scopus, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, Chinese Biomedical Literature Database, WanFang, and VIP databases. Two reviewers independently screened the records, extracted essential information, and evaluated the methodological quality of the RCTs using the revised Cochrane risk-of-bias (RoB) tool. The primary outcome was a change in serum prolactin (PRL) levels before and after treatment. Secondary outcomes included milk secretion volume (MSV), total effective rate (TER), mammary fullness degree (MFD), and exclusive breastfeeding rate (EBR). Meta-analyses were performed using RevMan v5.4. Finally, the quality of evidence was evaluated using the Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development, and Evaluation tool.
RESULTS
This study included 19 RCTs involving 2,400 participants. The included studies were classified as having an unclear to high RoB. Our findings indicated that, overall, acupuncture showed a significant effect in increasing serum PRL levels (standardized mean differences [SMDs] = 1.09, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.50, 1.68), MSV (SMD = 1.69, 95% CI: 0.53, 2.86), TER (relative risk [RR] = 1.25, 95% CI: 1.10, 1.42), and EBR (RR = 2.01, 95% CI: 1.07, 3.78) compared to that in the control group; however, no difference in MFD (SMD = 1.17, 95% CI: -0.09, 2.42) was observed. In the subgroup analysis, acupuncture combined with Chinese herbs or conventional treatment was significantly more effective in increasing serum PRL levels, MSV, and TER than did Chinese herbs or conventional treatment alone. Moreover, acupuncture alone resulted in significantly higher serum PRL levels compared to Chinese herbs; however, this benefit was not observed for TER and MFD. The quality of evidence was critically low.
CONCLUSION
Acupuncture may effectively increase milk secretion in women with PH. However, owing to the low quality of evidence, further rigorously designed studies are warranted to confirm our findings.
Topics: Humans; Acupuncture Therapy; Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; Female; Postpartum Period; Lactation; Prolactin; Breast Feeding; Treatment Outcome; Galactorrhea; Milk, Human
PubMed: 38843204
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0303948 -
PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases Jul 2023Exclusive breastfeeding of infants under 6 months of age is recommended by the World Health Organization. In 2021, over 300 million combined incident cases of malaria,... (Review)
Review
BACKGROUND
Exclusive breastfeeding of infants under 6 months of age is recommended by the World Health Organization. In 2021, over 300 million combined incident cases of malaria, tuberculosis, and neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) were reported, predominantly in low-income countries. For many of the drugs used as first-line treatments for these conditions, there is limited knowledge on infant exposure through breastfeeding with poorly understood consequences. This review summarized available knowledge on mother-to-infant transfer of these drugs to inform future lactation pharmacokinetic studies.
METHODOLOGY
A list of first-line drugs was generated from the latest WHO treatment guidelines. Using standard online databases, 2 independent reviewers searched for eligible articles reporting lactation pharmacokinetics studies and extracted information on study design, participant characteristics, and the mathematical approach used for parameter estimation. A third reviewer settled any disagreements between the 2 reviewers. All studies were scored against the standardized "ClinPK" checklist for conformity to best practices for reporting clinical pharmacokinetic studies. Simple proportions were used to summarize different study characteristics.
FINDINGS
The most remarkable finding was the scarcity of lactation pharmacokinetic data. Only 15 of the 69 drugs we listed had lactation pharmacokinetics fully characterized. Most studies enrolled few mothers, and only one evaluated infant drug concentrations. Up to 66% of the studies used non-compartmental analysis to estimate pharmacokinetic parameters rather than model-based compartmental analysis. Unlike non-compartmental approaches, model-based compartmental analysis provides for dynamic characterization of individual plasma and breast milk concentration-time profiles and adequately characterizes variability within and between individuals, using sparsely sampled data. The "ClinPK" checklist inadequately appraised the studies with variability in the number of relevant criteria across different studies.
CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE
A consensus is required on best practices for conducting and reporting lactation pharmacokinetic studies, especially in neglected diseases such as malaria, tuberculosis, and NTDs, to optimize treatment of mother-infant pairs.
Topics: Female; Infant; Humans; Milk, Human; Neglected Diseases; Breast Feeding; Lactation; Malaria; Tuberculosis
PubMed: 37440491
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0011449 -
Veterinary Research Communications Sep 2023Non-aureus staphylococci and mammaliicocci (NASM) are one of the most common causes of subclinical mastitis in dairy animals and the extent of damage by intramammary... (Review)
Review
Non-aureus staphylococci and mammaliicocci as a cause of mastitis in domestic ruminants: current knowledge, advances, biomedical applications, and future perspectives - a systematic review.
Non-aureus staphylococci and mammaliicocci (NASM) are one of the most common causes of subclinical mastitis in dairy animals and the extent of damage by intramammary infections (IMI) caused by NASM is still under debate. The different effects of NASM on the mammary gland may be associated with differences between bacterial species. NASM are normal and abundant colonizers of humans and animals and become pathogenic only in certain situations. The veterinary interest in NASM has been intense for the last 25 years, due to the strongly increasing rate of opportunistic infections. Therefore, the objective of this review is to provide a general background of the NASM as a cause of mastitis and the most recent advances that exist to prevent and fight the biofilm formation of this group of bacteria, introduce new biomedical applications that could be used in dairy herds to reduce the risk of chronic and recurrent infections, potentially responsible for economic losses due to reduced milk production and quality. Effective treatment of biofilm infection requires a dual approach through a combination of antibiofilm and antimicrobial agents. Even though research on the development of biofilms is mainly focused on human medicine, this technology must be developed at the same time in veterinary medicine, especially in the dairy industry where IMI are extremely common.
Topics: Cattle; Female; Humans; Animals; Staphylococcus; Staphylococcal Infections; Milk; Mastitis, Bovine; Ruminants; Bacteria; Mammary Glands, Animal; Cattle Diseases
PubMed: 36964436
DOI: 10.1007/s11259-023-10090-5 -
Heliyon Mar 2024Breast milk is the safest food for infants and has many psychological and physical benefits for infants and mothers. However, problems encountered during the...
IMPORTANCE
Breast milk is the safest food for infants and has many psychological and physical benefits for infants and mothers. However, problems encountered during the breastfeeding process can reduce postpartum women's willingness to breastfeed. Lactation and engorgement may be improved through Traditional Chinese Medicine auxiliary therapy. However, the overall efficacy of various Traditional Chinese Medicine auxiliary therapies and the relevant meridians and acupuncture points for treating breast milk deficiency remain unclear.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate Traditional Chinese Medicine auxiliary therapy's effectiveness and acupoints for postpartum women who experience problems during the breastfeeding process.
METHODS
Data were sourced from Embase, Web of Science, CINAHL, Cochrane, CNKI, PubMed, and the Airiti Library Central Register of Controlled Trials and Clinical Trials from the database inception to October 2022. We followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses.
MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES
The primary outcomes were overall efficiency, prolactin level, milk volume, and breast engorgement in postpartum women with lactation deficiency after-assisted therapies and the correlation between meridian points and milk secretion.
RESULTS
A total of 1,516 studies were initially identified, and 357 articles were assessed. In the final analysis, 20 studies were included, covering various Traditional Chinese Medicine therapies (acupuncture, acupressure, scrapping, moxibustion cupping, etc.) to stimulate relative acupoints without any acupoint stimulation. The overall efficiency (odds ratio [OR] = 14.17, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 6.49 to 30.92), prolactin level (standardized mean difference [SMD] = 0.36, 95% CI = 0.074 to 0.64), improvement of milk volume (SMD = 0.94, 95% CI = 0.59 to 1.29), reduction of engorgement level (OR= 18, 95% CI = 8.34 to 38.82) demonstrated that Traditional Chinese Medicine therapies can effectively improve lactation and breast fullness, thereby helping patients with breast milk deficiency. The most common acupuncture points used to treat agalactia were classified as the Stomach Meridian, Small Intestine Meridian, and Conception Vessel, with the common acupoints CV17: Danzhong, ST18: Rugen, SI1: Shaoze, ST36: Zusanli, and ST16: Yingchuang.
CONCLUSION
Adjuvant Traditional Chinese Medicine therapy can improve lactation and breast engorgement, thereby increasing the willingness to breastfeed. Clinical Finding: 1. The best time for Traditional Chinese Medicine acupoint intervention for breast deficiency treatment is within 24 h 2. The most effective acupuncture points for improving milk deficiency and bloating pain are ST18: Rugen, ST16: Yingchuang, ST36: Zusanli, SI1: Shaoze, CV17: Danzhong. 3. Traditional Chinese Medicine is non-invasive and effective techniques such as scraping, cupping, acupressure and ear peas. 4. Traditional Chinese Medicine can be combined with other different acupuncture points according to the different constitutions of post-partum women. Breast acupressure, ear acupuncture, scrapping, cupping, and moxibustion are noninvasive treatments that can effectively help patients during lactation, and their clinical practice should be considered and widely promoted.
PubMed: 38524574
DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e27154 -
Preventive Veterinary Medicine Nov 2023Johne's Disease (JD) is an infectious ruminant disease that can cause economic loss for famers through reduced milk yields and infertility and has negative implications... (Review)
Review
Johne's Disease (JD) is an infectious ruminant disease that can cause economic loss for famers through reduced milk yields and infertility and has negative implications for animal welfare. JD is endemic in the dairy populations of many countries and there has been significant effort by governments and industry to try and control it. However, these efforts have had limited success. Many studies look at individual control programmes or the adoption of Johne's control measures; however a wider perspective on what drives farmer participation Johne's control does not currently exist. This study seeks to fill this gap by conducting a systematic review informed by the PRISMA statement. The results suggest that psychological factors such as participation fatigue, cognitive dissidence over animal welfare and not having first-hand experience of the disease act as barriers to Johne's control. To better promote Johne's control, this review emphasises that control programmes need to engage farmers, advisers, and supply chain actors in their design and delivery of control programmes to account for differing attitudes and levels of knowledge.
Topics: Cattle; Animals; Humans; Paratuberculosis; Farmers; Dairying; Cattle Diseases; Animal Welfare
PubMed: 37865010
DOI: 10.1016/j.prevetmed.2023.106053 -
Nutrition Reviews Jul 2023The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and the World Health Organization are updating their dietary zinc recommendations for children aged 0 to... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis
Toward revising dietary zinc recommendations for children aged 0 to 3 years: a systematic review and meta-analysis of zinc absorption, excretion, and requirements for growth.
CONTEXT
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and the World Health Organization are updating their dietary zinc recommendations for children aged 0 to 3 years.
OBJECTIVE
The aim of this review was to retrieve and synthesize evidence regarding zinc needs for growth as well as zinc losses, absorption, and bioavailability from the diet.
DATA SOURCES
MEDLINE, Embase, and Cochrane Library databases were searched electronically from inception to August 2020. Studies assessing the above factors in healthy children aged 0 to 9 years were included, with no limits on study design or language.
DATA EXTRACTION
Ninety-four studies reporting on zinc content in tissue (n = 27); zinc absorption (n = 47); factors affecting zinc bioavailability (n = 30); and endogenous zinc losses via urine, feces, or integument (n = 40) met the inclusion criteria. Four reviewers extracted data and two reviewers checked for accuracy.
DATA ANALYSES
Studies were synthesized narratively, and meta-analyses of zinc losses and gains as well the subgroups of age, type of feeding, country's income, and molar ratio of phytate to zinc were conducted. Meta-analysis revealed an overall mean (95%CI) urinary and endogenous fecal zinc excretion of 17.48 µg/kg/d (11.80-23.15; I2 = 94%) and 0.07 mg/kg/d (0.06-0.08; I2 = 82%), respectively, with a mean fractional zinc absorption of 26.75% (23.69-29.81; I2 = 99%). Subgrouping by age revealed differences in mean values associated with the transition from milk-based diets to solid food during the first 3 years of life.
CONCLUSION
This review synthesizes data that may be used to formulate zinc requirements in young children. Results should be interpreted with caution because of considerable heterogeneity in the evidence.
SYSTEMATIC REVIEW REGISTRATION
PROSPERO registration number CRD42020215236.
Topics: Child; Child, Preschool; Humans; Biological Availability; Diet; Feces; Food; Zinc
PubMed: 36478064
DOI: 10.1093/nutrit/nuac098 -
The Science of the Total Environment Jun 2024Mycotoxins are secondary metabolites produced by fungi and identified as contaminants in animal feed. They have potentially harmful effects, including carcinogenicity,... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis
Mycotoxins are secondary metabolites produced by fungi and identified as contaminants in animal feed. They have potentially harmful effects, including carcinogenicity, mutagenicity, and repro-toxicity in animals and humans. As a result of climate change, there is the potential for a change in the prevalence and concentration of mycotoxins in animal feed components. This necessitates an assessment of the present and emerging threats to the food supply chain from mycotoxins. This systematic review and meta-analysis study synthesised studies on mycotoxin contamination and prevalence in cattle feed components. The studies were collected from scientific databases Web of Knowledge, Scopus, and Embase between 2011 and 2022. The meta-analysis synthesised 97 studies on the prevalence and the concentration of aflatoxins, ochratoxin A, deoxynivalenol, zearalenone, fumonisin and T-2/HT-2 toxins in feed components. Aflatoxin was highly prevalent (59 %), with a concentration of 2.58-3.92 μg kg in feed components. Ochratoxin A had a global prevalence of 31 % with a concentration of 5.56-12.41 μg kg. Deoxynivalenol had a global concentration of 233.17-327.73 μg kg and a prevalence of 74 %. Zearalenone had a prevalence of 70 % and a concentration of 42.47-66.19 μg kg. The concentration and prevalence of fumonisins was 232.19-393.07 μg kg and 65 %, respectively. The prevalence and concentration of T-2/HT-2 toxins were 45 % and 23.54-35.12 μg kg, respectively. The synthesised concentration of the mycotoxins in the overall feed components was lower than the regulated and guidance values set by the European Union. However, in a few cases, the 95th percentile exceeded these concentration values due to high levels of uncertainty attributed to lower sample size, and thus, need to be considered while conducting risk assessments. The study highlights climates and regions likely to be conducive to the emergence of mycotoxin risk, especially considering the potential influences of climate change.
Topics: Animal Feed; Mycotoxins; Animals; Food Contamination; Cattle; Aflatoxins
PubMed: 38608906
DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.172323 -
PloS One 2024Although milk and dairy products are almost complete food, they can contain toxic heavy elements with potential hazards for consumers. This review aims to provide a...
OBJECTIVE
Although milk and dairy products are almost complete food, they can contain toxic heavy elements with potential hazards for consumers. This review aims to provide a comprehensive report on the occurrence, concentration, and health risks of selected heavy metals in pasteurized and sterilized milk recorded worldwide.
METHODS
The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) was used to develop this systematic review. Databases included the Web of Knowledge, Scopus, Scientific Information Database, Google Scholar, and PubMed from inception until January 2023. Keywords related to the terms "Heavy metals", "Arsenic" and "Pasteurized and sterilized milk" and "Risk Assessment" were used. The potential health risks to human health from milk daily consumption were estimated using extracted data on heavy metals concentration based on metal estimated daily intake, target hazard quotient, and carcinogenic risk.
RESULTS
A total of 48 potentially relevant articles with data on 981 milk samples were included in the systematic review. Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy, atomic absorption spectroscopy, inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry, and inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectrometry were the most common valid methods to measure heavy metals in milk samples. Following the initial evaluation, Cu, Cd, Zn, and Pb were the most contaminants, which exceeded the maximum permissible criteria in 94%, 67%, 62%, and 46% of the milk samples tested. Relying on target hazard quotient and carcinogenic risk results, milk consumers in 33(68.75%) and 7 (14.5%) studies were exposed to moderate to high levels of carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic risk, respectively. The highest level of risk is due to the consumption of pasteurized and sterilized milk detected in Pakistan, Brazil, Egypt, Slovakia, and Turkey.
CONCLUSION
The elevated levels of heavy metals in milk samples, especially Pb and Cd is a public health concern; therefore, maximum control and strict regulations must be adopted to decrease heavy metals contaminants in the dairy industry. Further studies are required to develop safe milk processing and handling methods for the decontamination of heavy metals in milk and its products.
Topics: Humans; Animals; Milk; Cadmium; Lead; Metals, Heavy; Risk Assessment; Carcinogens; Environmental Monitoring
PubMed: 38315713
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0296649 -
The Journal of Nutrition, Health & Aging Apr 2024The aim of the study was to comprehensively analyze the effects of whey protein (WP)-enriched supplement intake with or without resistance training (RT) in older... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis
Improving sarcopenia in older adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials of whey protein supplementation with or without resistance training.
OBJECTIVES
The aim of the study was to comprehensively analyze the effects of whey protein (WP)-enriched supplement intake with or without resistance training (RT) in older patients, either from the community or hospital, who were diagnosed with sarcopenia according to the EWGSOP or AWGS criteria.
METHODS
This meta-analysis study was registered in PROSPERO (CRD42023407885). We searched the PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and Cochrane Library databases for RCTs up to June 1, 2023. Standardized mean differences (SMD) with 95% confidence intervals (CI) were used to estimate the pooled results.
RESULTS
Ten RCT studies, including 1154 participants, were included and analyzed. The primary outcomes were the changes in muscle mass, strength, and physical performance. In WP group versus (vs.) Isocaloric placebo (PLA)/Routine consultation (RC) group, WP significantly increased the appendicular skeletal muscle mass index (SMD: 0.47, 95%CI: 0.23, 0.71), appendicular skeletal muscle mass (SMD: 0.28, 95%CI: 0.11, 0.45) and gait speed (SMD: 1.13, 95%CI: 0.82, 1.44) in older patients with sarcopenia. In WP with RT group vs. PLA/ RC group, there was significant increase in handgrip strength (SMD: 0.67, 95%CI: 0.29, 1.04). In addition, in the secondary outcomes, WP significantly reduced interleukin-6, significantly increased insulin-like growth factor-1 and albumin, promoted participants' intake of total energy and protein, enhanced activities of daily living scores in patients, and had no significant effect on BMI, weight, or fat mass.
CONCLUSION
This review confirms that WP can improve various aspects of older adult with sarcopenia, thereby enhancing their overall physical condition. More studies should be conducted to validate this result and further explore the effects of WP and RT in patients with sarcopenia.
Topics: Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Female; Humans; Male; Dietary Supplements; Muscle Strength; Muscle, Skeletal; Physical Functional Performance; Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; Resistance Training; Sarcopenia; Whey Proteins
PubMed: 38350303
DOI: 10.1016/j.jnha.2024.100184