The study evaluated whether feeding diosmectite–ZnO composite (DS-ZnO) at 500 mg Zn/kg to early weaned pigs would alleviate the weaning-related intestinal disorders as a substitute for high concentration of ZnO (2250 mg Zn/kg). The pigs weaned at an age of 21 ± 1 d were allotted to four treatments groups as follows: (1) control; (2) DS-ZnO, 500 mg Zn/kg diet; (3) ZnO, 2250 mg Zn/kg diet; and (4) mixture of 2·0 g DS/kg and 500 mg Zn/kg from ZnO (equal amount of DS and ZnO in the DS-ZnO treatment group). The results showed that, compared with the control on days 7 and 14 post-weaning, addition of DS-ZnO at 500 mg Zn/kg improved (P< 0·05) daily gain and feed intake, decreased (P< 0·05) post-weaning scour scores, increased (P< 0·05) jejunal villus height and the ratio of villus height and crypt depth, decreased (P< 0·05) jejunal paracellular permeability of fluorescein isothiocyanate dextran 4 kDa and up-regulated (P< 0·05) tight junction protein expression of occludin, claudin-1 and zonula occludens-1 in jejunal mucosa. The mRNA levels of TNF-α, IL-6 and interferon-γ (IFN-γ) on day 7 post-weaning were also decreased (P< 0·05). The piglets fed DS-ZnO at 500 mg Zn/kg did not differ in the above parameters from those fed ZnO at 2250 mg Zn/kg, while they had better performance than those fed the mixture of DS and ZnO. Supplementation with DS-ZnO at 500 mg Zn/kg was effective in alleviating diarrhoea, barrier dysfunction and inflammatory cytokine expression and up-regulating tight junction protein expression.

Recent increases in obesity prevalence among children in developed countries are of policy concern. While significant positive associations between households' food insecurity status and body weights have been reported for adults, it is known from the energy physiology literature that energy requirements depend on BMR, anthropometric measures and physical activity. It is therefore important to model the bi-directional relationships between body weights and households' food insecurity scores especially for children that have evolving nutrient and energy requirements. The present paper estimated dynamic random effects models for children's body weights and BMI, and households' food insecurity scores using longitudinal data on 7635 children in the USA enrolled in 1st, 3rd and 5th grades (1999–2003) of the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study-Kindergarten. The main findings were, first, physical exercise and numbers of siblings were significantly (P < 0·05) negatively associated with body weights, while households' food insecurity score was not a significant predictor. Moreover, children's body weights were significantly lower in households with higher parental education and incomes; time spent watching television and in non-parental care were positively associated with weights. Second, models for households' food insecurity scores showed that poverty and respondents' poor emotional and physical health significantly increased food insecurity. Moreover, households with children who were taller and heavier for their ages faced significantly higher food insecurity levels. Overall, the results showed that household food insecurity was unlikely to exacerbate child obesity in the USA and it is important that children receive balanced school meals and perform higher physical activity.

1. In two experiments measurements were made of food intake, live-weight change, milk yield and milk composition in early lactation when dairy cows were given diets containing varying proportions of protein as fish meal (low rumen degradability) or as groundnut meal (high rumen degradability). In a preliminary trial measurements were also made with cows given supplements of either fish meal or barley and fed at a restricted level of feeding.

2. When metabolizable energy (ME) intake exceeded 160 MJ/d there was no evidence of responses to changes in protein degradability, but at ME intakes below 135 MJ/d increases in the supply of undegradable protein led to increases in fat-corrected milk yield, protein content and live-weight loss.

3. The interaction between energy intake and protein degradability is unexpected because net protein:net energy requirement increases as milk yield increases, but may be explained in terms of differential effects of changing rumen outflow rates on degradabilities.

1. In an incomplete 5 x 5 Latin square experiment, four cattle were given grass silage in two meals per d to satisfy 1.15 maintenance energy requirements. In addition, water or casein (21 g nitrogen and 0.17 kg organic matter (OM)/d) or urea (U; 28 g N/d) or a glucose syrup (G; 0.87 kg OM/d) or casein and glucose syrup (CG; 17 g N and 0.93 kg OM/d) were infused intraruminally at a constant rate.

2. A 24 h collection of duodenal digesta was made using chromic oxide for flow estimation and 35S as a marker of microbial N entering the small intestine. Samples of rumen fluid were also taken for estimation of rumen pH, and concentrations of ammonia-N and volatile fatty acids.

3. The intraruminal infusions had no significant effects on rumen pH, concentrations of volatile fatty acids or their molar proportions. Infusion of either C or U significantly (P < 0.05) increased rumen NH3-N concentrations whereas infusions of either G or CG lowered rumen NH3-N concentrations.

4. Infusions of C or U had no significant effect on the quantities of OM, acid-detergent fibre (ADF) or N constituents which entered the small intestine.

5. Infusions of G or CG increased the quantities of OM (G P < 0.05, CG P < 0.01), ADF (CG P < 0.05), non-NH3-N (G P < 0.05, CG P < 0.01), amino acid N (G P < 0.05, CG P < 0.01) and microbial N (G P < 0.05, CG P < 0.01) which entered the small intestine.

6. The efficiency of rumen microbial N synthesis was unchanged by the infusion of C, U or G (P > 0.05) but increased significantly (P < 0.05) when CG were infused.

It remains unclear what long-term effects of substituting carbohydrates at the expense of protein or fat may have with regard to diabetes risk. Our objective was to evaluate carbohydrate intake in predicting type 2 diabetes using substitution models for fat and protein. We conducted a prospective cohort study of 9702 men and 15 365 women aged 35–65 years and free of diabetes at baseline (1994–8) who were followed for incident type 2 diabetes until 2005. Dietary intake of macronutrients was estimated with a validated FFQ. We estimated the relative risk (RR) using Cox proportional hazards analysis. During 176 117 person-years of follow-up we observed 844 incident cases of physician-confirmed type 2 diabetes. After adjustment for age, BMI, waist circumference, potential lifestyle and dietary confounders, substituting 5 % of energy intake from total, saturated, or monounsaturated fat with carbohydrates was not associated with diabetes risk. In contrast, substituting carbohydrates for protein or PUFA was inversely related to diabetes risk (RR for 5 % energy substitution of protein 0·77 (95 % CI 0·64, 0·91); RR for PUFA 0·83 (95 % CI 0·70, 0·98)). These associations appeared to be similar for men and women, but gained statistical significance only among men for protein (RR 0·78 (95 % CI 0·61, 0·99)). Restricted cubic spline regression did not indicate non-linearity of these associations (P for non-linearity in full cohort was 0·353 and 0·349). In conclusion, a higher carbohydrate intake at the expense of protein and PUFA might be associated with decreased diabetes risk.

1. In one experiment the effect on rumen pH of feeding with restricted amounts of whole or pelleted barley was studied. With whole barley there was little variation in rumen pH associated with feeding time, but with pelleted barley the pH decreased from about 7.0 before feeding to about 5.3, 2–3 h after feeding.

2. The rate of disappearance of dried grass during incubation in the rumens of sheep receiving either whole or pelleted barley was studied in a second experiment. After 24 h incubation only 423 mg/g incubated had disappeared in the rumen of sheep receiving pelleted barley while 625 mg/g incubated had disappeared when it was incubated in the rumen of sheep receiving whole barley.

3. The voluntary intake of dried grass by lambs was studied in a third experiment when they received supplements of either 25 or 50 g whole or pelleted barley/kg live weight0.75. At the high level, pelleted barley reduced intake of dried grass by 534 g/kg but whole barley reduced it by only 352 g/kg. The digestibility of acid-detergent fibre was reduced more by pelleted barley than by whole barley but there was a tendency for a small increase in digestibility of the barley due to processing.

4. The implications of these findings on supplementation of roughages with cereals are discussed.

Caseinophosphopeptides (CPP) were detected for the first time in ileostomy fluid, collected at 2 h intervals for 10 h post milk and CPP ingestion, from human volunteers with an ileostomy. The level of CPP present in ileostomy fluid obtained from milk-fed volunteers was markedly higher than that from volunteers fed with selected CPP preparations. The findings are based on HPLC analysis in combination with peptide-bound P determination, thin-layer electrophoresis and amino acid analysis, together with ELISA studies using polyclonal antibodies raised against a set of CPP to detect immunoreactive CPP in ileostomy fluid. These procedures allowed the detection of nm concentrations of CPP. CPP, which can be released during intestinal digestion, may function as bioactive constituents and carriers for different minerals, especially Ca, and may be used as ingredients in functional foods or pharmaceutical preparations.

Three 8-week growth experiments were conducted to quantify the requirements of the fingerling Cirrhinus mrigala for the dietary branched-chain amino acids valine (experiment 1), isoleucine (experiment 2) and leucine (experiment 3). Six isonitrogenous (400/g) and isoenergetic (17·90k/) test diets were formulated with a gradation of 2·5/g for each test amino acid, valine (7·5–20/g), isoleucine (5·0–17·5/g) and leucine (7·5–20/g), and fed to randomly stocked fish in circular troughs. In experiment 1, the maximum weight gain (312%), best feed conversion ratio (FCR; 1·45) and best protein efficiency ratio (PER; 1·72) were obtained in fish fed 15·0g dietary valin/g. In experiment 2, the highest weight gain (317%), best FCR (1·47) and best PER (1·70) were recorded at 12·5g dietary isoleucin/g, and in experiment 3, the highest weight gain (308%), best FCR (1·46) and best PER (1·71) were noted at 15·0g dietary leucin/g. A quadratic regression analysis of weight gain, FCR and PER data showed an optimum requirement at 15·9, 15·0 and 14·8/g for valine, 13·2, 12·3 and 12·1/g for isoleucine and 15·6, 15·4 and 15·1/g for leucine in dry diets. Low body moisture and higher protein were noted in fish fed diets containing 15·5, 12·5 and 15·0g valine, isoleucine and leucine per kg, respectively. Body fat increased with increasing levels of the branched-chain amino acids. On the basis of a regression analysis of growth data, it is recommended that a diet for C. mrigala should contain valine at 15·2, isoleucine at 12·6 and leucine at 15·4/g dry diet, corresponding to 38·0, 31·5 and 38·5/g dietary protein, respectively.

Lactoferrin (LF), a multifunctional glycoprotein in mammalian milk, is reported to exert a modulatory effect on lipid metabolism. The aim of the present study was to elucidate whether enteric-coated LF (eLF) might improve visceral fat-type obesity, an underlying cause of the metabolic syndrome. Using a double-blind, placebo-controlled design, Japanese men and women (n 26; aged 22–60 years) with abdominal obesity (BMI>25 kg/m2, and visceral fat area (VFA)>100 cm2) consumed eLF (300 mg/d as bovine LF) or placebo tablets for 8 weeks. Measurement of the total fat area, VFA and subcutaneous fat area from computed tomography images revealed a significant reduction in VFA ( − 14·6 cm2) in the eLF group, as compared with the placebo controls ( − 1·8 cm2; P = 0·009 by ANCOVA). Decreases in body weight, BMI and hip circumference in the eLF group ( − 1·5 kg, − 0·6 kg/m2, − 2·6 cm) were also found to be significantly greater than with the placebo (+1·0 kg, +0·3 kg/m2, − 0·2 cm; P = 0·032, 0·013, 0·041, respectively). There was also a tendency for a reduction in waist circumference in the eLF group ( − 4·4 cm) as compared with the placebo group ( − 0·9 cm; P = 0·073). No adverse effects of the eLF treatment were found with regard to blood lipid or biochemical parameters. From these results, eLF appears to be a promising agent for the control of visceral fat accumulation.

In addition to their use in cheese technology, dairy propionibacteria have been identified as potential probiotics. However, to have a probiotic effect, propionibacteria have to survive and to remain metabolically active in the digestive tract. The aim of the present study was to investigate the survival and metabolic activity of Propionibacterium freudenreichii within the gastrointestinal tract of human microbiota-associated rats, and its influence on intestinal microbiota composition and metabolism. Twenty-five dairy Propionibacterium strains were screened for their tolerance towards digestive stresses and their ability to produce propionate in a medium mimicking the content of the human colon. Three strains were selected and a daily dose of 2 × 1010 colony-forming units was fed to groups of human microbiota-associated rats for 20 d before microbiological, biochemical and molecular investigations being carried out. These strains all reached 8-log values per g faeces, showing their ability to survive in the gastrointestinal tract. Transcriptional activity within the intestine was demonstrated by the presence of P. freudenreichii-specific transcarboxylase mRNA. The probiotic efficacy of propionibacteria was yet species- and strain-dependent. Indeed, two of the strains, namely TL133 and TL1348, altered the faecal microbiota composition, TL133 also increasing the caecal concentration of acetate, propionate and butyrate, while the third strain, TL3, did not have similar effects. Such alterations may have an impact on gut health and will thus be taken into consideration for further in vivo investigations on probiotic potentialities of P. freudenreichii.

A model is proposed that allows study of the short-term dynamics of gas exchanges (and heat production) in large open-circuit respiration chambers. The model describes changes in [O2] and [CO2] in the respiration chamber by a series of differential equations based on animal metabolism and physical characteristics of gas exchange. The model structure was similar for O2 and CO2, although model parameters differed. A constant level of O2 consumption (and CO2 production) was assumed for resting animals which was different for fed and fasted animals. The adaptation from a fed to a fasting state was described as a first-order process. Physical activity (standing or sitting) was recorded and was included in the model as a constant. Thermic effect of feed comprised the O2 consumption and CO2 production related to several relatively rapidly occurring processes after ingestion of a meal (e.g. ingestion, digestion or absorption). In the model, these processes were pooled into a single phenomenon. Model parameters were obtained statistically by comparing model predictions (based on the numerically integrated differential equations) with the observed [O2] and [CO2]. The model was evaluated by studying gas exchanges in growing pigs that were fasted for 31 h and re-fed a single meal thereafter. The model fitted the data well over the 47 h measurement range. Traditional methods in which heat production is calculated suffer from noisy data when the interval between observations becomes too short. The proposed method circumvents this by modelling the observed concentration of gases in the respiration chamber rather than the calculated heat production.

The aim of the present study was to determine the potential long-term metabolic effects of early nutritional programming on carbohydrate utilisation in adult zebrafish (Danio rerio). High-carbohydrate diets were fed to fish during four ontogenetic stages: from the first-feeding stage to the end of the yolk-sac larval stage; from the first-feeding stage to 2 d after yolk-sac exhaustion; after yolk-sac exhaustion for 3 or 5 d. The carbohydrate stimuli significantly increased the body weight of the first-feeding groups in the short term. The expression of genes was differentially regulated by the early dietary intervention. The high-carbohydrate diets resulted in decreased plasma glucose levels in the adult fish. The mRNA levels and enzyme activities of glucokinase, pyruvate kinase, α-amylase and sodium-dependent glucose co-transporter 1 were up-regulated in the first-feeding groups. There was no significant change in the mRNA levels of glucose-6-phosphatase (G6Pase) in any experimental group, and the activity of G6Pase enzyme in the FF-5 (first feeding to 2 d after yolk-sac exhaustion) group was significantly different from that of the other groups. The expression of phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase gene in all the groups was significantly decreased. In the examined early programming range, growth performance was not affected. Taken together, data reported herein indicate that the period ranging from the polyculture to the external feeding stage is an important window for potential modification of the long-term physiological functions. In conclusion, the present study demonstrates that it is possible to permanently modify carbohydrate digestion, transport and metabolism of adult zebrafish through early nutritional programming.

1. The effect of variation in arginine: lysine on the relative cholesterolaemic effects of dietary soya-bean protein and casein was studied. Male rats received semi-purified diets containing soya-bean protein isolate or casein supplemented respectively with varingamounts of lysine or arginine for 40 d and blood samples were taken after a 5 h fast.

2. Neither the addition of arginine to casein nor lysine to soya-bean protein modifiedthe intrinsic effect of these proteins on serum cholesterol.

3. Serum triglyceride levels tended to rise with increasing amounts of lysine supplementation. The opposite trend was obtained with arginine supplementation.

4. Casein caused an increase in the concentration of serum insulin, but not glucagon. The glucagon level was increased proportionately with increasing amounts of arginine, while the addition of lysine showed no effect. The effects of added amino acids on serum insulin were inconclusive.

5. There was a parallel increase in serum apo E and glucagon in response to arginine supplementation, while lysine supplementation increased serum apo E.

6. Thus, arginine:lysine was more effective in regulating serum triglyceride than serum cholesterol. Insulin was associated with different effects of these proteins on serum lipids.

Male broiler chicks (1-d-old; Ross one) were given either a control diet containing recommended levels of phosphorus, calcium and cholecalciferol or experimental diets low in P and with variable levels of Ca (normal and low) and cholecalciferol (normal or high). The low-P diet with normal levels of Ca and cholecalciferol induced a hypophosphataemia and a hypercalcaemia which was reflected in reduced tibia length and weight and in reduced Ca, P and magnesium contents of tibia. The phytate digestibility remained normal while the retention of P and Ca fell significantly. The lowering of Ca alone elevated phytate digestibility and restored P and Ca retention. The hypercalcaemia and hypophosphataemia remained and tibia mineralization remained impaired. The raising of cholecalciferol alone dramatically increased phytate digestibility and the retention of Ca and P. While this remedied the hypercalcaemia, the hypophosphataemia persisted as did the diminution of tibia weight. The simultaneous lowering of dietary Ca and elevation of cholecalciferol on low-P diets restored all variables to the levels for the control diet. Circulating levels of 1,25-dihydroxycholecalciferol were significantly elevated by low-P diets, more so with high cholecalciferol intakes. However, Ca did not influence 1,25-dihydroxycholecalciferol levels in plasma

The effect of vegetarian diets on faecal microbiota has been explored largely through culture-based techniques. The present study compared the faecal microbiota of vegetarian and omnivorous young women in southern India. Faecal samples were obtained from thirty-two lacto-vegetarian and twenty-four omnivorous young adult women from a similar social and economic background. Macronutrient intake and anthropometric data were collected. Faecal microbiota of interest was quantified by real-time PCR with SYBR Green using primers targeting 16S rRNA genes of groups, including: Clostridium coccoides group (Clostridium cluster XIVa), Roseburia spp.–Eubacterium rectale, Bacteroides–Prevotella group, Bifidobacterium genus, Lactobacillus group, Clostridium leptum group (Clostridium cluster IV), Faecalibacterium prausnitzii, Ruminococcus productus–C. coccoides, Butyrivibrio, Enterococcus species and Enterobacteriaceae. The groups were matched for age, socio-economic score and anthropometric indices. Intake of energy, complex carbohydrates and Ca were significantly higher in the omnivorous group. The faecal microbiota of the omnivorous group was enriched with Clostridium cluster XIVa bacteria, specifically Roseburia–E. rectale. The relative proportions of other microbial communities were similar in both groups. The butyryl-CoA CoA-transferase gene, associated with microbial butyrate production, was present in greater amounts in the faeces of omnivores, and the levels were highly correlated with Clostridium cluster XIVa and Roseburia–E. rectale abundance and to a lesser extent with Clostridium leptum and F. prausnitzii abundance and with crude fibre intake. Omnivores had an increased relative abundance of Clostridium cluster XIVa bacteria and butyryl-CoA CoA-transferase gene compared with vegetarians, but we were unable to identify the components of the diet responsible for this difference.

A human intervention study was conducted to determine the effect of the consumption of carotenoid-rich vegetables on the immune system. Subjects, (twenty-three men), who were non-smokers, were not restricted in their daily diet, except that they had to abstain from fruit and vegetables high in carotenoids throughout the whole study period. The study was divided into four periods, each lasting 2 weeks: weeks 1–2: low-carotenoid period; throughout weeks 3–8: daily consumption of 330 ml tomato juice (40 mg lycopene/d, 1·5 mg β-carotene/d) (weeks 3–4), 330 ml carrot juice (21·6 mg β-carotene/d, 15·7 mg α-carotene/d, 0·5 mg lutein/d) (weeks 5–6), 10 g dried spinach powder (11·3 mg lutein/d, 3·1 mg β-carotene/d) (weeks 7–8). Blood was collected weekly from subjects after a 12 h fast. T-lymphocyte functions were assessed by measuring proliferation and secretion of immunoreactive cytokines. The consumption of a low-carotenoid diet resulted in a significantly reduced proliferation of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) cultured with concanavalin A. After 2 weeks of tomato juice consumption and until the end of the intervention period lymphocyte proliferation was not significantly changed compared with proliferation at the end of the depletion period. Secretion of cytokines by T-helper-1-like lymphocytes (interleukin (IL)-2) and by T-helper-2-like lymphocytes (IL-4) was influenced by the dietary intervention. IL-2 and IL-4 secretion values were significantly suppressed after the low-carotenoid diet (P <0·001 and P < 0·05 respectively compared with baseline). Tomato juice consumption significantly enhanced IL-2 (P < 0·001) and IL-4 secretion (P < 0·05) compared with the end of depletion period. After carrot juice and spinach powder consumption the cytokine secretion capacity of PBMC was not significantly different from that at the end of the depletion period. In conclusion, the results of the present study indicate that a low-carotenoid diet reduces T-lymphocyte functions and addition of tomato juice restores these functions. This modulation could not be explained by changes in the plasma carotenoid concentrations. The active constituents in tomato juice as well as the biological significance of this immunomodulation remain to be determined.

Animal models have been commonly used for determining amino acid digestibility in humans. This allows digestibility assays to be undertaken more efficiently than those undertaken using humans directly. The laboratory rat, usually considered as a suitable animal model, has been widely used, especially as the rat is easy to raise and relatively inexpensive to house. Although more technically demanding, the pig has also been promoted as a useful model for human nutrition studies. It may be a better model than the rat, as it is a meal eater, its upper digestive tract is anatomically and physiologically closer to that of humans and it eats most foods consumed by humans. Amino acid digestibility may be determined either at the faecal or the ileal level, the latter being considered the most accurate. This contribution evaluates the suitability of the rat and pig as animal models for assessing ileal and faecal amino acid digestibility in humans. The drawbacks and advantages of using these animal models are discussed. The review is based mainly on results from controlled studies comparing both species; however, as the number of these studies is limited, data from indirect comparisons also provide insight.

Pulses are low in energy density, supporting their inclusion in the diet for the management of risk factors of the metabolic syndrome (MetSyn). The aim of the present study was to describe the effects of frequent consumption (five cups/week over 8 weeks) of pulses (yellow peas, chickpeas, navy beans and lentils), compared with counselling to reduce energy intake by 2093 kJ/d (500 kcal/d), on risk factors of the MetSyn in two groups (nineteen and twenty-one subjects, respectively) of overweight or obese (mean BMI 32·8 kg/m2) adults. Body weight, waist circumference, blood pressure, fasting blood parameters and 24 h food intakes were measured at weeks 1, 4 and 8. Blood glucose, insulin, C-peptide, glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) and ghrelin were measured after a 75 g oral glucose load at weeks 1 and 8. At week 8, both groups reported reductions in energy intake, waist circumference, systolic blood pressure, glycosylated Hb (HbA1c) and glucose AUC and homeostasis model of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) following the glucose load (P < 0·05). However, HDL, fasting C-peptide and insulin AUC responses were dependent on diet (P < 0·05). HDL and C-peptide increased by 4·5 and 12·3 %, respectively, in the pulse group, but decreased by 0·8 and 7·6 %, respectively, in the energy-restricted group. Insulin AUC decreased in both females and males on the energy-restricted diet by 24·2 and 4·8 %, respectively, but on the pulse diet it decreased by 13·9 % in females and increased by 27·3 % in males (P < 0·05). In conclusion, frequent consumption of pulses in an ad libitum diet reduced risk factors of the MetSyn and these effects were equivalent, and in some instances stronger, than counselling for dietary energy reduction.

Type 1 diabetes (T1D) results from the autoimmune-mediated destruction of pancreatic β-cells, leading to deficiency of insulin production. Successful islet transplantation can normalise hyperglycaemia in T1D patients; however, the limited availability of the islets, loss of islet cell mass through apoptosis after islet isolation and potential autoimmune destruction of the transplanted islets prevent the widespread use of this procedure. Therefore, the search for novel and cost-effective agents that can prevent or treat T1D is extremely important to decrease the burden of morbidity from this disease. In the present study, we discovered that ( − )-epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG, 0·05 % in drinking-water), the primary polyphenolic component in green tea, effectively delayed the onset of T1D in non-obese diabetic (NOD) mice. At 32 weeks of age, eight (66·7 %) out of twelve mice in the control group developed diabetes, whereas only three (25 %) out of twelve mice in the EGCG-treated group became diabetic (P < 0·05). Consistently, mice supplemented with EGCG had significantly higher plasma insulin levels and survival rate but lower glycosylated Hb concentrations compared with the control animals. EGCG had no significant effects on food or water intake and body weight in mice, suggesting that the glucose-lowering effect was not due to an alteration in these parameters. While EGCG did not modulate insulitis, it elevated the circulating anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-10 level in NOD mice. These findings demonstrate that EGCG may be a novel, plant-derived compound capable of reducing the risk of T1D.