HBNS 6040: Research Fronts in Nutritional and Nutraceutical Sciences
Fall 2007
Instructors
Kelly Anne Meckling
ANNU 333, ext 53742 kmecklin@uoguelph.ca
Bill Woodward
ANNU 332, ext 53741 wwoodwar@uoguelph.ca
Calendar Description
Building on an information base in nutrition, biochemistry and physiology, the course comprises selected research topics relating to the importance of nutrition as a determinant of health throughout the life span. Distinction will be drawn between the metabolic basis of nutrient essentiality and the health-protecting benefits of nutraceuticals.
Detailed Description
Objectives
The course is designed to meet the following Learning Objectives of the University:
- Literacy: The quality of written communication will be a major factor in the assessment of written work.
- Understanding of Forms of Inquiry: A major theme of this course will pertain to the process whereby worthwhile research questions are identified and tackled.
- Depth and Breadth of Understanding: This course will cross several conventional discipline boundaries within the broad areas of biology and health studies. Moreover, students will be encouraged to go beyond material discussed in class.
- Independence of Thought: Emphasis will be placed on identifying and understanding the basis for current viewpoints. Inevitably, this results in challenges to orthodoxy.
- Love of Learning: This course will be aimed at helping students to distinguish between education and training, and to ascribe value to both.
Topics to be Covered
NUTRITION THROUGHOUT THE LIFE SPAN
(Classes: Sept 11 - Oct 18) - Bill Woodward
- Selenium deficiency and RNA virus infection
- Some current developments regarding essential and conditionally essential nutrients:
- vitamins C and E – possible interaction in vivo
- impact of mandatory folic acid fortification of cereal grain products
- human dietary requirement for choline
- sialic acid: a conditionally essential nutrient?
- mechanism whereby iron status regulates intestinal iron absorption
- a non-cofactor role for biotin
- a need to revise our standards of vitamin D sufficiency?
- Some current developments regarding support of physiological systems and functions:
- immune competence – vitamin D
- immune competence – mechanisms of probiotic action
- the heart – vitamin A and fetal development
- the central nervous system – docosahexaenoic acid (22:6 n-3) and early development
- bone – influence of fruits, vegetables and prebiotics on bone mineralization
NUTRITION AND CHRONIC DISEASE
(Classes: Oct 23–Nov 29) - KA Meckling
- Feed restriction, oxidant stress and theories of aging
- Early life exposure and chronic disease susceptibility
- Nutrition in early cancer development
- Nutrition in cancer therapy
Method of Course Presentation
It is intended that the classes will follow a Journal Club format. Thus, each topic indicated in this course outline will be addressed by one or more journal article presentations, some by students and some by the instructor. It is essential that all students read the papers that will be discussed in upcoming classes. Presenters will need to provide some carefully-selected background information to the specific research in each paper, followed by a description of key methodology and results as well as a critical assessment of the conclusions and the contribution of the paper to our understanding of the field. Each student will present two research papers, one in each section of the course. In addition, each student will write one term essay (which may be a group effort as indicated in the handout titled “Instructions for Term Essay”). The essay may be on a topic suitable either for the first half of the course or for the second half. Please discuss your topic with the appropriate facilitator (BW, first half; KM, second half) for approval.
Method of Evaluation
| Oral presentation | 40% (20% per presentation) |
|---|---|
| Contributions to discussions of research papers | 10% (5% from each half of the course) |
| Term essays | 50% |
| TOTAL | 100% |