Poor maternal nutrition is a major contributor to the high incidence of low birth weight deliveries in developing countries. This study aimed to assess the impact of second trimester maternal dietary intake on gestational weight gain and neonatal birth weight. A longitudinal study was conducted in a tertiary care hospital in Sri Lanka. Participants were 141 pregnant women at 18–24 weeks gestation who were followed up until delivery. Maternal dietary intake was assessed using a validated Food Frequency Questionnaire at 21.1 ± 1.8 gestational weeks. Gestational weight gain was examined at the end of 28 weeks gestation and at the end of pregnancy. Energy and nutrient intakes were calculated using NutriSurvey 2007 (EBISpro, Willstaett, Germany) nutrient analysis software, modified for Sri Lankan foods. The mean total gestational weight gain of women with low carbohydrate intake (229–429 g/day) was 2.2 kg less than that of women with moderate carbohydrate intake (430–629 g/day) (95% confidence interval (CI) 0.428–4.083 kg; p = 0.016). Similarly, babies of women with low carbohydrate intake were 312 g lighter compared with those of women with a moderate carbohydrate intake (95% CI 91–534 g; p = 0.006). Our results suggest that second trimester maternal carbohydrate intake has significant impacts on total gestational weight gain and neonatal birth weight.

The structure of the main saccharide chain of the acrosome reaction-inducing substance in the egg jelly coat of the starfish, Asterias amurensis, is composed of the following pentasaccharide repeating units (Structure I). A polymer consisting of 10 -11 repeating units has been observed to induce the acrosome reaction in starfish sperm at high calcium concentrations. STRUCTURE IThe identities and linkage positions of constituent sugars were established using sugar, methylation, and sulfate analyses together with one-and two-dimensional nmr spectroscopy. The structure was supported by the data obtained for desulfation products and the Smith degradation of the polysaccharide.The acrosome reaction is a prerequisite for fertilization in various animals including mammals. In starfish, three components of the egg jelly, namely a highly sulfated glycoprotein of an extremely large molecular size named acrosome reactioninducing substance (ARIS), 1 a steroid saponin named Co-ARIS, and a sperm-activating peptide (asterosap) are responsible for triggering the acrosome reaction (1). Three saponins consisting of a sulfated steroid and a pentasaccharide chain (Co-ARIS 1-3) were isolated from the egg jelly and structurally characterized (2). A mixture of glutamine-rich peptides consisting of 34 amino acid residues was isolated as asterosap, and the structures of 11 of them were determined (3). ARIS alone induces the acrosome reaction only in high calcium or high pH seawater, whereas either Co-ARIS or asterosap is also required in normal seawater (3)(4)(5)23). A tripartite of ARIS, Co-ARIS, and asterosap provides the best condition for the induction of the acrosome reaction in normal seawater. A Pronase digest of ARIS (P-ARIS) shows similar activity to that of ARIS (23).Previous work in our laboratory resulted in the isolation (as ARIS) of a sulfated glycoprotein of an apparent molecular mass of 10 7 daltons (23). Recent work involved isolation of a trisaccharide Xyl133Gal13(SO 3 Ϫ )3,4Fuc from P-ARIS after mild acid hydrolysis (6). Since the protein content of ARIS was reduced by about 50% by the Pronase digestion, which made it easier to handle in comparison with ARIS, P-ARIS was used as the starting material in this analysis. This study was carried out in an attempt to understand the structure-activity relationship of ARIS, and we now report the structural study of the main saccharide chain of P-ARIS. EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURESGeneral Methods-Water was purified with a Milli-Q reagent water system (Millipore Corp.). Sample concentrations were performed under diminished pressure at Ͻ40°C or in a stream of nitrogen. For gas-liquid chromatography, a Shimadzu GC-7A instrument fitted with a flame ionization detector was used. Gas-liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry was performed on a Shimadzu GC-14A instrument coupled with a Shimadzu GCMS-QP2000A instrument. A Dionex HPAEC-PAD was used to determine sugar compositions. Alditol acetates and partially O-methylated alditol acetates were analyzed on a HP-5 capillary column using a temp...

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Iron deficiency anaemia during pregnancy is a common public health problem that negatively affects maternal and newborn health. This study aims to identify the rate of maternal compliance with the recommended iron and folic acid (IFA) supplementation during pregnancy and to identify factors associated with maternal compliance and non-compliance. A hospital-based cross-sectional study was conducted among 703 women at 0–4 days postpartum. The prevalence of anaemia at the initial antenatal clinic (ANC) visit and at the third trimester were 20.8% and 44.9%, respectively. The rate of IFA supplementation compliance during pregnancy was 80.1%. Forgetfulness (66.9%) was the major reason for non-compliance, followed by side effects (15.7%). Maternal employment [OR (95%CI): 1.7 (1.00–2.89)], history of a low birth weight infant [OR (95%CI): 0.4 (0.19–0.9)] and history of anaemia [OR (95%CI): 0.4 (0.12–0.98] were significantly associated with maternal compliance with IFA supplementation. Only 26.6% of the participants adhered to dietary recommendations during the period when IFA supplements were provided. The rate of maternal compliance with IFA supplementation was high. However, the prevalence of maternal anaemia during pregnancy was also high, which was presumably due to poor dietary compliance despite high IFA supplementation compliance.

The objective of this work was to describe average dietary intake, physical activity (PA) and nutritional status of the adult population of Girandurukotte, Sri Lanka. A cross-sectional survey, including one 24-h dietary recall, international physical activity questionnaire and anthropometric measurements was conducted in a representative sample of 120 adults. Mean (SD) for body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC), waist to hip ratio (WHR) and waist to height ratio (WHtR) were 23.06(4.20) kg/m2, 85.6(9.5) cm, 0.95(0.05) and 0.55(0.07), respectively. Significant differences were observed in height, body fat %, body muscle %, hip circumference, WHR, WHtR, fat mass index and hand grip strength between men and women (p < 0.05). Among the study group, 35.8% were overweight, 13.3% were obese and 11.7% were underweight. Central obesity was observed in 59.2%, 97.5% and 74.2% of adults by WC, WHR and WHtR, respectively. Mean (SD) dietary diversity score and dietary diversity score with portions were 4.77(1.28) and 4.09(1.32), respectively. Mean daily intake of protein, fruits, vegetables and dairy were well below the national recommendations. Despite the higher PA level, nearly half the population was overweight and obese and the majority was centrally obese. None of the dietary diversity scores met the optimal levels, suggesting poor quality and quantity of the diet.