Abstract
Regular fish/fish oil consumption is widely recommended for protection against cardiovascular diseases (CVD). Fish and other marine life are rich sources of the cardioprotective long-chain n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (n-3 PUFA) eicosapentaenoic acid (C20:5 n-3; EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (C22:6 n-3; DHA). The lipid content and fatty acid profile of fish, however, vary greatly among different fish species. In addition to n-3 PUFA, certain fish, such as saury, pollock, and herring, also contain high levels of long-chain monounsaturated fatty acids (LCMUFA), with aliphatic tails longer than 18 C atoms (i.e., C20:1 and C22:1 isomers). Compared with well-studied n-3 PUFA, limited information, however, is available on the health benefits of marine-derived LCMUFA, particularly in regard to CVD. Our objective in this review is to summarize the current knowledge and provide perspective on the potential therapeutic value of dietary LCMUFA-rich marine oil for improving CVD risk factors. We will also review the possible mechanisms of LCMUFA action on target tissues. Finally, we describe the epidemiologic data and small-scaled clinical studies that have been done on marine oils enriched in LCMUFA. Although there are still many unanswered questions about LCMUFA, this appears to be promising new area of research that may lead to new insights into the health benefits of a different component of fish oils besides n-3 PUFA.
Highlights
Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading global cause of death, accounting for 17.3 million deaths per year, and is expected to grow to more than 23.6 million by 2030 [1]
Fish and fish oils are known to be enriched in long-chain n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA), such as eicosapentaenoic acid (C20:5 n-3; Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA)) and docosahexaenoic acid (C22:6 n-3; Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA))
Plasma chylomicron cetoleic acid (C22:1 n-11) levels peaked at hour 3–6 (10.6% ± 4.5), and dropped to near baseline (0.03% ± 0.08) at 12–24 h (0.13% + 0.05) after fasting subjects consumed 50 ml of herring oil enrich in long-chain monounsaturated fatty acids (LCMUFA) (22.3% cetoleic acid) [31]
Summary
Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading global cause of death, accounting for 17.3 million deaths per year, and is expected to grow to more than 23.6 million by 2030 [1]. At 24 h post-ingestion, plasma n-3 PUFA levels rose by 67% compared with the pre-ingestion values (10% ± 0.6 at 24 h vs 6% ± 0.7 at baseline, p < 0.01) Overall, these results suggest that different metabolic pathways may be responsible for the mobilization rates of different fish oil-derived fatty acids. A 5% (w/w) LCMUFA supplemented western diet for 6-weeks in diet-induced obese mice improved insulin resistance and reduced blood lipids compared to western diet control These changes were attributed to favorable alterations in the mRNA level of genes related to glucose/lipid metabolism and inflammation [42]. Comparison of the effect of dietary n-3 PUFA-rich and LCMUFA-rich marine oils on CVD risk factors Both long-chain n-3 PUFA and LCMUFA are the main fatty acid fractions in some fish species and marine mammals, and the individual actions of n-3 PUFA and LCMFUA need to be better understood. The current data from observational and interventional studies on LCMUFA intake are suggestive of a possible beneficial effect from LCMUFA on CVD health but at this point are inconclusive
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