Acid Composition Of Phospholipids Research Articles

Fatty acid composition of phospholipids and triacylglycerols in the flesh of the thick-lipped grey mullet (Chelon labrosus) living in Tunisian geothermal water and seawater: A comparative study

This study was conducted to elucidate the effects of rearing conditions on the composition of different phospholipid (PLs) classes and triacylglycerols (TAG) of the thick-lipped grey mullet (Chelon labrosus), a muscle originating from seawater and geothermal water. The major fatty acids in the examined lipid classes of the two fish groups were palmitic acid (C16:0), stearic acid (C18:0), oleic acid (C18:1n-9), linoleic acid (C18:2n-6), arachidonic acid (C20:4n-6), eicosapentaenoic acid (C20:5n-3), and docosahexaenoic acid (C22:6n-3). The analyses demonstrated that the fatty acid profiles of the PL classes in the seawater fish group were characterized by the predominance of n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA). By contrast, in geothermal fish, the distribution of PUFA series proportions differed between the phospholipid fractions. It was found PUFA n-3 was particularly abundant in PS and PI, while the n-6 series dominated the PC and PE PUFA group. Nonetheless, it was found that neutral lipid fatty acids were characterized by saturated fatty acids (SFA) followed by monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA) in the seawater fish and by PUFA in the geothermal fish. The results presented here give useful information on the role of lipid classes in the physiological adaptation of C. labrosus which can serve for the optiminzation of these aquaculture systems.

Gastric Mucosal Fatty Acid Composition of Phospholipids in Gastric Cancer

Gastric Mucosal Fatty Acid Composition of Phospholipids in Gastric Cancer

Fatty Acid Composition of Erythrocyte Phospholipids in Rats Exposed to Stress (Prolonged Swimming)

The fatty acid composition of phospholipids was studied in rat erythrocytes after exhausting swimming. It was shown that this stressful exposure does not affect the fatty acid (FA) composition of erythrocyte phospholipids. However, differences in the variability of quantitatively dominant fatty acids were detected in stress-exposed animals compared to unstressed control. In saturated acids (C16:0, 18:0) and polyenoic arachidonic acid (C20:4ω6), the variability was close to its control values, while in unsaturated fatty acids (C18:1, C18:2ω6) it exceeded those 3–4 times. The obtained results indicate significant alterations in the unsaturated fatty acid composition of erythrocyte membrane phospholipids. Due to unsaturated fatty acids, a potential arises in the insulating layer between two surface charges of the erythrocyte plasma membrane. This additional internal potential, alongside with the potential difference between outer and inner surfaces of the erythrocyte plasma membrane, affects aqueous pores and Na+, K+-channels which jointly mediate diffusion of oxygen molecules. The revealed extraordinary variability of unsaturated fatty acids (C18:1, C18:2) with their mobile ω-electrons may relate to the mechanism of chemical interaction between phospholipid fatty acids in the hydrophobic zone of the erythrocyte plasma membrane due to phospholipid diffusion. Analogous mechanism of chemical interaction (via a proton jump from the hydronium ion to the water molecule) occurs in the hydrophilic (aqueous) zone.

Порівняльна характеристика жирнокислотного складу фосфоліпідів і загальних ліпідів у тканинах міокарда, печінки та плазми крові щурів за умов дії радіації та попереднього застосування донора сірководню

Порівняльна характеристика жирнокислотного складу фосфоліпідів і загальних ліпідів у тканинах міокарда, печінки та плазми крові щурів за умов дії радіації та попереднього застосування донора сірководню

Electrospray mass spectrometry as a tool to characterize phospholipid composition of plant cakes

Phospholipids (PL) are components of increased value in nutritional applications, especially those rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) such as α‐linolenic acid (ALA, 18:3 n‐3) and linoleic acid (LA, 18:2 n‐6). Currently, the oil processing industry generates by‐products in the form of oilseed and plant cakes that can be valorized for food/feed applications. With the aim of diversifying PL sources and improving their identification in terms of fatty acid (FA) composition, plant cakes obtained from five different sources (camelina, flaxseed, hemp, sesame, walnut) were extracted and analyzed by lipidomics approach using three analytical methods of mass spectrometry (MS): (i) shotgun; (ii) reverse phase liquid chromatography (RPLC) in multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) mode; and (iii) normal phase liquid chromatography (NPLC) with data dependant scan MS fragmentation. We obtained complementary information: while shotgun allowed identifying PL species, RPLC associated to MRM enabled to access high sensitivity and to focus on minority species. Then, NPLC in data dependant scan led to the identification of lysophospholipids and cardiolipin species besides phosphatidylcholine (PC). Among, the five plant cakes analyzed, camelina cake showed the highest percentage of ALA. If ALA was also found in flaxseed and hemp cakes, it was in a lesser extent. Moreover, ALA was located on the sn‐2 position of the glycerol backbone, a valuable position for nutritional applications.Practical applications: The food industry generates large amounts of by‐products, and most of them remain unused. Among them, degumming pastes, i.e., by‐products from the oil refining process, could be valuable sources of phospholipids (PL). These phospholipids present interesting properties, as emulsifiers, thickening agents, or antioxidants, for food or cosmetic industries. Moreover, depending on the plant source, the fatty acid composition in phospholipids could be different from that of the oil (mainly composed of triglycerides instead of phospholipids), especially for α‐linolenic acid (ALA, 18:3 n‐3). Among, the five plant cakes analyzed (camelina, flaxseed, hemp, sesame, walnut), camelina cake showed the highest percentage of ALA. If ALA was also found in flaxseed and hemp cakes, it was in a lesser extent. Moreover, ALA was located in the sn‐2 position of the glycerol, a valuable position for nutritional applications. On the whole, using powerful and complementary analytical procedures for PL characterization allowed widening the potential sources of this type of lipids.Workflow of the plant cake lipid analysis based on three analytical methods of mass spectrometry.

FATTY ACID COMPOSITION OF PHOSPHOLIPIDS AND ESTERIFIED CHOLESTEROL OF THE BLOOD PLASMA OF RABBIT UNDER ARGININE ACUTE PANCREATITIS

The content and fatty acid composition of phospholipids and esterified cholesterol were studied in the blood plasma of rabbits under acute arginine pancreatitis and its correction using linseed oil. It is established that the transport and anti-inflammatory functions of blood plasma deteriorates under acute arginine pancreatitis due to a decrease of the content of polyunsaturated fatty acids in phospholipids. The amount of cholesterol esterified with saturated and monounsaturated fatty acids increases in the blood plasma of rabbits. The concentration of phospholipids and esterified cholesterol is normalized and their fatty acid composition is improved in the lipid composition of the blood plasma of rabbits with acute arginine pancreatitis fed with linseed oil.

The fatty acid composition of phospholipids and absorption spectra of lipid extracts from lamprey, frog, and rat erythrocytes

The work studies the content and fatty acid composition of phospholipids as well as the absorption spectra of lipid extracts from red blood cells of poikilothermal and homoiothermal animals at different evolutionary levels. The objects of study include two poikilothermal species, the river lamprey (Lampetra fluviatilis) that uses oxygen dissolved in water, and the common frog (Rana temporaria) that consumes oxygen both from water and from air. A homoithermal animal is the white rat (Rattus rattus) that inhabits the terrestrial-aerial environment. The animals are studied in winter and spring. The phospholipid content in lamprey blood plasma is found to be twice higher than that in its erythrocytes. In the frog and the rat, the ratio is reverse. Determination of the fatty acid lipid composition of red blood cell phospholipids suggests that membranes in the lamprey are denser than in the frog. As for the fatty acids in the erythrocyte fraction of rat blood, they appear to be less diverse, with a double prevalence of saturated acids over unsaturated ones and devoid of long chain (C22) ω3 fatty acids. All of this results in a lower degree of unsaturation and a denser packing of fatty acids in the membrane structures of rat erythrocytes. The mechanism of reversible binding of O2 molecules to hemoglobin in erythrocytes is discussed. Presumably, the mechanism of interaction between molecules of O2 and molecules of water prevents the exchange interaction of electrons of the hemoglobin iron atoms with an oxygen molecule. This is confirmed by our obtained absorption spectra, which show that in the lipid extract almost totally devoid of water the heme isolated from erythrocytes is converted to hemin.

The effect of N-stearoylethanolamine on liver phospholipid composition of rats with insulin resistance caused by alimentary obesity

We used alimentary obesity-induced insulin resistance (IR) model in rats to investigate the influence of N-stearoylethanolamine on the content of phospholipids and their fatty acid composition. Our results show that prolonged high-fat diet triggers considerable aberrations in the composition of main phospholipids in the liver and can be one of the causes of IR in rats. In particular, the increase of phosphatidylcholine, phosphatidylethanolamine and significant decrease of other phospholipids: lysophosphatidylcholine, lysophosphatidylethanolamine, sphingomyelin, phosphatidylinositol, phosphatidylserine and diphosphaglicerol were observed. The levels of monounsaturated (erucic, nervonic, oleic) and polyunsaturated (eicosatrienoic, docosatrienoic, arachidonic) fatty acids were increased; meanwhile the content of diunsaturated acids was decreased. The NSE administration (50 mg/kg of body weight) caused restoration of the phospholipids content in the liver of rats with diet-induced IR that highly correlated with the decrease in plasma insulin level and the improvement of insulin sensitivity. Moreover, the effect of NSE was accompanied by the normalization of fatty acids composition of phospholipids that could be related to modulating influence of NSE on the activity of the main fatty acid desaturases. It is known that the imbalance in phospholipid composition of the rat liver causes substantial metabolic alterations that are associated with the development of IR. Accordingly, the compensations of the imbalance by NSE can help to restore insulin sensitivity, inhibit the development of obesity, IR and type 2 diabetes.

Human Milk Fat Globules from Different Stages of Lactation: A Lipid Composition Analysis and Microstructure Characterization

The physicochemical properties of human milk fat globules (MFG) at different lactation stages from Danish mothers and the microstructure changes of MFG membrane (MFGM) at varied temperatures were investigated, and the relationship between chemical composition and the microstructure of MFGM was elucidated. The fat content in MFG was found to be significantly increased as lactation progressed, and colostrum MFG had the largest mean diameter of 5.75 ± 0.81 μm and the lowest ζ potential of -5.60 ± 0.12 mV. Chemical composition analyses of MFG revealed the following: (i) Colostrum milk fat constituted higher content in PUFAs (ω-6, and long-chain ω-6 and ω-3) than transitional and mature milk fats, with the corresponding lower content of SFA in its sn-2 position. (ii) The content of polar lipids among total lipids varied during lactation course (maximized at transitional stage); however, in terms of subclasses of polar lipids, no significant change of the relative content of sphingomyelin was observed, while the content of phosphatidycholine in mature milk was higher than that in colostrum and transitional milk. (iii) Inspection of fatty acid composition in phospholipids from different lactation milk revealed no remarkable and regular changes could be generalized; and no obvious difference of the morphologies of MFGM at different lactation stages can be visualized. An investigation of the microstructure change of MFGM vs temperature demonstrated that the segregated domains became larger as temperature decreased to 4 °C, while it became smaller when increased to 37 °C. This phenomenon indicated that, in addition to sphingimyelin and cholesterol, phospholipids might also contribute to increasing the segregated domains at lower temperature, while, at elevated temperature, these domains could be diminished, most likely due to a restructuring or distributing of sphingimyelin and cholesterol.

Dietary fatty acids modulate liver mitochondrial cardiolipin content and its fatty acid composition in rats with non alcoholic fatty liver disease

No data are reported on changes in mitochondrial membrane phospholipids in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. We determined the content of mitochondrial membrane phospholipids from rats with non alcoholic liver steatosis, with a particular attention for cardiolipin (CL) content and its fatty acid composition, and their relation with the activity of the mitochondrial respiratory chain complexes. Different dietary fatty acid patterns leading to steatosis were explored. With high-fat diet, moderate macrosteatosis was observed and the liver mitochondrial phospholipid class distribution and CL fatty acids composition were modified. Indeed, both CL content and its C18:2n-6 content were increased with liver steatosis. Moreover, mitochondrial ATP synthase activity was positively correlated to the total CL content in liver phospholipid and to CL C18:2n-6 content while other complexes activity were negatively correlated to total CL content and/or CL C18:2n-6 content of liver mitochondria. The lard-rich diet increased liver CL synthase gene expression while the fish oil-rich diet increased the (n-3) polyunsaturated fatty acids content in CL. Thus, the diet may be a significant determinant of both the phospholipid class content and the fatty acid composition of liver mitochondrial membrane, and the activities of some of the respiratory chain complex enzymes may be influenced by dietary lipid amount in particular via modification of the CL content and fatty acid composition in phospholipid.

Association of plasma insulin concentration to fatty acid distribution between milk fat and membrane synthesis

We examined the association between plasma insulin concentration and fatty acid distribution to milk fat and membrane fractions (triglyceride and phospholipid, respectively) in dairy cows. Thirty-seven Holstein cows at 60 to 70 d postpartum were synchronized by 2 PGF2α injections 14 d apart. Plasma samples were taken before morning and evening milkings and milk samples were obtained at morning milking. Plasma insulin concentrations were determined and cows were retrospectively assigned to low insulin (LI; 2.8±0.2ng/mL, n=6) or high insulin (HI; 5.9±0.6ng/mL, n=7) experimental groups. Fatty acid analysis of milk samples demonstrated a possible association between plasma insulin concentration and the fatty acid composition in phospholipid and triglyceride fractions. In the HI group, monounsaturated fatty acid concentration tended to be higher in the triglyceride (Tg) fraction than the phospholipids (Pl) fraction. In the LI group, the concentrations of short- and medium-chain saturated fatty acids (<16 carbon chain length), considered de novo-synthesized fatty acids, were higher in the triglyceride fraction than the phospholipid fraction. These results imply that the primary source of saturated fatty acids for phospholipid synthesis, in both HI and LI groups, is the circulation, as reflected by a higher concentration of longer saturated fatty acids (>16 carbon chain length) in the phospholipid fraction. Finally, the phospholipid-to-triglyceride ratio was higher in the HI group than in the LI group. Together, the results indicate that fatty acid distribution between phospholipid (membrane) and triglyceride (fat) synthesis by the mammary gland is associated with fatty acid length, degree of unsaturation, and origin, and might be subject to metabolic hormone regulation. Furthermore, a lower triglyceride-to-phospholipid ratio in the HI group implies that high plasma insulin and low milk fat concentrations are associated with a shift in the size distribution of milk fat globules.

Limit of change in unsaturation index of fatty acid composition of phospholipids at adaptation of molluscs to biogenic and abiogenic environmental factors

Comparative study of fatty acid composition of total phospholipids, as well as of phosphatidylcholine and phosphatidylethanolamine from hepatopancreas and leg muscle was carried out on several representatives of gastropod molluscs (Gastropoda) and on the bivalve mussel Mytilus edulus (Bivalvia). The objects of our study were marine littorins Littorina saxsatilis adapted to different temperature conditions of White Sea and Barents Sea, the freshwater lymnaea Lymnaea stagnalis infested by Trematoda, and mussels from the White and Black Seas. It was shown that depending on the existence conditions of the studied tissue or lipid, the maximal changes occurred in the percentage of saturated acids (4–83%); the percentage of unsaturated acids was less expressed (1–14%) and the changes in unsaturation index (UI), on average, did not exceed 20%. It was suggested that the revealed quantitative restriction of the UI change under the action of various external factors is a limit for maintenance of the membrane fluidity necessary for normal cell viability, specifically in the studied ectothermic molluscs.

Effects of a Feed Supplement Containing Fatty Acids and Chromium on Insulin Sensitivity in Old Mares: A Preliminary Study

s / Journal of Equine Veterinary Science 31 (2011) 230-356 252 Effects of a Feed Supplement Containing Fatty Acids and Chromium on Insulin Sensitivity in Old Mares: A Preliminary Study S. Otabachian , T. Hembrooke , E.M. Carnevale , and T.M. Hess 1 1 Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA, 2 Platinum Performance Inc. , Buellton, CA, USA Introduction: Older horses are prone to developing decreased insulin sensitivity (SI) due to an increase in fat accumulation and a decrease in physical activity [1]. Studies show a relationship between obesity and inflammation with reduced SI in horses [2,3]. An increased inflammatory status in older horses is thought to be a possible cause of pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction (PPID) which predisposes horses to laminitis and insulin resistance [4]. Polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) such as n-3 a-linolenic acid (ALA) are absorbed and incorporated into cell membranes. In rat and human studies PUFAs change fatty acid composition of phospholipids surrounding insulin receptors found in muscle [5,6] and reduce inflammation when incorporated into white blood cells [7]. Chromium has been found to be beneficial in diabetic experimental animals and also in conditions resulting from insulin sensitivity and defects in glucose transportation [8]. The objectives of this study were: to investigate the effects of a fatty acid supplement containing a-linoleic acid and chromium yeast in old mares (ages 16-27 years) on insulin sensitivity and inflammatory markers. Materials and Methods: Mares (n 1⁄4 14; mean 21 .6 years) were supplemented for 9 months with 190 g per day of Equine Platinum Plus Metabolic Support (EPPMS): a fatty-acid formula from Platinum Performance containing ALA with an addition of Chromium Yeast and other minerals and vitamins. Mares were fed an average 1.5 kg of a commercial concentrate (Nutrena Safe Choice ) and 7.2 kg of mixed alfalfa and grass hay divided in 2 feedings. Mares served as their own controls and were fed the same diet throughout treatment. Mares stayed at the Colorado State University Equine Reproductive Laboratory (ERL) in a nonpregnant reproductive status. In July of 2009, after 30 days of acclimation to diet and environment at the ERL, fasting blood was collected (ten hours post-feed), mares were weighed, and treatment began. At the end of the summer the horses were returned and continued treatment at the direction of the owners. Mares were maintained in a similar daily routine experienced at the ERL meaning two feedings per day, a stall with a run, and no work. In February 2010 mares returned to the ERL and in May, fasting blood samples were collected. Blood was transferred into collection tubes, centrifuged and serum maintained at -20Â C for later analysis. PAXgene Blood RNA Tubes (Â 2010 PreAnalytix GmbH) were refrigerated at 4 C for two hours post collection and then maintained in 20 C until time of RNA isolation to assess gene expression. Plasma glucose was analyzed by an enzymatic assay; insulin and cortisol analyzed by radioimmunoassay; and endogenous ACTH was analyzed using Siemens Immulite 1000 Chemiluminescence technology. Basal proxies were calculated [9] and horses were classified into two groups: metabolic (RISQUI .29). Treatments were evaluated by ANOVA, with horses nested with metabolic as a random variable and treatment and metabolic as main factors. Significant results were analyzed by the least square means analysis. Results and Discussion: Mares treated with EPPMS had lower (P < .01) plasma glucose (91.2 2.10 mg/dL) insulin (9.6 1.0 I1⁄4U/mL) concentrations, as well as lower (P < .04) beta pancreatic response (MIRG 1⁄4 4.9 .37), compared to before treatment (98.0 1.9 mg/dL glucose; 13.8 .9 I1⁄4U/mL insulin; MIRG 1⁄4 5.9 .33). Insulin sensitivity as measured by RISQUI as well as weights were higher (P < .03) after treatment (RISQUI 1⁄4 .40 .04; 498.7 10.6 kg) compared to pretreatment (.27 .03; 472.7 10.2 kg). Cortisol levels trended lower (P < .09) in treated mares (109.5 10.7 nmol/L) compared to non-treated mares (130.3 9.8 nmol/L). Inflammatory cytokines were not significantly affected by treatment. Vitamins, minerals and amino acids were present in the supplement, but effects on insulin sensitivity are inconclusive. Conclusion: Although mares treated with EPPMS showed improved insulin sensitivity in the first sample post treatment, a control group of similar breed, age, and body conditionwould be necessary to confirm results. Although body weight was evaluated, fat composition was not accessed in the initial sampling so changes are unknown.

Lipids of the meristems of the main coniferous edificators from central siberia under low-temperature adaptation: 2. Features of the fatty acid metabolism of phospholipids from winter meristems of Larix sibirica Ledeb., Picea obovata L., and Pinus sylvestris L.

The results of studies of the fatty acid composition of phospholipids from bud meristems of the main coniferous edificators from Central Siberia, Larix sibirica Ledeb., Picea obovata L., and Pinus sylvestris L., in winter (in the state of low-temperature resistance) and in spring (after the lack of low-temperature resistance) are reported. The change in the phenological state of the tree upon the transition from dormancy to vegetation has been shown to be attended by a significant transformation of the fatty acid composition of phospholipids from living tissues, which is expressed not only in the alteration of the content of individual fatty acids and the ratio of the components of one or various types, but also in the absence of some fatty acids that are present in the winter buds.

Vaccenic and Elaidic Acid Modify Plasma and Splenocyte Membrane Phospholipids and Mitogen-Stimulated Cytokine Production in Obese Insulin Resistant JCR: LA-cp Rats

This study assessed the long-term effects of dietary vaccenic acid (VA) and elaidic acid (EA) on plasma and splenocyte phospholipid (PL) composition and related changes in inflammation and splenocyte phenotypes and cytokine responses in obese/insulin resistant JCR:LA-cp rats. Relative to lean control (Ctl), obese Ctl rats had higher serum haptoglobin and impaired T-cell-stimulated cytokine responses. VA and EA diets improved T-cell-stimulated cytokine production; but, only VA normalized serum haptoglobin. However, EA- and VA-fed rats had enhanced LPS-stimulated cytokine responses. The changes elicited by VA were likely due changes in essential fatty acid composition in PL; whereas EA-induced changes may due to direct incorporation into membrane PL.

Genomic Dissection of Population Substructure of Han Chinese and Its Implication in Association Studies

To date, most genome-wide association studies (GWAS) and studies of fine-scale population structure have been conducted primarily on Europeans. Han Chinese, the largest ethnic group in the world, composing 20% of the entire global human population, is largely underrepresented in such studies. A well-recognized challenge is the fact that population structure can cause spurious associations in GWAS. In this study, we examined population substructures in a diverse set of over 1700 Han Chinese samples collected from 26 regions across China, each genotyped at approximately 160K single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). Our results showed that the Han Chinese population is intricately substructured, with the main observed clusters corresponding roughly to northern Han, central Han, and southern Han. However, simulated case-control studies showed that genetic differentiation among these clusters, although very small (F(ST) = 0.0002 approximately 0.0009), is sufficient to lead to an inflated rate of false-positive results even when the sample size is moderate. The top two SNPs with the greatest frequency differences between the northern Han and southern Han clusters (F(ST) > 0.06) were found in the FADS2 gene, which associates with the fatty acid composition in phospholipids, and in the HLA complex P5 gene (HCP5), which associates with HIV infection, psoriasis, and psoriatic arthritis. Ingenuity Pathway Analysis (IPA) showed that most differentiated genes among clusters are involved in cardiac arteriopathy (p < 10(-101)). These signals indicating significant differences among Han Chinese subpopulations should be carefully explained in case they are also detected in association studies, especially when sample sources are diverse.

Improved method of protoplast fusion between marine luminescent bacterium andEscherichia colicultivated with fatty acid

An attempt was made to improve the stability toward centrifugation of protoplast fusion between Shewanella sp. and Escherichia coli. Stability of the cell membrane is an important factor in protoplast fusion. In order to change the fatty acid composition of the cell membrane phospholipids, eight fatty acids [caprylic acid, capric acid, palmitic acid, oleic acid, linoleic acid, linolenic acid, eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid] were added to each nutrient medium of Shewanella sp. and E. coli. The protoplasts were treated with lysozyme, and fusion occurred in the presence of a polyethylene glycol solution. The stability of the protoplast of Shewanella sp. decreased after EPA was added to the culture medium, and the stability of the protoplast of E. coli increased after the addition of linoleic acid or linolenic acid. Some fusant colonies that developed on the regenerated medium selected for E. coli with antibiotic tolerance. The efficiency of this fusion was higher than that of initial condition using protoplasts from Shewanella sp. and E. coli incubated without fatty acids. Protoplasts improved the fatty acid composition of the phospholipids. Cell membrane stability can change in order for the weak cells to be taken in by strong cells. These results suggested that the fatty acid composition of cell membrane phospholipids affected the fusant yield of the fusion of these bacteria.

Determination of Phospholipids in Olive Oil by 31P NMR Spectroscopy

A nondestructive analytical method based on NMR spectroscopy was developed for the determination of phospholipids in olive oil. The phospholipids extracted from virgin olive oil with a mixture of ethanol/water (2:1 v/v) were identified and quantified by high resolution (31)P NMR spectroscopy. The main phospholipids found in olive oil were phosphatidic acid, lyso-phosphatidic acid, and phosphatidylinositol. Validation of the (31)P NMR methodology for quantitative analysis of phospholipids in olive oil was performed. Sensitivity was satisfactory with detection limits of 0.25-1.24 mumol /mL. In addition, the composition of fatty acids in phospholipids model compounds and those in olive oil samples was estimated by employing one- and two-dimensional (1)H NMR. The results indicated that the fatty acid composition in phospholipids and triacylglycerols of olive oil was similar.

Status of cardiolipin synthesis in heart failure

Phospholipids are important structural and functional components of all biological membranes. The mitochondrial phospholipid, cardiolipin, comprises approximately 15% of the entire phospholipid mass of the heart. Cardiolipin plays an important role in the regulation of various mitochondrial processes, including ATP generation, apoptosis, electron transport and mitochondrial lipid and protein import. Alterations in the content and fatty acid composition of phospholipids within the heart are linked to sustained differences in myocardial electrical activity. Reduced levels of cardiolipin are an underlying biochemical cause of the Barth syndrome, a rare X-linked genetic disease that is associated with cardiomyopathy and heart failure. This article focuses on the synthesis of cardiolipin, the regulation of cardiolipin synthesis and the implications of heart failure on cardiac cardiolipin and its synthesis.

Role of collagen tripeptide fragment GER on activation of adhesion and modification of fatty acid composition in membrane phospholipids of CHO-K1 cells

It has been found that the multiply repeated tripeptide fragment GER (Gly-Glu-Arg) from different collagen types stimulates the nonspecific adhesion of CHO-K1 cells. Activation of cell adhesion is accompanied by modifications to the fatty acid composition in the phospholipids of the cell membrane. Cell incubation with the synthetic GER peptide increases the unsaturation index of phosphatidylcholin (PC), phosphatidylethanolamine (PEA), and phosphatidylinositol (PI). Arachidonic (C20:4ω6) acid is mainly contributed to the increased index of PI. Not only arachidonic acid but other unsaturated fatty acids, such as docosatetraenoic (C22:4ω6), docosapentaenoic (C22:5ω3), and docosahexaenoic (C22:6ω3), are responsible for the increased index of PC and PEA. In addition, the elevation of the relative content of polyenoic fatty acids in PI is concomitant with a reduced amount of monoenoic fatty acids, mainly due to decline in the oleic (C18:1) acid level. The role of GER peptide in (1) the activation of cell adhesion as a regulator of active or inactive states of integrin receptors; (2) modification of fatty acid composition in major classes of phospholipids as a modulator of the fluidity in annular lipid zones surrounding to the adhesive molecules is discussed.