Docosahexaenoic Acid Content Research Articles

Docosahexaenoic acid and arachidonic acid levels are correlated in human milk: Implications for new European infant formula regulations.

From February 2022, all infant formula sold in the European Union must contain docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) at ~0.33%-1.14% of total fat with no minimum requirement for arachidonic acid (ARA). This work examines the association between DHA and ARA levels in human milk, the gold standard for infant feeding. Human milk (n = 470) was collected over 12-weeks postpartum from lactating mothers (n = 100) of infants born weighing <1250 g (NCT02137473). Fatty acids were analyzed by gas chromatography. ARA and DHA concentrations were associated in human milk (β = 0.47 [95% confidence interval 0.38-0.56] mol%), including transitional and mature milk, but not colostrum. This remained significant upon adjustment for percentages of other saturated, monounsaturated, n-3, or n-6 fatty acids, day of sample collection, or maternal characteristics (body mass index, ethnicity, education, and income). Infant formulas containing relatively high concentrations of DHA without ARA, as permitted by the new regulations, would not reflect the balance of these fatty acids in human milk.

Rationale for different formulations of omega-3 fatty acids leading to differences in residual cardiovascular risk reduction

Rationale for different formulations of omega-3 fatty acids leading to differences in residual cardiovascular risk reduction

Investigation of the antioxidation capacity of gallic acid and its alkyl esters with different chain lengths for dried oyster during ambient storage

SummaryThe antioxidant capacity of gallic acid (GA) and its fatty alkyl esters such as butyl gallate, octyl gallate (OG), lauryl gallate and hexadecyl gallate in freeze‐dried oyster was investigated. During ambient storage, the significant increase of peroxide value and thiobarbituric acid value together with the decline for docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) contents indicated the occurrence of lipid autoxidation in freeze‐dried oysters. Meanwhile, the oxidative degradation of glycerol phosphocholine (GPC), glycerol phosphoethanolamine (GPE) and triacylglycerols (TAG) molecular species carrying DHA or EPA in oyster ranked as: TAG &gt; GPE &gt; GPC. GA and its alkyl esters could effectively be prevented dried oyster lipid from oxidation. Among them, OG stood out as the most effective individual. This work implied that the chain lengths of GA alkyl esters affect their antioxidant ability for dried oysters, which provides the information for selecting eligible antioxidants to enhance the oxidative stability of freeze‐dried seafood.

Replacement of fish oil by camelina and black soldier fly larvae oils in diets for juvenile Totoaba macdonaldi and their effect on growth, fatty acid profile, and gene expression of pancreatic lipases

The present study evaluated the use of camelina (CO) and black soldier fly larvae (BSFLO) oils as replacements of fish oil (FO) in diets for juvenile Totoaba macdonaldi, and their effect on growth, proximate composition, fatty acid (FA) profile of tissues, and gene expression of bile salt-dependent (BSDL) and colipase-dependent (CDPL) pancreatic lipases. Four isoproteic (51% crude protein) and isolipidic (14% crude fat) diets were formulated based on a 2 × 2 factorial design with two lipid sources, CO and BSFLO, each tested at two levels of replacement of FO, 30 and 60%. A control diet containing 100% FO was included as a reference. Fish with an overall initial weight (mean ± standard deviation, S.D.) of 3.0 ± 0.1 g were stocked at a density of 100 fish m−3. Each diet was randomly assigned to five replicate tanks, and four tanks for the control. After 7 weeks, weight gain (WG, P = 0.0302) and thermal growth coefficient (TGC, P = 0.0408) were significantly reduced in fish fed the 60% FO replacement level in comparison to the 30% level; fish fed diets containing 30% BSFLO were the only ones achieving statistically similar WG (59.40 g) and TGC (0.175) as fish fed the control diet (WG of 60.68 g and TGC of 0.177). Muscle and liver tissues of fish reflected the FA profiles of experimental diets; fish fed BSFLO showed greater content of lauric acid (12:0) in muscle (0.14–0.17 mg g−1), while alpha-linolenic acid (18:3n-3) was higher in those fed CO (0.25–0.51 mg g−1). Docosahexaenoic acid (22:6n-3) content was statistically similar in fillets from all different treatments, demonstrating selective retention of this biologically important FA, but eicosapentaenoic acid (20:5n-3) decreased as the level of FO replacement by CO or BSFLO in diets increased. The presence of BSDL and CDPL in the digestive tract of T. macdonaldi was confirmed for the first time, but regulation of their gene expression was not significantly affected at a transcriptional level by the progressive replacement of FO by CO or BSFLO under these experimental conditions. These findings suggest that 30% of FO can be successfully replaced by BSFLO in diets for juvenile T. macdonaldi, and a 100 g fillet from fish fed this diet would provide 284 mg of DHA + EPA, satisfying the daily intake recommended for adult consumers.

Optimization of fish oil extraction from Lophius litulon liver and fatty acid composition analysis

The Lophius litulon liver was used as raw material for the extraction of fish oil via various extraction methods. The extraction rate by water extraction, potassium hydroxide (KOH) hydrolysis and protease hydrolysis were compared and the results revealed the protease hydrolysis extraction had a higher extraction rate with good protein-lipid separation as observed by opticalmicroscope.Furthermore, subsequent experiments determined neutrase to be the best hydrolytic enzyme in terms of extraction rate and cost. The extraction conditions of neutrase hydrolysis were optimized by single-factor experiment and response surface analysis, and the optimal extraction rate was 58.40 ± 0.25% with the following conditions: enzyme concentration 2,000 IU/g, extraction time 1.0 h, liquid-solid ratio 1.95:1, extraction temperature 40.5°C and pH 6.5. The fatty acids composition in fish oil from optimized extraction condition was composed of 19.75% saturated fatty acids and 80.25% unsaturated fatty acids. The content of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) were 8.06% and 1.19%, respectively, with the ratio (6.77:1) surpassed to the recommendation in current researches (5:1). The results in this study suggest protease treatment is an efficient method for high-quality fish oil extraction from Lophius litulon liver with a satisfactory ratio of DHA and EPA.

Effect of pH on Schizochytrium limacinum Production Grown Using Crude Glycerol and Biogas Digestate Effluent

The ability of microalgae, such as the rich in docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) heterotrophic marine microalgae Schizochytrium limacinum SR21, to utilize nutrients in their culture media derived from low-cost nutrient sources makes them a promising low-cost alternative source for the production of useful substances used in aqua feeds. The assessment of culture parameters, one of which is the pH, for every different nutrient growth medium used for microalgae cultivation is important, as they affect the biomass and secondary metabolite microalgae production. This study assessed the effect of different growth medium pH levels (6, 7, 8 and 9), at laboratory and pilot scale systems, on S. limacinum biomass productivity, lipid accumulation, proximate composition, carbon assimilation and DHA. The microalgae were cultivated in growth media containing two different alternative low-cost nutrient sources: (a) crude glycerol derived from biofuel industry as carbon source and (b) effluent digestate from biogas production of livestock decomposition as a source of nutrients and trace elements. It was found that a neutral pH (7) was the optimum level, as it enhanced biomass productivity of the lab and pilot scale cultivation systems at 44.9 g L−1 and 11 g L−1 and DHA content at 7.5% and 19% of the total lipid content, respectively.

Molecular characterization and expression analysis of acyl-CoA synthetase 6 in golden pompano Trachinotus ovatus reveal its function in DHA enrichment

Acyl-CoA synthetase 6 (Acsl6) involves the enrichment of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and lipid synthesis in mammals, while its molecular function is still unknown in teleost. To explore the potential function of teleost Acsl6, this study investigated the molecular characterization and expression analysis of the acsl6 gene in the marine fish golden pompano (Trachinotus ovatus). The acsl6 cDNA cloned has a coding region (2169 bp) encoding 722 amino acids, which possesses a typical structure of Acsl including the gate domain and linker motif. The highest acsl6 mRNA expression was detected in the brain, followed in eyes, muscle, intestine, liver, and other tissues. Comparing to the fish fed with lard oil or soybean oil diets, the fish fed with fish oil exhibited high muscular DHA contents, and acsl6 mRNA levels (p < 0.05). Additionally, feeding T. ovatus three experimental diets containing different n-3 LC-PUFA levels (5.25%, 10.05%, and 14.05%) showed that the muscular DHA and n-3 LC-PUFA contents, as well as the acsl6 mRNA levels, matched the dietary n-3 LC-PUFA levels. The transcript level of acsl6 and contents of DHA in the muscle was significantly affected by dietary DHA/EPA ratios, and high DHA/EPA ratios increased the muscular DHA contents and acsl6 gene expression (p < 0.05). Moreover, the over-expression of acsl6 promoted the DHA contents of hepatocytes and enterocytes, suggesting that T. ovatus Acsl6 plays an active role in the deposition of DHA content. Collectively, the positive relationship among dietary DHA, muscular acsl6 mRNA and DHA levels, as well as the increase of cellular DHA contents by over-expression of acsl6, indicated that Acsl6 is beneficial to the DHA enrichment in T. ovatus. The acquisition of fish Acsl6 potential function in the present study will play the foundation for ameliorating the DHA contents in farmed fish products.

Associations of Maternal Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids With Telomere Length in the Cord Blood and Placenta in Chinese Population.

Few studies have investigated the correlation between maternal polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) and telomeres in offspring, and the underlying influential mechanisms. In this study, we assessed the associations of maternal PUFAs with telomere length (TL) and DNA methylation of the telomerase reverse transcriptase (TERT) promoter in the cord blood and the placenta. A total of 274 pregnant women and their newborn babies were enrolled in this study. Maternal blood before delivery, the cord blood, and the placenta at birth were collected. Fatty acids in maternal erythrocytes and cord blood cells were measured by gas chromatography (GC). TL in the cord blood and the placenta was determined using real-time quantitative PCR (qPCR) by calculating the product ratio of telomeric DNA to the single-copy gene β-globin. The TERT promoter methylation was analyzed by DNA bisulfite sequencing. The associations of maternal fatty acids with TL were analyzed by univariate and multivariate regression. We found that low concentrations of docosapentaenoci acid (DPA, C22: 5n-3) and total n-3 PUFAs, adrenic acid (ADA, C22: 4n-6), and osbond acid (OA, C22: 5n-6) and high concentrations of linoleic acid (LA, C18: 2n-6) in maternal erythrocytes were associated with the shortened TL in cord blood cells (estimated difference in univariate analysis −0.36 to −0.46 for extreme quintile compared with middle quintile), and that low concentrations of cord blood docosahexaenoic acid (DHA, C22: 6n-3) were related to the shortened TL in cord blood cells. Differently, high concentrations of α-linolenic acid (LNA, C18: 3n-3), eicosatrienoic acid (EA, C20: 3n-3), DHA, and γ-linoleic acid (GLA, C18:3n-6) in maternal erythrocytes were associated with the shortened TL in the placenta (estimated difference in univariate analysis −0.36 to −0.45 for higher quintiles compared with the middle quintile). Further examination demonstrated that the concentrations of DHA and total n-3 PUFAs in maternal erythrocytes had positive associations with DNA methylation of the TERT promoter in the cord blood instead of the placenta. These data suggest that maternal PUFAs are closely correlated to infant TL and the TERT promoter methylation, which are differently affected by maternal n-3 PUFAs between the cord blood and the placenta. Therefore, keeping higher levels of maternal n-3 PUFAs during pregnancy may help to maintain TL in the offspring, which is beneficial to long-term health.

Delivering a Nutritionally Enhanced Tilapia Fillet Using a Pre‐Harvest Phase Omega‐3 Thraustochytrids Protist Enriched Diet

AbstractNile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) offers an affordable food source to many low‐income consumers. However, farmed tilapia has drawn much criticism over the low omega‐3 (n‐3) and high omega‐6 (n‐6) lipid levels. Subsequently, it has been questioned whether it is truly healthy food. This study fed tilapia with a specialized “finishing” diet with the inclusion of commercial Thraustochytrids protist biomass and oil before the harvestable fish size. The fish are fed with two different dietary regimes over 6 weeks. One is a commercially available tilapia feed used as a reference. The second diet is composed of an exclusive oil source from Thraustochytrids protist (HI‐n3). The results show that HI‐ n3 has significantly increased the fillet n‐3 content by 400% in comparison to commercial diet (COM) after Week 6 of feeding. Specifically, docosahexaenoic acid (DHA, n‐3) content is the attributing fatty acid for the n‐3 increase. This is particularly evident when DHA is expressed as a percentage of total lipid content. The n‐3:n‐6 ratio increased in tilapia fed with the HI‐n3 diet attributed to the DHA accumulation. The investigation shows that it is possible to favorably “lipid tailor” tilapia before harvest.Practical applications: The practical application of this technique is to enrich farmed tilapia with a high dietary omega‐3 (n‐3) Thraustochytrids protist oil source for a short‐term period before harvesting. It is an objective that the fillet product would be more functional in its nutritional content by supplying more than just high‐quality protein for consumers. This would have paramount implications for low‐income consumers, where high n‐3 oil foods are not readily available or affordable (e.g., landlocked nations). Furthermore, tilapia is widely consumed in China and Southeast Asian countries but is also promoted as a high nutritional value food source in the western hemisphere. This investigation advocates the ability to change the image of this fish species by a simple dietary manipulation. In an era of elevated intake of omega 6 (n‐6) fatty acids food sources, n‐3 rich fish is a vital balance to counter this negative trend in human health.

Docosahexaenoic acid improves altered mineralization proteins, the decreased quality of hydroxyapatite crystals and suppresses oxidative stress induced by high glucose.

Patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM2) experience an increased risk of fractures and a variety of bone pathologies, such as osteoporosis. The suggested mechanisms of increased fracture risk in DM2 include chronic hyperglycaemia, which provokes oxidative stress, alters bone matrix, and decreases the quality of hydroxyapatite crystals. Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), an omega-3 fatty acid, can increase bone formation, reduce bone loss, and it possesses antioxidant/anti-inflammatory properties. The present study aimed to determine the effect of DHA on altered osteoblast mineralisation and increased reactive oxygen species (ROS) induced by high glucose concentrations. A human osteoblast cell line was treated with 5.5 mM glucose (NG) or 24 mM glucose (HG), alone or in combination with 10 or 20 µM DHA. The collagen type 1 (Col1) scaffold, the expression of osteocalcin (OCN) and bone sialoprotein type-II (BSP-II), the alkaline phosphatase (ALP) specific activity, the mineral quality, the production of ROS and the mRNA expression of nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor-2 (NRF2) were analysed. Osteoblasts cultured in HG and treated with either DHA concentration displayed an improved distribution of the Col1 scaffold, increased OCN and BSP-II expression, increased NRF2 mRNA, decreased ALP activity, carbonate substitution and reduced ROS production compared with osteoblasts cultured in HG alone. DHA counteracts the adverse effects of HG on bone mineral matrix quality and reduces oxidative stress, possibly by increasing the expression of NRF2.

Interactions between a polygenic risk score for plasma docosahexaenoic fatty acid concentration, eating behaviour, and body composition in children.

The relationship between eating behaviour and current body weight has been described. However little is known about the effect of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) in this relationship. Genetic contribution to a certain condition is derived from a combination of small effects from many genetic variants, and polygenic risk scores (PRS) summarize these effects. A PRS based on a GWAS for plasma docosahexaenoic fatty acid (DHA) has been created, based on SNPs from 9 genes. To analyze the interaction between the PRS for plasma DHA concentration, body composition and eating behaviour (using the Children Eating Behaviour Questionnaire) in childhood. We analyzed a subsample of children from the Maternal, Adversity, Vulnerability and Neurodevelopment (MAVAN) cohort with PRS and measurements of eating behaviour performed at 4 years of age (n = 210), 6 y (n = 177), and body fat determined by bioelectric impedance at 4 y and 6 y or by air displacement plethysmography and dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry at 8 y (n = 42 and n = 37). PRS was based on the GWAS from Lemaitre et al. 2011 (p threshold = p < 5*10-6), and a median split created low and high PRS groups (high PRS = higher DHA level). In ALSPAC children, we observed an association between PRS and plasma DHA concentration (β = 0.100, p < 0.01) and proportion (β = 0.107, p < 0.01). In MAVAN, there were interactions between PRS and body fat on pro-intake scores in childhood, in which low PRS and higher body fat were linked to altered behaviour. There were also interactions between PRS and pro-intake scores early in childhood on body fat later in childhood, suggesting that the genetic profile and eating behaviour influence the development of adiposity at later ages. A lower PRS (lower plasma PUFA) can be a risk factor for developing higher body fat associated with non-adaptive eating behaviour in childhood; it is possible that the higher PRS (higher plasma PUFA) is a protective feature.

Isolation of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (eicosapentaenoic acid - EPA and docosahexaenoic acid - DHA) from diatom biomass using different extraction methods

The long chain omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids are essential for the proper functioning of human body. With an increasing demand for such products, an evaluation on the use of alternative sustainable sources of omega-3 fatty acids becomes extremely relevant. The present study concerned the isolation of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) from diatom biomass by different extraction methods. The first step concerned the optimization of the analysis method based on high-performance liquid chromatography - diode array detector (HPLC-DAD), and the evaluation of corresponding validation parameters. The developed method provided adequate limits of detection and quantitation, as well as appropriate criterion for reproducibility and linearity. Biomass samples harvested from cultures of Pseudostaurosira trainorii were pre-treated and submitted to Soxhlet extraction using methanol-chloroform, reflux extraction with acetone and supercritical fluid extraction (SFE) using 96% ethanol as co-solvent. Prior analysis, the extracts were subjected to derivatization process utilizing 2,4′-dibromoacetophenone in acetone andtriethylamine. The yielded derivatives were analyzed by HPLC-DAD and concentrations of EPA and DHA recovered from dry biomass were determined. The greatest content of omega-3 fatty acids was obtained for reflux extraction (EPA – 63.746 mg g−1, DHA – 1.379 mg g−1), followed by Soxhlet method (EPA – 39.729 mg g−1, DHA – 1.059 mg g−1) and SFE extraction (EPA – 33.701 mg g−1, DHA – 0.455 mg g−1). Although a lower fraction of fatty acids was recovered by using SFE, the obtained extracts present lower toxicity and may be directly applied to the development of daily products.

Tissue-Specific Content of Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids in (n-3) Deficiency State of Rats.

The dietary intake of fatty acids (FAs) affects the composition and distribution of FAs in the body. Here, a first-generation (n-3)-deficiency study was conducted by keeping young (age 21 ± 2 days) Sprague–Dawley male rats on a peanut-oil-based diet for 33 days after weaning in order to compare the effect of mild (n-3)-deficiency on the lipid composition of different organs and feces. Soybean-oil-based diet was used as a control. The plasma FA levels corresponded to FAs levels in the organs. Lower docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) content was detected in the plasma, brain, testis, visceral fat, heart, and lungs of the (n-3)-deficient group, whereas the DHA content of the eye and feces did not differ between the experimental groups. The DHA content of the brains of the (n-3)-deficient group was 86% of the DHA content of the brains of the (n-3)-adequate group. The DHA level of the organs was affected in the order of visceral fat > liver triacylglycerols > lung > heart > liver phospholipids > testis > eye > brain, with brain being least affected. The low levels of (n-3) FAs in the liver, brain, eye, heart, and lung were offset by an increase in the (n-6) FAs, mainly arachidonic acid. These results indicate that, in rats, adequate maternal nutrition during pregnancy and weaning does not provide enough (n-3) FAs for 33 days of an (n-3)-deficient diet. Results of this study can be used also to evaluate the conditions needed to reach mild (n-3) deficiency in the first generation of rats and to evaluate the feasibility to collect data from a variety of organs or only selected ones.

High DHA algae meal as cost-effective alternative to high DHA fish oil in finisher feed for sobaity sea bream (Sparidentex hasta)

This study evaluated the effects of high DHA algae meal (AlgaPrime™ DHA) as cost-effective substitute for high DHA fish oil in finisher feeds on growth performance and nutritional quality of sobaity (Sparidentex hasta) muscle. The amount of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) in finisher feeds were fixed at 9.34% DHA (i.e 0.1.82 g DHA 100−1 g feed), a level equivalent to a commercial finisher feed (Focus Omega 3 P, Skretting, Italy). Two experimental finisher diets (Diets 2 and 3) were prepared by adding high DHA fish oil and high DHA algae meal, respectively into a basal diet (Optibream 3 P, Skretting, Italy) which was used as grow out diet (Diet 1). A commercial finisher feed (Focus Omega 3 P, Skretting, Italy) was used as Diet 4. Each treatment had three replicates in a randomized block design. Fish in all treatments were fed with the same grow-out feed from the beginning for 3 month and then, three treatment received finisher feeds for another 2 months. All finisher feed treatments resulted in significantly (P < 0.05) better growth performance, feed utilization and higher tissue eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and DHA content compared to those receiving the grow-out feed (Diet 1). No significant (P > 0.05) differences were observed between growth and muscle DHA and EPA levels of fish receiving fish oil (Diet 2) and high DHA algae meal (Diet 3)-based finisher feeds. The muscle DHA levels of fish in finisher diets 2 and 3 were also higher (P < 0.05) than those receiving commercial finisher diet (Diet 4). Muscle DHA and EPA in fish receiving finisher feeds were also higher than those of wild sobaity muscle. No significant (P > 0.05) differences were observed between muscle sensory attributes of wild and cultured sobaity. The inclusion of high DHA algae meal at 7% level in the finisher diet also enhanced the non-immunity factors like lysozyme and phagocytic activity of fish. Compared to the grow-out diet, both high DHA algae meal and fish oil diets showed significant elevated levels of immune gene expression for interleukin and superoxide dismutase. The results of the present study demonstrated that high DHA algae meal can be a cost-effective alternative to high DHA fish oil in finisher feeds for sobaity bream.

DHA-Rich Aurantiochytrium Biomass, a Novel Dietary Supplement, Resists Degradation by Rumen Microbiota without Disrupting Microbial Activity

We first sought to evaluate the effect of dietary supplementation with the docosahexaenoic acid (DHA)-rich microalgae, Aurantiochytrium limacinum (AURA), on rumen fermentation and the resistance of DHA to degradation and biohydrogenation by rumen microbes through ex vivo fermentation experiments. Subsequently, we sought to quantify the diet-derived DHA content of milk and the impact of AURA on microbial composition and metabolism in a pilot feeding trial with rumen-cannulated dairy cows. To achieve our aims, rumen fluid from cannulated cows was used as inoculum, and the effect of AURA inclusion on fermentation ex vivo was examined. At doses corresponding to the amount of AURA recommended for commercial production animals, only ~10% of DHA was degraded or biohydrogenated by rumen microorganisms. The results show that feeding with AURA had no effect on either total bacterial density or short-chain fatty acid production. Real-time quantitative PCR analysis of the rumen fluid samples collected during a seven-week in vivo trial revealed that microbes related to lactic acid metabolism and methanogenesis were significantly suppressed by the AURA-supplemented diet. The DHA concentration in milk increased over 25-fold with the AURA-supplemented diet and dropped by 30–40% within one week of washout. The addition of A. limacinum biomass to dairy cow diets resulted in positive effects on rumen microbial composition with no adverse effect on fermentation activity. AURA-derived DHA was stable, with only modest degradation in the rumen, and was successfully deposited in milk. This is the first study to investigate the effect of supplementing the diet of dairy cows with a protist-based biomass, namely, on important rumen fermentation parameters and on DHA deposition in milk, using a combination of ex vivo and in vivo approaches.

Changes in eicosapentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic acid and risk of cardiovascular events and atrial fibrillation: A secondary analysis of the OMEMI trial.

The cardiovascular benefit from n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) after acute myocardial infarction (AMI) is controversial, and the importance of serum eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) concentrations for clinical events is unclear. To assess changes in EPA and DHA serum concentrations during n-3 PUFA supplementation and their association with incident cardiovascular events. In the OMEMI trial, elderly patients with a recent AMI were randomized to 1.8 g/day of EPA/DHA or control (corn oil) for 2 years. The primary outcome was a composite of AMI, coronary revascularization, stroke, heart failure hospitalization, or all-cause death (major adverse cardiovascular event [MACE]) and the secondary outcome was new-onset atrial fibrillation (AF). EPA and DHA measurements were available in 881 (92% of survivors) participants at randomization and study completion. EPA and DHA increased in the active treatment arm (n = 438) by a median of 87% and 16%, respectively. Greater on-treatment increases in EPA and DHA were associated with decreasing triglycerides, increasing high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and lower baseline EPA and DHA concentrations. Greater on-treatment increases in EPA were associated with lower risk of MACE (adjusted hazard ratio 0.86 [95% confidence interval, CI, 0.75-0.99], p= 0.034), and higher risk of AF (adjusted hazard ratio (HR) 1.36 [95% CI 1.07-1.72], p= 0.011). Although there were similar tendencies for DHA changes and outcomes, these associations were not statistically significant (HR 0.84 [0.66-1.06] for MACE and 1.39 [0.90-2.13] for AF). Greater on-treatment increases in EPA were associated with lower risk of MACE and higher risk of new-onset AF. These data suggest that the cardiovascular effects of increasing n-3 PUFA levels through supplements are complex, involving both potential benefits and harm.

Short-term supplementation of EPA-enriched ethanolamine plasmalogen increases the level of DHA in the brain and liver of n-3 PUFA deficient mice in early life after weaning.

A lack of n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) in mothers' diet significantly reduced the amount of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) in the brains of offspring, which might affect their brain function. Our previous research has proven multiple benefits of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA)-enriched ethanolamine plasmalogen (pPE) in enhancing the learning and memory ability. However, the effect of dietary supplementation with EPA-pPE on the DHA content in the brain and liver of offspring lacking n-3 PUFAs in early life is still unclear. Female ICR mice were fed with n-3 PUFA-deficient diets throughout the gestation and lactation periods to get n-3 PUFA-deficient offspring. The lipid profiles in the cerebral cortex and liver of offspring were analyzed using lipidomics after dietary supplementation with EPA-pPE (0.05%, w/w) and EPA-phosphatidylcholine (PC) (0.05%, w/w) for 2 weeks after weaning. Dietary supplementation with EPA could significantly change fatty acid composition in a variety of phospholipid molecular species compared with the n-3 deficient group. EPA-pPE and EPA-PC remarkably increased the DHA content in the brain PC, ether-linked phosphatidylcholine (ePC), and phosphatidylethanolamine plasmalogen (pPE) and liver triglyceride (TG), lyso-phosphatidylcholine (LPC), ePC, phosphatidylethanolamine (PE), and pPE molecular species, in which EPA-pPE showed more significant effects on the increase of DHA in cerebral cortex PC, ePC and liver PC compared with EPA-PC. Both EPA-phospholipids could effectively increase the DHA levels, and the pPE form was superior to PC in the contribution of DHA content in the cerebral cortex PC, ePC and liver PC molecular species. EPA-enriched ethanolamine plasmalogen might be a good nutritional supplement to increase DHA levels in the brains of n-3 PUFA-deficient offspring.

Increasing levels of microalga supplementation in diet on

Context In recent years, microalgae have been used in the diet to improve the quality of animal products due to their oil content and quality, but determining the optimum dose is very important to prevent some fermentation and economic losses in animal production. Aims The study investigated the effects of microalga (DHA-gold) supplementation in the diet at different levels in in vitro ruminal biohydrogenation and fermentation. Methods The treatments were control (no additional oil, forage:concentrate ratio 60:40 on a dry-matter (DM) basis) or the addition of 1%, 2%, and 3% of microalga in the diet on a DM basis. Four rumen-cannulated goats were used as donors for the in vitro experiment. The treatments were incubated using a batch culture technique, and the fatty acid profile and fermentation parameters were determined after 0, 3, 6, 12, and 24 h. Key results Total conjugated linoleic acids (CLA), cis-9, trans-11 CLA and trans-11 C18:1 fatty acids increased with supplementation of microalgae. The 24-h biohydrogenation rate of unsaturated fatty acids varied between 61% and 98%. In addition, the highest CLA content was obtained from the 3% algae group. Biohydrogenation of C18:3, eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) fatty acids was decreased with the 2% microalga supplementation. The microalga supplementation had no effect on ruminal pH, ruminal acetate, propionate, and butyrate proportions, or the acetate:propionate ratio. Conclusion Under the current in vitro study conditions, 2% microalga supplementation to diet increased the ruminal biohydrogenation intermediate products, such as total CLA and trans-11 C18:1 fatty acid and decreased the ruminal biohydrogenation ratio of n-3 fatty acids (C18:3, EPA, and DHA). Implications Increasing the bioactive and beneficial fatty acids (e.g. CLAs) that are absorbed in the rumen by ruminants and then transferred to animal products (meat, milk) is important. From the results of this in vitro study, dietary microalga increased the ruminal CLA, C18:3, EPA, and DHA concentrations. However, dietary fat level should be evaluated in terms of improving an animal’s performance (growth rate, digestibility, milk yield, carcass, and milk quality).

Polyunsaturated Fatty Acid Composition in Breast Milk Plasma of HIV-infected and Uninfected Mothers in Relation to Infant Clinical Outcomes.

Background:The increased coverage of prevention of mother to child transmission (PMTCT) services has significantly reduced paediatric HIV infection incidence. The aim of the study was to compare breast milk omega-6 and omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid profiles of HIV infected and uninfected mothers and determine the association between fatty acid profiles and postnatal transmission of HIV, morbidity/mortality of HIV exposed and unexposed infants.Methods:A prospective cohort study of 57 HIV infected and 57 HIV uninfected lactating mothers was conducted in Gweru, Zimbabwe from July 2019 to March 2020. The women’s 114 babies (term and preterm) were also enrolled and stratified by HIV exposure and infection status. The mother-infant pairs were followed up at 6 weeks, 16 weeks and 6 months postpartum to determine, HIV transmission rate, breast milk polyunsaturated fatty acid profiles as well as infant clinical outcomes.Results:The mean breast milk docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) levels in HIV uninfected mothers (0.82 ± 0.92; 0.47 ± 0.75 μg/ml respectively) at 6 weeks postpartum were significantly higher compared to those of HIV infected mothers (0.33 ± 0.32; 0.08 ± 0.14 μg/ml) respectively. The same pattern was observed at 16 weeks postpartum in terms of DHA and EPA mean concentration. However, the arachidonic acid (AA) levels and AA/DHA ratio measured at 6 weeks postpartum were significantly higher in HIV infected mothers (2.31 ± 2.01; 17.18 ± 52.47 respectively) compared to HIV uninfected mothers (0.82 ± 0.54; 9.71 ± 21.80; P < .001). A higher morbidity rate was observed amongst HIV exposed infants than HIV unexposed infants (3.26 ± 0.13; 2.49 ± 0.09; P < .001) respectively. A significant positive correlation was observed between AA and infant morbidity (r = .388; P < .001).Conclusion:Deficiencies in breast milk omega-3 fatty acids were observed in HIV infected women. Maintaining a healthy balance between omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acid diets is critical for breast feeding mothers regardless of their HIV status. The adverse clinical outcomes observed amongst HIV exposed infants emphasise their vulnerability under conditions of maternal universal antiretroviral therapy.

N-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids prevent the D-galactose-induced cognitive impairment by up-regulating the levels of 5-hydroxymethylcytosine in the mouse brain.

Decreased 5-hydroxymethylcytosine (5hmC) levels caused by mitochondrial dysfunction in the brain are closely associated with the development of neurodegenerative disease. It has been reported that n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) prevent cognitive dysfunction by improving mitochondrial function in the brain. However, whether n-3 PUFA prevents cognitive dysfunction by increasing the levels of 5hmC in the brain is undisclosed. Mice were randomly divided into six groups (n = 10), injected with D-galactose (200 mg kg-1 day-1) for the model group and given different oils [0.1 mL per 10 g body weight per day, fish oil (FO), peony seed oil (PSO), corn oil (CO) and olive oil (OO)] for the prevention groups, and injected with the same dose of saline for the normal control group (NC) for 10 weeks, respectively. Peony seed oil and fish oil have shown preventive effects on D-galactose-induced cognitive dysfunction in behavioral tests. The content of docosahexaenoic acid (C22:6n-3, DHA content) in the brain was significantly higher in FO and PSO groups than in the other groups. Brain oxidative stress and neuronal apoptosis were significantly lower in PSO and FO groups than in the other groups. RNA-seq results showed that the different genes between PSO and FO compared with the model group were involved in the DNA demethylation process and the 5-methylcytosine metabolic process. The brain levels of 5hmC and the ten-eleven translocation family of dioxygenases (TETs) were significantly higher in FO and PSO groups compared with the model group, as analyzed by dot-blot and western blot. In conclusion, peony seed oil and fish oil increased the C22:6n-3 content, which activated the TET activity, led to up-regulation of the 5hmc level, resulted in inhibition of neuronal apoptosis, and then improved the cognitive function in D-gal-induced mice.