For Fatty Acid Research Articles

Calcineurin activation improves cell survival during amino acid starvation in lipid droplet-deficient yeasts

Lipid droplets (LD) are storage sites for neutral lipids that can be used as a source of energy during nutrient starvation, but also function as hubs for fatty acid (FA) trafficking between organelles. In the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, the absence of LD causes a severe disorganization of the endomembrane network during starvation. Here we show that cells devoid of LD respond to amino acid (AA) starvation by activating the serine/threonine phosphatase calcineurin and the nuclear translocation of its target protein Crz1. This activation was inhibited by treatments that restore a normal endomembrane organization, i.e. inhibition of FA synthesis with cerulenin or deletion of the inhibitory transcription factor Opi1. Activation of calcineurin increased the lifespan of LD-deficient cells during AA starvation. Indeed, deletion of its regulatory or catalytic subunits accelerated cell death. Surprisingly, calcineurin activation appeared to be calcium-independent. An increase in intracellular calcium was observed in LD-deficient cells during AA starvation, but its inhibition by genetic deletion of MID1 or YVC1 did not affect calcineurin activity. In contrast, calcineurin activation required the direct regulator of calcineurin Rcn1 and its activating (GSK-3)-related protein kinase Mck1.

Biocompounds and Bioactivities of Selected Greek Boraginaceae Seeds

The seeds of Boraginaceae species constitute a source of γ-linolenic acid (GLA, 18:3n-6)-rich oils, mainly those of Borago officinalis. However, there are many wild unexplored Boraginaceae taxa that are potentially GLA producers. This work scrutinizes the seeds of several Greek Boraginaceae species for fatty acids (FAs), phenolic compounds, antioxidant activity, and in vitro antiproliferative activity against HT-29 colorectal cancer cells. The FA profiles were checked by GC-FID, and GLA (FA% of total FA) highlights in Symphytum bulbosum (26.2), S. creticum (23.2), and Lithodora zahnii (17.4). The total FA content ranged from 9.2 in Alkanna methanaea to 27.3 g/100 g of seeds in Alkanna corcyrensis. The antioxidant activity of the water/methanol extracts, evaluated by the ABTS and DPPH methods, was in line with other GLA producer seeds. Phenolic acids were analyzed by HPLC-DAD and LC-MS, and rosmarinic acid ranged from 160.2 in S. bulbosum to 479.7 mg/100 g in L. zahnii. The MTT assay showed dose- and time-dependent inhibitory effects of the water/methanol extracts against HT-29 cancer cells, especially those of C. major and L. zahnii (GI50 of 600 and 375 μg/mL for 72 h-exposed cells). This work constitutes the first approach to evaluate the seeds of Boraginaceae taxa from Greece as functional oil providers.

Development of a wet digestion method for the analysis of metal soap in fat, oil, and grease deposits using the Taguchi method

Conventional methods for evaluating lipid-based metal salts in fats, oils and grease (FOG) deposits often fall short in assessing the efficiency of grease interceptors for food service establishment wastewater, primarily due to their inadequate specificity for fatty acid (FA) metal soaps. To address this issue, this study introduces a wet acid digestion method developed for the accurate analysis of metal soap content in FOG samples. The Taguchi experimental design method was used to determine the optimal conditions for digestion including temperature, contact time, solid/liquid ratio and type of acid mixture with the aim of more accurately quantifying metal salt concentrations. This work focused on identifying the most effective acid combinations for digesting FOG to enable analysis of commonly found metals. Extensive comparisons revealed that HNO3:H2SO4:H2O2 (1:2:1) and HNO3:H2O2 (1:3) were particularly effective at 180°C for 16 h due to their significant oxidation potential. The HNO3:H2O2 (1:3) mixture yielded the highest concentrations of Ca, Mg, Na, and K of 296.38±0.66, 54.95±1.01, 247.65±2.27, and 46.09±3.44 mg/g, respectively, aligning with the stringent optimisation principles of the Taguchi method. A one-way ANOVA test validated significant variances in metal contents (p < 0.005), and a t-test indicated a notably higher concentration of Ca compared to other metals. The study presents a sophisticated approach to evaluating the FA metal soap content of FOG ensuring enhanced accuracy and precision compared to established methods.

Functional Genome Analyses Reveal the Molecular Basis of Oil Accumulation in Developing Seeds of Castor Beans.

Castor (Ricinus communis L.) seeds produce abundant ricinoleic acid during seed maturation, which is important for plant development and human demands. Ricinoleic acid, as a unique hydroxy fatty acid (HFA), possesses a distinct bond structure that could be used as a substitute for fossil fuels. Here, we identified all homologous genes related to glycolysis, hydroxy fatty acid biosynthesis, and triacylglycerol (TAG) accumulation in castor seeds. Furthermore, we investigated their expression patterns globally during five seed development stages. We characterized a total of 66 genes involved in the glycolysis pathway, with the majority exhibiting higher expression levels during the early stage of castor bean seed development. This metabolic process provided abundant acetyl-CoA for fatty acid (FA) biosynthesis. Subsequently, we identified 82 genes involved in the processes of de novo FA biosynthesis and TAG assembly, with the majority exhibiting high expression levels during the middle or late stages. In addition, we examined the expression patterns of the transcription factors involved in carbohydrate and oil metabolism. For instance, RcMYB73 and RcERF72 exhibited high expression levels during the early stage, whereas RcWRI1, RcABI3, and RcbZIP67 showed relatively higher expression levels during the middle and late stages, indicating their crucial roles in seed development and oil accumulation. Our study suggests that the high HFA production in castor seeds is attributed to the interaction of multiple genes from sugar transportation to lipid droplet packaging. Therefore, this research comprehensively characterizes all the genes related to glycolysis, fatty acid biosynthesis, and triacylglycerol (TAG) accumulation in the castor and provides novel insight into exploring the genetic mechanisms underlying seed oil accumulation in the endosperm of castor beans.

Extra Virgin Olive Oil: Does It Modify Milk Composition of Hair Sheep?

The aim of this study was to determine the effect of olive oil addition on the production, chemical composition, and fatty acid profile of sheep’s milk. Twenty-four lactating ewes with a live weight of 34.6 ± 4.61 kg were used. The animals were randomly distributed into four treatments (n = 6) with dietary addition of 0%, 2%, 4%, and 6% (dry matter basis) olive oil for 45 days. Milk samples were taken every 7 days for fatty acid (FA) and chemical analyses. A decrease (p &lt; 0.05) in dry matter and crude protein intake was observed with 4% oil inclusion. Milk production and milk components were similar between treatments. The kilograms of meat from weaned lambs linearly increased as the oil inclusion increased. Milk C4:0 to C17:0 decreased with 2% olive oil. The monounsaturated and polyunsaturated FA content in the milk increased with the oil inclusion. There was an increase in the milk’s linoleic acid, linolenic acid, and eicosapentaenoic acid content with 2% olive oil. Overall, the addition of 2% extra virgin olive oil is recommended to improve milk’s FA profile without negative effects on animal performance.

Egg production, egg quality, and fatty acids profiles in eggs and tissues in Lohmann LSL lite hens fed algal oils rich in docosahexaenoic acid (DHA)

Enriching eggs with omega-3 fatty acids (n-3 FA), such as docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), is a well-accepted practice that benefits the egg industry and consumers. However, issues around cost, sustainability, and product acceptance have necessitated the search for alternatives to feeding hens fish oil for DHA enrichment. The effects of feeding 2 algal oils on egg production and DHA enrichment in eggs and selected tissues were investigated. The algal oils were: 1) OmegaPro (OPAO) standardized algal oil for DHA content and 2) Crude algal oil (CAO). A total of 400, 46-wk-old Lohmann LSL lite hens were housed in enriched cages (10 birds/cage) and allocated 5 diets (n=8) for a 12-wk trial. The iso-caloric and -nitrogenous diets were a standard corn and soybean meal diet, standard plus 0.25 or 0.76% OPAO and standard plus 0.23 or 0.69% CAO; algal oils diets supplied similar DHA at each level. Egg production indices (hen day egg production, feed intake, FCR, egg weight, egg mass, and eggshell quality) were monitored for 10 wk. Diet samples were analyzed for fatty acids (FA) on wk 1, 6, and 12 and eggs on wk 4, 5, 6, 9, and 12. At the end of the trial, one hen/cage was weighed and dissected for liver, breast and thigh for FA and long bones for ash content analyses. Concentration of omega-6 to omega-3 FA ratio was 12.9, 6.64, 3.48, 6.96, and 3.59 for standard, 0.23 and 0.76% OPAO, 0.25 and 0.69% CAO, respectively. Algal oils increased (P ≤ 0.046) eggshell thickness linearly. The concentration of DHA in the eggs from the birds fed the standard, 0.23 and 0.76% OPAO, 0.25 and 0.69% CAO was 84, 195, 286, 183, and 297 mg/100g egg, respectively, and algal oils enriched eggs with DHA linearly and quadratically (P ≤ 0.01). In conclusion, algal oils increased the concentration of DHA in eggs and had no adverse effects on egg production and eggshell quality.

Development and validation of a HPLC-MS/MS method for the analysis of fatty acids - in the form of FAME ammonium adducts - in human whole blood and erythrocytes to determine omega-3 index

Recent scientific studies in the field of health and nutrition have unanimously affirmed the importance of consuming the omega-3 fatty acids, eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), because of their cardioprotective properties. Fatty acid profiling in erythrocyte membranes allows the omega-3 index, which is a recognized indicator of the risk of developing cardiovascular disease, to be calculated. One consequence of the upward trend in healthy lifestyles and longevity is an increase in the number of studies into the omega-3 index, which requires a reliable method for the quantitative analysis of fatty acids. This article describes the development and validation of a sensitive and reproducible liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS/MS) method for the quantitative analysis of 23 fatty acids (in the form of fatty acid methyl esters, FAMEs) in 40 µl of whole blood and erythrocytes. The list of acids includes saturated, omega-9 unsaturated, omega-6 unsaturated and omega-3 unsaturated fatty acids as well as their trans-isomers. The limit of quantitation was 250 ng ml−1 for C12:0, C16:0 and C18:0; and 62.5 ng ml−1 for other FAMEs, including EPA, DHA and trans-isomers of FAME C16:1, C18:1 and C18:2 n-6. Sample preparation for fatty acid (FA) esterification/methylation with boron trifluoride-methanol (BF3) has been optimized. Chromatographic separation has been carried out on a C8 column in gradient mode using a mixture of acetonitrile, isopropanol and water with the addition of 0.1% formic acid and 5 mM ammonium formate. As a result, the problem of separating the cis- and trans-isomers of FAME C16:1, C18:1 and C18:2 n-6 has been solved. The electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI-MS) detection of FAMEs, in the form of ammonium adducts, has been optimized for the first time, which has made the method more sensitive that when the protonated species are used. This method has been applied to 12 samples from healthy subjects that consumed omega-3 supplements and has proven to be a reliable tool for determining the omega-3 index.

Hepatocyte Nuclear Factor 4α (HNF4α) Plays a Controlling Role in Expression of the Retinoic Acid Receptor β (RARβ) Gene in Hepatocytes.

HNF4α, a member of the nuclear receptor superfamily, regulates the genes involved in lipid and glucose metabolism. The expression of the RARβ gene in the liver of HNF4α knock-out mice was higher versus wildtype controls, whereas oppositely, RARβ promoter activity was 50% reduced by the overexpression of HNF4α in HepG2 cells, and treatment with retinoic acid (RA), a major metabolite of vitamin A, increased RARβ promoter activity 15-fold. The human RARβ2 promoter contains two DR5 and one DR8 binding motifs, as RA response elements (RARE) proximal to the transcription start site. While DR5 RARE1 was previously reported to be responsive to RARs but not to other nuclear receptors, we show here that mutation in DR5 RARE2 suppresses the promoter response to HNF4α and RARα/RXRα. Mutational analysis of ligand-binding pocket amino acids shown to be critical for fatty acid (FA) binding indicated that RA may interfere with interactions of FA carboxylic acid headgroups with side chains of S190 and R235, and the aliphatic group with I355. These results could explain the partial suppression of HNF4α transcriptional activation toward gene promoters that lack RARE, including APOC3 and CYP2C9, while conversely, HNF4α may bind to RARE sequences in the promoter of the genes such as CYP26A1 and RARβ, activating these genes in the presence of RA. Thus, RA could act as either an antagonist towards HNF4α in genes lacking RAREs, or as an agonist for RARE-containing genes. Overall, RA may interfere with the function of HNF4α and deregulate HNF4α targets genes, including the genes important for lipid and glucose metabolism.

Effect of Feeding Olive Pomace Acid Oil on Dark Chicken Meat Lipid Composition, Oxidative Stability, Color, and Sensory Acceptance.

This study evaluated the effect of using olive pomace acid oil (OPAO) instead of crude palm oil (PO) or refined olive pomace oil (ROPO) on lipid composition, lipid oxidation, and quality of chicken meat. Broiler chickens were fed diets with 6% of PO, ROPO, or OPAO, and deboned legs with skin were sampled. Fresh and refrigerated (commercial conditions; 7 days) chicken meat samples were assessed for fatty acid (FA) composition, tocopherol (T) and tocotrienol (T3) content, lipid oxidative stability, 2-thiobarbituric acid (TBA) values, volatile compounds, color, and sensory acceptance. Using ROPO and OPAO led to meat richer in monounsaturated FAs and OPAO to lower α-T levels compared to PO. Oxidative stability, TBA values, volatile compounds, and overall acceptance of meat were not affected by diet. Refrigeration increased TBA values and some volatile compounds' concentrations, but it did not decrease redness or consumers' overall acceptance. Therefore, the OPAO used was an adequate fat source for chicken diets at 6%, as it produced dark meat lower in saturated FAs than PO without affecting lipid oxidation or overall acceptance. According to this, upcycling OPAO as an energy source in chicken diets would be possible, which can contribute to the sustainability of the food chain.

Transcriptome Sequencing Reveals Key Genes for Sunflower Unsaturated Fatty Acid Synthesis

Sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) is an important oil crop with rich nutrients, and genetically engineered breeding has become an important way to improve its quality. In this study, five varieties of oilseed sunflower were analyzed for fatty acid (FA) content. The seed embryos of one of the high oleic acid (OA) varieties were transcriptome sequenced at different stages. The results showed that OA synthesis dominated the unsaturated fatty acid (UFA) synthesis pathways in seed embryos. Substantially differentially expressed genes were detected at various post-flowering stages. Specifically, the up-regulated gene numbers were highest at 10 d after flowering, while most genes were down-regulated at 20 d after flowering. The enriched genes were rather consistent with almost all experimental groups exhibiting enrichment to the FAD2 gene. The expression of FAD2 was highly negatively correlated with the expressions of FAD6, FAD3, and FAD7. During seed embryo development, the expression level of FAD2 was highly negatively correlated with the final OA content and was highly positively correlated with the final linoleic acid (LA) content. This suggests that the FAD2 is a key enzyme catalyzing the OA to LA conversion.

Screening of Lesser-Known Salted–Dried Fish Species for Fatty Acids, Tocols, and Squalene

The fillets and roes of 29 species of dry-salted fishes consumed in Eurasian countries were analyzed for fatty acids (FAs), tocols, and squalene, looking for derived health benefits. FAs were analyzed by GC-FID, and tocols and squalene were analyzed by HPLC-DAD. With some exceptions, docosahexaenoic (DHA, 22:6n-3), eicosapentaenoic (EPA, 20:5n-3), and arachidonic (ARA, 20:4n-6) acids were the prominent polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs). The fillets of Scardinius erythrophthalmus reached the highest amounts of total FAs, ARA, and DHA (23.1, 1.82, and 2.49 mg/100 g). The fillets of Seriola quinqueradiata showed the highest percentages of DHA (34.4% of total FAs). Nutritional quality indices for fish lipids were favorable in all samples, especially the n-6/n-3 PUFA ratio, which was below 1 in most cases. α-Tocopherol was found in all fillets and roes, especially in Cyprinidae and Pleuronectidae species, and the highest value was found in the roes of Abramis brama (5.43 mg/100 g). Most samples contained tocotrienols at trace levels. The fillets of Clupeonella cultriventris contained the highest amounts of squalene (1.83 mg/100 g). Overall, dry-salted fish stand out due to their high concentrations of ARA, EPA, and DHA, as well as for α-tocopherol concentrations in roes.

Arecaceae Seeds Constitute a Healthy Source of Fatty Acids and Phenolic Compounds.

Seeds of most Arecaceae species are an underutilized raw material that can constitute a source of nutritionally relevant compounds. In this work, seeds of 24 Arecaceae taxa were analyzed for fatty acids (FAs) by GC-FID, for phenolics by HPLC-DAD and LC-MS, and for their antitumor activity against the HT-29 colorectal cancer cell line by the MTT assay. Lauric, oleic, and linoleic acids were the prominent FAs. Cocoseae species contained total FAs at 28.0-68.3 g/100 g seeds, and in other species total FAs were from 1.2 (Livistona saribus) to 9.9 g/100 g (Washingtonia robusta). Sabal domingensis, Chamaerops humilis, and Phoenix dactylifera var. Medjool had unsaturated/saturated FA ratios of 1.65, 1.33-1.78, and 1.31, respectively, and contained 7.4, 5.5-6.3, and 6.4 g FAs/100 g seeds, respectively. Thus, they could be used as raw materials for healthy oilseed production. Phenolics ranged between 39 (Livistona fulva) and 246 mg/100 g (Sabal palmetto), and of these, caffeic acid, catechin, dactylifric acid, and rutin had the highest values. (-)-Epicatechin was identified in most seed extracts by LC-MS. Hydroalcoholic extracts from five species showed a dose-dependent inhibitory effect on HT-20 cells growth at 72 h (GI50 at 1533-1968 µg/mL). Overall, Arecaceae seeds could be considered as a cheap source of health-promoting compounds.

Profile of fatty acid and pesticide residues of cream and yoghurt butter during storage

Butter samples produced from cream (C) or yoghurt (Y) were evaluated for fatty acid (FA) composition and pesticide residues. The results showed that yoghurt butter has a higher health-promoting index (HPI) compared to the cream butter and overall acceptability scores at the end of storage. The yoghurt butter contained 62.81 g 100 g-1 saturated, 3.50 g 100 g-1 monounsaturated, and 2.44 g 100 g-1 polyunsaturated fatty acids whereas the cream butter contained 69.99 g 100 g-1 saturated, 3.57 g 100 g-1 monounsaturated and 2.81 g 100 g-1 polyunsaturated fatty acids, respectively. The peroxides levels varied from 0.90 for the cream to 1.44 mEq O2 kg-1 for yoghurt butter samples. The moisture content varied from 16.21 to 13.19 and 13.83 to 13.57 g 100 g-1 and the total lipid content varied from 77.5 to 79.5 and 83.0 to 83.5 g 100 g-1 for cream and yoghurt butter samples, respectively. The 13 pesticide compounds in butter samples did not exceed the legal limits.

Fatty acid exporter 1 enhances seed oil content in Brassica napus.

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s11032-022-01346-0.

Effects of Hay, Baleage, and Soybean Hulls Waste Used as Supplemental Feeds on the Nutritional Profile of Grass-Finished Beef.

Grass-finished beef (GFB) has demonstrated wide nutritional variations with some GFB having a considerably higher n-6:n-3 ratio compared to grain-finished beef. To better understand these variations, the current study investigated the effects of commonly used supplemental feeds on the nutritional profile of GFB. This two-year study involved 117 steers randomly allocated to one of four diets: (1) grass+hay (G-HAY), (2) grass+baleage (G-BLG), (3) grass+soybean hulls (G-SH), and (4) baleage+soybean hulls in feedlot (BLG-SH). Feed samples were analyzed for their nutritional value, and beef samples underwent analysis for fatty acids (FAs), vitamin E, minerals, lipid oxidation, and shear force. FAs were measured by GC-MS, vitamin E was analyzed chromatographically, minerals were analyzed by ICP-MS, and lipid oxidation was measured via a thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) assay. G-SH beef had the highest n-6:n-3 ratio (p < 0.001), while BLG-SH beef contained less vitamin E (p < 0.001) and higher TBARS values (p < 0.001) compared to the other groups. G-HAY beef contained more long-chain n-3 polyunsaturated FAs compared to the other groups (p < 0.001). In conclusion, G-HAY beef had the most beneficial nutritional profile, while soybean hulls increased the n-6:n-3 ratio of beef.

Arecaceae fruits: Fatty acids, phenolic compounds and in vitro antitumor activity

Arecaceae fruits are regarded as raw sources of valuable phytochemicals. In this work, several Arecaceae fruits belonging to eleven taxa were screened for fatty acids (FA) by gas chromatography with flame ionization detector and checked for their in vitro antitumor activity against the HT-29 colorectal cancer cells line through the MTT test. The parallel use of two chromatography systems, HPLC-DAD and LC-MS, allowed the precise characterization of all phenolic compounds contained in the fruits. Howea belmoreana had the highest FA amounts (11.7 g/100 g on dry weight); Syagrus romanzoffiana had a relatively high PUFA content (26.3% of total FA); and Butia capitata contains high amounts of medium-chain saturated FA (51.2%). Total phenolics reached 201.8 mg/100 g on dry weight in Phoenix dactylifera var. Medjool. Among phenolics, occurred benzoic acids, phenylpropanoic acid, and cinnamic acid derivatives. It highlights the great diversity of flavonoids detected as (−)-catechin, quercetin, and kaempferol, as well as phenolic glycosides, such as isorhamnetin-3-O-glucoside. The methanol:water (60:40, v/v) extracts of fruits induced dose- and time-dependent inhibitory effects on HT-29 cancer cells. Overall, the fruits of Arecaceae taxa evaluated here constitute suitable candidates to be used as functional foods.

Studies on the Interaction of Rose Bengal with the Human Serum Albumin Protein under Spectroscopic and Docking Simulations Aspects in the Characterization of Binding Sites

Rose Bengal (RB) is a xanthene dye used as a sensitizer to convert triplet (3O2) to singlet oxygen (1O2). This photophysical property makes it one of the most used dyes in photodynamic therapy. Thus, understanding its interaction with biomacromolecules can provide helpful information about its mode of action and application. The protein chosen for this study was human serum albumin (HSA), which has nine binding sites for fatty acids (FA), and at least three sites for interactions of drugs (DS). The complexation of HSA with RB caused a maximum bathochromic shift in its absorption. From this displacement and the application of the Benesi–Hildebrand model, the ligand–protein association constant (3.90 ± 0.08 × 105 M−1) was obtained. Applying the Job’s Plot method resulted in a 6:1 (ligand-protein) stoichiometry. The determination of preferred binding sites was performed by measuring the association constant in the presence of drugs for which their binding sites in HSA are already well established, such as warfarin (DS1), ibuprofen (DS2 and FA6), digitoxin (DS3), diazepam (DS2), and diflunisal (DS2 and FA6). From these studies, it was found that RB is able to bind at DS1, DS3, and FA6 sites but not at DS2. Subsequently, molecular docking studies using the 2BX8 and 2BXE crystallographic structures were performed and corroborated the experimental results. The lowest energy poses were −52.13, −58.79, and −67.55 kcal mol−1 at DS1, DS3, and FA6, respectively. Conversely, DS2 was the lower affinity binding site. In conclusion, HSA has a high affinity for RB, being able to bind up to six dye molecules.

Using canonical correlation analysis to understand the rumen biohydrogenation patterns of linoleic and alpha-linolenic acids in the rumen fluid of bovines

The objective of this study was to determine the multivariate relationship among linoleic acid, alpha-linolenic acid, and their main rumen biohydrogenation (BH) intermediates and products in bovine rumen fluid using canonical correlation analysis (CCA). A dataset consisting of 1177 observations generated by 107 in vitro rumen incubation systems of pure and mixed linoleic acid (18:2-c9, c12) and alpha-linolenic acid (18:3-c9, c12, c15) was gathered. Two canonical variates were defined: A: composed of the nine main BH intermediates and products (18:2-c9, t11; 18:2-t11, c15; 18:1-t11; 18:1-t9; 18:1-t6; 18:1-c11; 18:1-c6; 18:1-c9; 18:0) of 18:2-c9, c12 and 18:3-c9, c12, c15 and B: composed of 18:2-c9, c12 and 18:3-c9, c12, c15. Two canonical functions between A and B with significant canonical correlations (R1=0.990 and R2=0.738; p &lt;0.01) were obtained. However, only the first function was selected for CCA. Exploration of canonical loadings for first function, revealed the following quantitative significance (absolute value) order for fatty acids (FA) within their respective canonical variates: A: 18:0(0.958)&gt;18:1-t9(0.837)&gt;18:1-c11(0.835)&gt;18:1-c6(0.824)&gt;18:1-t11(0.747)&gt;18:1-c9(0.738)&gt;18:1-t6(0.415)&gt;18:2-t11, c15(0.387)&gt; 18:2-c9, t11(0.239); B: 18:2-c9, c12(0.667)&gt;18:3-c9, c12, c15(0.488). The CCA showed that 18:2-c9, c12 has a greater contribution than that of 18:3-c9, c12, c15 on the production of the aforementioned BH intermediates, in which 18:0, as well as the groups of 18:1 cis and trans-FA were mainly affected.

Reference Range of Plasma Fatty Acids in North Indian Pregnant Population.

Reference values for Fatty Acids (FAs) are not well defined in the Indian population. Therefore, it is critical to establish FAs reference range for the healthy non-pregnant and pregnant Indian population. The present multi-centric, and cross-sectional study determines the 95% reference interval for FAs in an apparently pregnant Indian population and compare it to the healthy non-pregnant women. Physicians identified 164 reference individuals as healthy (56 non-pregnant and 108 pregnant) at various government and private hospitals of northern India. The 95th and 97.5th percentile reference limits were used to estimate the 95 percentile of the reference distribution. The reference ranges observed for Alpha-linolenic acid (0.29-0.42%; 0.36-0.58%), Docosahexaenoic-acid (3.38-4.23%; 3.8-4.55%), Eicosapentaenoic-acid (1.24-1.76%; 1.09-1.62%), Docosapentaenoic-acid-3 (0.61-0.69%; 0.65-0.76%), Linoleic-acid (18.44-20.75%; 19.51-21.88%), gamma-linolenic-acid (0.24-0.35%; 0.32-0.42%), Eicosatrienoic-acid (0.26-0.32%; 0.34-0.39%), Arachidonic-acid (9.29-11.02%; 10.02-11.56%), Docosatetraenoic-acid (0.62-0.89%; 0.79-1.09%), Docosapentaenoic-acid-6 (0.23-0.31%; 0.33-0.41%), Eicosatrienoic-acid (1.17-1.41%; 1.43-1.74%), Eicosenoic-acid (0.28-0.38%; 0.37-0.49%), Nervonic-acid (1.39-1.69%; 1.41-1.74%), Palmitoleic-acid (1.17-1.58%; 2-2.66%), Oleic-acid (19.8-22.26%; 19.68-22.94%), Myristic-acid (1.16-1.68%; 0.82-1.3%), Palmitic-acid (20.05-21.8%; 20.7-22.43%), Stearic-acid (11.34-12.56%; 10.29-11.02%), Arachidic-acid (0.17-0.2%; 0.18-0.23%), Lignoceric-acid (0.81-1.08%; 0.77-1.08%), trans-palmitoleic-acid (0.22-0.29%; 0.26-0.37%), trans-oleic-acid (0.55-0.72%; 0.68-0.84%), trans-linoleic-acid (0.38-0.54%; 0.42-0.59%) respectively for non-pregnant and pregnant women. Furthermore, total FAs were significantly (p ≤ 0:05) higher in women aged 31-45 years than in women aged 16-30 years. whereas, there was no significant change in total FAs profile based on omega-supplementation, diet category, preterm-birth history, and gestation period. Thus, the current study provides information about an individual who is deficient in FAs and the dose required to increase FA concentrations in the body.

Molecular analysis and therapeutic applications of human serum albumin-fatty acid interactions.

Human serum albumin (hSA) is the major carrier protein for fatty acids (FAs) in plasma. Its ability to bind multiple FA moieties with moderate to high affinity has inspired the use of FA conjugation as a safe and natural platform to generate long-lasting therapeutics with enhanced pharmacokinetic properties and superior efficacy. In this frame, the choice of the FA is crucial and a comprehensive elucidation of the molecular interactions of FAs with hSA cannot be left out of consideration. To this intent, we report here a comparative analysis of the binding mode of different FA moieties with hSA. The choice among different albumin-binding FAs and how this influence the pharmacokinetics properties of a broad spectrum of therapeutic molecules will be discussed including a critical description of some clinically relevant FA conjugated therapeutics.