Concentrations Of Long-chain Fatty Acids Research Articles

Ozonation as a Pre-treatment for Anaerobic Digestion of Waste-Activated Sludge: Effect of the Ozone Doses

The aim of the present study was to improve the anaerobic biodegradability of waste-activated sludge by using ozonation. The effect of different ozone doses was assessed in terms of biogas production, maximum biogas production rate, and concentration of amino acids and long-chain fatty acids in the waste-activated sludge. Four different doses were used: 0.043 gO3 gTSS−1, 0.063 gO3 gTSS−1, 0.080 gO3 gTSS−1, and 0.100 gO3 gTSS−1. The lower doses resulted in biogas production increases and a higher maximum biogas production rate in the anaerobic digestion of waste-activated sludge, while the contrary occurred at higher doses. The amino acids and long-chain fatty acids concentrations decreased when the ozone dose increased. The correlation with the ozone dose was nonlinear for amino acids and linear for long-chain fatty acids. The reaction products of long-chain fatty acids (aldehydes) are proposed as the cause of inhibition observed in the anaerobic digestion of waste-activated sludge treated with higher ozone doses.

Vliv doplňkového ruminálně chráněného lysinu, methioninu nebo obou do krmné dávky laktujících dojnic na skladbu mastných kyselin mléka

The objective of this study was to determine the effect of supplemental lysine (Lys), methionine (Met) or both added to diet of dairy cows in the form of rumen-protected (RP) tablets on changes in milk fatty acids (FA) profile. The trial was carried out on four lactating Holstein cows in the form of Latin square design and was divided into 4 periods of 14 d (10-d preliminary period and a 4-d experimental period). The four treatments were as follows: C – control without amino acids (AA) supplementation, L – supplement of RP Lys, M – supplement of RP Met and ML – supplement of RP Met and Lys. Cows were fed on a diet based on maize silage, lucerne hay and supplemental mixture. Milk yield in ML (34.18 kg/d) was higher than in L or M (32.46 kg and 32.13 kg, respectively, P < 0.05) and tended to be higher than in C (33.33 kg/d, P > 0.05). Protein yield in ML (1054 g / d) was higher than that found in C, L or M (990, 998 or 968 g / d, respectively, P < 0.05). Milk fat content and yield in C and ML was higher in comparison to L and M (P < 0.05). Content of short-chain FA (C 4:0–C 12:0) was not affected by the treatment except of L that was lower than in C (P < 0.05). Content of medium-chain FA in M was lower compared to C, L or ML (P < 0.05). The content of long-chain FA in M was significantly higher than in other groups (P < 0.05). The total content of SFA in M was lower than in C or ML (P < 0.05) and tended to be lower than in L. Contents of UFA, MUFA and PUFA in M were higher than in C and ML (P < 0.05).

Hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin-mediated alterations in cell permeability, lipid and protein profiles of steroid-transforming Arthrobacter simplex.

Hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin (HP-β-CD) enhances steroid 1-dehydrogenation biotransformation by Arthrobacter simplex. In this work, HP-β-CD-induced improvement of A. simplex CPCC 140451 cell envelope permeability which had positive effects on the steroid bioconversion was confirmed by a comparative investigation which showed a lower dehydrogenase activity and higher cell permeability of the cells after being incubated with HP-β-CD. Atomic force microscopy and transmission electron microscopy micrographs showed that HP-β-CD altered the size, sharpness, and surface structure of the cell envelope. The analysis of lipid composition revealed that the proportion of extractable lipids decreased and the fatty acids profile was considerably altered. The contents of unsaturated fatty acids and long-chain fatty acids were reduced by 11.77 and 14.98%, respectively. The total leakage of protein level increased to 8%. Proteins belonging to the ATP-binding cassette superfamily and major facilitator superfamily were observed outside the cell. These alterations can explain the change of permeability on the molecular level under HP-β-CD treatment. Results showed the material basis and mechanisms underlying the cellular changes, thus most likely contributing to the conversion rate in addition to cyclodextrins known effects on substrate solubility.

High Consumption of Farmed Salmon Does Not Disrupt the Steady State of Persistent Organic Pollutants (POP) in Human Plasma and Adipose Tissue

The aims of this study were to (1) determine any changes in the levels of persistent organic pollutants (POP) and mercury (Hg) in human plasma and adipose tissue and (2) examine associations between plasma levels of pollutants and dietary fat intake. Outpatients with different metabolic disorders (n = 42) consumed 380 g of farmed Atlantic salmon fillets or 60 g of salmon oil per week in two study periods of 15 wk each, and were compared with a control group (n = 14). Concentrations of POP and Hg were measured in salmon fillets, salmon oil capsules, plasma and abdominal fat biopsies from patients before and after intervention. Mean concentrations of hexachlorobenzene (HCB), p,p′-DDE, sum of indicator polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB) (id-PCB), and sum polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDE) in abdominal fat at intervention start were 21, 191, 267, and 4.2 ng/g lipid weight. After 15 or 30 wk of salmon consumption no significant changes in concentrations of POP and Hg in samples of human plasma and abdominal fat were observed, indicating that steady-state levels of these pollutants were not markedly affected. The lack of significant changes may partly be attributed to a limited number of samples, large interindividual variation in POP levels, and a large age span (20–70 yr). After adjusting for age, significant associations were found between different plasma long-chain fatty acid concentrations, including n-3 and n-6 fatty acids and oleic acid, and some of the POP. The results indicate that the latter have different food products as their main sources of human exposure.

Evidence that multiple defects in lipid regulation occur before hyperglycemia during the prodrome of type-2 diabetes.

BackgroundBlood-vessel dysfunction arises before overt hyperglycemia in type-2 diabetes (T2DM). We hypothesised that a metabolomic approach might identify metabolites/pathways perturbed in this pre-hyperglycemic phase. To test this hypothesis and for specific metabolite hypothesis generation, serum metabolic profiling was performed in young women at increased, intermediate and low risk of subsequent T2DM.MethodsParticipants were stratified by glucose tolerance during a previous index pregnancy into three risk-groups: overt gestational diabetes (GDM; n = 18); those with glucose values in the upper quartile but below GDM levels (UQ group; n = 45); and controls (n = 43, below the median glucose values). Follow-up serum samples were collected at a mean 22 months postnatally. Samples were analysed in a random order using Ultra Performance Liquid Chromatography coupled to an electrospray hybrid LTQ-Orbitrap mass spectrometer. Statistical analysis included principal component (PCA) and multivariate methods.FindingsSignificant between-group differences were observed at follow-up in waist circumference (86, 95%CI (79–91) vs 80 (76–84) cm for GDM vs controls, p<0.05), adiponectin (about 33% lower in GDM group, p = 0.004), fasting glucose, post-prandial glucose and HbA1c, but the latter 3 all remained within the ‘normal’ range. Substantial differences in metabolite profiles were apparent between the 2 ‘at-risk’ groups and controls, particularly in concentrations of phospholipids (4 metabolites with p≤0.01), acylcarnitines (3 with p≤0.02), short- and long-chain fatty acids (3 with p< = 0.03), and diglycerides (4 with p≤0.05).InterpretationDefects in adipocyte function from excess energy storage as relatively hypoxic visceral and hepatic fat, and impaired mitochondrial fatty acid oxidation may initiate the observed perturbations in lipid metabolism. Together with evidence from the failure of glucose-directed treatments to improve cardiovascular outcomes, these data and those of others indicate that a new, quite different definition of type-2 diabetes is required. This definition would incorporate disturbed lipid metabolism prior to hyperglycemia.

Laboratory Storage Simulation to Study Swine Manure Foaming

Abstract. Foaming in deep manure pits beneath swine buildings has become a serious safety concern during the past few years in the Midwestern U.S. In addition to the loss of manure storage capacity, this foaming creates a serious safety risk of flash fires and explosions. In order to understand the mechanism of manure foaming, manure samples taken from foaming and non-foaming pits were studied to reveal potential causes. Among various compositional components found in the foaming and non-foaming manure samples, long-chain fatty acids (LCFA) were found to be a major contributing factor. Adding or removing LCFA in swine manure samples led to a significant change in their foaming capability. A significantly higher concentration of LCFA was also detected in the foam layers of foaming manure samples. LCFA surfactants are stimulating foaming, and the sources of these surfactants need to be determined in order to develop long-term mitigation plans for manure foaming.

Analysis of particle-borne odorants emitted from concentrated animal feeding operations

Airborne particles are known to serve as a carrier of odors emanating from concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs). However, limited quantitative data about particle-borne odorants preclude an accurate assessment of the role of particles in odor transport. This study collected total suspended particulates (TSP) and PM10 (particles with aerodynamic diameter smaller than 10μm) at the air exhaust of eight types of CAFOs (swine: farrowing, gestation, weaning, and finishing; poultry: manure-belt layer hen, tom turkey, chicken broiler, and cage-free layer hen; in total 20 animal buildings) in multiple seasons, and examined the variability in particle odorant composition with animal operation type, season, and particle size. Fifty-seven non-sulfur-containing odorants were identified and quantitated, including carbonyls, alcohols, acids, phenols, and nitrogen-containing compounds. They in total accounted for 2.19±1.52% TSP and 4.97±3.25% PM10 mass. Acetic acid and ethanol were most abundant but less odor-contributing than phenylacetic acid, indole, dodecanoic acid, and (E,E)-2,4-decadienal, as determined by odor activity value. Particle odorant composition varied significantly with animal operation type, season, and particle size. The TSP and PM10 samples from swine gestation buildings, for example, showed distinctly different odorant compositions than those from tom turkey buildings. The summer TSP and PM10 samples contained in general lower concentrations of short-chain fatty acids but higher concentrations of long-chain fatty acids, aldehydes, and short-chain alcohols than the winter samples. Compared to TSP, PM10 samples from different types of CAFOs shared a more similar odorant composition, contained higher odorant concentrations per mass of particles, and accounted for on average 53.2% of the odor strength of their corresponding TSP samples.

Quantitative Analysis of Long Chain Fatty Acids Present in a Type I Kerogen Using Electrospray Ionization Fourier Transform Ion Cyclotron Resonance Mass Spectrometry: Compared with BF3/MeOH Methylation/GC-FID

Long chain fatty acids (LCFAs) are present in various natural samples and are easily detectable using electrospray ionization Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry (ESI-FT-ICR-MS) in negative ion mode. The capability of the ESI-FT-ICR-MS for quantifying LCFAs was evaluated by performing a standard addition followed by an internal standard methodology to several kerogen extracts using n-C₂₀ fatty acid as standard. As the concentration of the standard increased, the magnitude of its peak (m/z 311.29525) increased linearly but with two separate slopes, leaving the entire mass spectra relatively unchanged, which shows evidence of reproducibility. Response factors of other LCFAs are obtained using a standard addition approach. We employed five LCFA standards (n-C₁₅, n-C₁₉, n-C₂₄, n-C₂₆, and n-C₃₀) with different carbon numbers. This allowed us to determine the response factor of all fatty acids (with carbon number between 15 and 30) by plotting the slope of each standard versus its carbon number. With the observed response factors and use of the internal standard, the concentrations of LCFAs in four kerogen extracts were measured by ESI-FT-ICR-MS and compared with those from GC-FID. The carbon number distribution obtained by ESI-FT-ICR-MS matched well the GC-FID distribution (5%–50%) with the exception of C₁₆ and C₁₈, considering that ESI-FT-ICR-MS does not differentiate between normal and branched LCFAs, whereas GC-FID does. This allows one to quantitatively compare samples with a relatively similar matrix for specific compounds such as LCFAs with no need of time-consuming derivatization procedures. Moreover, the calibration can be extended to higher carbon numbers with ESI-FT-ICR-MS, beyond the capabilities of GC/MS.

Effects of watershed land use on sources and nutritional value of particulate organic matter in temperate headwater streams

Suspended particulate organic matter (POM) in headwater streams is an important source of food and energy to stream food webs. In order to determine the effects of watershed land use on the sources and characteristics of POM, we compared the lipid composition of POM (fatty acid, aliphatic alcohol and sterol) from streams influenced by different types of watershed land use. Eight first-order streams discharging to the York River Estuary (Virginia, USA) were sampled during baseflow conditions bi-monthly from February to November 2009, including streams draining forest-dominated, pasture-dominated, cropland-dominated, and urban land-dominated watersheds. Allochthonous vs. autochthonous lipids showed that POM in most of these streams was dominated by allochthonous sources (59.5 ± 14.2 vs. 39.6 ± 14.5 % for aliphatic alcohols and 52.9 ± 11.5 vs. 34.1 ± 10.3 % for sterols). The relative abundance of allochthonous vs. autochthonous lipid inputs to POM varied as a function of land use type. POM in streams draining forest-dominated watersheds contained a higher proportion of allochthonous lipids and a lower proportion of autochthonous lipids than the streams influenced by human land use. The contribution of bacterial fatty acids differed significantly among sampling times (P = 0.003), but not among land use types (P = 0.547). Stepwise linear regression model selected nitrate and temperature as the best predictors of variation in bacterial inputs to POM. Proxies used to assess the nutritional value of POM potentially available to stream consumers included C:N ratios, and the concentrations of total long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids, eicosapentaenoic acid, arachidonic acid, and cholesterol. None of these nutritional proxies differed among sampling months (P ≥ 0.171), but the proxies showed that the nutritional value of POM in forest streams was lower than in urban streams. Collectively, these findings suggest that human land use in upstream watersheds alters the source composition and nutritional value of stream POM, which not only impacts food quality for stream biota, but also potentially changes the characteristics of OM reaching downstream ecosystems.

Effects of Saturated Long-chain Fatty Acid on mRNA Expression of Genes Associated with Milk Fat and Protein Biosynthesis in Bovine Mammary Epithelial Cells.

This study was conducted to determine the effects of saturated long-chain fatty acids (LCFA) on cell proliferation and triacylglycerol (TAG) content, as well as mRNA expression of αs1-casein (CSN1S1) and genes associated with lipid and protein synthesis in bovine mammary epithelial cells (BMECs). Primary cells were isolated from the mammary glands of Holstein dairy cows, and were passaged twice. Then cells were cultured with different levels of palmitate or stearate (0, 200, 300, 400, 500, and 600 μM) for 48 h and fetal bovine serum in the culture solution was replaced with fatty acid-free BSA (1 g/L). The results showed that cell proliferation tended to be increased quadratically with increasing addition of stearate. Treatments with palmitate or stearate induced an increase in TAG contents at 0 to 600 μM in a concentration-dependent manner, and the addition of 600 μM was less effective in improving TAG accumulation. The expression of acetyl-coenzyme A carboxylase alpha, fatty acid synthase and fatty acid-binding protein 3 was inhibited when palmitate or stearate were added in culture medium, whereas cluster of differentiation 36 and CSN1S1 mRNA abundance was increased in a concentration-dependent manner. The mRNA expressions of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma, mammalian target of rapamycin and signal transducer and activator of transcription 5 with palmitate or stearate had no significant differences relative to the control. These results implied that certain concentrations of saturated LCFA could stimulate cell proliferation and the accumulation of TAG, whereas a reduction may occur with the addition of an overdose of saturated LCFA. Saturated LCFA could up-regulate CSN1S1 mRNA abundance, but further studies are necessary to elucidate the mechanism for regulating milk fat and protein synthesis.

Conventional mesophilic vs. thermophilic anaerobic digestion: A trade-off between performance and stability?

A long-term comparative study using continuously-stirred anaerobic digesters (CSADs) operated at mesophilic and thermophilic temperatures was conducted to evaluate the influence of the organic loading rate (OLR) and chemical composition on process performance and stability. Cow manure was co-digested with dog food, a model substrate to simulate a generic, multi-component food-like waste and to produce non-substrate specific, composition-based results. Cow manure and dog food were mixed at a lower – and an upper co-digestion ratio to produce a low-fiber, high-strength substrate, and a more recalcitrant, lower-strength substrate, respectively. Three increasing OLRs were evaluated by decreasing the CSADs hydraulic retention time (HRT) from 20 to 10 days. At longer HRTs and lower manure-to-dog food ratio, the thermophilic CSAD was not stable and eventually failed as a result of long-chain fatty acid (LCFA) accumulation/degradation, which was triggered by the compounded effects of temperature on reaction rates, mixing intensity, and physical state of LCFAs. At shorter HRTs and upper manure-to-dog food ratio, the thermophilic CSAD marginally outperformed the biomethane production rates and substrate stabilization of the mesophilic CSAD. The increased fiber content relative to lipids at upper manure-to-dog food ratios improved the stability and performance of the thermophilic process by decreasing the concentration of LCFAs in solution, likely adsorbed onto the manure fibers. Overall, results of this study show that stability of the thermophilic co-digestion process is highly dependent on the influent substrate composition, and particularly for this study, on the proportion of manure to lipids in the influent stream. In contrast, mesophilic co-digestion provided a more robust and stable process regardless of the influent composition, only with marginally lower biomethane production rates (i.e., 7%) for HRTs as short as 10 days (OLR = 3 g VS/L-d).

Combining ruminally protected choline and flaxseed in cattle diets to increase the assimilation of omega-3 fatty acids from the diet (2014)

Introduction Omega-3 fatty acids are an essential part of a healthy human diet. If consumed regularly, these fatty acids attenuate inflammation and lower risk of inflammatory diseases, such as heart disease and rheumatoid arthritis. The human body cannot synthesize adequate amounts of omega-3 fatty acids; they must be obtained by consuming foods that are rich in omega-3s. Omega-3 fatty acids can be found in foods like fish, some oilseeds, and some nut oils. Overall consumption of these foods is relatively low compared with the consumption of red meat such as beef, which typically contains relatively small amounts of omega-3 fatty acids. Flaxseed contains high levels of omega-3 fatty acids, and when fed to cattle, these fats are absorbed and deposited into beef tissues. The transfer of omega-3 fatty acids from the diet to tissues is very poor, however, due to extensive alteration of fats by microbes in the rumen. If transfer efficiency from diet to tissues could be improved, beef could become a viable source of omega-3 fatty acids for consumers. Choline plays an important role in the metabolism of fats, and deficiencies of dietary choline could limit the absorption and tissue deposition of polyunsaturated fatty acids, including omega-3 fatty acids. Our objective was to evaluate the effects of combining ruminally protected choline and flaxseed on changes in plasma concentrations of long-chain fatty acids.

Effect of long-chain Fatty acids on the binding of triflupromazine to human serum albumin: a spectrophotometric study.

Human serum albumin (HSA) in the blood binds long-chain fatty acids (LCFAs), and the number of bound LCFAs varies from 1 to 7 depending on the physical condition of the body. In this study, the influence of LCFA-HSA binding on drug-HSA binding was studied using triflupromazine (TFZ), a psychotropic phenothiazine drug, in a buffer (0.1 M NaCl, pH 7.40, 37°C) by a second-derivative spectrophotometric method which can suppress the residual background signal effects of HSA observed in the absorption spectra. The examined LCFAs were caprylic acid (CPA), lauric acid (LRA), oleic acid (OLA), and linoleic acid (LNA), respectively. Using the derivative intensity change of TFZ induced by the addition of HSA containing LCFA, the binding mode of TFZ was predicted to be a partition-like nonspecific binding. The binding constant (K M−1) showed an increase according to the LCFA content in HSA for LRA, OLA, and LNA up to an LCFA/HSA molar ratio of 3–4. However, at higher ratios the K value decreased, i.e. for OLA and LNA, at an LCFA/HSA ratio of 6–7, the K value decreased to 40% of the value for HSA alone. In contrast, CPA, having the shortest chain length (8 carbons) among the studied LCFAs, induced a 20% decrease in the K value regardless of its content in HSA. Since the pharmacological activity of a drug is closely related to the unbound drug concentration in the blood, the results of the present study are pharmaco-kinetically, pharmacologically, and clinically very important.

Spatial variation in fatty acid trophic markers in albacore tuna from the southwestern Pacific Ocean—A potential ‘tropicalization’ signal

Signature fatty acids were used to explore trophic variations in albacore and skipjack tuna sampled from the southwestern Pacific Ocean. There were clear spatial differences in fatty acid profiles between albacore sampled in the Coral (tropical zone centered at ~20°S) and Tasman (temperate zone centered at ~42°S) Seas; however, few differences were observed in fatty acid profiles of albacore sampled off Tasmania and New Zealand. Fatty acid signatures of the Tasman Sea samples reflected a food web based more on diatoms and included: 20:5ω3 (EPA), 18:1ω7, 22:1ω11, 18:2ω6, 18:4ω3, 18:3ω3, and 20:4ω3. In contrast, albacore from the Coral Sea had a distinct fatty acid signature which included 20:4ω6, 22:5ω6, 17:0, 22:4ω6, 24:0, and 17:1. Multivariate analyses revealed the importance of 22:6ω3 (DHA) in Coral Sea-caught albacore which also had a DHA/EPA ratio more than twice that in all other groups suggesting a greater dinoflagellate contribution and/or a higher trophic position. Fatty acid markers indicative of krill consumption were significantly higher in temperate-caught albacore although skipjack were closest in fatty acid composition to krill. These results were likely due to differences at the base of the food web in these two seas suggesting that signature fatty acids can be used as indicators of ecosystem change: in this case the gradual ‘tropicalization’ of the eastern seaboard of Australia through the southward extension of the East Australian Current. Our findings also indicate comparatively lower concentrations of healthful ω3 long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids, in particular the content of DHA and EPA, in the tropical samples. This suggests that tropicalization could adversely affect the dietary intake of albacore and other marine predators in the region. Such changes are readily detectable by fatty acid analysis.

Direct supplementation of diet is the most efficient way of enriching broiler meat with n-3 long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids

1. Concentrations of beneficial omega-3 long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (n-3 LC-PUFAs) in poultry meat can be improved by increasing the concentration of n-3 PUFA in poultry diets.2. A decrease in flavour quality is, however, usually associated with the dietary supplementation with n-3 PUFA, which is due to the susceptibility of PUFA to oxidation.3. This experiment was conducted to study the effects of introducing two different n-3 fatty acid sources (extruded linseed and DHA Gold™, a proprietary algal product rich in docosahexaenoic acid), either separately or together, on broiler productive performance, and meat quality, oxidative stability, sensory traits and LC-PUFA profile.4. Birds given the algal product displayed better productive performances than animals from other groups.5. The data revealed an improvement in the fatty acid nutritional value of meat from birds receiving the algal product and an inefficient conversion of α-linolenic acid (LNA) into LC-PUFA.6. Metabolisation of LNA in vivo is not sufficient to improve meat quality in n-3 LC-PUFA and direct supplementation of the diet with n-3 LC-PUFA is a better alternative to modulate an increase in beneficial fatty acids of broiler meat.7. The overall acceptability of meat was negatively affected by the dietary supplementation with 7.4% of DHA, in contrast to the supplementation with 3.7% of DHA, which showed to be efficient in improving LC-PUFA meat content without affecting its sensory properties.

Omega-3 fatty acids

Fish oil contains a complex mixture of omega-3 fatty acids, which are predominantly eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), docosapentaenoic acid, and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). Each of these omega-3 fatty acids has distinct biological effects that may have variable clinical effects. In addition, plasma levels of omega-3 fatty acids are affected not only by dietary intake, but also by the polymorphisms of coding genes fatty acid desaturase 1-3 for the desaturase enzymes that convert short-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids to long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids. The clinical significance of this new understanding regarding the complexity of omega-3 fatty acid biology is the purpose of this review. FADS polymorphisms that result in either lower levels of long-chain omega-3 fatty acids or higher levels of long-chain omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids, such as arachidonic acid, are associated with dyslipidemia and other cardiovascular risk factors. EPA and DHA have differences in their effects on lipoprotein metabolism, in which EPA, with a more potent peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-alpha effect, decreases hepatic lipogenesis, whereas DHA not only enhances VLDL lipolysis, resulting in greater conversion to LDL, but also increases HDL cholesterol and larger, more buoyant LDL particles. Overall, these results emphasize that blood concentrations of individual long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids, which reflect both dietary intake and metabolic influences, may have independent, but also complementary- biological effects and reinforce the need to potentially provide a complex mixture of omega-3 fatty acids to maximize cardiovascular risk reduction.

Plasma long-chain free fatty acids predict mammalian longevity.

Membrane lipid composition is an important correlate of the rate of aging of animals and, therefore, the determination of their longevity. In the present work, the use of high-throughput technologies allowed us to determine the plasma lipidomic profile of 11 mammalian species ranging in maximum longevity from 3.5 to 120 years. The non-targeted approach revealed a specie-specific lipidomic profile that accurately predicts the animal longevity. The regression analysis between lipid species and longevity demonstrated that the longer the longevity of a species, the lower is its plasma long-chain free fatty acid (LC-FFA) concentrations, peroxidizability index, and lipid peroxidation-derived products content. The inverse association between longevity and LC-FFA persisted after correction for body mass and phylogenetic interdependence. These results indicate that the lipidomic signature is an optimized feature associated with animal longevity, emerging LC-FFA as a potential biomarker of longevity.

Fatty acid profile and composition of milk protein fraction in dairy cows fed long-chain unsaturated fatty acids during the transition period

The objective of this study was to evaluate the utilization of different sources of unsaturated long-chain fatty acids in diets for dairy cows during the transition period and early lactation on the milk fatty acid profile and composition of the protein fraction. Thirty-six Holstein cows were divided into three groups, fed the following diets: control (C); soybean oil (SO); and calcium salts of long-chain unsaturated fatty acids (CS). The milk samples utilized for analysis were obtained weekly from parturition to twelve weeks of lactation; each one of the samples originated from two daily milkings. Milk composition and total nitrogen, non-protein nitrogen and non-casein nitrogen levels were analyzed. The cows receiving the diet with calcium salts had lower concentrations of non-protein nitrogen (%CP) in milk compared with the animals fed the diet with soybean oil. There was a decrease in concentration of medium-chain fatty acids C12-C16, and a concomitant increase in concentrations of long-chain fatty acids >C18 in milk fat for the animals fed the diets CS and SO when compared with diet C. Soybean oil and CS diets increased milk-fat concentrations of the acids C18: 1 trans-11, C18: 2 cis-9, trans-11 and C18: 2 trans-10 cis-12 in relation to diet C. The utilization of sources of long-chain fatty acids in the diet of dairy cows increases the biological value of milk in early lactation due to higher concentrations of specific fatty acids such as CLA C18: 2cis-9, trans-11.

Phospholipid classes and fatty acid composition of ewe’s and goat’s milk

The content, distribution of individual species, and the fatty acid composition of phospholipids (PL) from ewe’s and goat’s milk were analyzed. The binding of enterotoxigenic and uropathogenic Escherichia coli strains to PL and the inhibition of bacterial hemagglutination by PL were addressed using high performance thin-layer chromatography-overlay assays and microtiter plates, respectively. Ovine and caprine milk contained more PL than bovine milk but less than human milk. The profile of individual PL was similar, including sphingomyelin, phosphatidylcholine, phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylserine and phosphatidylinositol in both ovine and caprine milk. Regarding the fatty acid composition, a high content of long-chain fatty acids (more than C16) and unsaturated fatty acids, with C18:1 as the most abundant was found in ovine and caprine milk PL. Ovine milk has longer and less saturated fatty acids while caprine milk has shorter and more saturated ones. Neither the adhesion of any bacterial strains assayed to the individual PL from ovine or caprine milk nor the inhibition of bacterial hemagglutination by PL were observed. These are important constituents of the milk fat globule membrane, but it seems that they do not play a role in the defence of new-borns against bacteria if the results obtained are taken into account.

Correlations Between FAS Elongation Cycle Genes Expression and Fatty Acid Production for Improvement of Long-Chain Fatty Acids in Escherichia coli

Microorganisms have been used for biodiesel (fatty acid methyl ester) production due to their significant environmental and economic benefits. The aim of the present research was to develop new strains of Escherichia coli K-12 MG1655 and to increase the content of long-chain fatty acids by overexpressing essential enzymes that are involved in the fatty acid synthase elongation cycle. In addition, the relationship of β-ketoacyl-acyl carrier protein (ACP) synthase (fabH), β-ketoacyl-ACP reductase (fabG), β-hydroxyacyl-ACP dehydrase (fabZ), and β-enoyl-ACP reductase (fabI) with respect to fatty acid production was investigated. The four enzymes play a unique role in fatty acid biosynthesis and elongation processes. We report the generation of recombinant E. coli strains that produced long-chain fatty acids to amounts twofold over wild type. To verify the results, NAD(+)/NADH ratios and glucose analyses were performed. We also confirmed that FabZ plays an important role in producing unsaturated fatty acids (UFAs) as E. coli SGJS25 (overexpressing the fabZ gene) produced the highest percentage of UFAs (35 % of total long-chain fatty acids), over wild type and other recombinants. Indeed, cis-9-hexadecenoic acid, a major UFA in E. coli SGJS25, was produced at levels 20-fold higher than in wild type after 20 h in culture. The biochemically engineered E. coli presented in this study is expected to be more economical for producing long-chain fatty acids in quality biodiesel production processes.