Molecular Species Profiles Research Articles

Changes of Phospholipid Molecular Species Profile Upon Bleaching and Subsequent Restoration of Coral Sinularia heterospiculata

Changes of Phospholipid Molecular Species Profile Upon Bleaching and Subsequent Restoration of Coral Sinularia heterospiculata

Crabs Eriocheir japonica and Paralithodes camtschaticus Are a Rich Source of Lipid Molecular Species with High Nutritional Value.

Due to their valuable meat and hepatopancreas, the world's most famous delicacies, crabs, have become target species of commercial fisheries and aquaculture. By methods of supercritical fluid and high-performance liquid chromatography, coupled with high resolution mass spectrometry, we analyzed triacylglycerols (TG) and phospholipids (PL)-glycerophosphoethanolamines (PE), glycerophosphocholines (PC), glycerophosphoserines (PS), and glycerophosphoinositols (PI)-in the hepatopancreas and muscles of the Japanese mitten crab Eriocheir japonica and the red king crab Paralithodes camtschaticus inhabiting the Sea of Japan. TGs were the main class of lipids in the crab hepatopancreas, while they were found in trace amounts in muscle. TGs of E. japonica differed from those of P. camtschaticus by a higher content of 16:0, 16:1, 18:2, and 20:4 FA and a lower content of eicosapentaenoic and docosahexaenoic acids. The Japanese mitten crab differed from the red king crab by a lower content of molecular species with eicosapentaenoic acid in PC and PI; an increased content of arachidonic acid in PE, PS, and PI; and a lower content of molecular species with docosahexaenoic acid in PE in the hepatopancreas and muscles. The high nutritional value of the crabs E. japonica and P. camtschaticus was confirmed by a high content of molecular species of lipids with n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids. The data of the lipid molecular species profile provide new background information for future studies on biochemistry and aquaculture of crabs.

Dynamics of Storage Lipids during the Recovery of Partially Bleached Coral <i>Sinularia heterospiculata</i>

Global warming is causing the loss of coral symbionts and their bleaching. Researches of coral recovery are very important for the conservation of coral reefs. The lipidomic approach can provide detailed information about the processes that take place in the coral during bleaching and recovery. Using supercritical fluid chromatography in combination with mass-spectrometry, the dynamics of the main classes of storage lipids triacylglycerols (TG) and monoalkyldiacylglycerols (MADAG) during the recovery of the octocoral Sinularia heterospiculata after heat stress (32°C). It was shown that MADAG plays an important role in the energy balance of S. heterospiculata after heat stress. Under stress, the coral S. heterospiculata primarily consumed saturated MADAG molecular species. Changes in the profile of TG molecular species occurred only on the 16th day of the experiment. Probable, the stressed octocoral S. heterospiculata changes its energy strategy during recovery; therefore, the qualitative composition of reserve lipids is rearranged during the recovery period.

Betaine lipids of Symbiodiniaceae hosted by Indo‐Pacific corals

SUMMARYThe total pool of coral lipids consists of lipids produced by both the coral host and its symbiotic dinoflagellates of the family Symbiodiniaceae. Betaine lipids (BL) are characteristic of plasma membranes of microalgae. Composition of such BL as 1,2‐diacylglyceryl‐3‐O‐carboxy‐(hydroxymethyl)‐choline (DGCC) that occur in coral symbionts may depend on either Symbiodiniaceae species or coral species. Membrane‐forming lipids DGCC have a zwitterion structure similar to that of phosphatidylcholine (PC). They can substitute for each other to a substantial extent, certainly in relation to membrane functions. In the present study, the profiles of DGCC and diacyl PC molecular species of symbiotic dinoflagellates from Acropora sp., Millepora platyphylla and Sinularia flexibilis were determined by high‐performance liquid chromatography with high‐resolution mass‐spectrometry. Colonies of Acropora sp. were characterized by higher contents of DGCC with eicosapentaenoic acid (20:5n‐3) and C28 polyunsaturated fatty acids; S. flexibilis, by a higher content of DGCC with palmitic acid (16:0); and M. platyphylla, by a higher content of DGCC with docosahexaenoic acid (22:6n‐3). Although the DGCC profile of the corals under study has distinctive features, it shows both similarities with and differences from the DGCC profiles of previously studied corals. Probably, each coral symbiont species has its own specific DGCC molecular species profile that is additionally modified in a certain way depending on environmental conditions created by the coral host. Molecular species DGCC and PC profiles were different. The most abundant PC molecular species were 16:0/22:5 and 38:4 in Acropora sp.; 39:5 and 38:4 in S. flexibilis; and 38:6, 16:0/22:5 and 18:0/22:6 in M. platyphylla. Thus, there is no clear evidence for any compensation or interchangeability between PC and DGCC.

Coral Lipidome: Molecular Species of Phospholipids, Glycolipids, Betaine Lipids, and Sphingophosphonolipids.

Coral reefs are the most biodiversity-rich ecosystems in the world's oceans. Coral establishes complex interactions with various microorganisms that constitute an important part of the coral holobiont. The best-known coral endosymbionts are Symbiodiniaceae dinoflagellates. Each member of the coral microbiome contributes to its total lipidome, which integrates many molecular species. The present study summarizes available information on the molecular species of the plasma membrane lipids of the coral host and its dinoflagellates (phosphatidylcholine (PC), phosphatidylethanolamine (PE), phosphatidylserine (PS), phosphatidylinositol (PI), ceramideaminoethylphosphonate, and diacylglyceryl-3-O-carboxyhydroxymethylcholine), and the thylakoid membrane lipids of dinoflagellates (phosphatidylglycerol (PG) and glycolipids). Alkyl chains of PC and PE molecular species differ between tropical and cold-water coral species, and features of their acyl chains depend on the coral's taxonomic position. PS and PI structural features are associated with the presence of an exoskeleton in the corals. The dinoflagellate thermosensitivity affects the profiles of PG and glycolipid molecular species, which can be modified by the coral host. Coral microbiome members, such as bacteria and fungi, can also be the source of the alkyl and acyl chains of coral membrane lipids. The lipidomics approach, providing broader and more detailed information about coral lipid composition, opens up new opportunities in the study of biochemistry and ecology of corals.

Amelioration of chilling injury in ‘Guifei’ mango fruit by melatonin is associated with regulation of lipid metabolic enzymes and remodeling of lipidome

The susceptibility of harvested mango fruit to chilling injury (CI) restricts quality preservation. Cell membranes are recognized as primary sites of damage in fruits in response to cold stress, and the maintenance of membrane integrity and function is conducive to alleviating fruit CI. This study aimed to investigate the effects of melatonin (MT), an important bioactive molecule, on cold tolerance in relation to membrane lipid homeostasis in ‘Guifei’ mango fruit during refrigeration. The results showed that application of 0.5 mmol L−1 MT to mango fruit reduced the CI index, discoloration, relative electrolyte leakage (REL) and malondialdehyde (MDA) content while maintaining a higher Fv/Fm value. Reduced activities of phospholipase D (PLD), phospholipase C (PLC) and lipoxygenase (LOX) but increased phospholipase A2 (PLA2) activity were observed in MT-treated fruit compared to control fruit. Furthermore, lipidomic analysis revealed changes in molecular species profiles of various classes of lipids (phospholipids, lysophospholipids, sphingolipids and glycerides) in response to MT. These results indicate that MT could trigger remodeling of lipid molecules by regulating membrane lipid metabolism, which would be conducive to maintaining membrane structure and activating downstream signaling pathways, contributing to improved cold tolerance in mango fruit.

Molecular species of glycerophosphoethanolamines in obesity-associated asthma.

Bronchial asthma (BA) complicated by obesity is a progressive disease phenotype that hardly responds to standard therapy. In this regard, it is important to elucidate cellular and molecular mechanisms of development of this comorbid pathology. In recent years, lipidomics has become an active research tool, opening new opportunities not only for understanding cellular processes in health and disease, but also for providing a personalized approach to medicine. The aim of this study was to characterize the lipidome phenotype based on the study of molecular species of glycerophosphatidylethanolamines (GPEs) in blood plasma of patients with BA complicated by obesity. Molecular species of GPEs were studied in blood samples of 11 patients. Identification and quantification of GPEs was carried out using high resolution tandem mass spectrometry. For the first time in this pathology, a change in the lipidome profile of molecular species of diacyl, alkyl-acyl and alkenyl-acyl HPEs of blood plasma was shown. In BA complicated by obesity, acyl groups 18:2 and 20:4 were dominated in the sn2 position of the molecular composition of diacylphosphoethanolamines. Simultaneously with the increase in the level of GPE diacyls with the fatty acids (FA) 20:4, 22:4, and 18:2, there was a decrease in these FAs in alkyl and alkenyl molecular species of GPEs, thus indicating their redistribution between subclasses. The eicosapentaenoic acid (20:5) deficiency at the sn2 position of alkenyl GPEs in patients with BA complicated by obesity indicates a decrease in the substrate for the synthesis of anti-inflammatory mediators. The resulting imbalance in the distribution of GPE subclasses, due to a pronounced increase in the content of diacyl GPE under conditions of the deficiency of molecular species of ether forms, can probably cause chronic inflammation and the development of oxidative stress. The recognized lipidome profile characterized by the modification of the basic composition and the chemical structure of GPE molecular species in BA complicated by obesity indicates their involvement in the pathogenetic mechanisms underlying BA development. The elucidation of particular roles of individual subclasses of glycerophospholipids and their individual members may contribute to the identification of new therapeutic targets and biomarkers of bronchopulmonary pathology.

Molecular species profiles of plasma ceramides in different clinical types of X-linked adrenoleukodystrophy.

X-linked adrenoleukodystrophy (X-ALD) is a genetic disorder associated with peroxisomal dysfunction. Patients with this rare disease accumulate very long-chain fatty acids (VLCFAs) in their bodies because of impairment of peroxisomal VLCFA ?-oxidation. Several clinical types of X-ALD, ranging from mild (axonopathy in the spinal cord) to severe (cerebral demyelination), are known. However, the molecular basis for this phenotypic variability remains largely unknown. In this study, we determined plasma ceramide (CER) profile using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. We characterized the molecular species profile of CER in the plasma of patients with mild (adrenomyeloneuropathy;AMN) and severe (cerebral) X-ALD. Eleven X-ALD patients (five cerebral, five AMN, and one carrier) and 10 healthy volunteers participated in this study. Elevation of C26:0 CER was found to be a common feature regardless of the clinical types. The level of C26:1 CER was significantly higher in AMN but not in cerebral type, than that in healthy controls. The C26:1 CER level in the cerebral type was significantly lower than that in the AMN type. These results suggest that a high level of C26:0 CER, along with a control level of C26:1 CER, is a characteristic feature of the cerebral type X-ALD. J. Med. Invest. 70 : 403-410, August, 2023.

The Phospholipid Molecular Species Profile of Apostichopus japonicus Tissues Modifies through Exposure to n-3 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acid-Deficient Diet.

The sea cucumber Apostichopus japonicus, being a target species of commercial fisheries and aquaculture, is also used as a source of biologically active compounds with high pharmacological potential. By the methods of high-performance liquid chromatography with high resolution mass spectrometry, we analyzed the major structural phospholipids (PL)—glycerophosphoethanolamines (PE), glycerophosphocholines (PC), glycerophosphoserines (PS), and glycerophosphoinositols (PI)—in tissues of wild and cultured sea cucumbers. The intestines of the wild and cultured animals differed from the other tissues by an elevated content of molecular species of PE, PC, and PS with 22:6n-3 fatty acid. The respiratory trees of the studied animals contained a high level of odd-chain PI and PI with 20:4n-6. The exposure to n-3 PUFA-deficient diet resulted in substantial changes in the molecular species profile of PL of the wild and cultured animals. The cultured sea cucumbers showed a significant decrease in the 20:5n-3 content in all four studied PL classes. A replacement of 20:5n-3 by 20:4n-6 occurred in PE, PC, and PI. The decrease in the level of molecular species of PS with 20:5n-3 was compensated by an increase in the level of monounsaturated long-chain PS. The diet of cultured sea cucumbers is a crucial factor for enhancing the nutritional properties of the product obtained from them.

Profiling of phospholipid classes and molecular species in human milk, bovine milk, and goat milk by UHPLC-Q-TOF-MS

This study aimed to identify differences of lipidome and fatty acid composition among human, bovine and caprine milk fat globule membrane (MFGM) using a lipidomics approach. In total, 11 lipid classes were determined, including PC, PE, SM, PG, PI, PS, Cer, PA, HexCer, Hex2Cer and CL. Using positive and negative ionization modes, 73 and 156 common significantly differential lipid species were identified in three typical MFGM. The oleic acid (C18:1) was the dominant fatty acid in human (28.29 ± 0.04 g/100 g) and caprine (35.71 ± 0.02 g/100 g) MFGM, whereas Palmitic acid (C16:0, 29.13 ± 0.07 g/100 g) was the dominant fatty acid in bovine MFGM. In addition, there was no significant difference in long chain fatty acids between human MFGM and caprine milk. Overall, the results provide essential insights into differential lipids characterization in MFGM, along with a theoretical basis for the design of new infant formula.

Profiling of lysophosphatidylethanolamine molecular species in human serum and in silico prediction of the binding site on albumin.

Lysophosphatidylethanolamine (LPE) is a major lysophospholipid produced by phospholipids and binds to human serum albumin (HSA). LPEs may play various roles in vivo depending on the differences in their acyl chains. However, only few reports have been published on the biological functions of LPEs. Hence, we determined the exact relative abundance of the major LPEs in the serum of healthy participants (n= 8) using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. Consequently, LPE 18:2 (24.1 ± 5.2%) was found to be the most abundant in serum. To understand the distribution of LPEs, the serum separated via gel-filtration high-performance liquid chromatography was subjected to quantitative measurement. LPEs were more observed in the albumin fraction than the lipoprotein fraction. We also performed a fluorescence displacement assay and an in silico molecular docking experiment using AutoDock to confirm the affinity and binding sites of the LPEs on HSA. The binding affinities of the LPEs for drug sites 1 and 2 on HSA were relatively low, with Ki values of approximately 11 and 3.8μM, respectively. AutoDock analysis revealed the conformation of the LPEs bound to drug sites and the possibility of LPEs binding to other HSA sites. These findings could help to elucidate the biological and pathological functions of LPEs.

Chronic Lactate Exposure Decreases Mitochondrial Function by Inhibition of Fatty Acid Uptake and Cardiolipin Alterations in Neonatal Rat Cardiomyocytes.

IntroductionLactate is an important signaling molecule with autocrine, paracrine and endocrine properties involved in multiple biological processes including regulation of gene expression and metabolism. Levels of lactate are increased chronically in diseases associated with cardiometabolic disease such as heart failure, type 2 diabetes, and cancer. Using neonatal ventricular myocytes, we tested the hypothesis that chronic lactate exposure could decrease the activity of cardiac mitochondria that could lead to metabolic inflexibility in the heart and other tissues.MethodsNeonatal rat ventricular myocytes (NRVMs) were treated for 48 h with 5, 10, or 20 mM lactate and CPT I and II activities were tested using radiolabelled assays. The molecular species profile of the major mitochondrial phospholipid, cardiolipin, was determined using electrospray ionization mass spectrometry along with reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels measured by Amplex Red and mitochondrial oxygen consumption using the Seahorse analyzer.ResultsCPT I activity trended downward (p = 0.07) and CPT II activity significantly decreased with lactate exposure (p < 0.001). Cardiolipin molecular species containing four 18 carbon chains (72 carbons total) increased with lactate exposure, but species of other sizes decreased significantly. Furthermore, ROS production was strongly enhanced with lactate (p < 0.001) and mitochondrial ATP production and maximal respiration were both significantly down regulated with lactate exposure (p < 0.05 and p < 0.01 respectively).ConclusionsChronic lactate exposure in cardiomyocytes leads to a decrease in fatty acid transport, alterations of cardiolipin remodeling, increases in ROS production and decreases in mitochondrial oxygen consumption that could have implications for both metabolic health and flexibility. The possibility that both intra-, or extracellular lactate levels play roles in cardiometabolic disease, heart failure, and other forms of metabolic inflexibility needs to be assessed in vivo.

Untargeted lipidomics reveals metabolic responses to different dietary n-3 PUFA in juvenile swimming crab (Portunus trituberculatus)

While tissue fatty acid compositions reflect that of the dietary lipid source, little information is available on how dietary oils modify lipid class and molecular species profiles in hepatopancreas of crustacean. Herein, an 8-week nutritional trial and untargeted lipidomic analysis were used to investigate the impacts of dietary n-3 PUFA lipid sources including fish oil, krill oil and linseed oil on the lipidomic characteristics of hepatopancreas of swimming crab (Portunus trituberculatus). Dietary krill oil significantly increased distribution of 20:5n-3 and 22:6n-3 at sn-2 in phosphatidylcholine and phosphatidylethanolamine compared to fish oil. Fish oil intake promoted the deposition of 20:5n-3 and 22:6n-3 at sn-1,2,3 in triglyceride compared to linseed oil, which significantly increased the specific accumulation of 18:3n-3 at sn-1,3 in triglyceride and sn-2 in phosphatidylcholine and phosphatidylethanolamine. The study revealed metabolic responses to different dietary n-3 PUFA in swimming crab, which provided novel insight into the lipid nutrition of crustacean.

Profiling of phospholipid molecular species in human breast milk of Chinese mothers and comprehensive analysis of phospholipidomic characteristics at different lactation stages

Phospholipids are critical for milk digestion and infant development. But the profile of phospholipid molecular species in human milk and its dynamic changes during the lactation period have never been reported. The present study elucidated precise qualitative and quantitative analysis of 258 phospholipid molecular species in 486 human milk samples. Phosphatidylcholine is the most abundant class, followed by phosphatidylserine, phosphatidylethanolamine and sphingomyelin as the second abundant class in different lactation period. The plasmalogens declined along the lactation period, and the polyunsaturated-phospholipids decreased after 10–15 days. The decrease of phosphatidylcholines and phosphatidylglycerols, and the increase of lysophosphatidylethanolamines and lysophosphatidylcholines are critical changes from 0 to 5 days to 10–15 days; increase of phosphatidylinositols, phosphatidylserines, lysophosphatidylethanolamines and lysophosphatidylcholines is the key changes from 10–15 days to 40–45 days; the decrease of most phospholipid molecular species is the characteristic change from 40–45 days to 200–240 days; and the phospholipid profile achieved stability after 200 days.

Stimulation of CO2 solubility in reversible ionic liquids activated by novel 1-(2-aminoethyl piperazine) and bis (3-aminopropyl) amine

The quest of energy efficient post combustion CO2 capture through an integrated process approach leads to the development of various novel solvents which can yield the necessary outputs. In line with this, the current work explores the experimental and simulation analysis of vapor liquid equilibrium of CO2 in novel aqueous 3-aminoproyl triethoxysilane (TESA) solvent blends enhanced by amine activators. Specific amine activators, viz. 1-(2-aminoethyl) piperazine (AEP) and bis (3-aminopropyl) amine (APA) were considered. The experiments were carried out over the temperature range of (303.2–323.2) K and pressure of (4–350) kPa. In order to realize the effect of activator, AEP/ APA concentration was gradually increased from 0.5 to 1.0 mol/kg with a total solvent concentration of ≈3 mol/kg. Along with this, qualitative 13C NMR and FTIR analysis were also performed to assess the proposed reaction scheme. The experimental vapour liquid equilibrium data (VLE) were correlated by modified Kent-Eisenberg equilibrium model considering gas phase non-ideality as well as non-rigorous statistical non-linear model. The equilibrium constants associated to deprotonation of protonated TESA, AEP and APA as well as carbamate formation reactions of these amines with CO2 are function of solvent concentration, temperature and CO2 partial pressure. These are regressed to fit the experimental VLE data. The modified KE model is further prolonged to estimate the concentration profiles of various molecular and ionic species involved in the reactive system.

Profiling of Phosphoinositide Molecular Species in Resting or Activated Human or Mouse Platelets by a LC-MS Method.

Our knowledge of the role and biology of the different phosphoinositides has greatly expanded over recent years. Reversible phosphorylation by specific kinases and phosphatases of positions 3, 4, and 5 on the inositol ring is a highly dynamic process playing a critical role in the regulation of the spatiotemporal recruitment and binding of effector proteins. The specific phosphoinositide kinases and phosphatases are key players in the control of many cellular functions, including proliferation, survival, intracellular trafficking, or cytoskeleton reorganization. Several of these enzymes are mutated in human diseases. The impact of the fatty acid composition of phosphoinositides in their function is much less understood. There is an important molecular diversity in the fatty acid side chains of PI. While stearic and arachidonic fatty acids are the major acyl species in PIP, PIP2, and PIP3, other fatty acid combinations are also found. The role of these different molecular species is still unknown, but it is important to quantify these different molecules and their potential changes during cell stimulation to better characterize this emerging field. Here, we describe a sensitive high-performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry method that we used for the first time to profile the changes in phosphoinositide molecular species (summed fatty acyl chain profiles) in human and mouse platelets under resting conditions and following stimulation. This method can be applied to other hematopoietic primary cells isolated from human or experimental animal models.

Characterization of refined fish oil from small fish in Mauritania

In this study, the effects of chemical refining on the physicochemical indices, environmental pollutants, lipid functional groups, relaxation characteristics, fatty acid profiles, and triglyceride (TG) molecular species in crude oil extracted from small fish in Mauritania were evaluated. The acid, peroxide, and iodine values of crude oil were identified as 5.52 mg KOH/g, 1.73 meq/kg, and 200.78 g/100 g oil, respectively. After refining, these values were determined to be 0.29 mg KOH/g, 0.76 meq/kg, and 210.80 g/100 g oil, respectively. The polychlorinated biphenyls and arsenic content of crude oil were identified as 32.30 μg/kg and 1.00 mg/kg, respectively. After refining, these were not detected. The content of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) accounted for as much as 87.55% of the polyunsaturated fatty acids in the refined oil, indicating that high-quality fish oil is suitable as a food supplement. The correlation coefficient of the infrared spectra before and after refining was 0.968, and the relaxation time and peak shape data were almost similar before and after purification. Meanwhile, there were no significant differences (P ≥ 0.05) in fatty acid profiles between the crude and refined oils, except for C16:0 (P < 0.01). Based on UPLC-Q E-MS/MS detection, 137 TG molecules were identified in both crude and refined oils. Among the detected TG molecular species, 64 contained EPA or DHA, which accounted for 46.83% and 46.00% of the total TG content in crude and refined oils, respectively. After refining, the content of the molecular species decreased by 31.95 mg/10 g, among which the three most variable molecular species were TG (16:0/18:1/22:6), (16:1/16:2/18:1), and (18:4/16:0/20:5), accounting for 29.26% of the decline of the molecular species. Overall, the refining process had little effect on the fatty acid profile and distribution of TG molecular species in fish oil.

Lipidomes of phylogenetically different symbiotic dinoflagellates of corals

The structural base of all membranes of symbiotic dinoflagellates (SD) is composed of glycolipids and betaine lipids, whereas triacylglycerols (TG) constitute an energy reserve and are involved in biosynthesis of glycolipids. Since data on the SD lipidome and the host's influence on symbionts' lipidome are scanty, we analyzed and compared the lipidomes of SD isolated from the zoantharian Palythoa tuberculosa and the alcyonarian Sinularia heterospiculata. A sequencing of nuclear gene regions showed that both cnidarians hosted the dinoflagellates Cladocopium sp. (subclades C1 and C3), but the zoantharian also contained the dinoflagellates Durusdinium trenchii (clade D). The presence of the thermotolerant D. trenchii resulted in a higher unsaturation of mono- and digalactosyldiacylglycerols (MGDG and DGDG), but a lower unsaturation of sulfoquinovosyldiacylglycerol (SQDG). The same features were earlier described for same SD from a reef-building coral. Hence, the profile of glycolipid molecules, which form SD thylakoid membranes, seems to be species-specific and does not depend on the host's taxonomic position. In contrast, the betaine lipid molecular species profile of diacylglyceryl-3-O-carboxyhydroxymethylcholine (DGCC), which forms SD cell membranes, can be influenced by the host. The profiles of the TG molecular species from freshly isolated SD have been determined for the first time. These molecular species can be divided on the basis of the acyl group in sn-2 position. The TG with 16:0 acyl group in sn-2 position may enrich total TG of a cnidarian colony and originate from SD cytoplasm. In contrast, TG 18:3/18:4/18:3 may be biosynthetically related with DGDG and concentrated in SD plastoglobules. Our data may be useful for further investigations of natural and technogenic variations in microalgal lipids and symbiont–host interactions in marine ecosystems.

Perinatal exposure to diets with different n-6:n-3 fatty acid ratios affects olfactory tissue fatty acid composition

The olfactory mucosa (OM) and the olfactory bulb (OB) are responsible for the detection and processing of olfactory signals. Like the brain and retina, they contain high levels of n-3 and n-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), which are essential for the structure and function of neuronal and non-neuronal cells. Since the influence of the maternal diet on olfactory lipid profiles of the offspring has been poorly explored, we examined the effects of feeding mice during the perinatal period with diets containing an adequate linoleic acid level but either deficient in α-linolenic acid (ALA) or supplemented in n-3 long-chain PUFAs on the lipid composition of dams and weaning offspring olfactory tissues. In both the OM and OB, the low n-3 ALA diet led to a marked reduction in n-3 PUFAs with a concomitant increase in n-6 PUFAs, whereas consumption of the high n-3 PUFA diet reduced n-6 PUFAs and increased n-3 PUFAs. Structural analysis showed that the molecular species profiles of the main phospholipid classes of olfactory tissues from weaning pups were markedly affected by the maternal diets. This study demonstrates that the PUFA status of olfactory tissues is sensitive to diet composition from the early stages of development.

Possible Involvement of Lipids in the Effectiveness of Kombu in Individuals with Abnormally High Serum Triglyceride Levels.

In Japan, Kombu (Laminaria japonica), which is a type of seaweed, is considered to be a foodstuff with health-promoting benefits, and Japanese people actively incorporate Kombu into their diets. Previously, we reported that the frequent intake of Kombu reduced the serum triglyceride levels of subjects with abnormally high serum triglyceride levels. In the current human study, we performed metabolomic analysis of serum lipids, and then the molecular species profiles of phosphatidylcholines (PC), phosphatidylethanolamines (PE), lysophosphatidylcholines (LPC), lysophosphatidylethanolamines (LPE), and free fatty acids (FFA) were evaluated. As a result, it was found that there were no marked differences between the lipid profiles obtained before and after the intake of Kombu for 4 wk in all subjects. In the subjects with abnormal serum triglyceride levels, the intake of Kombu improved the subjects' molecular species profiles in terms of their serum levels of the diacyl and acyl forms of PC, PE, LPC, and LPE, and FFA. Furthermore, the intake of Kombu also tended to increase the serum levels of both the plasmanyl and plasmenyl forms of PC and PE in these subjects. The lipid alterations observed in our study might be related to the functionality of Kombu. Furthermore, it is important to evaluate the quality of lipids as well as the quantity of lipids in various types of research, including food functionality studies.