Role Of Essential Fatty Acids Research Articles

Is there a role for essential fatty acids in osteoporosis?

Inflammatory markers are inversely associated with bone density, geometry, and strength in postmenopausal women, and elderly subjects suggesting that osteoporosis is a low-grade systemic inflammatory condition. But glucocorticoids that are potent anti-inflammatory compounds instead of arresting/preventing osteoporosis induce osteoporosis. These results indicate that IL-6 and TNF-α, post-menopausal state, and steroids produce osteoporosis by an unidentified mechanism. Pro-inflammatory cytokines, estrogen, and steroids bring about their actions by influencing the metabolism of essential fatty acids (EFAs). I propose that EFAs and their metabolites act as second messengers of actions of corticosteroids, cytokines, and estrogen. This implies that EFAs are of benefit in the prevention and management of osteoporosis. This argument is supported by the observation that plasma phospholipid content of unsaturated fatty acids is decreased in those with osteoporosis. The reports that long-chain metabolites of EFAs including arachidonic acid, docosahexaenoic acid and eicosapentaenoic acid, and lipoxin A4 are of benefit in the prevention and management of osteoporosis lends further support to this proposal.

Effect of Medium on the Activity of Eugenol: A Mini-Review

Abstract: The role of essential fatty acids is vital in the life of a human being. The lack of essential fatty acids causes various diseases, such as cardiovascular, inflammatory bowel, and obesity. Although synthetic antioxidants have already been used, nowadays, the demand for natural antioxidants has increased mainly because of the adverse effects of synthetic antioxidants. Spices are widely used in this context as a source of natural antioxidants. It has been observed that they also act as pro-oxidants. This review aims to evaluate the fundamental reason for the different activities of the spices by studying the example of eugenol, a principal phenolic constituent of clove oil. The chemistry concerning the mechanism to display antioxidant and pro-oxidant activity is currently being reviewed. The isomerization of eugenol to isoeugenol plays a key role in exhibiting dissimilar behaviour of the eugenol. Under the polar medium, isomerization of eugenol does not take place, and it acts as an antioxidant. However, in the non-polar medium, eugenol isomerizes to isoeugenol and displays a pro-oxidant effect. In the basic medium, eugenol isomerizing to isoeugenol undergoes degradation. Hence, to utilize the beneficial activity of eugenol, it should be present in a polar or acidic medium. It can be concluded from this review article that the structural form of any molecule plays a major role in utilizing its activity and is also dependent on the medium. Hence, the medium also performs a vital role in influencing the activity of any molecule.

Maternal obesity: new placental paradigms unfolded.

The prevalence of maternal obesity is increasing at an alarming rate, and is providing a major challenge for obstetric practice. Adverse effects on maternal and fetal health are mediated by complex interactions between metabolic, inflammatory, and oxidative stress signaling in the placenta. Endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress and activation of the unfolded protein response (UPR) are common downstream pathways of cell stress, and there is evidence that this conserved homeostatic response may be a key mediator in the pathogenesis of placental dysfunction. We summarize the current literature on the placental cellular and molecular changes that occur in obese women. A special focus is cast onto placental ER stress in obese pregnancy, which may provide a novel link for future investigation.

The effect of lipid-enriched Artemia franciscana on reproductive performance of broodstock and larval quality of Pacific white shrimp Litopenaeus vannamei

Broodstock maturation diets are an important component of shrimp hatchery management, since the nutritional status of spawners can impact on gonadal maturation, egg fecundity, embryo hatchability and overall larval quality. The ability to manipulate the biochemical composition of Artemia to deliver key nutrients to cultured animals has rendered their inclusion in broodstock feeds increasingly common. Lipid enrichment of Artemia franciscana to boost their unsaturated fatty acid content is a standard procedure. During this study, frozen, lipid-enriched adult Artemia biomass, squid and mollusc were fed to Litopenaeus vannamei broodstock to investigate the suitability of enriched Artemia as a maturation diet for the species and elucidate the role of essential fatty acids in the reproductive performance of the shrimp. Four lipid enrichment levels: PUFA (P group), MUFA (M group), HUFA (H1and H2 groups), un-enriched (NE group), No-Artemia (NA group), were fed to L. vannamei over 45 days. Significant differences in weight gain and specific growth rate were observed. Greatest mean SGR was recorded for shrimp of P-group as well as greatest mean final weight on day 45, while the lowest mean SGR was found for shrimp fed Diet NA. The fecundity of the broodstock shrimp fed diets either H1 or H2 increased compared with that of the shrimps fed NA (p<0.05). Significant differences in the hatching rate were observed. Changes in gonado-somatic index (GSI) of broodstock during ovarian maturation were very pronounced, but changes in hepato-somatic index (HSI) were not significantly different between the broodstock groups.

The role of essential fatty acids in cystic fibrosis and normalizing effect of fenretinide.

Cystic fibrosis (CF) is the most common autosomal-recessive disease in Caucasians caused by mutations in the CF transmembrane regulator (CFTR) gene. Patients are usually diagnosed in infancy and are burdened with extensive medical treatments throughout their lives. One of the first documented biochemical defects in CF, which predates the cloning of CFTR gene for almost three decades, is an imbalance in the levels of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs). The principal hallmarks of this imbalance are increased levels of arachidonic acid and decreased levels of docosahexaenoic acids (DHA) in CF. This pro-inflammatory profile of PUFAs is an important component of sterile inflammation in CF, which is known to be detrimental, rather than protective for the patients. Despite decades of intensive research, the mechanistic basis of this phenomenon remains unclear. In this review we summarized the current knowledge on the biochemistry of PUFAs, with a focus on the metabolism of AA and DHA in CF. Finally, a synthetic retinoid called fenretinide (N-(4-hydroxy-phenyl) retinamide) was shown to be able to correctthe pro-inflammatory imbalance of PUFAs in CF. Therefore, its pharmacological actions and clinical potential are briefly discussed as well.

Lipid storage consumption and feeding ability of Calanus glacialis Jaschnov, 1955 males

Calanus is one of the best studied genera of Arctic zooplankton, but still we know very little about the males since they are short-lived and mainly present in winter. Their short life-span compared to females is assumed to be a combination of high mating activity, no feeding and consequential depletion of lipid stores. In this study we tested 1) if the life span of male Calanus glacialis is limited by their lipid storage reserves and 2) if males are capable of feeding and utilize food if present. We ran two separate experiments from January to March; one on starvation and one on feeding. In the 39-days long starvation experiment we followed the lipid sac size of individually incubated males until their time of death. On average the total lipid (TL) content decreased by 2.6 to 4.5 μg day−1, but despite this males had substantial amounts of lipids left (131.4 μg, SD 44.0) when they died. This strongly suggests that the depletion of lipid reserves is not the main reason for males' short life span which in this study was measured to be up to 73 days. In the feeding experiment, we fed both C. glacialis males and females ad libitum with 13C labelled microalgae. Both males and females were capable of feeding and assimilate the diatom monoculture, but females responded faster to the sudden favourable food conditions, and produced more and larger fecal pellets than the males. Assimilation of 13C labelled 20:5(n-3), an essential polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA), from the diatom diet was traceable in both males and females on day 21, and then with a higher enrichment in females than males. Morphological investigations of the feeding appendages showed some differences between sexes, suggesting males to be more omnivorous than females. In conclusion, lipid storage depletion is not the cause of death for male C. glacialis, and males may even compensate for some of the mating energy costs by feeding. In future, we recommend further studies on the role of essential fatty acids (FA) for sperm formation and aging as determining factors for males' relatively short life span.

P.3.023 - Efficacy of an omega-3/6 combination on specific learning abilities in children with mild to moderate inattentive ADHD - preliminary results

Background Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a common child psychiatric disorder with a significant global functional impairment. Learning disorders represent a frequent comorbid condition in ADHD patients and recent research has investigated the effects of non pharmacological treatments for ADHD on learning abilities [1]. During the last two decades, there has been a growing interest in the role of essential fatty acids (EFA), based on the hypotheses that Omega-3/6 fatty acids seem to be deficient in ADHD individuals [2] and moderately effective in reducing inattention [3] and improving learning abilities [4]. Objectives Whitin a multicentric study the efficacy of a specific Omega-3/6 combination supplement was evaluated in a population of Italian children with predominantly Inattentive Type of ADHD (ADHD-I). The primary efficacy measure was the ADHD Rating Scale (ADHD-RS-IV) score for clinical symptoms. Among the secondary objectives we evaluated the efficacy of Omega3/6 supplement on learning abilities. Methods The study was a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled efficacy trial of Omega-3/6 combination in mild/moderate ADHD-I children (6-12 y), conducted in 4 Italian sites (Cagliari, Roma, Pisa and Messina), and including a screening and baseline assessment, a double blind evaluation phase of Omega-3/6 supplement vs placebo (6 months) and a following open label treatment phase of futher 6 months during which all subjects were on the Omega3/6 supplement. Learning abilities were assessed at baseline and at 6 and 12 months, by the Sartori reading and writing tests (Battery for the Evaluation of Dyslexia and Written Expression Disorder-lists 4,5,6,10,11 and 12) and the Cornoldi Reading Tests MT, using the number of errors as measure of accuracy and syllables/sec or total time as measure of reading speed. Results 160 drug naive ADHD Italian children (118 M; 42 F) were enrolled. Scores were analysed at baseline visit and after 6 and 12 months. Statistical significance was calculated by ANOVA for repeated measures, Friedman’s and Wilcoxon’s Test for non parametric data. In the total sample, 91 have a diagnosis of Specific Learning Disorder (SLD): in the PL group 47 have a SLD (35 with impairment in reading, 44 with impairment in written expression); in the OM group 44 have a SLD (32 with impairment in reading, 40 with impairment in written expression). The prevalence of SLD was not significantly different in the PL and OM groups. No significant effect was found in improving learning abilities within and between the two groups. A significant improvement was found at 6 and 12 months visits, in both groups, for ADHD-RS total score, ADHD-RS-Inattentive, and functioning, with no difference comparing the two groups. Further analysis are in due course. Discussion Preliminary results suggest no significant effect of Omega-3/6 supplementation on learning abilities but only a mild improvement in global functioning and in clinical symptoms, especially inattention, was found after at least 6 months without significant differences between Omega-3/6 dietary supplementation and placebo.

The role of essential fatty acids in brain development

Arachidonic acid （ARA） and docosahexaenoic acid （DHA） are the principal n-6 and n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids （PUFAs） in the brain, respectively, and essential for proper brain development. Previous in vitro studies have revealed that ARA induces astrocytic differentiation of neural stem cells （NSCs）， and that DHA induces neuronal differentiation of NSCs. Thus, n-6 and n-3 PUFAs have different roles in brain development. Regarding the evaluation of in vivo roles of these PUFAs, the balance of n-6/n-3 PUFAs is considered to be important because these PUFAs compete each other in their synthesis, metabolism, and transport. Indeed, we have reported neurodevelopmental consequences of maternal consumption of an n-6-rich/n-3-poor diet in mice. We found that epoxy metabolites of ARA and DHA oppositely regulated the neurogenic-to-gliogenic fate transition of NSCs, and consequently they affected brain development. These findings are scientifically and socially important, because intake of seed oils, which are abundant in n-6 PUFAs, and that of fishes, which are abundant in n-3 PUFAs, have recently been increased and decreased, respectively, in many countries. In another study from our collaborators, a mouse model for schizophrenia has been proposed based on phenotypes of offspring derived from pregnant mice fed a PUFA-deficient diet. In the present review, we summarize the functions of dietary n-6 and n-3 PUFAs in brain development.

Omega – 3 fatty acids in schizophrenia – part I: importance in the pathophysiology of schizophrenia

Abstract Despite the increasing offer of antipsychotic drugs, the effectiveness of pharmacotherapy in schizophrenia is still unsatisfactory. Drug resistance, lack of complete remission and the increasing risk of metabolic complications are the reasons why the new forms of therapy in schizophrenia among which unsaturated essential fatty acids omega 3 (EFAs ω-3) affecting the proper functioning of nervous system, are mentioned, are being looked for. Fatty acids represent 50-60% of the dry weight of the brain and diet is one of the factors that influence the value of each of the fat fractions in the neuron membranes. Patients with schizophrenia tend to have irregular nutritional status concerning essential fatty acids ω-3, which might result from metabolic disorders or irregular consumption of fatty acids. Apart from being a review of the literature on this subject, this very paper characterizes essential fatty acids ω-3, their metabolism, the most important sources in the diet and the opinions of experts in the field about the recommended intake. It pays attention to the role of essential fatty acids in both the structure and functioning of the central nervous system is, as well as their role in the pathophysiology of schizophrenia, with particular emphasis on the membrane concept by David Horrobin. The assessment of the errors in consumption and metabolism of essential fatty acids are described as well. The evidence was found both in epidemiological and modeling studies. It supports the participation of EFAs in etiopathogenesis and pathophysiology of schizophrenia. Further research is needed, both observational and interventional, as to the role of essential fatty acids ω-3 in the functioning of the CNS as well as the development and course of schizophrenia.

Comments on Bozzatello et al. Supplementation with Omega-3 Fatty Acids in Psychiatric Disorders: A Review of Literature Data. J. Clin. Med. 2016, 5, 67.

Paola Bozzatello et al. [1] have done a comprehensive qualitative review of the potential use of long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids in the prevention and treatment of mental disorders.[...].

Total and partial fishmeal substitution by poultry by product meal (petfood grade) and enrichment with acid fish silage in aquafeeds for juveniles of rainbow trout Oncorhynchus mykiss

Aquafeeds are formulated with a high content of fishmeal as protein source. The fishmeal is usually produced from pelagic fish resulting in a reduction of fish availability for human consumption. Thus, it is important to find appropriate protein substitutes in the production of formulated aquafeeds. Several works reported the positive effect of partial addition of poultry by-product meal (PBM) in aquafeeds for different fish species, and from them it is clear that the total substitution of fishmeal is limited by the unbalance of essential fatty acids. In this work, aquafeeds were designed with the total and partial substitution of fishmeal by PBM and enriched with acid fish silage. The designed aquafeeds were evaluated in the rainbow fish Oncorhynchus mykiss growth. Six diets were formulated at different levels of substitution of fishmeal by PBM pet feed grade (33, 66 and 100%), with and without addition of acid fish silage (FS) from tuna fish by-products. All treatments were formulated to contain similar protein and energy in a factorial random design with three repeti tions. The diet containing 100% enriched PBM (EPBM) showed the highest specific growth rate (2.0% day -1 ) ( P < 0.001), whereas the lowest growth rate was observed with PBM33 without enrichment (1.76% day -1 ), after 22 weeks treatment These results demonstrate that the addition of FS in an aquafeed containing only poultry by-product meal as protein source improves the growth of rainbow fish. The positive effect of FS, mainly the role of essential fatty acids, is discussed.

The Role of Essential Fatty Acids in Anorexia Nervosa and Obesity

The two basic questions in food intake study are what we eat, and how much do we eat. Most research is directed toward the control of how much is eaten. This is likely the result of the increased number of individuals with eating disorders in the Western world. Feeding behavior is highly complex, and is controlled by many psychological, physiological, biochemical, and immunological factors. The aim of this review is to clarify the involvement of fatty acids in eating disorders such as anorexia and binge eating disorder. The review will describe the modified fatty acid profile observed in individuals with anorexia or binge eating disorder, and discuss on what factors fatty acids can exert beneficial effects. In addition, the differences and similarities between anorexia and binge eating disorder will be discussed. We suggest that beneficial effects of essential fatty acids on both anorexia and binge eating disorder can be explained by the stabilizing effect of those fatty acids on the neuronal membrane fluidity index.

From the melanoma incidence in Australia to the role of essential fatty acids in acne.

From the melanoma incidence in Australia to the role of essential fatty acids in acne.

Olfactory bulbectomy as a putative model for Alzheimer’: The protective role of essential fatty acids

While the removal of the rat's olfactory bulb is considered a valid animal model of depression, recently studies found that those rats exhibited an increase in the hyperphosphorylation of brain Tau proteins and in the number of tangles. The present study investigated the possibility of using rat's olfactory bulbectomy as a putative model for Alzheimer's disease. Olfactory bulbectomy indeed mimics a complex of Alzheimer's symptoms. We evaluated the effect of pretreatment with a specific mixture of omega-3/omega-6 fatty acids: After olfactory bulbectomy, the rats were cognitive impaired, hyperactive, anorectic, and hyperthermic and expressed increased levels of homocysteine and pro-inflammatory cytokines, including IL-17A. Pretreatment with a specific mixture of omega-3/omega-6 fatty acids blocked these adverse effects. We recommend using this model to scan potential new anti-Alzheimer's drugs and to investigate the role of fatty acids in Alzheimer's disease.

The Role of Essential Fatty Acids in Human Health

Fatty acid research began about 90 years ago but intensified in recent years. Essential fatty acids (linoleic and α-linolenic) must come from diet. Other fatty acids may come from diet or may be synthesized. Fatty acids are major components of cell membrane structure, modulate gene transcription, function as cytokine precursors, and serve as energy sources in complex, interconnected systems. It is increasingly apparent that dietary fatty acids influence these vital functions and affect human health. While the strongest evidence for influence is found in cardiovascular disease and mental health, many additional conditions are affected. Problematic changes in the fatty acid composition of human diet have also taken place over the last century. This review summarizes current understanding of the pervasive roles of essential fatty acids and their metabolites in human health.

The role of essential fatty acids in the control of coronary heart disease

Evidence from various research paradigms supports the cardiovascular benefits of a high intake of n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), especially the long-chain, marine-derived n-3 PUFA, eicosapentaenoic acids and docosahexaenoic acids. The effect of the plant-derived alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) is, however, not clear. Concerns about a high n-6 PUFA intake has been raised, because n-6 PUFA may weaken the effects of n-3 PUFA. Most previous observational studies on the intake of PUFA and the risk of coronary heart disease (CHD) did not specify the replacement nutrient. A recent meta-analysis of cohort studies suggested that replacing saturated fatty acids with PUFA may lower the risk of CHD. On the other hand, recently published studies do not suggest that higher linoleic acid intake is associated to a lower risk of CHD or to give support for a negative association between ALA and CHD. Furthermore, recent studies do not suggest that the association between ALA and CHD is modified by linoleic acid. Recent meta-analyses of cohort studies have reported a lower risk of CHD when PUFA replaces SFA in the diet. However, recent studies do not suggest that a higher linoleic acid intake is related to a lower risk of CHD. The effect of ALA on the risk of CHD is not clear.

Essential fatty acids as functional components of foods- a review.

During the recent decades, awareness towards the role of essential fatty acids in human health and disease prevention has been unremittingly increasing among people. Fish, fish oils and some vegetable oils are rich sources of essential fatty acids. Many studies have positively correlated essential fatty acids with reduction of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality, infant development, cancer prevention, optimal brain and vision functioning, arthritis, hypertension, diabetes mellitus and neurological/neuropsychiatric disorders. Beneficial effects may be mediated through several different mechanisms, including alteration in cell membrane composition, gene expression or eicosanoid production. However, the mechanisms whereby essential fatty acids affect gene expression are complex and involve multiple processes. Further understanding of the molecular aspects of essential fatty acids will be the key to devising novel approaches to the treatment and prevention of many diseases.

Evaluation of lipid-enriched Artemia on the reproductive performance of the white-striped cleaner shrimp, Lysmata amboinensis

Broodstock maturation diets are an important component of shrimp hatchery management, since the nutritional status of spawners can impact on gonadal maturation, egg fecundity, embryo hatchability and overall larval quality. The ability to manipulate the biochemical composition of Artemia to deliver key nutrients to cultured animals has rendered their inclusion in broodstock feeds increasingly common. Lipid enrichment of Artemia to boost their highly unsaturated fatty acid (HUFA) content is a standard procedure. During this study, frozen, lipid-enriched adult Artemia were fed to Lysmata amboinensis broodstock to investigate the suitability of Artemia as maturation diet for the species and elucidate the role of essential fatty acids (EFAs) in the reproductive performance of the shrimp. Four lipid enrichment levels, un-enriched (“unenr”), 1/3 enriched (“1/3 enr”), 2/3 enriched (“2/3 enr”) and enriched (“enr”) Artemia, were fed to L. amboinensis over three reproductive cycles. Spawning and egg mass retention during the incubation period were high for all diets. Larval production varied, however, and was significantly greater (P < 0.001) for L. amboinensis broodstock fed the “enr” Artemia compared with the other treatments, with a mean 529 (±76.76) larvae, as opposed to 49 (±11.16) recorded for the “unenr”. The increased larval production was attributed to better embryo hatchability and related to an increased docosahexaenoic (DHA) dietary content of 11% (in total FAs) and a DHA/eicosapentaenoic (EPA) ratio of 3.6. The roles of other EFAs are also discussed.

Essential Fatty Acids and Psychiatric Disorders

Psychiatric disorders are a significant source of disability worldwide. Increasing evidence indicates that disturbances of fatty acids and phospholipid metabolism can play a part in a wide range of psychiatric, neurological, and developmental disorders in adults. Essential fatty acids, ω-3 and ω-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids, play a central role in the normal development and functioning of the brain and central nervous system. The aim of this article is to discuss the overall insight into roles of essential fatty acids in the development of mental disorders (depression, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder) and, in light of the fact that disturbances of fatty acid metabolism can play a part in the above-mentioned disorders, to investigate the current knowledge of lipid abnormalities in posttraumatic stress disorder. The information in this review was obtained after extensive MEDLINE searching of each topic area through relevant published studies from the past 20 years. References from the obtained studies were also used. This review summarizes the knowledge in terms of essential fatty acids intake and metabolism, as well as evidence pointing to potential mechanisms of essential fatty acids in normal brain functioning and development of neuropsychiatric disorders. The literature shows that ω-3 fatty acids provide numerous health benefits and that changes in their concentration in organisms are connected to a variety of psychiatric symptoms and disorders, including stress, anxiety, cognitive impairment, mood disorders, and schizophrenia. Further studies are necessary to confirm ω-3 fatty acids' supplementation as a potential rational treatment in psychiatric disorders.

Essential Fatty Acids in the Treatment of Dry Eye

AbstractEssential fatty acids (EFAs) play many important roles in human biology, affecting organ systems and cellular and intracellular function. Omega-3 and omega-6 EFAs are the precursors of eicosanoids, locally acting hormones involved in mediating inflammatory processes. It is largely via the production of these eicosanoids that the essential fatty acids influence human health and disease. In general, the omega-3 derived eicosanoids are anti-inflammatory while the n-6 pathway eicosanoids promote inflammation. To date, EFAs have been primarily studied with regard to systemic diseases, particularly cardiovascular disease. Currently, no dietary recommendations of EFAs for the prevention or treatment of eye disease exist. The majority of studies concerning EFAs and eye disease have focused on diseases of the retina. This article provides an overview of the current literature regarding EFAs and dry eye disease (DED). Eight studies were identified, including six randomized controlled trials. All the studies preliminarily confirmed that there is a relationship between EFA supplementation and improvement in DED. However, strong conclusions cannot be made yet because of limitations in the research reported. The role of essential fatty acids is an important topic that would benefit from a large, multicenter, randomized clinical trial powered to reach a conclusion regarding the efficacy of essential fatty acids in the treatment of dry eye disease.