Specific Fatty Acids Research Articles

Lipid and Lipoarabinomannan Isolation and Characterization.

The very high content of structurally diverse and biologically active lipids of exotic structures is the hallmark of Mycobacteria. As such the lipid composition is commonly used to characterize mycobacterial strains at the species and type-species levels. The present chapter describes the methods that allow the purification of the most commonly isolated biologically active lipids and those used for analyzing extractable lipids and their constituents, cell wall-linked mycolic acids (MA), and lipoarabinomannan (LAM). These involve various chromatographic techniques and analytical procedures necessary for structural and metabolic studies of mycobacterial lipids. In addition, as the use of physical methods has brought important overhang on chemical structures of the very-long-chain MA, which typify mycobacteria, NMR and mass spectrometry data of these specific fatty acids are included.

Multimodal Metabolic Imaging Reveals Pigment Reduction and Lipid Accumulation in Metastatic Melanoma.

Objective and Impact Statement. Molecular signatures are needed for early diagnosis and improved treatment of metastatic melanoma. By high-resolution multimodal chemical imaging of human melanoma samples, we identify a metabolic reprogramming from pigmentation to lipid droplet (LD) accumulation in metastatic melanoma. Introduction. Metabolic plasticity promotes cancer survival and metastasis, which promises to serve as a prognostic marker and/or therapeutic target. However, identifying metabolic alterations has been challenged by difficulties in mapping localized metabolites with high spatial resolution. Methods. We developed a multimodal stimulated Raman scattering and pump-probe imaging platform. By time-domain measurement and phasor analysis, our platform allows simultaneous mapping of lipids and pigments at a subcellular level. Furthermore, we identify the sources of these metabolic signatures by tracking deuterium metabolites at a subcellular level. By validation with mass spectrometry, a specific fatty acid desaturase pathway was identified. Results. We identified metabolic reprogramming from a pigment-containing phenotype in low-grade melanoma to an LD-rich phenotype in metastatic melanoma. The LDs contain high levels of cholesteryl ester and unsaturated fatty acids. Elevated fatty acid uptake, but not de novo lipogenesis, contributes to the LD-rich phenotype. Monounsaturated sapienate, mediated by FADS2, is identified as an essential fatty acid that promotes cancer migration. Blocking such metabolic signatures effectively suppresses the migration capacity both in vitro and in vivo. Conclusion. By multimodal spectroscopic imaging and lipidomic analysis, the current study reveals lipid accumulation, mediated by fatty acid uptake, as a metabolic signature that can be harnessed for early diagnosis and improved treatment of metastatic melanoma.

Lipid Dynamics due to Muscle Atrophy Induced by Immobilization.

Muscle atrophy refers to skeletal muscle loss and dysfunction that affects glucose and lipid metabolism. Moreover, muscle atrophy is manifested in cancer, diabetes, and obesity. In this study, we focused on lipid metabolism during muscle atrophy. We observed that the gastrocnemius muscle was associated with significant atrophy with 8 days of immobilization of hind limb joints and that muscle atrophy occurred regardless of the muscle fiber type. Further, we performed lipid analyses using thin layer chromatography, liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry, and mass spectrometry imaging. Total amounts of triacylglycerol, phosphatidylserine, and sphingomyelin were found to be increased in the immobilized muscle. Additionally, we found that specific molecular species of phosphatidylserine, phosphatidylcholine, and sphingomyelin were increased by immobilization. Furthermore, the expression of adipose triglyceride lipase and the activity of cyclooxygenase-2 were significantly reduced by atrophy. From these results, it was revealed that lipid accumulation and metabolic changes in specific fatty acids occur during disuse muscle atrophy. The present study holds implications in validating preventive treatment strategies for muscle atrophy.

Plasma and acrosomal membrane lipid content of saltwater crocodile spermatozoa.

This study describes the chemical lipid composition of the sperm plasma and acrosomal membranes of the saltwater crocodile Crocodylus porosus with the aim of providing new insights into sperm physiology, particularly that associated with their preservation ex vivo . The specific fatty acid composition of the sperm plasma and acrosomal membranes is documented. The mean (±s.d.) ratio of unsaturated to saturated membrane fatty acids within the plasma membrane was 2.57±0.50, and was determined to be higher than a similar analysis of the lipids found in the acrosomal membrane (0.70±0.10). The saltwater crocodile sperm plasma membrane also contained remarkably high levels of cholesterol (mean (±s.d.) 40.7±4.5 nmol per 106 sperm cells) compared with the spermatozoa of other amniote species that have so far been documented. We suggest that this high cholesterol content could be conferring stability to the crocodile sperm membrane, allowing it to tolerate extreme osmotic fluxes and rapid changes in temperature. Our descriptive analysis now provides those interested in reptile and comparative sperm physiology an improved baseline database for interpreting biochemical changes associated with preservation pathology (e.g. cold shock and cryoinjury), epididymal sperm maturation and capacitation/acrosome reaction.

Immobilized MAS1 Lipase-catalyzed Synthesis of n-3 PUFA-rich Triacylglycerols in Deep Eutectic Solvents.

n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA)-rich triacylglycerols (TAG) with many beneficial effects are still difficult to be synthesized efficiently and rapidly by current synthetic techniques. This study reports the fatty acid specificity of immobilized MAS1 lipase and its efficient synthesis of n-3 PUFA-rich TAG by esterification of glycerol with n-3 PUFA in natural deep eutectic solvents (NADES) systems. Immobilized MAS1 lipase showed the highest preference for capric acid [C10:0, the highest specificity constant (1/α)=1] whereas it discriminated strongly against docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) due to their lowest specificity constants (1/α=0.19 and 0.2). Moreover, the highest n-3 PUFA-rich TAG content (55.8%) with similar n-3 PUFA composition to the substrate was obtained in choline chloride/glycerol (CG) system. There was a 1.38-fold increase of TAG content in CG system compared with that in the solvent-free system. Interestingly, immobilized MAS1 lipase exhibited no regiospecificity in the solvent-free and various NADES systems. Besides, the potential reaction mechanism of immobilized MAS1 lipase-catalyzed esterification of glycerol with n-3 PUFA in NADES systems was described. It was found that the use of NADES as solvents could greatly enhance TAG content, and make it easy to separate the product. These results indicated that immobilized MAS1 lipase is a promising biocatalyst for the efficient synthesis of n-3 PUFA-rich TAG by esterification of glycerol with n-3 PUFA in NADES systems.

Effects of ferric-phosphate forms on phosphorus release and the performance of anaerobic fermentation of waste activated sludge

Five ferric-phosphate (Fe(III)Ps) with amorphous or crystalline structures were added to waste activated sludge (WAS) for anaerobic fermentation, aiming to investigate effects of Fe(III)Ps forms on phosphorus (P) release and the performance of WAS fermentation. The results revealed that the Fe(III) reduction rate of hexagonal-FePO4 was faster than that of monoclinic-FePO4·2H2O, thanks to its lower crystal field stabilization energy. FePO4·nH2O was reduced to vivianite and part of the phosphate was released as orthophosphate (PO4-P). Giniite (Fe5(PO4)4(OH)3·2H2O) as an iron hydroxyphosphate was transformed to βFe(III)Fe(II)(PO4)O-like compounds without PO4-P release. In addition, Fe(III)Ps had an adverse effect on the anaerobic fermentation of WAS. The specific hydrolysis rate constant and volatile fatty acids (VFAs) yield decreased by 38.4% and 41.9%, respectively, for the sludge sample with amorphous-FePO4·3H2O, which dropped the most. This study provides new insights into various forms of Fe(III)Ps performance during anaerobic fermentation and is beneficial to enhancing P recovery efficiency.

Fatty acid concentration of plasma, muscle, adipose and liver from beef heifers fed an encapsulated n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid supplement

Increasing the content of polyunsaturated fat in the human diet is a priority for reducing cardiovascular disease and cancer risks. Beef has the potential to contribute to the polyunsaturated fat content in the human diet; however, ruminants cannot synthesise many long-chain fatty acids de novo; they require dietary supplementation. The objectives of the current study were to evaluate (i) the effect of a partially rumen protected n-3 long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acid (LC-PUFA) dietary supplement on the fatty acid composition of muscle (Longissimus dorsi), adipose and liver tissues of beef heifers and (ii) the usefulness of blood plasma as a predictor of tissue concentrations of specific fatty acids. Charolais crossbred heifers (n = 20) were assigned to one of two isolipid dietary treatments namely palmitic acid (control) or an n-3 LC-PUFA supplement for a 91-day period. Blood plasma and adipose tissue samples were taken to determine the temporal effect of these diets on fatty acid composition (days 0, 10, 35 and 91), while liver and muscle samples were taken following slaughter. Dietary lipid source did not influence animal growth rate or body condition score. At day 91, the percentage differences between control and n-3 LC-PUFA heifers in concentrations of eicosapentaenoic acid were +61, +176 and +133 % in liver, muscle and adipose, respectively. For docosahexaenoic acid, at the same time point, the percentage differences were +57, +73 and +138 % for liver, muscle and adipose, respectively. Medium-to-strong positive correlation coefficients were evident for liver and plasma fatty acids, in particular, there were positive relationships with concentrations of total saturated fatty acid (SFA), total n-6 PUFA and total n-3 PUFA. This trend also extended to both the ratio of PUFA to SFA (slope (β1) = 0.56 ± 0.167, intercept (β0) = 0.56, R2 = 0.61, P < 0.05) and the ratio of n-6 to n-3 PUFA (β1 = 0.15 ± 0.054, β0 = 0.24, R2 = 0.52, P < 0.05). A strong correlation was also detected in the ratio of n-6 to n-3 in plasma and muscle tissue of heifers fed the n-3 LC-PUFA diet (β1 = 0.53 ± 0.089, β0 = −0.31, R2 = 0.83, P < 0.001). The results of this study show that the n-3 LC-PUFA can be readily increased through targeted supplementation and that plasma concentrations of n-3 LC-PUFA are useful predictors of their concentrations in a number of economically important tissues.

Evaluation of African Star Apple (Chrysophyllum albidum) Seed Oil as a Potential Feedstock for Industrial Application

Aims: Evaluate possible application of African Star Apple seed oil as industrial raw material geared towards possible conversion of waste to wealth with no negative impact as it borders on food scarcity. Also unveiling the possibility of a sustainable environment via the eradication of waste from the environment, thereby creating a clean environment.&#x0D; Place and Duration of Study: Fresh ripped fruits of African Star Apple were bought from some local market sellers at Agbarha-Otor market which is located in Ughelli North Local Government Area of Delta State, Nigeria on longitude 6° 2' 54" E /5° 30' 40" N, between November, 2019 and March, 2020.&#x0D; Experimental Details: Soxhlet extraction with n-hexane as solvent was used for the oil extraction of 100 g per batch of extraction. Pretreatment procedure of oil was done prior to transesterification. Homogenous base-catalyzed transesterification reaction was used in this study under controlled experimental conditions such as temperature, reaction time, methanol to oil molar ratio and catalyst type and concentration were examined under varied ranges to ascertain optimum experimental conditions for the reaction. Extracted seeds oil were analysed for its physicochemical properties using standard methods via: specific gravity, acid value, refractive index, saponification value, iodine value and free fatty acid using standard methods.&#x0D; Results: The results showed an oil yield of 14.9%, an indication that the seed reflects a poor source of abundant oil. Results obtained for the physiochemical properties, revealed that; specific gravity, refractive index, saponification value, acid value, free fatty acid and iodine value showed values of 0.896 kg/m3, 1.549, 231.32 mgKOH/g, 3.23 mgKOH/g, 2.07% and 47.63 mg/100 g respectively. Also, results for Methanol: Oil ratio showed that maximum yield was obtained at 6:1 molar ratio. Maximum conversion efficiency for molar concentration was achieved at 0.75% for both catalysts. While a reaction time of 125 min projected better yield.&#x0D; Conclusion: The seed of African star fruit are discarded as waste, therefore its use as a source of oil for industrial feedstock and other domestic application, poses no challenge with regards to food security. Its non-drying potential based on its low iodine value, makes it suitable lubricating oil for industrial application. Similarly, potential application of the oil as feedstock for the production of biodiesel is justified on the basis of its low acid value. Conclusively, the seeds may not have sufficient oil volume potential to be used as edible (domestic) and industrial oil. Consequently upon its low yield, application for biofuel production in commercial scale becomes unrealistic.

Intake of dietary fats andfatty acids and the incidence of type 2 diabetes: Asystematic review and dose-response meta-analysis of prospective observational studies.

The role of fat quantity and quality in type 2 diabetes (T2D) prevention is controversial. Thus, this systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to investigate the associations between intake of dietary fat and fatty acids and T2D, and to evaluate the certainty of evidence. We systematically searched PubMed and Web of Science through 28 October 2019 for prospective observational studies in adults on the associations between intake of dietary fat and fatty acids and T2D incidence. The systematic literature search and data extraction were conducted independently by 2 researchers. We conducted linear and nonlinear random effects dose-response meta-analyses, calculated summary relative risks (SRRs) with their corresponding 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs), and assessed the certainty of evidence. In total, 15,070 publications were identified in the literature search after the removal of duplicates. Out of the 180 articles screened in full text, 23 studies (19 cohorts) met our inclusion criteria, with 11 studies (6 cohorts) conducted in the US, 7 studies (7 cohorts) in Europe, 4 studies (5 cohorts) in Asia, and 1 study (1 cohort) in Australia. We mainly observed no or weak linear associations between dietary fats and fatty acids and T2D incidence. In nonlinear dose-response meta-analyses, the protective association for vegetable fat and T2D was steeper at lower levels up to 13 g/d (SRR [95% CI]: 0.81 [0.76; 0.88], pnonlinearity = 0.012, n = 5 studies) than at higher levels. Saturated fatty acids showed an apparent protective association above intakes around 17 g/d with T2D (SRR [95% CI]: 0.95 [0.90; 1.00], pnonlinearity = 0.028, n = 11). There was a nonsignificant association of a decrease in T2D incidence for polyunsaturated fatty acid intakes up to 5 g/d (SRR [95% CI]: 0.96 [0.91; 1.01], pnonlinearity = 0.023, n = 8), and for alpha-linolenic acid consumption up to 560 mg/d (SRR [95% CI]: 0.95 [0.90; 1.00], pnonlinearity = 0.014, n = 11), after which the curve rose slightly, remaining close to no association. The association for long-chain omega-3 fatty acids and T2D was approximately linear for intakes up to 270 mg/d (SRR [95% CI]: 1.10 [1.06; 1.15], pnonlinearity < 0.001, n = 16), with a flattening curve thereafter. Certainty of evidence was very low to moderate. Limitations of the study are the high unexplained inconsistency between studies, the measurement of intake of dietary fats and fatty acids via self-report on a food group level, which is likely to lead to measurement errors, and the possible influence of unmeasured confounders on the findings. There was no association between total fat intake and the incidence of T2D. However, for specific fats and fatty acids, dose-response curves provided insights for significant associations with T2D. In particular, a high intake of vegetable fat was inversely associated with T2D incidence. Thus, a diet including vegetable fat rather than animal fat might be beneficial regarding T2D prevention.

Extracting Edible Oil from Nannochloropsis oculata: A Functional Food for Future

Microalga is known to grow at high rates and thrive in the non-arable land. It is also the most favorable feedstock for an affordable and sustainable supply of food and oil which can produce significant oil yield in less area. Its oil is considered as functional oil with great commercial potential, rich in beneficial fatty acids composition. Data from archaeological discoveries indicate that humans have developed on a diet that had a ratio of about 1/1 of omega-6, (ω-6) to omega-3, (ω-3) fatty acids. Western and Malaysian diets are deficient in ω-3 as both have greater ω-6/ ω-3 ratio. In this study, Nannochloropsis oculata, (N. oculata) is used as an alternative source for edible oil application and the lipids are extracted via both conventional extraction (CE) and microwave-assisted extraction (MWE). The lipid yield was determined by the gravimetric technique and GC-FID was used to identify the fatty acid methyl ester profiles. Findings revealed the CE technique is more appropriate to be used when extracting lipids from N. oculata for edible oil production. Both techniques are successful in extracting the two most important types of fatty acids (C16 and C18). The lipids produced also comprise of specific valuable fatty acids such as arachidonic acid (ARA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) but do not produce trans-fatty acid. This edible oil obtained has a healthier ratio (~ 1) of ω-6/ ω-3 for the human diet. Thus, N. oculata has the potential to be used as a source of edible oil.

146 Nutritional Advances in Fetal and neonatal development: effect of fatty acid supplementation

Abstract Data from a series of experiments demonstrates that maternal supply of polyunsaturated fatty acids, particularly eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), during late gestation affects offspring growth. The increase in growth is independent on the fatty acid supplemented during the growing or finishing phase of the offspring; but it is sex dependent. Dam PUFA supplementation increases wether growth. Supplementation with EPA and DHA to pregnant ewes and to their offspring after weaning showed a treatment interaction in mRNA concentration of hypothalamic neuropeptides associated with dry matter intake (DMI) regulation. A dose increased in EPA and DHA in pregnant ewe diets shows a linear increase in growth, but a quadratic change in DMI or feed efficiency; growth was associated with a linear increase in plasma glucose concentration and a linear decrease in plasma ghrelin concentration. In lambs born from ewes supplemented with different sources of FA during a glucose tolerance test; males’ plasma insulin concentration increased as FA unsaturation degree increased in the dam diet, the opposite happened with females’ plasma insulin concentration. Recent data from our lab showed that the supplementation with EPA and DHA during the last third of gestation to pregnant ewes increased liver and small intestine global DNA methylation and small intestine transporters for amino acids in the fetus. Despite EPA and DHA during late gestation increase growth in the offspring; when EPA and DHA were supplemented in early gestation, offspring growth was lesser that lambs born from ewes supplemented a saturated and monounsaturated lipid. The reason for the difference in results it is not clear. However, more studies focusing in some aspect of the biology will help to understand what specific fatty acid needs to be supplemented at different stages of gestation to improve offspring growth.

148 Nutritional advances in fetal and neonatal development: Introduction to current knowledge

Abstract Processes associated with appropriate fetal and neonatal development from the periconceptual through the neonatal phases of life are critical for offspring health and productivity throughout life. The objectives are to provide a brief introduction to the current knowledge associated with nutritional advances in fetal and neonatal development. The concept of developmental or fetal programming is that inappropriate events during critical developmental stages can have lasting impacts on offspring outcomes. This idea has emerged over the past three decades to become a major research focus in both animal and human biomedical arenas. Perturbed maternal nutrition and/or nutrient supply from prebreeding through early neonatal life has long been known to shape reproductive efficiency and offspring outcomes. Nutrient supply to the conceptus varies during the time course of placental and fetal development. Uterine glandular secretions are major suppliers of nutrients during early placental and conceptus development. As the placenta develops and becomes fully functional, fetal nutrient supply becomes dependent on placental function. Research investigating changes in total maternal nutrient supply, including both an under and over abundance, has clearly demonstrated impacts on offspring outcomes. Investigations into supply of specific nutrients on development outcomes has increased rapidly in recent years with results demonstrating that in some cases, even small changes in supply can have developmental consequences. Specific amino acids, minerals, fatty acids, and nutrient supply interactions can influence developmental outcomes. Underlying mechanisms of developmental programming are associated with epigenetic events which are driven, at least in part, by methyl donors and one carbon metabolites. Emerging knowledge associated with how critical supply of specific nutrients influences offspring development and postnatal health, function, and productivity is shaping our understanding of parental, fetal, and neonatal nutrition and creating opportunities for enhanced livestock production through strategic nutrient supplementation.

Interplay between dietary lipids and cadmium exposure in rainbow trout liver: Influence on fatty acid metabolism, metal accumulation and stress response

The present study aimed at investigating interactive effects between dietary lipids and both short- and long-term exposures to a low, environmentally realistic, cadmium (Cd) concentration. Juvenile rainbow trout were fed four isolipidic diets (31.7 g/kg) enriched in either linoleic acid (LA, 18:2n-6), alpha-linolenic acid (ALA, 18:3n-3), eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA, 20:5n-3) or docosahexaenoic acid (DHA, 22:6n-3). From the 4th week of this 10-week experiment, the lipid level of the diet was increased (120.0 g/kg) and half of the fish fed each diet were aqueously exposed to Cd (0.3 μg/L) while the other half were not exposed to Cd (control). Fish were sampled and their liver was harvested for fatty acid profile, hepatic Cd and calcium concentrations, total glutathione level and gene expression assessment, either (i) after 4 weeks of feeding and 24 h of Cd contamination (day 29) (short-term Cd exposure) or (ii) after 10 weeks of feeding and 6 weeks of Cd contamination (day 70) (long-term Cd exposure). We found that both dietary lipids and Cd exposure influenced fatty acid homeostasis and metabolism. The hepatic fatty acid profile mostly reflected that of the diet (e.g. n-3/n-6 ratio) with some differences, including selective retention of specific long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LC-PUFAs) like DHA and active biotransformation of dietary LA and ALA into LC-PUFAs. Cd effects on hepatic fatty acid profiles were influenced by the duration of the exposure and the nutritional status of the fish. The effects of diet and Cd exposure on the fatty acid profiles were only sparsely explained by variation of the expression pattern of genes involved in fatty acid metabolism. The biological responses to Cd were also influenced by dietary lipids. Fish fed the ALA-enriched diet seemed to be the least affected by the Cd exposure, as they showed a higher detoxifying ability against Cd with an early upregulation of protective metallothionein a (MTa) and apoptosis regulator BCL2-Like1 (BCLx) genes, an increased long-term phospholipid synthesis and turnover and fatty acid bioconversion efficiency, as well as a lower long-term accumulation of Cd in their liver. In contrast, fish fed the EPA-enriched diet seemed to be the most sensitive to a long-term Cd exposure, with an impaired growth performance and a decreased antioxidant capacity (lower glutathione level). Our results highlight that low, environmentally realistic aqueous concentrations of Cd can affect biological response in fish and that these effects are influenced by the dietary fatty acid composition.

Calcium salts of fatty acids with varying fatty acid profiles in diets of feedlot-finished Bos indicus bulls: impacts on intake, digestibility, performance, and carcass and meat characteristics.

We hypothesized that the inclusion of calcium salts of fatty acid (CSFA) into the diets and the fatty acid (FA) profile of the supplements would impact performance and meat characteristics of Bos indicus bulls. Hence, the objective was to evaluate the effects of CSFA profiles on intake, body weight (BW), carcass, and meat characteristics of feedlot-finished B indicus bulls. Fifty-three Nellore bulls [initial BW 315 ± 5.9 kg and 20 ± 2 mo] were used. At the beginning, 6 bulls were randomly chosen and slaughtered for determination of their BW composition, and the remaining 47 bulls were evaluated during a 140-d experimental period. The bulls were placed in individual pens, blocked according to initial BW and randomly allocated to 1 of the 3 following treatments: (1) control diet containing sugarcane bagasse, ground corn, citrus pulp, peanut meal, and mineral-vitamin mix (CON), (2) CON with the addition of 3.3% of CSFA from soybean oil (CSO), or (3) CON with the addition of a mixture of 3.3% of CSFA from palm, soybean, and cottonseed oils (CPSCO). Diets were offered ad libitum and formulated to be isonitrogenous. Bulls supplemented with CSFA had a greater (P < 0.01) final BW, dry matter intake, average daily gain (ADG), feed efficiency (FE), and FA intake vs. CON. Among carcass parameters, CSFA-supplemented bulls had greater (P < 0.01) carcass ether extract concentration vs. CON bulls. When the CSFA profile was evaluated (CSO vs. CPSCO), CPSCO bulls had a better (P ≤ 0.03) FE, carcass ADG, and hot carcass weight (HCW) vs. CSO bulls. The FA intakes differed among CSFA treatments, as the total saturated, palmitic, and oleic FA intakes were greater for CPSCO (P < 0.01), whereas lower intakes of total unsaturated and polyunsaturated FA (P < 0.01) were observed for CPSCO vs. CSO. Samples from the Longissimus muscle contained greater palmitoleic (P = 0.01) and reduced linoleic (P = 0.02) FA concentrations in CSFA-supplemented bulls vs. CON bulls. In agreement with the FA intakes, CPSCO-supplemented bulls had a greater (P ≤ 0.05) unsaturated FA concentration vs. CSO in Longissimus muscle. In summary, CSFA supplementation improved the performance of finishing B. indicus bulls vs. CON. Moreover, the inclusion of CSFA from palm, soybean, and cottonseed oil benefited the FE, carcass ADG, and HCW compared with the inclusion of CSFA from soybean oil, demonstrating the potential of specific FA for improving the performance and meat quality of B. indicus bulls.

Antidandruff activity of Cassia auriculata and Cassia alata through fatty acids mediated inhibition of Malassezia furfur

Susceptibility of Malassezia furfur to certain medium chain fatty acids shed light onto novel strategies to control dandruff. This study explored antidandruff activity of the fatty acids and other bioactive compounds from flowers of Cassia auriculata and Cassia alata. The idea was supplementing the growth medium with fatty acids which are inhibitory to Malassezia so that plant-based antidandruff formulations could be developed based on the results. Chloroform and ethanolic flower extracts were tested there in vitro efficacy against M. furfur and the potential antidandruff compounds were identified by gas chromatography-mass spectrophotometry (GC-MS). Minimum inhibitory concentrations were determined for both the extracts and IC50 values of 50 and 88 µM for chloroform extract of C. auriculata and C. alata were recorded. For ethanol extract, IC50 values of 75 and 70 µM were exhibited by C. auriculata and C. alata, respectively. Inhibition of M. furfur through fatty acids from Cassia is the first report, and it is possible to include specific fatty acids in the growth media to inhibit the growth of Malassezia which could be later served as lead molecules in antidandruff formulations. Further, the presence of citronellol, pinitol, anthracenedione and chrysine in Cassia flower extracts and their antidandruff activity reported in this study needed further research on those compounds to formulate effective treatment of Malassezia associated diseases.

Beyond the protein concept: health aspects of using edible insects on animals

There is an increasing interest in the use of insects in animal feed since they contain high proteins levels, lipids, vitamins and minerals. In particular, insect-derived proteins are seen as one of the potential solution to face the increasing protein shortage and are able to fully substitute soybean meal or fishmeal in aquaculture or livestock feeds. However, beside their interesting nutritional composition, insects are also rich in bioactive compounds such as chitin, antimicrobial peptides or specific fatty acids with immunostimulating, antimicrobial and/or anti-inflammatory properties able to sustain animal health, increase their resistance to diseases. Further studies will also have to investigate whether insects share similarities with bacterial or parasitical pathogens and may act as immunostimulants. These recent findings may launch insects beyond the protein concept into healthy animal feeds. This review presents the effects of insects and their bioactive compounds on fish and crustaceans, poultry, pigs and rabbits immune system, gut health, microbiota and resistance to diseases.

Fatty acid synthase promotes breast cancer metastasis by mediating changes in fatty acid metabolism.

Fatty acid metabolism is closely associated with the occurrence and development of tumors. The aim of the present study was to investigate whether the key enzyme involved in fatty acid synthesis, fatty acid synthase (FASN), mediates fatty acid changes that affect the activity and migration of breast cancer cells, and whether specific fatty acids play a role in tumor metastasis. The difference in serum fatty acid profiles between patients with invasive ductal carcinoma (IDC) and healthy controls was evaluated by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) fatty acid profile analysis, and it was revealed that five types of fatty acids may be potential tumor markers in IDC. Immunohistochemistry and GC-MS analysis revealed that FASN expression affected the serum fatty acid profiles of patients with IDC. Following FASN knockdown, the migration of SK-Br-3 breast cancer cells was inhibited, and the contents of various fatty acids both inside and outside the cell decreased, while the contents of various fatty acids inside and outside the cell increased following FASN overexpression. The results of the present study revealed that the expression level of FASN affected the content of fatty acids in IDC tissues and breast cancer cell lines, and that FASN-mediated changes in specific fatty acids promoted tumor cell migration.

The Beneficial Effects of Apical Sodium-Dependent Bile Acid Transporter Inactivation Depend on Dietary Fat Composition.

ScopeThe apical sodium‐dependent bile acid transporter (ASBT, SLC10A2) is important in the enterohepatic cycling of bile acids and thereby in the intestinal absorption of lipids. ASBT inhibition has been shown to improve aspects of the metabolic syndrome, but the underlying mechanisms have remained unclear. Here, the effect of ASBT inhibition on the uptake of specific fatty acids and its consequences for diet‐induced obesity and non‐alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) are investigated.MethodsIntestinal fat absorption is determined in mice receiving an ASBT inhibitor and in Asbt−/− mice. Metabolic disease development is determined in Asbt−/− mice receiving a low‐fat control diet (LFD) or high‐fat diet (HFD) rich in saturated fatty acids (SFAs) or PUFAs.ResultsBoth ASBT inhibition and Asbt gene inactivation reduce total fat absorption, particularly of SFAs. Asbt gene inactivation lowers bodyweight gain, improves insulin sensitivity, and decreases the NAFLD activity score upon feeding a HFD rich in SFAs, but not in PUFAs.ConclusionsThe beneficial metabolic effects of ASBT inactivation on diet‐induced obesity depend on decreased intestinal absorption of SFAs, and thus on the dietary fatty acid composition. These findings highlight the importance of dietary fatty acid composition in the therapeutic effects of ASBT inhibition.

Effects of different light regimes on Dunaliella salina growth and β-carotene accumulation

Outdoor cultivations of microalgae for commercial scale production usually rely on natural sunlight following ‘Sine’ regime, but most lab scale studies adopt ‘Block’ or ‘Continuous’ regimes, leading to poor prediction of outdoor cultivation results. To fill this gap on β-carotene production by Dunaliella salina, the effects of light regimes (‘Block’, ‘Sine’, ‘Continuous’) on cell growth and β-carotene accumulation in D. salina were investigated in this study. The results showed significant difference between these regimes. When receiving the same amount of illumination, ‘Sine’ mode inferred 10–55% higher biomass yield and 31–58% higher β-carotene yield than those under the ‘Block’ mode. The biomass concentration, as well as protein and total fatty acid (TFA) content, has no significant difference between different light regimes, but the starch content in the ‘Continuous’ light regime was higher than that of ‘Sine’ and ‘Block’ regime. β-carotene accumulation under ‘Continuous in summer’ and ‘Simulated diurnal irradiance in summer’ regimes were correlated with increase (C18:1, C18:2) and decrease (C16:4, C18:3) of specific fatty acids (FAs) contents, rather than TFA content. Meanwhile, it was found that β-carotene accumulation was correlated with periodical Fv/Fm fluctuations under different light regimes, and indicate that exposure to periodical strong light is more favorable for β-carotene accumulation, rather than continuous light. These results indicated the significance of using ‘Sine’ light regime since it not only provided better predictions on outdoor production, but also helpful for increase biomass and β-carotene productivities.

A predicted transmembrane region in plant diacylglycerol acyltransferase 2 regulates specificity toward very-long-chain acyl-CoAs

Triacylglycerols are the main constituent of seed oil. The specific fatty acid composition of this oil is strongly impacted by the substrate specificities of acyltransferases involved in lipid synthesis, such as the integral membrane enzyme diacylglycerol acyltransferase (DGAT). Two forms of DGAT, DGAT1 and DGAT2, are thought to contribute to the formation of seed oil, and previous characterizations of various DGAT2 enzymes indicate that these often are associated with the incorporation of unusual fatty acids. However, the basis of DGAT2's acyl-donor specificity is not known because of the inherent challenges of predicting structural features of integral membrane enzymes. The recent characterization of DGAT2 enzymes from Brassica napus reveals that DGAT2 enzymes with similar amino acid sequences exhibit starkly contrasting acyl-donor specificities. Here we have designed and biochemically tested a range of chimeric enzymes, substituting parts of these B. napus DGAT2 enzymes with each other, allowing us to pinpoint a region that dramatically affects the specificity toward 22:1-CoA. It may thus be possible to redesign the acyl-donor specificity of DGAT2 enzymes, potentially altering the fatty acid composition of seed oil. Further, the characterization of a DGAT2 chimera between Arabidopsis and B. napus demonstrates that the specificity regulated by this region is transferrable across species. The identified region contains two predicted transmembrane helices that appear to reoccur in a wide range of plant DGAT2 orthologues, suggesting that it is a general feature of plant DGAT2 enzymes.