Variations In Fatty Acid Concentrations Research Articles

Factors affecting composition of fatty acids in wild-growing forest mushrooms

ABSTRACT The importance of mushrooms as a food source is continually increasing. To investigate how environmental factors affect the nutritional value of mushrooms, we harvested them in eastern Poland, south-central Germany, and northwestern Belgium in plots with similar environmental conditions but varying in tree species composition and richness. We used gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC-MS) to analyze the fatty acid (FA) content of the mushrooms. Fungal species identity explained the largest part (40%) of the total variation in FA concentration and composition. Environmental factors accounted for 1–12% of variation. The concentration of FA, especially saturated fatty acids, decreased with increasing understory cover and increasing nitrogen concentration in the topsoil. The effect of tree species richness or tree species identity was negligible. Our results suggest that the nutritional value of mushrooms depends mainly on the species identity of fungi, but that their FA content is slightly higher in forests with less undergrowth and in nitrogen-poor soils.

When are mangrove crabs fat? Seasonal and sexual variation in the fatty acid composition of edible crab species Ucides cordatus from the Brazilian Amazon coast

Fatty acids play important role in several biological processes taking place in crustaceans, such as reproduction and molting. The aim of the current study is to evaluate the seasonal variation in fatty acid concentration and profile in crab species Ucides cordatus exploited in Brazilian mangroves. Eight samplings were performed throughout one year and 30 adult specimens - 15 males and 15 females - were selected - it totaled 240 individuals. Muscle and hepatopancreas were freeze-dried and had their fatty acid profiles analyzed through gas chromatography. Analysis of variance, principal component analysis and cluster analysis were carried out in order to find patterns among sample groups. Sixteen fatty acids were found in hepatopancreas; palmitic acid presented the highest concentration in male (22.25–33.72%) and female individuals (24.97–31.74%). On the other hand, five fatty acids were identified in muscle tissues - linoleic acid was the fatty acid recording the highest concentration in male (20.51–27.49%) and female individuals (21.62–28.05%). Based on multivariate analysis, fatty acid concentrations played major role in group formation. With respect to the hepatopancreas, reproduction and pre-ecdysis phases were more clearly distinguished for female than for male individuals. Higher fatty acid concentrations were found in the muscles of the pos-ecdysis group. Overall, fatty acid concentrations have shown different behaviors for both tissues and for both sexes - the main variations were observed during the breeding and intermolt phases.

Cultivar Determines Fatty Acids and Phenolics Dynamics for Olive Fruit and Oil in Super-High-Density Orchards

The dynamics of maturation index, water and oil concentrations, and total phenols in olive fruit, together with fatty acids and total phenols content in olive oil, was studied as a function of time after flowering for super-high-density ‘Arbequina’, ‘Arbosana’ and ‘Koroneiki’ using data collected in three seasons. Oil concentration increased linearly from the middle of August until reaching a plateau by the end of November for all three cultivars, with ‘Koroneiki’ (45.7 g/100 g) and ‘Arbosana’ (45.4 g/100 g) showing higher maximum oil concentration than ‘Arbequina’ (41.8 g/100 g). While total phenols in the fruit decreased linearly during the harvest for all three cultivars, phenolics in oil peaked at 180 days after flowering (400 mg/kg) for ‘Arbequina’ and at 160 days after flowering (600 mg/kg) for ‘Koroneiki’. For ‘Arbosana’, total phenols in oil decreased linearly with a maximum of 400 mg/kg for early harvest oils. Fatty acid dynamics was largely affected by genotype, with ‘Arbequina’ displaying the largest variation in fatty acid concentrations along the season. ‘Koroneiki’ presented the highest values of oleic acid (73.0–77.1%), followed by ‘Arbosana’ (70.2–72.4%) and ‘Arbequina’ (64.4–74.0%). Results presented here are useful for growers to make planting and harvesting decisions, for producers to understand the differences in oil made from the most common super-high-density cultivars during the harvest seasons, and for regulators to consider legal standards for authentic olive oil.

Influence of Cutting Date on Phenotypic Variation in Fatty Acid Concentrations of Perennial Ryegrass Genotypes from a Breeding Population

Breeding forages for increased fatty acid (FA) concentrations has the potential to improve the FA profile of ruminant products (meat and milk). Twenty perennial ryegrass genotypes from an “experimental” breeding population and four genotypes from a “benchmark” mapping population were used to assess genotypic variation in FAs across a growing season. Mean total FA (TFA) concentration for cuts one through five were 29.0, 31.7, 31.1, 34.4 and 42.0 g kg−1 DM, respectively. Six main individual FAs, namely palmitic acid (C16:0), trans-3-hexadecenoic acid (C16:1Δt3), stearic acid (C18:0), oleic acid (C18:1Δc9), linoleic acid (C18:2Δc9,12) and α-linolenic acid (C18:3Δc9,12,15), accounted for between 90% to 96% of TFA. Population means differed (p < 0.001) for TFA and all individual FAs, expect for C18:2Δc9,12 (p = 0.106). “Benchmark” mapping population on average had 8–44% higher FA concentrations compared to the “experimental” breeding population, except for C18:0 where the mapping population had lower concentrations. Individual genotypes from each population differed for all individual FAs and TFA (p < 0.05), with differences between the lowest and highest concentrations ranging from 8% to 23% amongst the mapping population genotypes and between 20% and 39% for the breeding population genotypes. Cutting date had a strong effect on population and genotype means (p < 0.001) with an overall trend for FA concentrations to increase through the season. However, several significant population and genotype × cutting date interactions were also found highlighting the need for further investigations to strengthen our knowledge and understanding of how genetics and environment interact for this particular trait. Nevertheless, candidate “high-lipid” genotypes were able to be identified using multivariate analysis which could be taken forward into a breeding program aimed at increasing forage FAs.

Changes in fatty acid profile of Bovec sheep milk due to different pasture altitude

Sheep rearing on mountain pastures is an ancestral tradition in northwestern Slovenia. The indigenous Bovec sheep are widespread there and are well adapted to the rough Alpine rearing conditions. Every year, after weaning, the sheep start grazing in the lowlands (L) and then gradually move to mountain pastures, and finally, to the highland (H) pastures of the Alps. Grazing positively affects the fatty acid (FA) composition in sheep milk fat with increased availability of polyunsaturated FA (PUFA) in grass, and subsequently, in milk. Consequently, the objective of this work was to study the FA profile in sheep milk during grazing in four geographical areas in the Alps. A total of 15 ewes of the Bovec sheep breed were randomly selected and milk samples from these ewes were taken at four different pasture locations that differed with regard to altitude: the L pasture location at an altitude of 480 m, the mountain pastures (M1 and M2) at altitudes of 1100 to 1300 m and 1600 to 1900 m, respectively, and the H pastures at altitudes of 2100 to 2200 m. Milk samples from the ewes were taken during the grazing season from April to September. The chemical and FA composition of the milk samples from each pasture location were determined. There were significant differences in the concentrations of FA among the L, M1, M2 and H milk samples. We observed decreases of the concentrations of saturated FA (SFA) in milk from L to H pastures. The concentration of α-linolenic FA, monounsaturated FA (MUFA), PUFA and n-3 PUFA in milk were increased significantly with pasture altitude. The n-6/n-3 PUFA ratio was reduced by the change of pasture altitude with the lowest value at the M1 pasture (1.5). The concentrations of total SFA decreased significantly and was lowest at the L pasture. Our results underline the importance of the effect of grazing in the Alpine region associated with pasture altitude on the FA profile of sheep milk. The first variation in FA concentration in sheep milk occurred between L and M1, although it was more evident on H pastures in the Alpine mountains. Changes of the FA profile in sheep milk due to pasture altitude were related to variation in FA concentration in the pasture and the botanical composition of the pasture location.

Composition of fatty acids in the maternal and umbilical cord plasma of adolescent and adult mothers: relationship with anthropometric parameters of newborn

BackgroundConsidering the importance of long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids to fetal development and the lack of studies that have compared the status of fatty acids between adolescents and adults mothers, the purpose of this study was to evaluate the composition of fatty acids in maternal and umbilical cord plasma from adolescent and adults mothers.MethodsForty pregnant adolescents and forty pregnant adults were selected to assess the distribution profile of fatty acids in the maternal and umbilical cord plasma. Quantification of fatty acids in the total lipids of the sample groups was performed through the use of gas-liquid chromatography.ResultsThe maternal and umbilical cord plasma of the adolescents showed a greater concentration of AA than did that of the adults (P < 0.05). However, a greater percentage of EPA was found in the umbilical cord plasma of the adults (P < 0.05). DHA in the plasma of the adolescent mothers correlated positively to birth weight and head circumference.ConclusionsThis suggests that in situations of greater nutritional risk, as in adolescent pregnancy, n-3PUFA concentrations have a greater influence on the proper development of newborns. Moreover, variations in fatty acid concentrations in the maternal and cord plasma of adolescents and adults may indicate that pregnancy affects the LC-PUFA status of adults and adolescents in distinct ways.

Short communication: Heritability of milk fatty acid composition and stearoyl-CoA desaturase indices in dairy cows

Activity of stearoyl-CoA desaturase (SCD) in the mammary gland is important for determining the relative proportions of saturated and monounsaturated fatty acids in milk and the concentration of the conjugated linoleic acid isomer rumenic acid (RA; cis-9,trans-11 18:2). Previous studies identified a large degree of between-cow variation in SCD activity, which was consistent across diets and suggests a genetic influence. The objectives of this study were to quantify genetic and phenotypic variations in fatty acid concentrations and SCD indices in milk fat and to estimate their heritabilities in a population of United Kingdom dairy cows. Milk samples were collected from 2,408 daughters of 597 Holstein-Friesian sires on 325 commercial farms for determination of fatty acid profiles. Indices of SCD activity were calculated by expressing each SCD product (cis-9 14:1, cis-9 16:1, cis-9 18:1, and RA) as a proportion of the precursor plus product [e.g., SCDI14=cis-9 14:1/(14:0+cis-9 14:1)]. For individual fatty acids, phenotypic variance was considerably greater than additive genetic variance, resulting in small and nonsignificant heritability estimates (± standard error) for all except 6:0 (h2=0.27±0.10), 8:0 (h2=0.27±0.09), 12:0 (h2=0.13±0.07), cis-9 14:1 (h2=0.28±0.10), and cis-9 18:1 (h2=0.12±0.07). Heritability estimates of desaturase indices were significant for SCDI14 (h2=0.38±0.11), SCDI18 (h2=0.19±0.09), and SCDIRA (h2=0.21±0.09), but not for SCDI16 (h2=0.05±0.06). This study provides evidence that additive effects are responsible for a significant proportion of the phenotypic variation in SCD activity in dairy cows. It is concluded that because heritability of desaturase indices is moderate and significant in many cases, these indices could be investigated further for use in future breeding programs to increase concentrations of monounsaturated fatty acids and RA while decreasing concentrations of saturated fatty acids in milk fat.

Fatty acid composition of cow milk fat produced on low-input mountain farms

The fatty acid (FA) composition of bulk milk fat was examined on three mountain dairy farms in the Czech Republic. Milk samples were collected in the period of indoor grass silage feeding (November–April) and in the grazing period (May–October). In total fifty FAs were identified in the milk fat. The two-way ANOVA with factors of the farm and of the period of milk sample collection was used for the evaluation of variation in FA concentrations. Significant differences between the farms (&lt;i&gt;P&lt;/i&gt; &lt; 0.01) were found in the concentration of five FAs, which accounted for 30.40 g/100 g total FAs. Significant differences between the indoor and the grazing period (&lt;i&gt;P&lt;/i&gt; &lt; 0.01) were found in the concentration of sixteen FAs, which accounted for 63.86 g/100 g total FAs. The content of long-chain (&gt; C16), mono- and polyunsaturated FAs in the milk fat was higher in the grazing period (49.22, 31.69 and 4.69 g/100 g total FAs) than in the indoor period (42.25, 27.55 and 4.15 g/100 g total FAs, respectively; &lt;i&gt;P&lt;/i&gt; &lt; 0.01). The proportion of conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) was also higher in the grazing period (1.09 g/100 g total FAs) than in the indoor period (0.74 g/100 g total FAs; &lt;i&gt;P&lt;/i&gt; &lt; 0.01). The medium-chain (C12–C16) and the saturated FAs were more abundant in the milk fat in the indoor period (48.91 and 67.16 g/100 g total FAs) than in the grazing period (41.31 and 62.16 g/100 g total FAs; &lt;i&gt;P&lt;/i&gt; &lt; 0.001 and &lt;i&gt;P&lt;/i&gt; &lt; 0.01; respectively). These results indicated a positive influence of seasonal grazing on the FA profile of cow milk fat as regards its potential health effects in consumers.

Factors affecting the variation in fatty acid concentrations in lean beef from grass‐fed cattle in New Zealand and the implications for human health

Lean beef from grass‐fed cattle was analysed for fatty acid (FA) content to determine the between‐animal variation and the effects of various traits on FA composition, and indices and FA ratios that have human health implications. In Experiment 1, samples were from three muscles from five bulls, five cows, and five heifers. In Experiment 2, samples were from the m. longissimus lumborum of 50 3/4 Jersey 1/4 Limousin and 50 3/4 Limousin 1/4 Jersey cattle, born over 2 years and sired by two bulls. The heifers and steers grazed on similar pastures until slaughter. In both experiments, after adjusting for differences in total FA content of the meat, there were large coefficients of variation (CV) for trans‐vaccenic, cis‐9 trans‐11 conjugated linoleic, and docosahexaenoic acids and low CV for the saturated (SATFA) and monounsaturated FA (MUFA), and intermediate CV for other FA. There were significant effects of muscle and animal types in Experiment 1 and of breed, sire, sex, and year‐born in Experiment 2 on the composition and content of individual and groups of FA, especially the polyunsaturated FA (PUFA). The n‐6:n‐3, PUFA:SATFA, and MUFA: SATFA ratios, and the indices for atherogenicity and thrombogenicity, traits that have human health implications, were affected by factors in both experiments, but absolute differences were small. The conclusions were that the FA composition of lean grass‐fed beef could be changed by traditional means to improve the human health image of beef, but the impact would be small and progress slow. More progress was likely from selecting for beneficial FA than against undesirable SATFA.

Relationship between serum lipids, lipoproteins and pseudocholinesterase during organophosphate poisoning in rabbits

1. 1. The activities of serum pseudocholinesterase, lecitin: cholesterol acyltransferase (LCAT) and γ-glutamyltransferase in rabbits were investigated before and after dichlorvos administration in vivo. The effects of this organophosphate on some serum lipids and lipoprotein fractions were also determined. 2. 2. LCAT activity remained almost unaffected after organophosphate administration. However, serum γ-glutamyltransferase and pseudocholinesterase activities markedly decreased. 3. 3. Dichlorvos markedly lowered both serum low density lipoprotein (LDL) and cholesterol contents, whereas high density lipoprotein (HDL) concentration increased and very low density lipoprotein (VLDL) remained unaffected. Triglycerides as well as esterified fatty acids increased significantly but the statistical changes in free fatty acid concentrations were not significant, because individual variations in fatty acid concentrations were high.