Docosahexaenoic acid

About: Docosahexaenoic acid is a research topic. Over the lifetime, 14412 publications have been published within this topic receiving 620852 citations. The topic is also known as: all-cis-DHA & all-cis-docosa-4,7,10,13,16,19-hexaenoic acid.

Effect of the polyunsaturated fatty acid composition of beef muscle on the profile of aroma volatiles.

Abstract: The effect of n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) in beef muscle on the composition of the aroma volatiles produced during cooking was measured. The meat was obtained from groups of steers fed different supplementary fats: (i) a palm-oil-based control; (ii) bruised whole linseed, which increased muscle levels of alpha-linolenic (C18:3 n-3) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA, C20:5 n-3); (iii) fish oil, which increased EPA and docosahexaenoic acid (C22:6 n-3); (iv) equal quantities of linseed and fish oil. Higher levels of lipid oxidation products were found in the aroma extracts of all of the steaks with increased PUFA content, after cooking. In particular, n-alkanals, 2-alkenals, 1-alkanols, and alkylfurans were increased up to 4-fold. Most of these compounds were derived from the autoxidation of the more abundant mono- and di-unsaturated fatty acids during cooking, and such autoxidation appeared to be promoted by increased levels of PUFAs.

Fish offal recycling by the black soldier fly produces a foodstuff high in omega-3 fatty acids

Abstract: .— The black soldier fly, Hermetia illucens, has the potential to reduce animal waste on livestock facilities and produce an animal-grade feedstuff high in protein and fat. The lipid content of insects is largely dependent on their diet. Data from this study suggest that black soldier fly prepupae incorporate α-linolenic acid (ALA), eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) when fish offal is included in their diet. Fly larvae were fed three different proportions of fish offal and cow manure diets over a 21-d trial. An additional group of larvae were fed 22% fish offal diet within 24 h of their pupation. Larvae fed fish offal were, on average, 30% lipid, which was 43% more than the controls fed cow manure only, and approximately 3% of this lipid was omega-3 fatty acids (EPA, DHA, and ALA). Furthermore, this concentration of omega-3 fatty acids was achieved within 24 h of feeding fish offal. These omega-3 fatty-acid-enhanced prepupae may be a suitable fish meal and fish oil replacement for carnivorous fish and other animal diets. In addition, they may provide a method of reducing and recycling fish offal from processing plants.

Polyunsaturated fatty acids of marine origin induce adiponectin in mice fed a high-fat diet.

Abstract: Aims/hypothesis: Diets rich in n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids, namely eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), protect against insulin resistance and obesity in rodents and increase insulin sensitivity in healthy humans. We tested whether the anti-diabetic effects of EPA and DHA involve enhanced production of the endogenous insulin sensitiser, adiponectin. Methods: We studied the effects, in an obesity-promoting high-fat diet, of partial replacement of vegetable oils by EPA/DHA concentrate (6% EPA, 51% DHA) over a 5-week period in adult male C57BL/6J mice that either had free access to food or had their food intake restricted by 30%. At the end of the treatment, systemic markers of lipid and glucose metabolism and full-length adiponectin and leptin were measured. Adiponectin (Adipoq) and leptin (Lep) gene expression in dorsolumbar and epididymal white adipose tissue (WAT) and isolated adipocytes was quantified and adipokine production from WAT explants evaluated. Results: In mice with free access to food, plasma triacylglycerols, NEFA, and insulin levels were lower in the presence of EPA/DHA, while glucose and leptin levels were not significantly altered. Food restriction decreased plasma triacylglycerols, glucose, insulin and leptin, but not adiponectin. EPA/DHA increased plasma adiponectin levels, independent of food intake, reflecting the stimulation of Adipoq expression in adipocytes and the release of adiponectin from WAT, particularly from epididymal fat. Expression of Lep and the release of leptin from WAT, while being extremely sensitive to caloric restriction, was unaltered by EPA/DHA. Conclusions/interpretation: Intake of diets rich in EPA and DHA leads to elevated systemic concentrations of adiponectin, largely independent of food intake or adiposity and explain, to some extent, their anti-diabetic effects.

Essential Fatty acids - a review.

Abstract: Essential fatty acids (EFAs): cis-linoleic acid (LA) and alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) are essential for humans and their deficiency is rare in humans due to their easy availability in diet. EFAs are metabolized to their respective long-chain metabolites: dihomo-gamma-linolenic acid (DGLA), and arachidonic acid (AA) from LA; and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) from ALA. Some of these long-chain metabolites form precursors to respective prostaglandins (PGs), thromboxanes (TXs), and leukotrienes (LTs), lipoxins (LXs) and resolvins. EFAs and their metabolites may function as endogenous angiotensin converting enzyme and HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors, nitric oxide enhancers, anti-hypertensives, and anti-atherosclerotic molecules. EFAs react with nitric oxide (NO) to yield respective nitroalkene derivatives that have cell-signaling actions via ligation and activation of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPARs). In several diseases such as obesity, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, coronary heart disease, alcoholism, schizophrenia, Alzheimer's disease, atherosclerosis, and cancer the metabolism of EFAs is altered. Thus, EFAs and their derivatives have significant clinical implications.

Fatty Acid Composition of Human Brain Phospholipids During Normal Development

Abstract: The fatty acid composition of phosphatidylethanolamine (PE), ethanolamine plasmalogens (EPs), phosphatidylserine (PS), phosphatidylcholine (PC), and sphingomyelin was studied in 22 human forebrains, ranging in age from 26 prenatal weeks to 8 postnatal years. Phospholipids were separated by two-dimensional TLC, and the fatty acid methyl esters studied by capillary column GLC. Docosahexaenoic acid (22:6n-3) increased with age in PE and PC, whereas arachidonic acid (20:4n-6) remained quite constant. In EP, 22:6n-3 increased less markedly than 20:4n-6, adrenic (22:4n-6) and oleic (18:1n-9) acids being the predominant fatty acids during postnatal age. In PS, 18:1n-9 increased dramatically throughout development, and 20:4n-6 and 22:4n-6 increased only until approximately 6 months of age. Although 22:6n-3 kept quite constant during development in PS, its percentage decreased due to the accretion of other polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs). As a characteristic myelin lipid, sphingomyelin was mainly constituted by very long chain saturated and monounsaturated fatty acids. Among them, nervonic acid (24:1n-9) was the major very long chain fatty acid in Sp, followed by 24:0, 26:1n-9, and 26:0, and its accretion after birth was dramatic. As myelination advanced, 18:1n-9 increased markedly in all four glycerophospholipids, predominating in EP, PS, and PC. In contrast, 22:6n-3 was the most important PUFA in PE in the mature forebrain.