scholarly journals Nutritional ecology of essential fatty acids: an evolutionary perspective

2011 ◽  
Vol 59 (6) ◽  
pp. 369 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. J. Hulbert ◽  
Sarah K. Abbott

There are four types of fatty acids but only two types are essential nutritional requirements for many animals. These are the omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids (n-6 PUFA) and the omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (n-3 PUFA) and because they cannot be converted to one another they are separate essential dietary requirements. They are only required in small amounts in the diet and their biological importance stems largely from their role as constituents of membrane lipids. They are synthesised by plants and, as a generalisation, green leaves are the source of n-3 PUFA while seeds are the source of n-6 PUFA in the food chain. While the fatty acid composition of storage fats (triglycerides) is strongly influenced by dietary fatty acid composition, this is not the case for membrane fats. The fatty acid composition of membrane lipids is relatively unresponsive to dietary fatty acid composition, although n-3 PUFA and n-6 PUFA can substitute for each in membrane lipids to some extent. Membrane fatty acid composition appears to be regulated and specific for different species. The role of essential fats in the diet of animals on (1) basal metabolic rate, (2) thermoregulation, (3) maximum longevity, and (4) exercise performance is discussed.

Fisheries ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 2020 (5) ◽  
pp. 101-106
Author(s):  
Elena Chupikova ◽  
Konstantin Pavel ◽  
Svetlana Tkachenko

The article analyzes the fatty acid composition of the frozen iwashi lipids of different shelf lives. It is established that the total amount of essential fatty acids omega-3 and omega-6 in iwashi’s fat reaches almost 90% of all polyunsaturated fatty acids and remains practically unchanged for 12 months of fish cold storage. It is shown that products from iwashi contain a significant amount of essential fatty acids, indispensable for the human body, which can be used to optimize the population nutrition and satisfy the physiological needs in eicosopentaenoic and docosahexaenoic fatty acids.


1996 ◽  
Vol 315 (1) ◽  
pp. 329-333 ◽  
Author(s):  
Danielle MARTIN ◽  
Kelly A. MECKLING-GILL

Here we show that in vitro supplementation of L1210 murine lymphoblastic leukaemia cells with n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids results in considerable changes in the fatty acid composition of membrane phospholipids. Incubations for 48 h with 30 μM eicosapentaenoic acid (20:5, n-3; EPA) or docosahexaenoic acid (22:6, n-3; DHA) results primarily in substitution of long-chain n-6 fatty acids with long-chain n-3 fatty acids. This results in a decrease in the n-6/n-3 ratio from 6.9 in unsupplemented cultures to 1.2 or 1.6 for EPA and DHA supplemented cultures, respectively. Coincident with these changes in membrane fatty acid composition, we observed a 5-fold increase in the rate of adenosine (5 μM) uptake via the nitrobenzylthioinosine (NBMPR)-sensitive nucleoside transporter in EPA- and DHA- supplemented L1210 cells, relative to unsupplemented cells. This seemed to result from a decrease in the Km for adenosine from 12.5 μM in unsupplemented cultures to 5.1 μM in DHA-treated cultures. Guanosine (50 μM) transport was similarly affected by DHA with a 3.5-fold increase in the initial rate of uptake. In contrast, pyrimidine transport, as measured by uptake of thymidine and cytidine, was not similarly affected, suggesting that substrate recognition had been altered by fatty acid supplementation. Studies using [3H]NBMPR showed that there was no effect of EPA or DHA on either the number of NBMPR-binding sites or the affinity of these sites for NBMPR. This observation suggests that the increases in adenosine and guanosine transport were not due to increases in the number of transporter sites but rather that EPA and DHA directly or indirectly modulate transporter function.


2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (16) ◽  
pp. e113101623177
Author(s):  
Victor Hugo Maldonado da Cruz ◽  
Geovane Aparecido Ramos da Silva ◽  
Matheus Campos Castro ◽  
Isadora Boaventura Ponhozi ◽  
Patrícia Magalhães de Souza ◽  
...  

This study aimed to evaluate the fatty acid composition of zebrafish fed diets containing linseed oil compared to sunflower oil. First, diets supplemented with linseed and sunflower were formulated, fish were fed for 40 days, and their parts collected for analysis. Diet composition analysis, extraction and derivatization of fatty acids, gas chromatography analysis, RNA extraction and cDNA synthesis, quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR, and statistical analyses were performed. Linseed oil exhibited an omega-3 rich lipid profile. 18:3n-3 content incorporated into the muscle tissue of fish fed linseed oil was 50% higher than that fed sunflower oil. This higher amount of 18:3n-3 favored the production of 20:5n-3 and 22:6n-3 fatty acids by synthetic pathways in the organism since these fatty acids were not initially found in the oil composition. Furthermore, in all analyzed parts of zebrafish that were fed linseed oil, concentration of 20:4n-6 were lower, while 20:5n-3 and 22:6n-3 were higher compared to the same parts fed with sunflower oil. PCR expression assay showed no significant difference, indicating that linseed oil diet was not harmful. Thus, this work evidenced that synthesis of essential fatty acids, primarily omega-3 fatty acids, was greater in zebrafish upon consumption of diets supplemented with linseed oil. 


2012 ◽  
Vol 23 (1) ◽  
pp. 41-46 ◽  
Author(s):  
Albena Merdzhanova ◽  
Mona Stancheva ◽  
Lubomir Makedonski

Abstract The fatty acid compositions of three Black Sea fish species turbot (Pseta maxima), red mullet (Mullusbarbatus ponticus) and garfish (Belone belone) were investigated. This species are considered as preferred for consumption in Bulgaria. Lipid extraction was done according to the Bligh and Dyer method. The fatty acid composition was determined by GC/MS. The saturated fatty acids amounts were 38.32 % for turbot, 35.44 % red mullet and 42.90% for garfish. Monounsaturated fatty acids were found in lowest level in comparison with other groups for garfish (23.65%) and turbot (24.85%) while for red mullet they have a highest value - 37.56%. Omega 3 polyunsaturated fatty acids as eicosapentaenoic (C 20:5 omega 3, EPA) and docosahexaenoic (C 22:6 omega 3, DHA) acids were found in highest levels in turbot (22.26%) and garfish (21.80%) and in lowest values of red mullet (9.35%). The results showed that the fish examined are good source of omega 3 polyunsaturated fatty acids, resulting in a very favourable omega 3 / omega 6 ratios, especially in turbot and garfish


2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zuyi C. Gooley ◽  
Aaron C. Gooley

AbstractA twelve-month study was conducted on changes in fatty acid composition and pesticide residues in honeybees and beebread. In honeybees, saturated fatty acid and monounsaturated fatty acid gradually increased as summer began then decreased when spring started, and polyunsaturated fatty acid had an opposite seasonal trend. Similar fluctuation was observed in the beebread collected from the same hive as those honeybees through summer to fall, especially in the essential fatty acids omega-6 and omega-3. Honeybees’ lipid metabolism can be disrupted after being exposed to a sub-lethal level of pesticide. Although three out of sixteen analyzed pesticides were detected in beebread samples summer through fall in our study, we were not able to find any negative affect of those pesticides on the honeybees’ fatty acid composition. Temporary field-realistic pesticide exposure may weaken honeybees but are unlikely to show any reflection in their fat bodies if the colony was otherwise healthy.


2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_2) ◽  
pp. 1037-1037
Author(s):  
John Miklavcic ◽  
Diana Bickmore ◽  
Laura Glynn

Abstract Objectives Mammalian cells produce extracellular vesicles that function in intercellular communication. There is very little known about the structure of extracellular vesicles that are present in human milk. This research aimed to characterize the fatty acid composition of extracellular vesicles in human milk relative to the whole milk. Methods Mothers (n = 35) provided milk two weeks postpartum and the samples were frozen. Samples were thawed and de-fatted before extracellular vesicles were isolated using a precipitation reagent. The whole milk and corresponding samples of extracellular vesicles were analyzed for total fatty acid composition by liquid chromatography-coupled mass spectrometry. Results Docosahexaenoic (22:6n-3) acid (r,2 = 0.54; P < 0.001) and eicosapentaenoic (20:5n-3) acid (r,2 = 0.62; P < 0.001) content in extracellular vesicles from milk and in the whole milk were highly correlated. Other individual fatty acids (16:0, 18:0, 18:1, 18:2n-6, 18:3n-3, 20:4n-6) and total saturated, unsaturated, and polyunsaturated fatty acids were not significantly correlated in extracellular vesicles from milk and in the whole milk. The content of docosahexaenoic acid and eicosapentaenoic acid were enriched 1.5-fold in the whole milk relative to extracellular vesicles from milk. Linoleic (18:2n-6) acid and alpha-linolenic (18:3n-3) acid were enriched 3- and 2-fold respectively in extracellular vesicles from milk relative to the whole milk. Conclusions Extracellular vesicles in milk are enriched in essential fatty acid precursors (18:2n-6, 18:3n-3) and the whole milk is enriched in long-chain omega-3 products (22:6n-3, 20:5n-3). Polyunsaturated fatty acids are partitioned in human milk extracellular vesicles in a discriminate manner. Funding Sources The research was supported by the NIH and University institutional funds.


PLoS ONE ◽  
2013 ◽  
Vol 8 (11) ◽  
pp. e82399 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kayode A. Balogun ◽  
Carolyn J. Albert ◽  
David A. Ford ◽  
Robert J. Brown ◽  
Sukhinder K. Cheema

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