Market potential of lignans and omega-3 functional cookies

2016 ◽  
Vol 118 (10) ◽  
pp. 2420-2433 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nikolina Cukelj ◽  
Predrag Putnik ◽  
Dubravka Novotni ◽  
Saša Ajredini ◽  
Bojana Voucko ◽  
...  

Purpose Cookies were not generally viewed as functional contributors to well-being as they are primarily perceived as confectionery products. The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the potential of flaxseed-enriched cookies as carriers of lignans and omega-3 fatty acids – functional compounds that are lacking in the western diet. Design/methodology/approach An online questionnaire collected data from Croatian consumers (n=1,035). The majority of the samples were women (73 per cent) in the age range 15-65 years (97 per cent). Most participants were employed, had a higher education degree, and lived in urban areas. Questions examined the consumption of cookies and flaxseed, interest for functional cookies, nutritional knowledge, and awareness. Findings Majority of subjects consumed cookies (93 per cent), while 61 per cent did not eat flaxseed or ate it less than once a month. The consumers showed elevated interest for the functional cookies with flaxseed, among which elderly women with higher nutrition awareness, and nutrition knowledge were the most interested. Functional cookies with flaxseed could be used for delivery of lignans and omega-3 fatty acids in everyday diet, but in order to reach wider range of consumers producers might benefit from employing nutritional educational marketing campaigns. Originality/value Data from the study decreased scarcity of information on consumer behaviour related to flaxseed consumption and on potential use of cookies as a functional food. Reported findings will be useful to dieticians, food industry, and food researchers in countries with a high prevalence of cookie consumption.

mBio ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jhih-Hang Jiang ◽  
Karl A. Hassan ◽  
Stephanie L. Begg ◽  
Thusitha W. T. Rupasinghe ◽  
Varsha Naidu ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT Free fatty acids hold important immune-modulatory roles during infection. However, the host’s long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids, not commonly found in the membranes of bacterial pathogens, also have significant broad-spectrum antibacterial potential. Of these, the omega-6 fatty acid arachidonic acid (AA) and the omega-3 fatty acid decosahexaenoic acid (DHA) are highly abundant; hence, we investigated their effects on the multidrug-resistant human pathogen Acinetobacter baumannii. Our analyses reveal that AA and DHA incorporate into the A. baumannii bacterial membrane and impact bacterial fitness and membrane integrity, with DHA having a more pronounced effect. Through transcriptional profiling and mutant analyses, we show that the A. baumannii β-oxidation pathway plays a protective role against AA and DHA, by limiting their incorporation into the phospholipids of the bacterial membrane. Furthermore, our study identified a second bacterial membrane protection system mediated by the AdeIJK efflux system, which modulates the lipid content of the membrane via direct efflux of lipids other than AA and DHA, thereby providing a novel function for this major efflux system in A. baumannii. This is the first study to examine the antimicrobial effects of host fatty acids on A. baumannii and highlights the potential of AA and DHA to protect against A. baumannii infections. IMPORTANCE A shift in the Western diet since the industrial revolution has resulted in a dramatic increase in the consumption of omega-6 fatty acids, with a concurrent decrease in the consumption of omega-3 fatty acids. This decrease in omega-3 fatty acid consumption has been associated with significant disease burden, including increased susceptibility to infectious diseases. Here we provide evidence that DHA, an omega-3 fatty acid, has superior antimicrobial effects upon the highly drug-resistant pathogen Acinetobacter baumannii, thereby providing insights into one of the potential health benefits of omega-3 fatty acids. The identification and characterization of two novel bacterial membrane protective mechanisms against host fatty acids provide important insights into A. baumannii adaptation during disease. Furthermore, we describe a novel role for the major multidrug efflux system AdeIJK in A. baumannii membrane maintenance and lipid transport. This core function, beyond drug efflux, increases the appeal of AdeIJK as a therapeutic target.


2016 ◽  
Vol 84 (4) ◽  
pp. 1205-1213 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sara L. Svahn ◽  
Marcus A. Ulleryd ◽  
Louise Grahnemo ◽  
Marcus Ståhlman ◽  
Jan Borén ◽  
...  

Sepsis caused byStaphylococcus aureusis increasing in incidence. With the alarming use of antibiotics,S. aureusis prone to become methicillin resistant. Antibiotics are the only widely used pharmacological treatment for sepsis. Interestingly, mice fed high-fat diet (HFD) rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids have better survival ofS. aureus-induced sepsis than mice fed HFD rich in saturated fatty acids (HFD-S). To investigate what component of polyunsaturated fatty acids, i.e., omega-3 or omega-6 fatty acids, exerts beneficial effects on the survival ofS. aureus-induced sepsis, mice were fed HFD rich in omega-3 or omega-6 fatty acids for 8 weeks prior to inoculation withS. aureus. Further, mice fed HFD-S were treated with omega-3 fatty acid metabolites known as resolvins. Mice fed HFD rich in omega-3 fatty acids had increased survival and decreased bacterial loads compared to those for mice fed HFD-S afterS. aureus-induced sepsis. Furthermore, the bacterial load was decreased in resolvin-treated mice fed HFD-S afterS. aureus-induced sepsis compared with that in mice treated with vehicle. Dietary omega-3 fatty acids increase the survival ofS. aureus-induced sepsis by reversing the deleterious effect of HFD-S on mouse survival.


2017 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Cristina Menni ◽  
Jonas Zierer ◽  
Tess Pallister ◽  
Matthew A. Jackson ◽  
Tao Long ◽  
...  

Author(s):  
Maoge Zang ◽  
Felise G. Adams ◽  
Karl A. Hassan ◽  
Bart A. Eijkelkamp

The global distribution of multidrug resistance in A. baumannii has necessitated seeking not only alternative therapeutic approaches but also the means to limit the development of resistance in clinical settings. Highly abundant host bioactive compounds, such as polyunsaturated fatty acids, are readily acquired by A. baumannii during infection and have been illustrated to impact the bacterium’s membrane composition and antibiotic resistance.


2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Somaye Fatahi ◽  
Fahime Haghighatdoost ◽  
Bagher Larijani ◽  
Pamela J. Surkan ◽  
Leila Azadbakht

Purpose Recent research has suggested the beneficial effects of omega-3 fatty acids on kidney function; however, differences in these benefits have not been well-documented with respect to different omega-3 fatty acid sources. Hence, the purpose of this study is to compare the effects of plants, marine sources of omega-3 fatty acids and their combination on biomarkers of renal function in overweight and obese individuals. Design/methodology/approach Ninety-nine overweight and obese women from a weight loss clinic received three weight-reducing diets with fish (300 g/week), walnuts (18 walnuts/week) or fish + walnuts (150 g fish + 9 walnuts/week) for 12 weeks. Serum biomarkers of renal function were measured at the beginning and the end of the intervention. Findings After 12 weeks, a reduction in serum creatinine was statistically higher for both the fish + walnut (−0.16 ± 0.09 mg/dL, p = 0.001) and walnut (−0.15 ± 0.05 mg/dL, p = 0.001) diets compared with the fish diet (−0.05 ± 0.04 mg/dL). A significant decrease was seen in blood urea nitrogen (BUN) level in the fish + walnut group (−0.12 ± 0.05 mg/dL, p = 0.03) and walnut group (−0.10 ± 0.04 mg/dL, p = 0.03) compared to the fish group (−0.05 ± 0.03 mg/dL). The effect of serum creatinine and BUN in the fish + walnut diet group was relatively higher than in the walnut diet group. Also, a significant difference was observed regarding weight loss in the fish + walnut diet (−7.2 ± 0.9 kg, p = 0.03) compared to in the other groups. The change in other indices was not different among the three diets. Originality/value This study found synergistic benefits of the plant and marine omega-3 fatty acids in reducing serum creatinine, BUN and weight compared with isolated marine omega-3s in overweight and obese women.


Author(s):  
Hadeer Zakaria ◽  
Tarek M. Mostafa ◽  
Gamal A. El-Azab ◽  
Nagy AH Sayed-Ahmed

Abstract. Background: Elevated homocysteine levels and malnutrition are frequently detected in hemodialysis patients and are believed to exacerbate cardiovascular comorbidities. Omega-3 fatty acids have been postulated to lower homocysteine levels by up-regulating metabolic enzymes and improving substrate availability for homocysteine degradation. Additionally, it has been suggested that prevention of folate depletion by vitamin E consumption decreases homocysteine levels. However, data on the effect of omega-3 fatty acids and/or vitamin E on homocysteine levels and nutritional status have been inconclusive. Therefore, this study was planned to examine the effect of combined supplementation of fish oil, as a source of omega-3 fatty acids, with wheat germ oil, as a source of vitamin E, on homocysteine and nutritional indices in hemodialysis patients. Methods: This study was a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. Forty-six hemodialysis patients were randomly assigned to two equally-sized groups; a supplemented group who received 3000 mg/day of fish oil [1053 mg omega-3 fatty acids] plus 300 mg/day of wheat germ oil [0.765 mg vitamin E], and a matched placebo group who received placebo capsules for 4 months. Serum homocysteine and different nutritional indices were measured before and after the intervention. Results: Twenty patients in each group completed the study. At the end of the study, there were no significant changes in homocysteine levels and in the nutritional indices neither in the supplemented nor in the placebo-control groups (p > 0.05). Conclusions: Fish oil and wheat germ oil combination did not produce significant effects on serum homocysteine levels and nutritional indices of hemodialysis patients.


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