Comparative Study of Astaxanthin, Cholesterol, Fatty Acid Profiles, and Quality Indices Between Shrimp Oil Extracted From Hepatopancreas and Cephalothorax

Shrimp oil from two different portions of Pacific white shrimp including cephalothorax and hepatopancreas was extracted using the mixture of hexane/isopropanol (1:1). The extracted oils from the cephalothorax (CPO) and hepatopancreas (HPO) were characterized for astaxanthin content, cholesterol levels, and fatty acid profiles. Nutrition indices of CPO and HPO were also compared. CPO had lower extraction yield (3.2 ± 0.1%, wet weight basis) than HPO (11.1 ± 0.5%, wet weight basis). High-performance liquid chromatography results indicated that the astaxanthin content in HPO was higher, compared to that of CPO. Nevertheless, the cholesterol level in HPO was 70% lower than that of CPO. Fatty acid profiles of HPO and CPO demonstrated that the polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) content in HPO was higher than that of CPO. The amount of docosahexaenoic acid in the former was ~2 times higher than that of the latter. HPO contained 42.76 ± 0.36% PUFA, whereas PUFA content of CPO was 35.27 ± 0.19%. On the other hand, saturated fatty acids (SFA) were more pronounced in CPO (38.44 ± 0.26%) than HPO (30.82 ± 0.55%). Based on nutrition indices, namely, atherogenicity index, thrombogenicity index, hypocholesterolemic/hypercholesterolemic (h/H) ratio, and PUFA/SFA ratio, HPO possessed higher health benefit than CPO. The oxidation status of CPO and HPO measured in terms of peroxide value, thiobarbituric acid reactive substances, anisidine value, and conjugated dienes indicated that higher primary oxidation products were present in CPO, whereas HPO exhibited more secondary oxidation compounds. Fourier transform infrared spectra further substantiated the presence of oxidation products in CPO and HPO. Liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry identification showed the enhanced levels of phospholipids and glycolipids in the ethanolic fraction of CPO. Overall, HPO with a higher yield was more beneficial in terms of health benefits than CPO.

The dietary arachidonic acid improved growth and immunity of honey bee (Apis mellifera ligustica)

Honeybees cannot synthesize arachidonic acid (ARA) themselves, only obtain it from food. Most pollen is deficient or contains a small amount of ARA. The necessity of supplementary ARA in bees’ diet has not been studied. The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of dietary ARA levels on the growth and immunity of Apis mellifera ligustica. A total of 25 honeybee colonies were randomly assigned to five dietary groups which were fed basic diets supplemented with 0, 2, 4, 6, and 8% of ARA. The diet with 4% ARA improved the body weight of newly emerged worker bees compared with the control group. Supplement of ARA in honeybee diets changed the fatty acid composition of honeybee body. SFA and MUFA contents of bees’ body declined, and PUFA content rised in the ARA group. Compared with the control group, the supplement of ARA in honeybee diets increased the contents of ARA, C22:6n-3 (DHA) and C18:3n-6 in bees’ body significantly, but decreased the contents of C16:1 and C18:3n-3. The diet supplied with 4% ARA reduced the mortality rate of honeybee infected with Escherichia coli. The activity of immune enzymes (phenoloxidase, antitrypsin, and lysozyme) and the mRNA expression levels of immune genes (defensin-2, toll, myd88, and dorsal) were improved by ARA diets to varying degrees depending on the ARA levels, especially 4% ARA. These results suggested that dietary ARA could improve the growth, survival, and immune functions of honeybees. Supplement of ARA in bees’ diet would be valuable for the fitness of honeybees.

The effect of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) and organic labeling on Swiss consumers’ acceptance of pork salami

Pork salami with a high content of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) may be unappealing for consumers as it is more prone to the development of off-flavors and a “greasy” texture. In Switzerland, a share of more than 15.5% PUFA in back fat is penalized with a payment deduction of minimally CHF 0.10 per kilogram carcass weight. In this study, we aimed to assess the effect of different PUFA levels and organic labeling on Swiss consumers’ acceptance of pork salami. We conducted a sensory consumer experiment, following a two-factorial treatment structure, crossing the factor “PUFA level” (15.4% PUFA in back fat vs. 18.3% PUFA in back fat) and the factor “information on production system” (blind vs. non-organic vs. organic). Consumer acceptance was captured using a 9-point hedonic scale for overall liking and an open-ended willingness to pay question. Furthermore, participants had the opportunity to comment on their sensory experience for each product in an open text question. An increased PUFA content in back fat of 18.3% vs. 15.4% did not lead to a significant difference in consumer acceptance of pork salami in either of the three information conditions, even though, as identified in the analysis of open comments, the high-PUFA salami tended to be more often perceived as “softer” and/or “more greasy”. In contrast, consumer acceptance of both the high- and low-PUFA salami was significantly higher under the “organic” than under either the “non-organic” or blind tasting conditions. Based on this study, a PUFA content in back fat of up to 18% is not expected to have a negative impact on consumer acceptance of pork salami. Therefore, and based on previous findings, we recommend to adapt the Swiss pork fat quality grading system to account for this higher acceptable PUFA limit of 18%. Future research should further explore trade-offs between sensory quality, sustainability, and healthiness while taking consumers’ heterogeneity into account.

Ginseng Prong Added to Broiler Diets Reduces Lipid Peroxidation in Refrigerated and Frozen Stored Poultry Meats

Fatty acid content and lipid oxidation products were compared in chicken breast and leg meats derived from birds fed on animal-fat- and vegetable-oil-based diets, supplemented with ginseng prong powder. The first experiment examined polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) content and the formation of primary and secondary lipid oxidation products in meats stored at refrigeration temperatures (4 °C) for up to 10 days, while the second experiment examined similar changes in the poultry meats when frozen stored at −18 °C, for up to six months. Results showed that initial lipid hydroperoxide concentrations increased in both breast and leg meat within the first week of refrigerated storage and also was ongoing during the first three to four months of frozen storage. A higher (p < 0.05) PUFA content in leg meat, especially in broilers fed a vegetable-oil-blended diet, corresponded to greater tendency for generation of primary lipid oxidation products after refrigerated and frozen storage (p < 0.05). The inclusion of powdered ginseng prong in broiler diets significantly inhibited (p < 0.05) secondary lipid oxidation products (e.g., malonaldehyde [MDA]) formation in both stored leg and breast meat, compared to controls. Significant interactions (p < 0.05) were obtained for storage time and inclusion of ginseng against production of primary and secondary lipid oxidation in broiler breast and leg meats from broilers fed PUFA-containing diets. We conclude that including ginseng prong in broiler growing diets represents a viable strategy to control lipid oxidation in refrigerated/cold-stored meat products.

Study the molecule species of phosphatidylethanolamine class in soft coral \(\textit{Sinularia flexibilis}\) lipid at different times of the year

Samples of soft coral Sinularia flexibilis were collected in February, May, August, November in Nha Trang, Khanh Hoa. The content of molecular species in phosphatidylethanolamine class in the lipid of obtained coral samples has been determined. Identified 14 types of PE molecule species, in which the alkenylacyl PE 18:1e/20:4 has the highest concentration, ranging from 51.35% to 63.16% in 4 samples, the highest and lowest concentrations were in a sample collected in August and November, respectively. Samples collected in August and May have a lower diacyl PE ratio than samples collected in November and February. This study identified the lowest alkylacyl and the highest alkenylacyl concentration in a sample collected in August. The fatty acids present in this class are 17:1, 18:1, 18:2, 19:1, 20:4, and 24:5. The percentage of the total content of molecule species by each fatty acid is similar between months. The total content of molecule species containing 20:4n fatty acids was 80.08–84.27% of the PE class, and the difference was not significant in 4 coral samples. There was an inverse correlation between the total content of molecule species containing 20:4n PUFA and the total content of 20:4n fatty acid and the proportional correlation between the content of PE molecule species containing 24:5n PUFA content of 24:5n fatty acid in total fatty acids.

MicroRNA-mRNA Regulatory Networking Fine-Tunes Polyunsaturated Fatty Acid Synthesis and Metabolism in the Inner Mongolia Cashmere Goat

Fatty acid composition is an important aspect of meat quality in ruminants. Improving the beneficial fatty acid level in cashmere goat meat is important to its economic value. To investigate microRNAs (miRNAs) and mRNAs that regulate or coregulate polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) synthesis and metabolism in the Inner Mongolia cashmere goat, we used longissimus dorsi muscle (WLM) and biceps femoris muscle (WBM) for transcript-level sequencing. RT-qPCR was used to evaluate the expression of mRNAs and miRNAs associated with PUFA synthesis and metabolism. The total PUFA content in the WBM was significantly higher than that in the WLM (P &lt; 0.05). Our study is the first to systematically report miRNAs in cashmere goat meat. At the mRNA level, 20,375 genes were identified. ACSL1, CD36 and TECRL were at the center of a gene regulatory network and contributed significantly to the accumulation and metabolic regulation of fatty acids. At the miRNA level, 426 known miRNAs and 30 novel miRNAs were identified. KEGG analysis revealed that the miRNA target genes were involved mainly in the PPAR signaling pathway. The mRNA-miRNA coregulation analysis showed that ACSL1 was negatively targeted by nine miRNAs: chi-miR-10a-5p, chi-miR-10b-5p, chi-miR-130b-5p, chi-miR-15a-5p_R-1, chi-miR-15b-5p, chi-miR-16a-5p, chi-miR-16b-5p, chi-miR-181c-5p_R+1, and chi-miR-26b-5p. Finally, we speculated that the simultaneous silencing of ACSL1 by one or more of these nine miRNAs through PPAR signaling led to low ACSL1 expression in the WLM and, ultimately to high PUFA content in the WBM. Our study helps elucidate the metabolic regulation of fatty acids in Inner Mongolia cashmere goats.

Environmental factors regulate the fatty acid content of primary producers and consumers in a freshwater pond in a warming world

Examining the impact of abiotic factors on the fatty acid profile of freshwater organisms is an important step in predicting the potential effects of climate change. I designed and deployed a heating system to manipulate the water temperature of a large mesocosm (>300,000 L) within a pond to simulate future predictions. Heating was observed near the piping system but not throughout the water column. In a separate experiment, the seasonal and depth-related variance in biomass and polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) content of aquatic biofilm, grown on artificial substrates (unglazed ceramic tiles) was examined. Although summer biofilm typically had higher biomass and higher PUFA yield, fall biofilm typically contained higher PUFA content (standardized for biomass). Similarly, deeper biofilm accumulated higher organic matter but contained lower standardized PUFA content. These results suggest that abiotic factors may play a key role in determining the availability of nutritionally-important fatty acids in freshwater ecosystems.

Environmental factors regulate the fatty acid content of primary producers and consumers in a freshwater pond in a warming world

Examining the impact of abiotic factors on the fatty acid profile of freshwater organisms is an important step in predicting the potential effects of climate change. I designed and deployed a heating system to manipulate the water temperature of a large mesocosm (>300,000 L) within a pond to simulate future predictions. Heating was observed near the piping system but not throughout the water column. In a separate experiment, the seasonal and depth-related variance in biomass and polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) content of aquatic biofilm, grown on artificial substrates (unglazed ceramic tiles) was examined. Although summer biofilm typically had higher biomass and higher PUFA yield, fall biofilm typically contained higher PUFA content (standardized for biomass). Similarly, deeper biofilm accumulated higher organic matter but contained lower standardized PUFA content. These results suggest that abiotic factors may play a key role in determining the availability of nutritionally-important fatty acids in freshwater ecosystems.

Salmonids as Natural Functional Food Rich in Omega-3 PUFA

Salmonids are valuable fish in the human diet due to their high content of bioactive omega-3 very long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acid (VLC PUFA). The aim of this study was to assess the omega-3 VLC PUFA content in selected salmonid fish present on the food market regarding whether they were farm-raised or wild. It was assumed that farm-raised fish, by eating well-balanced feed enriched with omega-3 PUFA, might contain omega-3 VLC PUFA in levels similar to that of wild fish. Fat content, fatty acid composition and omega-3 VLC PUFA content in fish fillets were measured. Farm-raised salmon from Norway, wild Baltic salmon, farm-raised rainbow trout and brown trout were bought from a food market whereas wild trout (rainbow and brown) were caught alive. The fat content in fish ranged from 3.3 to 8.0 g/100 g of fillet. It was confirmed that although wild salmonid fish contain 10–25% more omega-3 VLC PUFA in lipid fraction, the farm-raised ones, due to the 60–100% higher fat content, are an equally rich source of these desirable fatty acids in the human diet. One serving (130 g) of salmonid fish fillets might provide a significant dose of omega-3 VLC PUFA, from 1.2 to 2.5 g. Thus, due to very high content of bioactive fatty acids eicosapentaenoic (EPA), docosapentaenoic (DPA) and docosahexaenoic (DHA) in their meat, salmonid fish currently present on the food market, both sea and freshwater as well as wild and farm-raised, should be considered as natural functional food.