Harvest Season Significantly Influences the Fatty Acid Composition of Bee Pollen

Seasonal variations in the fatty acid (FA) compositions of pollen loads collected from the Al-Ahsa Oasis in eastern Saudi Arabia throughout one year were determined to identify the optimal season for harvesting bee pollen rich in essential fatty acids (EFAs) and unsaturated fatty acids (UFAs). The highest values (%) of lipids, linolenic acid (C18:3), stearic acid (C18:0), linoleic acid (C18:2), arachidic acid (C20:0), the sum of the C18:0, C18:1, C18:2, and C18:3 concentrations, and EFAs were obtained from bee pollen harvested during autumn. The maximum values (%) of oleic acid (C18:1), palmitic acid (C16:0), UFAs, and the UFA/saturated fatty acid (SFA) ratio were found in bee pollen harvested during summer. The highest concentrations (%) of behenic acid (C22:0), lignoceric acid (C24:0), and SFAs were found in bee pollen harvested during winter. Bee pollen harvested during spring ranked second in its oleic, palmitic, linolenic, stearic, arachidic, behenic, and lignoceric acid concentrations and for EFAs, UFAs, and the UFA/SFA ratio. The lowest SFA concentration was found in bee pollen harvested during summer. Oleic, palmitic, and linolenic acids were the most predominant FAs found in bee pollen. It was concluded that the FA composition of bee pollen varied among the harvest seasons due to the influence of the dominant botanical origins. We recommend harvesting pollen loads during spring and summer to feed honeybee colonies during periods of scarcity and for use as a healthy, nutritious food for humans.

Visceral Adipose Tissue Promotes Pressure-Induced Heart Failure Associated with Circulating Fatty Acids

Visceral adipose tissue (VAT) is the main source of circulating fatty acids (FAs) that provides the energy substrate for the heart. Till now, studies have not shown a clear association between individual circulating FAs and heart failure (HF). In this study, we aimed to investigate the changes in circulating FAs in HF mice and their association with VAT by removing epididymal white adipose tissue (eWAT). Here, we found that the serum levels of four fatty acids, namely arachidic acid, behenic acid, lignoceric acid, and docosapentaenoic acid, were significantly decreased in pressure-induced HF mice via transverse aortic constriction (TAC) surgery accompanied with cardiac enlargement and fibrosis. Most importantly, removal of eWAT in mice led to a significant decrease in the levels of the above-mentioned fatty acids without any significant difference between the HF and sham groups. Accordingly, cardiac enlargement and fibrosis were significantly alleviated. We concluded that VAT excision alleviated TAC-induced cardiac failure by decreasing serum arachidic acid, behenic acid, lignoceric acid, and docosapentaenoic acid levels.

Visceral Adipose Tissue Promotes Pressure-Induced Heart Failure Associated with Circulating Fatty Acids

Visceral adipose tissue (VAT) is the main source of circulating fatty acids (FAs) that provides the energy substrate for the heart. Till now, studies have not shown a clear association between individual circulating FAs and heart failure (HF). In this study, we aimed to investigate the changes in circulating FAs in HF mice and their association with VAT by removing epididymal white adipose tissue (eWAT). Here, we found that the serum levels of four fatty acids, namely arachidic acid, behenic acid, lignoceric acid, and docosapentaenoic acid, were significantly decreased in pressure-induced HF mice via transverse aortic constriction (TAC) surgery accompanied with cardiac enlargement and fibrosis. Most importantly, removal of eWAT in mice led to a significant decrease in the levels of the above-mentioned fatty acids without any significant difference between the HF and sham groups. Accordingly, cardiac enlargement and fibrosis were significantly alleviated. We concluded that VAT excision alleviated TAC-induced cardiac failure by decreasing serum arachidic acid, behenic acid, lignoceric acid, and docosapentaenoic acid levels.

Buddleja asiatica Derived Phytochemicals against Diarrhea

Plants produce nonnutritive compounds that are often extracted to make herbal medicines. It has been reported that extracts of Buddleja asiatica are effective to treat diarrhea. One of the causes of Diarrhea is an infection by Campylobacter jejuni. The objective of the study is to identify the phytochemical of Buddleja asiatica capable of curing Diarrhea. ATP-phosphoribosyl transferase enzyme plays an important role in Purine Metabolism. Molecular docking method applied using “Biovia Discovery Studio”. “High positive values of -CDOCKER energy and -CDOCKER interaction energy” suggested that Lignoceric acid can effectively deactivate the transferase enzyme thereby interrupting the life cycle of the organism.

Overexpression of PGC-1α increases peroxisomal activity and mitochondrial fatty acid oxidation in human primary myotubes

Peroxisomes are indispensable organelles for lipid metabolism in humans, and their biogenesis has been assumed to be under regulation by peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPARs). However, recent studies in hepatocytes suggest that the mitochondrial proliferator PGC-1α (peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma coactivator-1α) also acts as an upstream transcriptional regulator for enhancing peroxisomal abundance and associated activity. It is unknown whether the regulatory mechanism(s) for enhancing peroxisomal function is through the same node as mitochondrial biogenesis in human skeletal muscle (HSkM) and whether fatty acid oxidation (FAO) is affected. Primary myotubes from vastus lateralis biopsies from lean donors (BMI = 24.0 ± 0.6 kg/m2; n = 6) were exposed to adenovirus encoding human PGC-1α or GFP control. Peroxisomal biogenesis proteins (peroxins) and genes ( PEXs) responsible for proliferation and functions were assessed by Western blotting and real-time qRT-PCR, respectively. [1-14C]palmitic acid and [1-14C]lignoceric acid (exclusive peroxisomal-specific substrate) were used to assess mitochondrial oxidation of peroxisomal-derived metabolites. After overexpression of PGC-1α, 1) peroxisomal membrane protein 70 kDa (PMP70), PEX19, and mitochondrial citrate synthetase protein content were significantly elevated ( P < 0.05), 2) PGC-1α, PMP70, key PEXs, and peroxisomal β-oxidation mRNA expression levels were significantly upregulated ( P < 0.05), and 3) a concomitant increase in lignoceric acid oxidation by both peroxisomal and mitochondrial activity was observed ( P < 0.05). These novel findings demonstrate that, in addition to the proliferative effect on mitochondria, PGC-1α can induce peroxisomal activity and accompanying elevations in long-chain and very-long-chain fatty acid oxidation by a peroxisomal-mitochondrial functional cooperation, as observed in HSkM cells.