Eicosapentaenoic acid dietary sources

Either native winterized or concentrated whole-body fish oils or fish liver oils have been utilized in most studies as dietary source of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). The physiological effects and possible health benefits of administered fish oils generally have been attributed to either EPA or DHA alone or to a synergistic effect between the two. As a result, there has been controversy over the contribution of individual fish oil constituents to particular pharmacological actions and the optimal dosages required for achieving established and/or suspected beneficial effects. The predominant marine triglyceride-derived m-3-fatty acids are all-cA-5,8,11,14,17-eicosapentaenoic acid (C20 5i3, EPA) and all-ci.v-4,7,10,13,16,19-docosa-hexaenoic acid (C22 6,3, DHA). 

Alpha-linolenic acid (18 3n-3) is an 18-carbon fatty acid with three double bonds at carbons 9, 12, and 15. It is an essential n-3 fatty acid that is a required nutrient for human beings and can be obtained through diets including both plant and animal sources. Alpha-linolenic acid can be converted by elongases and desaturases to other beneficial n-3 fatty acids, such as eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosa-hexaenoic acid (DHA), which are implicated in normal brain development, normal vision, and a decreased risk of heart disease. Novel dietary sources of n-3 fatty acids are desired for those who do not consume adequate amounts of fish or fish-based food products rich in long-chain n-3 fatty acids. This section summarized fruit, spice, and herb seed oils rich in a-linolenic acid (18 3n-3). These include black raspberry, red raspberry, boysenberry, marionberry, blueberry, cranberry, sea buckthorn, basil, and hemp seed oils. 

Various sources of LC-PUFA for infant formula supplementation are available. They include fish oil, egg phospholipids, and single-cell oil. DHA is available primarily from the marine food chain, i.e., marine fish, shellfish, and algae. Although fish oil is the most readily available source of DHA, it has an undesirably high eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA, 20 5n-3) level, which may interfere with AA status and growth (6). Consequently, the addition of both DHA and AA to infant formulas has been recommended. Egg phospholipid is another dietary source for DHA and AA. Direct addition of egg yolk to formula may produce phospholipid levels far greater than levels found in breast milk. However, a tracer experiment has demonstrated that DHA and AA are better absorbed in phosphoUpid form than in the triacylglyc-eride form found in breast milk and other LC-PUFA sources (7). 

Fish with high fat contents is an important source of long-chain n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) in the human diet, in particular for docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) (EFSA, 2005). On the other side, a wide range of environmental contaminants have been reported to be accumulated in fish that can pose a potential human health hazard (Leonard, 2011). Major contaminations include the different OCPs, PAHs or the widely distributed persistent organic pollutants (POPs) with the polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and the flame retardants compound class of the polybrominated diphenylethers (PBDEs). Also farmed fish can significantly contribute to dietary exposure to various contaminants due to the use of land sourced fish feed. A multi method for efficient control of fish and fish feed for various groups of contaminants from PCBs, OCPs, BFRs (brominated flame retardants) and PAHs is outlined in the following analytical procedure published by Kamila Kalachova et al. (Kalachova et al., 2013). 

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