Liver development, polyunsaturated fatty

Arbuckle, L. D., MacKinnon, M. J., and Innis, S. M. (1994). Fonnula lS 2(n-6) and 18 3(n 3) content and ratio influence long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids in the developing piglet liver and central nervous system, f. Wufr 124, 2S9-298. 

Flavors and aromas commonly associated with seafoods have been intensively investigated in the past forty years ( l-7), but the chemical basis of these flavors has proven elusive and difficult to establish. Oxidized fish oils can be described as painty, rancid or cod-liver-oil like (j ), and certain volatile carbonyls arising from the autoxidation of polyunsaturated fatty acids have emerged as the principal contributors to this type of fish-like aroma ( 3, 5, 9-10). Since oxidized butterfat (9, 11-12) and oxidized soybean and linseed oils (13) also can develop similar painty, fish-like aromas, confusion has arisen over the compounds and processes that lead to fish-like aromas. Some have believed that the aromas of fish simply result from the random autoxidation of the polyunsaturated fatty acids of fish lipids (14-17). This view has often been retained because no single compound appears to exhibit an unmistakable fish aroma. Still, evidence has been developed which indicates that a relatively complex mixture of autoxidatively-derived volatiles, including the 2,4-heptadienals, the 2,4-decadienals, and the 2,4,7-decatrienals together elicit unmistakable, oxidized fish-oil aromas (3, 9, 18). Additionally, reports also suggest that contributions from (Z -4-heptenal may add characteristic notes to the cold-store flavor of certain fish, especially cod (4-5). 

Sinclair AJ. Incorporation of radioactive polyunsaturated fatty acids into liver and brian of developing rat. Lipids 1975 10(3) 175-184. 

Cook HW. In vitro formation of polyunsaturated fatty acids by desaturation in rat brain some properties of the enzymes in developing brain and comparisons with liver. J Neurochem 1978 30 1327-1334. Cowan WM. The development of the brain. In The Brain. New York Scientific American 241 (3) 113—133. Crastes de Paulet P, Sarda P, Boulot P, Crastes de Paulet A. Fatty acids blood composition in fetal and... 

Sinclair, A.J. (1975) Incorporation of Radioactive Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids into Liver and Brain of the Developing Rat, Lipids 10,175-184. 

Figure 1.2 High-performance thin-layer chromatogram of methyl esters of fatty acids, showing separation based on unsaturation. The plates were developed in the solvent system hexane/ diethyl ether, 92 8 vol./vol. a = a standard mixture of tetracosaenoic (24 1 vol./vol.) and docosahexaenoic (22 6 vol./vol.) fatty acid methyl esters b = sea scallop lipids c = dogfish liver d = menhaden e = redfish f=rapeseed g = cod liver. Reproduced with permission from Shantha, N. C. and Ackman, R. G., Silica gel thin-layer chromatographic method for concentration of longer-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids from food and marine lipids, Canadian Institute oj Food Science and Technology Journal, 24, 156-60, 1991.

In addition, in vivo C MR spectroscopy has been applied to the study of adipose tissue composition in disease. Children with cystic fibrosis were shown to have lower levels of polyunsaturated adipose tissue fatty acids than healthy children, possibly owing to a disorder in essential fatty acid metabolism that may be partly responsible for the development of the disease. Further studies with in vivo MRS in disease have shown a significant increase in saturated adipose tissue fatty acids following transplantation and subsequent weight gain in malnourished patients with liver cirrhosis. It was suggested that this increase in saturated fatty acids may be secondary to a general repletion of membrane polyunsaturated fatty acids or the use of essential fatty acids for biosynthesis of eicosanoids in the postoperative period. 

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