Long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids

The red microalga genus Porphyridium is a source of biochemicals possessing nutritional and therapeutic values. The biochemicals include polysaccharides that have anti-inflammatory and antiviral properties, long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids, carotenoids such as zeaxanthin, and fluorescent phycobiliproteins. 

Huang, L. L., H. R. Coleman et al. (2008). Oral supplementation of lutein/zeaxanthin and omega-3 long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids in persons aged 60 years and older, with or without age-related macular degeneration. Invest. Ophthalmol. Vis. Sci. 49(9) 3864—3869. 

Fatty acid derivatives include a large and diverse group of compounds named eicosanoids, which includes thromboxanes, prostaglandins and leukotrienes, all of which are biochemically derived from arachidonic acid (a long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acid). 

Arachidonic acid (C20 4 n-6) is the precursor for the synthesis of prostaglandin molecules (Section 4.4.4), which have a wide range of biochemical effects on for example, the perception of pain, inflammation, blood clotting and smooth muscle contraction. Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA, C22 6) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA, C20 5) are both n-3 long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) which have been shown to have significantly beneficial effects on intellectual development and inflammatory conditions such as asthma and cardiovascular disease. 

Long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids Other immune components Chemokines Other soluble factors... 

Field, C. J., Thomson, C. A., Van Aerde, J. E., Parrott, A., Euler, A., Lien, E., and Clandinin, M. T. (2000). Lower proportion of CD45R0-I- cells and deficient interleukin-10 production by formula-fed infants, compared with human-fed, is corrected with supplementation of long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids. J. Pediatr. Gastroenterol. Nutr. 31, 291-299. 

CN165 Svahn, ]. G., F. Feldl, N. C. Raiha, B. Koletzko, and I. E. Axelsson. Different quantities and quality of fat in milk products given to young children effects on long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids and trans fatty acids in plasma. Acta Paediatr 2002 91(1) 20-29. 

Birch, E.E., Garfield, S., Hoffman, D.R., Uauy, R., and Birch, D.G. (2000) A randomized controlled trial of early dietary supply of long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids and mental development in term infants. Dev Med Child Neurol 42 174-181. 

Burgess, J.R., Stevens, L., Zhang, W., and Peck, L. (2000) Long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids in children with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder. Am J Clin Nutr 71(1 Suppl) 327S-330S. 

Scott, D.T., Janowsky, J.S., Carroll, R.E., Taylor, J.A., Auestad, N., and Montalto, M.B. (1998) Formula supplementation with long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids are there developmental benefits Pediatrics 102 E59. 

When trans-fatty acids are fed to rats with adequate amounts of essential fatty acids, they have little effect on growth, longevity, or reproduction, but when fed as the sole source of lipids they exaggerate the symptoms of essential fatty acid deficiency (111). An effect on the metabolism of long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids was noted however. 

Koletzko, B., Lien, E., Agostoni, C., Bohles, H., Campoy, C., Cetin, I., Decsi, T., Dudenhausen, J. W., and Dupont, C. (2008). The roles of long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids in pregnancy, lactation and infancy Review of current knowledge and consensus recommendations. ]. Perinat. Med. 36, 5-14. 

Normally, the method of choice for the analysis of complex mixtures of polyenoic fatty acids such as those derived from fish oils is capillary gas chromatography with prechromato-graphic derivatization and mass spectrometric detection. However, GC is impractical for the purification of the large amounts of polyenoic fatty acids required for biological and clinical studies. Moreover, the temperatures required in GC may cause degradation of oxidized long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids that are present as minor components of the mixture. 

Omega-3 fatty acids are long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids. The parent fatty acid of this group is alpha-linolenic acid, an essential fatty acid that the body is unable to... 

Pamova, P.G. (1986). Lipids of insecta. Long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids and their functional role (In Russian). Zhumal Evolutsionnoy Biokhimii i Physiologii 22,74-83. 

No differences in blood plasma TAC were found after 30 days of feeding low-birth-weight infants with a formula containing n-6 and n-3 long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LCP) from purified phospholipids as compared with a group fed human milk (Rl). Cyclic voltammetry of blood plasma of 2- to 4-month-old infants did not reveal any differences in the antioxidant capacity between breast-fed and modified cow milk formula-fed infants (G15). 

There are specific binding sites for cannabinoids, whose endogenous antagonists belong to the class of endocannabinoids. The human organism produces endocan-nabinoids from long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids, they bind to cannabinoid (CB) receptors and activate them. The CB receptors and endocannabinoids constitute the endocannabinoid system [31]. THC binds to both types of receptors CB1 and CB2. The absence of cannabinoid receptors in the brain stem, the seat of the centers of respiration and other vital functions, explains the low toxicity of cannabinoids. 

Very long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (C20, C22) (for replacement of fish... 

Ackman, R.G. and Cunnane, S.C. (1992) Long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids sources, biochemistry, and nutritional/clinical applications. Adv. Appl. Lipid Res., 1, 161-215. 

Amate, L., Ramirez, M. and Gil, A. (1999) Positional analysis of triglycerides and phospholipids rich in long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids. Lipids, 34, 865-871. 

Generally, the milk fat of non-ruminants has a higher level of polyunsaturated fatty acids than the milk fat of ruminants, due to the direct absorption of these fatty acids from the diet (Table 1.17). Marine mammals, such as the fur seal, have also high levels of long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids, 20 5 and 22 6, due to the presence of these fatty acids in the diet (Iverson et al., 1997). 

The major differences between the lipids of bovine and human milk are in fatty acid composition and triacylglycerol structure. Bovine milk contains substantial quantities of C4 o-Ci0 o, about 2% Cis 2 and almost no other long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids. The fatty acid composition is not altered by ordinary changes in diet. Human milk contains very little C4 o-C10 o, 10-14%i (w/w of fat) Ci8 2, and small quantities of other polyunsaturates. The triacylglycerol structure differs, with much of the sn-2 position in human milk lipids occupied by C16 0 and the sn-2 position of bovine milk-fat occupied by C4 o-Ci0 o-... 

It is becoming more popular in the US for infant formula manufactures to add fish oils to fortify infant formulae with long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids, which are critical in early child development because they are necessary for the formation of neural tissues and cells of vascular tissue, but are produced de novo at very low levels from the dietary essential fatty acids Ci8 2, m-3 and Cis 3, co-3. Typically, the long-chain fatty acids, doco-sahexaenoic acid (DHA C22 6) and arachidonic acid (AA C2o 4), were not added to infant formulae available in the US until recently. Many commercial infant formulae manufactures, including Wyeth, Ross and Mead Johnson, now produce infant formulae that are supplemented with DHA and AA. The level of DHA is approximately 0.32%, w/w of fat, and the level of AA is approximately 0.64% w/w of fat. Breast-milk naturally contains small amounts of these long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids. 

A fish oil supplement for infant formula has been shown to be effective at maintaining concentrations of co-3 long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids in erythrocytes. Although human milk contains only small amounts of long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids, it contains all the w-6 and w-3 fatty acids found in erythrocyte membranes. Carlson et al. (1987) demonstrated that if infant formula is supplemented with fish oil rich in EPA (C20 5, o>-3) and DHA (C22 6, w-3), levels of these polyunsaturated fatty acids can be maintained post-birth, in erythrocyte membranes. These results indicate the effectiveness of providing long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids directly in the diet rather than as precursors. 

Milk fat is not a rich source of linoleic (co-6) and linolenic (co-3) acids however, the ratio of w-6 w-3 is close to unity, which is considered to be ideal for good health. Rats fed diets high in milk fat had a beneficial long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acid profile in plasma... 

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