Oxylipins derived from polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) are important endogenous signaling molecules, but are little characterized in pulmonary hypertension (PH) due to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). In this study, we identified novel plasma oxylipins associated with PH risk in COPD patients. The plasma oxylipin profiles of COPD patients without PH (COPD-noPH) or with PH (COPD-PH) were obtained from discovery and validation cohort, using the process of LC-MS/MS analysis. There was a significant decrease in the plasma levels of both free docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and DHA-derived oxylipins in the COPD-PH group. The multivariable logistic regression model identified DHA and four DHA-derived oxylipins (13-HDHA, 10-HDHA, 8-HDHA and 16-HDHA) exhibited significant differences between the two groups after adjusting for sex, BMI, FEV1% predicted, and smoking status. The diagnostic value of these metabolites was further evaluated through ROC curve analysis. The transcriptome profiles in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) of COPD-PH patients and COPD-PH patients were detected through high-throughput sequencing. The enrichment analysis revealed that the upregulated differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were highly enriched in the interferon signaling pathway. In addition, DHA supplementation proved that DHA may inhibit the development of pH by reducing the secretion of interferons derived from PBMCs. This conjecture was further confirmed by the higher level of serum interferon-γ and interferon-α2 of COPD-PH patients than that of COPD-noPH patients. The present study highlights that decreased DHA and DHA-derived oxylipins levels are suggestive of a higher risk of pH development in COPD cases.

The oil from the heterotroph Schizochytrium is a rich source of n-3 PUFA, particularly DHA, and therefore highly susceptible to oxidation. The present work reports the first application of coaxial prilling for the protection of this oil through microencapsulation. After process optimization, core-shell microparticles were produced with calcium or zinc alginate at different concentrations. Encapsulates were analyzed in their tocopherol and PUFA content. Prilling lowered the earlier but had little effect on the latter. Microcapsules coated with calcium alginate (1 % and 1.75 %) had higher oil load and encapsulation efficiency and were therefore submitted to in vitro digestion together with a simulated meal. Digesta were also analyzed with HPLC-qTOF and 1H NMR and compared to undigested encapsulates. While 1 % calcium shell granted lower oil release and protection from oxidation in the simulated gastrointestinal tract, chromatographic and spectroscopic data of digesta showed higher presence of lipid digestion products.

The protein, essential amino acid, and fatty acid composition of European pilchard (Sardina pilchardus), European hake (Merluccius merluccius), surmullet (Mullus surmuletus), red mullet (Mullus barbatus), and deep water rose shrimp (Parapenaeus longirostris) from the central Mediterranean Sea were investigated. All the species showed an essential amino acid content of about 50% of total amino acids, while the protein and total fatty acids content varied from 19.9 to 24.8% and from 1.4 to 5.1%, respectively. The fatty acid profile mainly followed the order SFA (39.1-52.6%) > PUFA (21.0-39.3%) > MUFA (15.6-24.3%). Palmitic and stearic acids were predominant among saturated fatty acids (38-52% and 21-25%, respectively), while palmitoleic and oleic acids were the most represented of the total monounsaturated acids (10-21% and 55-68%, respectively). All the species, as expected, showed a more significant proportion of n-3 PUFA (EPA + DHA) of about 81-93% of the total PUFA, with the highest values was found in European pilchard. Also, several fat quality index values, such as n-6/n-3 ratio, PUFA/SFA, the index of atherogenicity (IA), the index of thrombogenicity (IT), the hypocholesterolemic/hypercholesterolemic ratio (HH), and fish lipid quality/flesh lipid quality (FLQ) were calculated to assess the nutritional quality. All the obtained results, along with the fat quality indexes, indicated the excellent nutritional values of the selected species.

Isochrysis galbana is valuable in aquaculture due to its production of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). However, achieving high yields of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) presents challenges, leading to exploration of innovative approaches. This study investigated the influence of Bacillus jeotgali on the growth of I. galbana and its fatty acid composition. Co-culturing I. galbana with B. jeotgali significantly increased chlorophyll a content and cell abundance, particularly at higher bacterial population densities (algae-to-bacteria ratio of 1:10). Physiological and biochemical analyses found elevated soluble protein content in microalgae co-cultured with B. jeotgali, accompanied by decreased superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity. Fatty acid composition analysis demonstrated a distinctive profile in co-cultured I. galbana, characterized by increased PUFAs, especially EPA and DHA. Gene expression analysis indicated an upregulation of desaturase genes (d4FAD, d5FAD, d6FAD, and d8FAD) associated with PUFA synthesis pathway in I. galbana during co-culturing with B. jeotgali. This study advances our understanding of bacteria-microalgae interactions and presents a promising strategy for enhancing the production of DHA and EPA.

OBJECTIVE: Inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD), including Crohn\'s disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC), are chronic gastrointestinal disorders associated with significant morbidity and complications. This study investigates the therapeutic potential of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) in a trinitrobenzene sulfonic acid (TNBS) induced colitis model, focusing on inflammation, oxidative stress, and intestinal membrane permeability.
METHODS: Wistar albino rats were divided into Control, Colitis, and Colitis + DHA groups (n = 8-10/group). The Colitis and Colitis + DHA groups received TNBS intrarectally, while the Control group received saline. DHA (600 mg/kg/day) or saline was administered via gavage for six weeks. Macroscopic and microscopic evaluations of colon tissues were conducted. Parameters including occludin and ZO-1 expressions, myeloperoxidase (MPO) activity, malondialdehyde (MDA), glutathione (GSH), total antioxidant status (TAS), total oxidant status (TOS), Interleukin-6 (IL-6), and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) levels were measured in colon tissues.
RESULTS: Colitis induction led to significantly higher macroscopic and microscopic damage scores, elevated TOS levels, reduced occludin and ZO-1 intensity, decreased mucosal thickness, and TAS levels compared to the Control group (p < 0.001). DHA administration significantly ameliorated these parameters (p < 0.001). MPO, MDA, TNF-α, and IL-6 levels were elevated in the Colitis group but significantly reduced in the DHA-treated group (p < 0.001 for MPO, MDA; p < 0.05 for TNF-α and IL-6).
CONCLUSIONS: DHA demonstrated antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects by reducing reactive oxygen species production, enhancing TAS capacity, preserving GSH content, decreasing proinflammatory cytokine levels, preventing neutrophil infiltration, reducing shedding in colon epithelium, and improving gland structure and mucosal membrane integrity. DHA also upregulated the expressions of occludin and ZO-1, critical for barrier function. Thus, DHA administration may offer a therapeutic strategy or supplement to mitigate colitis-induced adverse effects.

Lipases are widely used in the modification of functional lipids, particularly in the enrichment of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA). In this study, a lipase named OUC-Sb-lip2 was expressed in Yarrowia lipolytica, achieving a promising enzyme activity of 472.6 U/mL by optimizing the culture medium, notably through olive oil supplementation. A significant proportion (58.8%) of the lipase activity was located in the cells, whereas 41.2% was secreted into the supernatant. Both whole-cell and immobilized OUC-Sb-lip2 were used to enrich DHA and EPA from fish oil. The whole-cell approach increased the DHA and EPA contents to 2.59 and 2.55 times that of the original oil, respectively. Similarly, the immobilized OUC-Sb-lip2 resulted in a 2.00-fold increase in DHA and an 1.99-fold increase in EPA after a 6-h hydrolysis period. Whole cell and the immobilized OUC-Sb-lip2 retained 48.7% and 52.7% of their activity after six cycles of reuse, respectively.

Exposure to arsenic (As) is a public health problem associated with cancer (skin and colon) and it has been reported that epigenetic changes may be a potential mechanism of As carcinogenesis. It is pertinent to evaluate this process in genes that have been associated with cancer, such as ADAMTS9 and C18ORF8. Gestation and delivery data were obtained from the POSGRAD study. Exposure to As was measured in urine during pregnancy. Gene methylation was performed by sodium bisulfite sequencing; 26 CpG sites for the C18ORF8 gene and 21 for ADAMTS9 were analyzed. These sites are located on the CpG islands near the start of transcription. Sociodemographic characteristics were obtained by a questionnaire. The statistical analysis was performed using multiple linear regression models adjusted for potential confounders. Newborns with an As exposure above 49.4 μg g-1 showed a decrease of 0.21% on the methylation rate in the sites CpG15, CpG19, and CpG21 of the C18ORF8 gene (adjusted ß = -0.21, p-value = 0.02). No statistically significant association was found between prenatal exposure to As and methylation of the ADAMTS9 gene. Prenatal exposure to As was associated with decreased DNA methylation at the CpG15, CpG19, and CpG21 sites of the C18ORF8 gene. These sites can provide information to elucidate epigenetic mechanisms associated with prenatal exposure to As and cancer.

OBJECTIVE: Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and linoleic acid (LA) have been shown to exhibit anti-proliferative effects against breast cancer cells. However, the mechanisms underlying these effects are not yet fully understood. One potential mechanism is through the regulation of microRNAs (miRs), which are known to play a crucial role in breast cancer development and progression. This study aimed to investigate the expression of miR-342 and miR-101 as tumor-suppressor miRs in the human HER-2 positive breast cancer cell line BT-474 after treatment with DHA, LA, alone or in combination with Taxol, a standard chemotherapy agent.
METHODS: The human breast cancer cell line BT-474 was cultured, and the IC50 for Taxol was determined using the MTT assay. Cells were then cultured and treated for 24 h with 100 μM DHA and 50 μM LA, alone or in combination with the respective IC50 of Taxol. Cells were harvested, and miRNA extraction and cDNA synthesis were performed using standard methods. Expression levels of miRs were analyzed using quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR), and results were normalized against U6 snRNA expression levels.
RESULTS: The Taxol IC50 for BT-474 cells was 19 nM. According to the data obtained from our study, it was observed that Taxol treatment resulted in the down-regulation of both miR-101 and miR-342 (3.69 (p < 0.0001) and 1.88 fold, (p < 0.0001) respectively). In addition, DHA, LA and DHA + LA caused up-regulation of miR-101 (0.11, 0.05, 0.03 fold (p < 0.0001) respectively) but not miR-342 (decreased by 1.93 (p < 0.0001), 2.89 (p < 0.0001) and 1.19 fold (p = 0.0029) respectively). Notably, treatment with DHA, LA and DHA + LA was able to restore the down-regulated expression of miR-101 (0.25 (p < 0.0001), 0.05 (p = 0.0012) and 0.06 fold (p < 0.0001) respectively) during Taxol treatment.
CONCLUSIONS: Our study demonstrates that DHA and LA can effectively compensate for the reduced expression of miR-101 during Taxol treatment. These findings suggest that dietary fatty acids may play a critical role in modulating the anti-cancer effects of chemotherapy agents. Future studies are needed to investigate the functional aspects of dietary fatty acids on breast cancer development and progression.

Various mechanisms through which maternal diet influences offspring brain development in gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) remains unclear. We speculate that prenatal omega 3 fatty acids will improve the levels of brain neurotrophins and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), an angiogenic factor leading to improved cognitive performance in the offspring. GDM was induced in Wistar rats using streptozotocin. They were assigned to either control, GDM or GDM+O (GDM + omega-3 fatty acid supplementation). The offspring were followed till 3 mo of age and cognitive assessment was undertaken. Data analysis was carried out using one-way ANOVA followed by LSD test. GDM induction increased (p < 0.01) dam glucose levels and lowered brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) levels (p = 0.056) in the offspring at birth. At 3 months, GDM group showed significantly lower levels of neurotrophic tyrosine kinase receptor-2 (NTRK-2) and VEGF, lower mRNA levels of NTRK-2 and cAMP response element-binding protein (CREB) (P < 0.05 for all) as compared to control. The GDM offspring had a higher escape latency (p < 0.01), made lesser % correct choices and more errors (p < 0.05 for both). Prenatal supplementation with omega 3 polyunsaturated fatty acids was beneficial since it ameliorated some of the adverse effects of GDM.

In this study, the whey protein isolate-high-methoxyl pectin (WPI-HMP) complex prepared by electrostatic interaction was utilized as an emulsifier in the preparation of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) algal oils in order to improve their physicochemical properties and oxidation stability. The results showed that the emulsions stabilized using the WPI-HMP complex across varying oil-phase volume fractions (30-70%) exhibited consistent particle size and enhanced stability compared to emulsions stabilized solely using WPI or HMP at different ionic concentrations and heating temperatures. Furthermore, DHA algal oil emulsions stabilized using the WPI-HMP complex also showed superior storage stability, as they exhibited no discernible emulsification or oil droplet overflow and the particle size variation remained relatively minor throughout the storage at 25 °C for 30 days. The accelerated oxidation of the emulsions was assessed by measuring the rate of DHA loss, lipid hydroperoxide levels, and malondialdehyde levels. Emulsions stabilized using the WPI-HMP complex exhibited a lower rate of DHA loss and reduced levels of lipid hydroperoxides and malondialdehyde. This indicated that WPI-HMP-stabilized Pickering emulsions exhibit a greater rate of DHA retention. The excellent stability of these emulsions could prove valuable in food processing for DHA nutritional enhancement.