Seasonal and geographical variations of sterol composition in snow crab hepatopancreas and pelagic fish viscera from Eastern Quebec

Advances in Technologies for Highly Active Omega-3 Fatty Acids from Krill Oil: Clinical Applications

Euphausia superba, commonly known as krill, is a small marine crustacean from the Antarctic Ocean that plays an important role in the marine ecosystem, serving as feed for most fish. It is a known source of highly bioavailable omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (eicosapentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic acid). In preclinical studies, krill oil showed metabolic, anti-inflammatory, neuroprotective and chemo preventive effects, while in clinical trials it showed significant metabolic, vascular and ergogenic actions. Solvent extraction is the most conventional method to obtain krill oil. However, different solvents must be used to extract all lipids from krill because of the diversity of the polarities of the lipid compounds in the biomass. This review aims to provide an overview of the chemical composition, bioavailability and bioaccessibility of krill oil, as well as the mechanisms of action, classic and non-conventional extraction techniques, health benefits and current applications of this marine crustacean.

Steroid Fingerprint Analysis of Endangered Caspian Seal (Pusa caspica) through the Gorgan Bay (Caspian Sea)

The profile of steroid congeners was evaluated in Caspian seals Pusa caspica by age, sex, and tissue-specific bioaccumulation, and compared with that of abiotic matrices (seawater, surface sediment, and suspended particulate materials, SPMs) from Miankaleh Wildlife/Gorgan Bay, (Caspian Sea, Iran). To identify the level of human fecal contamination, ∑25 sterol congeners were measured in all abiotic/biotic samples, revealing coprostanol, a proxy for human feces, as the most abundant sterol (seawater: 45.1-20.3 ng L^-1; surface sediment: 90.2-70.3 ng g^-1 dw; SPMs: 187.7-157.6 ng g^-1 dw). The quantification of ∑25 sterols in seals followed the order of brain > liver > kidney > heart > blood > spleen > muscle > intestine > blubber > fur, and in both sexes coprostanol level (8.95-21.01% of ∑25s) was higher in blubber and fur, followed by cholesterol in brain, liver, kidney, heart, and blood, cholestanone in intestine and muscle, and β-sitosterol in spleen. Though no age/sex differentiation was observed, the mean concentration of ∑25s was higher in male than females and pup. Different diagnostic ratios revealed sterols originating from human and nonhuman sewage sources. Findings pinpoint the urgent necessity to investigate the ecotoxicity of fecal sterols in mammals, and consequent implications for human health.

Sterol Composition in Infant Formulas and Estimated Intake

Sterol contents in infant formulas (IFs) from the European market were determined, and their intakes by infants between 0 and 6 months were evaluated. Total animal sterols (mg/100 mL) ranged from 1.71 to 5.46, cholesterol being the main animal sterol (1.46-5.1). In general, cholesterol and desmosterol were lower than the human milk (HM) values indicated by other authors. Total plant sterol (mg/100 mL) ranged from 3.1 to 5.0. β-Sitosterol, the most abundant phytosterol, ranged from 1.82 to 3.01, followed by campesterol (0.72-1.15), stigmasterol (0.27-0.53), and brassicasterol (0.14-0.28). Cholesterol intake (mg/day) ranged from 9 to 51 and plant sterol intake (mg/day) from 19 to 50. The sterol profile of IFs is highly dependent on the type and quantity of fats used in their formula. The use of bovine milk fat and milk fat globule membrane in the IFs can approximate the profile of animal sterols to those found in HM, though cholesterol intakes in breastfed infants are still higher than in formula-fed infants.

Phenotypic diversity of diploid and haploid Emiliania huxleyi cells and of cells in different growth phases revealed by comparative metabolomics

In phytoplankton a high species diversity of microalgae co-exists at a given time. But diversity is not only reflected by the species composition. Within these species different life phases as well as different metabolic states can cause additional diversity. One important example is the coccolithophore Emiliania huxleyi. Diploid cells play an important role in marine ecosystems since they can form massively abundant algal blooms but in addition the less abundant haploid life phase of E. huxleyi occurs in lower quantities. Both life phases may fulfill different functions in the plankton. We hypothesize that in addition to the functional diversity caused by this life phase transition the growth stage of cells can also influence the metabolic composition and thus the ecological impact of E. huxleyi. Here we introduce a metabolomic survey in dependence of life phases as well as different growth phases to reveal such changes. The comparative metabolomic approach is based on the extraction of intracellular metabolites from intact microalgae, derivatization and analysis by gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Automated data processing and statistical analysis using canonical analysis of principal coordinates (CAP) revealed unique metabolic profiles for each life phase. Concerning the correlations of metabolites to growth phases, complex patterns were observed. As for example the saccharide mannitol showed its highest concentration in the exponential phase, whereas fatty acids were correlated to stationary and sterols to declining phase. These results are indicative for specific ecological roles of these stages of E. huxleyi and are discussed in the context of previous physiological and ecological studies.

Orally delivered water soluble Coenzyme Q10 (Ubisol-Q10) blocks on-going neurodegeneration in rats exposed to paraquat: potential for therapeutic application in Parkinson's disease

BACKGROUND

Paraquat, still used as an herbicide in some parts of the world, is now regarded as a dangerous environmental neurotoxin and is linked to the development Parkinson's disease (PD). Paraquat interacts with cellular redox systems and causes mitochondrial dysfunction and the formation of reactive oxygen species, which in turn, plays a crucial role in the pathophysiology of PD. Various antioxidant therapies have been explored with the expectations that they deliver health benefits to the PD patients, however, no such therapies were effective. Here we have tested the neuroprotective efficacy of a novel water-soluble CoQ10 (Ubisol-Q10), in a rat model of paraquat-induced neurodegeneration in order to evaluate its potential application in the management of PD.

RESULTS

We have developed a rat model of progressive nigrostriatal degeneration by giving rats five intraperitoneal injections of paraquat (10 mg/kg/injection), once every five days. Neuronal death occurred over a period of 8 weeks with close to 50% reduction in the number of tyrosine hydroxylase-positive cells. Ubisol-Q10, at 6 mg CoQ10/kg body weight/day, was delivered as a supplement in drinking water. The intervention begun after the completion of paraquat injections when the neurodegenerative process had already began and about 20% of TH-positive neurons were lost. Ubisol-Q10 treatment halted the progression of neurodegeneration and remaining neurons were protected. The outcomes were evaluated based on the number of surviving tyrosine hydroxylase-positive neurons in the substantia nigra region and improved motor skills in response to the Ubisol-Q10 intervention. To maintain this neuroprotection, however, continuous Ubisol- Q10 supplementation was required, if withdrawn, the neuronal death pathway resumed, suggesting that the presence of CoQ10 was essential for blocking the pathway.

CONCLUSION

The CoQ10, given orally as Ubisol-Q10 in drinking solution, was effective in blocking the progression of neurodegeneration when administered therapeutically (post-toxin injection), at a much lower concentration than other previously tested oil soluble formulations and well within the acceptable daily intake of 12 mg/kg/day. Such unprecedented neuroprotection has never been reported before. These results are very encouraging and suggest that Ubisol-Q10 should be further tested and developed as a therapy for halting the progression of PD.

Effect of season on the chemical composition and nutritional quality of the edible crab Cancer pagurus

Cancer pagurus is most appreciated in southern Europe for its muscle and brown meat content. In Portugal, consumption occurs mostly in summer and at Christmas. In this study the seasonal nutritional quality of edible tissues of female and male C. pagurus was determined. Tissue composition was affected by season and sex. All tissues had a well-balanced essential amino acid composition. Muscle and gonads of females had n-3/n-6 ratios in the range of the usual recommended values, and all tissues had PUFA/SFA above the recommended level. Autumn was the season with the highest brown meat yield, total essential amino acids (muscle), taurine (all tissues), EPA (male gonads), and n-3/n-6 ratio (gonads). However, it was also the season with the highest fat content and cholesterol concentration in ovaries. Therefore, people with restricted diets should moderate the consumption of ovaries in autumn. The remaining tissues pose no risks with respect to their proximate chemical composition.