Docosahexaenoic acid and phosphatidylserine improves the antioxidant activities in vitro and in vivo and cognitive functions of the developing brain.

Fish oil during early postnatal period may modulate the impact of oxidative stress in the developing brain and thus improve memory and cognitive behaviour. This study investigated the impacts of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA, C22:6, n-3) and/or phosphatidylserine (PS) on antioxidant activities in vitro, and the beneficial effects of feeding with DHA and/or PS on antioxidant activities in brain and liver tissues and on the cognitive functions of the developing brain. Results indicated that DHA and/or PS significantly enhanced antioxidant activities and increased cell viabilities in vitro. Feeding with DHA and/or PS supplementation not only significantly improved escape latency of animals, but it also improved the oxidative parameters in the brain, enhanced glutathione peroxidase activity as well as reduced nitric mono-oxide levels in the liver. DHA and PS may serve to protect cells from oxidative stress and further improve learning and memory ability in vivo.

Docosahexaenoic acid and phosphatidylserine supplementations improve antioxidant activities and cognitive functions of the developing brain on pentylenetetrazol-induced seizure model.

Epilepsy provoked by pentylenetetrazol (PTZ) is caused by an abnormal excitatory postsynaptic potential, which results in increased production of reactive oxygen species, and finally reducing cognitive functions. The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of dietary supplementation with DHA and PS, administered either alone or in combination, on oxidative stress and behavioral and cognitive spatial memory in neonatal rats with PTZ-induced epileptic seizure. In this study, rat pups received repetitive doses of PTZ for induction of epileptic seizure and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA, C22:6, n-3) and phosphatidylserine (PS) were orally administrated alone or together to the PTZ-induced epileptic animals daily for 36 d. The spatial memory, nitric mono-oxide (NO) production, and enzymatic activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase in brain and liver tissues were determined. PTZ administration significantly reduced the cell numbers in the hippocampus, shortened the escape latency in the safe target region, decreased activities of SOD and catalase, but increased NO content in both brain and liver tissues, while DHA and PS significantly extended the escape latency, reversed the oxidative parameters observed in the brain, and enhanced SOD activity in the liver. Dietary supplementation with DHA and PS may protect brain tissue from the oxidative stress caused by epileptic seizures and could serve to improve learning and memory ability in vivo.

Cloning and characterization of the genes coding for antigen 85A, 85B and 85C of Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis.

Three genes encoding the secreted proteins (antigen 85-A, B, and C) of Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis were cloned, sequenced and studied. The complete sequences of these three 85-complex proteins revealed their similarity with 85-complex proteins of other mycobacterial species. Specifically, these sequences showed 99% homology with M. avium 85-complex protein sequences. The multiple homology analysis of these sequences revealed that variations occur at only certain amino acid positions and this is true with all other 85-complex protein sequences of mycobacteria. However, the proposed three conserved regions involved in fibronectin binding in other mycobacteria were observed in N-terminal regions 85A, B and C of M. avium subsp. paratuberculosis.