Effects of Daily Consumption of Scallop Oil Prepared from Internal Organs of Japanese Giant Scallop (Patinopecten yessoensis) on Serum Lipid Composition and Its Safety: A Randomized, Double-blind, Placebo-controlled, Parallel Group Comparison Study.

Scallop oil (SCO) prepared from the internal organs of the Japanese giant scallop (Patinopecten yessoensis) contains eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), and phospholipids (PL). It was previously shown that SCO consumption improves cholesterol and triacylglycerols (TG) contents in mice. The present study demonstrated the effects of daily SCO consumption (1.2 g/day, containing 376 mg of EPA, 63 mg of DHA, and 150 mg of PL) for 12 weeks in human subjects. In this randomized, doubleblind, placebo-controlled, parallel group comparison study, 70 Japanese subjects with serum TG levels ≥120 but < 200 mg/dL were recruited and randomly assigned to the SCO or placebo group. All subjects ingested six capsules per day for 12 weeks. We conducted medical interviews, body composition measurements, vital sign examinations, and blood sampling at weeks 0 (baseline), 4, 8, and 12, and measured peripheral blood flow at weeks 0 and 12. In the case of subjects with higher serum TG levels, SCO consumption decreased the changes in serum TG and malondialdehyde-low density lipoprotein (MDA-LDL) levels compared with the placebo group. Safety assessment revealed no medically significant changes due to continuous SCO consumption. The findings indicate that 1.2 g/day of SCO consumption may be beneficial for reducing serum TG and MDA-LDL levels in persons with higher TG levels.

Ablation efficacy of 5-aminolevulinic acid-mediated photodynamic therapy on human glioma stem cells.

BACKGROUND: Cancer cells with stem cell-like features are generally more resistant to chemotherapy and radiotherapy than differentiated tumor cells. Thus, these cells tend to increase the propensity for tumor recurrence and metastasis. This study investigated the efficacy of 5-aminolevulinic acid-mediated photodynamic therapy (ALA-PDT) in destructing glioma stem cells (GSCs), including the mesenchymal subtype (MES-GSCs) demonstrated to have the lowest radio- and chemosensitivity. METHODS: Five high-grade glioma (HGG) GSC lines and derived differentiated glioma cell (DGC) lines were examined for protoporphyrin-IX (PpIX) expression using fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS) and then assessed for ALA-PDT sensitivity using cell viability assays. MES-GSCs surviving ALA-PDT were then isolated and evaluated for stem cell and mesenchymal marker expression levels (CD44, ALDH1A3, KLF4, nestin) by qRT-PCR. The ability of these surviving cells to form tumors was then examined using colony forming and by xenograft tumor assays in athymic mice. Finally, the relationship between PpIX expression level (high versus low) and ALA-PDT sensitivity was examined by FACS and colony forming assays. RESULTS: ALA-PDT was effective against all GSC lines including MES-GSCs. MES-GSC lines exhibited higher PpIX expression than derived DGCs. Surviving MES-GSCs demonstrated lower stem cell marker expression and tumor forming potential than naive MES-GSCs. Higher PpIX production capacity by MES-GSCs was associated with greater colony forming ability, and ALA-PDT was more effective against MES-GSCs with greater PpIX accumulation. CONCLUSION: ALA-PDT may be clinically effective against HGG by targeting GSCs, including MES-GSCs.

Dietary scallop oil prepared from the internal organs of Japanese giant scallop (Patinopecten yessoensis) improved mite allergen-induced atopic dermatitis-like symptoms on the dorsal skin of NC/Nga mice.

This study aimed to investigate the effects of scallop oil (SCO) on atopic dermatitis (AD)-like symptoms induced by mite allergens in the dorsal and ear skins of NC/Nga mice compared to those of refined corn oil and krill oil (KO). SCO, rich in n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids and phospholipids, was prepared from the internal organs of Japanese giant scallop, an underutilized fishery resource in Japan. Results showed that SCO intake improved AD-like symptoms, including ear edema, ear thickness, and transepidermal water loss of dorsal skin, and tended to decrease the scratching behavior, whereas KO intake did not. Further, SCO intake decreased the degranulated mast cell count and increased the tight junction protein claudin-1 expression, which is important for the barrier function, in the dorsal skin compared to refined corn oil intake. SCO improved the AD-like symptoms by suppressing mast cell degranulation and strengthening the barrier function of dorsal skin in NC/Nga mice.

Comparison of the Cholesterol-Lowering Effect of Scallop Oil Prepared from the Internal Organs of the Japanese Giant Scallop (Patinopecten yessoensis), Fish Oil, and Krill Oil in Obese Type II Diabetic KK-A y Mice.

Due to the growing demand of n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) as supplements and pharmaceutical products worldwide, there are concerns about the exhaustion of n-3 PUFA supply sources. We have successfully prepared high-quality scallop oil (SCO), containing high eicosapentaenoic acid and phospholipids contents, from the internal organs of the Japanese giant scallop (Patinopecten yessoensis), which is the largest unutilized marine resource in Japan. This study compared the cholesterol-lowering effect of SCO with fish oil (menhaden oil, MO) and krill oil (KO) in obese type II diabetic KK-A y mice. Four-week-old male KK-A y mice were divided into four groups; the control group was fed the AIN93G-modified high-fat (3 wt% soybean oil + 17 wt% lard) diet, and the other three groups (SCO, MO, and KO groups) were fed a high-fat diet, in which 7 wt% of the lard in the control diet was replaced with SCO, MO, or KO, respectively. After the mice were fed the experimental diet for 42 days, their serum, liver, and fecal lipid contents as well as their liver mRNA expression levels were evaluated. The SCO group had significantly decreased cholesterol levels in the serum and liver; this decrease was not observed in the MO and KO groups. The cholesterol-lowering effect of SCO was partly mediated by the enhancement of fecal total sterol excretion and expression of liver cholesterol 7α-hydroxylase, a rate-limiting enzyme for bile acid synthesis. These results indicate that dietary SCO exhibits serum and liver cholesterol-lowering effects that are not found in dietary MO and KO and can help prevent lifestyle-related diseases.

Single and Repeated Dose 28-Day and 13-Week Toxicity Studies of Oil Prepared from the Internal Organs of the Japanese Giant Scallop (Patinopecten yessoensis) in Mice.

Internal organs of discarded scallops are rich in omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids, but it is not used as a food ingredient due to the presence of toxic substances. Recently, our research team prepared high-quality scallop oil (SCO) from the internal organs of the Japanese giant scallop (Patinopecten yessoensis), in which cadmium and diarrhetic shellfish toxin are below regulated levels. In this study, SCO was prepared from the internal organs of scallops obtained from Mutsu and Uchiura bays in Japan, and was referred to as SCO-M (scallop oil from Mutsu bay) and SCO-U (scallop oil from Uchiura bay), respectively. Acute and subacute toxicity studies were performed to assess the safety of the prepared SCO. In acute toxicity study, mice were orally administered SCO-M and SCO-U at a single dose of 5,000 mg/kg body weight. In a 28-day repeated oral dose toxicity study, the mice were fed diets containing 1% and 5% SCO-M and SCO-U; and in a 13-week repeated oral dose toxicity study, the mice were fed 5% SCO-M and SCO-U. There were no toxicologically significant changes in clinical signs, hematology, blood chemistry, and organ weights at any dose during the experiment. Therefore, it was concluded that SCO-M and SCO-U are safe for use as food ingredients under the experimental conditions of this study.

Effect of Dietary Oil Rich in Docosahexaenoic Acid-Bound Lysophosphatidylcholine Prepared from Fishery By-Products on Lipid and Fatty Acid Composition in Rat Liver and Brain.

The possibility of improving brain function coupled with its preferential uptake in the brain has garnered attention for docosahexaenoic acid-bound lysophosphatidylcholine (DHA-LPC). However, studies focusing on the health benefits of dietary DHA-LPC are lacking. We prepared a dietary oil rich in DHA-LPC (DHA-LPC rich oil) via enzymatic modification of phospholipids (PL) extracted from squid (Todarodes pacificus) meal and purification of active carbon, ion exchange resin, and silica gel. We then examined the effects of dietary DHA-LPC rich oil on male Wistar rats by evaluating serum and liver lipid profiles, fatty acid (FA) metabolizing enzyme activity, and the FA composition of serum and brain. The rats were fed a basal diet containing either soybean oil alone (7%) or soybean oil (4.5%) with DHA-LPC rich oil (2.5%) for 28 days, and then evaluated. The rats fed the diet containing DHA-LPC rich oil showed reduced triacylglycerol concentration due, in part, to the enhancement of carnitine palmitoyltransferase 2 and acyl-CoA oxidase activities and suppression of acetyl-CoA carboxylase and glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase activities in the liver. Moreover, the dietary DHA-LPC rich oil moderately increased DHA in the FA composition of the rat hippocampus, which may be due to elevated DHA composition in serum LPC. These results suggest that DHA-LPC rich oil has hypolipidemic effect and moderate increase in hippocampal DHA amount in normal rats.

Effects of oolonghomobisflavan A on oxidation of low-density lipoprotein.

Oxidation of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) by reactive oxygen species (ROS) and reactive nitrogen species (RNS) has been suggested to be involved in the onset of atherosclerosis. Oolong tea contains unique polyphenols including oolonghomobisflavan A (OFA). In this study, the effects of OFA on LDL oxidation by ROS and RNS were investigated in vitro. OFA suppressed formation of cholesterol ester hydroperoxides in LDL oxidized by peroxyl radical and peroxynitrite, and formation of thiobarbituric acid reactive substances in LDL oxidized by Cu2+. In addition, OFA inhibited fragmentation, carbonylation, and nitration of apolipoprotein B-100 (apo B-100) in the oxidized LDL, in which heparin-binding activity of apo B-100 was protected by OFA. Our results suggest that OFA exhibits antioxidant activity against both lipid peroxidation and oxidative modification of apo B-100 in LDL oxidized by ROS and RNS. Polyphenols in oolong tea may prevent atherosclerosis by reducing oxidative stress.

Effect of combination of dietary fish protein and fish oil on lipid metabolism in rats.

This study examined the effects of fish protein in combination with fish oil on rat lipid metabolism. Male Wistar rats were divided into four groups and fed an AIN93G-based diet with casein (20%) + soybean oil (7%), casein (10%) + fish protein (10%) + soybean oil (7%), casein (20%) + soybean oil (5%) + fish oil (2%), and casein (10%) + fish protein (10%) + soybean oil (5%) + fish oil (2%) for 4 weeks. The dietary combination of fish protein and fish oil decreased the contents of serum triacylglycerol, serum cholesterol, liver triacylglycerol and liver cholesterol in addition to altering liver lipid fatty acid composition. These effects are partly due to the increase in fecal cholesterol, bile acid excretion, and increased enzyme activities of fatty acid ß-oxidation in the liver. These data suggest that combined intake of fish protein and fish oil lead to both hypocholesterolemic and hypotriglyceridemic in serum and the liver, while sole intake of fish protein or fish oil decrease only cholesterol and triglyceride levels, respectively. These results suggest that combined intake of fish protein and fish oil may play beneficial roles in the prevention of lifestyle-related diseases as compared with sole fish protein intake.

Seafood consumption and components for health.

In recent years, in developed countries and around the world, lifestyle-related diseases have become a serious problem. Numerous epidemiological studies and clinical trials have demonstrated that diet is one of the major factors that influences susceptibility to lifestyle-related diseases, especially the middle-senile state. Studies examining dietary habits have revealed the health benefits of seafood consumption. Seafood contains functional components that are not present in terrestrial organisms. These components include n-3-polyunsaturated fatty acids, such as eicosapentaenoic acid and docosahexsaenoic acid, which aid in the prevention of arteriosclerotic and thrombotic disease. In addition, seafood is a superior source of various nutrients, such as protein, amino acids, fiber, vitamins, and minerals. This review focuses on the components derived from seafood and examines the significant role they play in the maintenance and promotion of health.