Impact of high Spirulina diet, extruded or supplemented with enzymes, on blood cells, systemic metabolites, and hepatic lipid and mineral profiles of broiler chickens.

The impact of 15% dietary inclusion of Spirulina (Arthrospira platensis) in broiler chickens was explored, focusing on blood cellular components, systemic metabolites and hepatic lipid and mineral composition. From days 14 to 35 of age, 120 broiler chickens were divided and allocated into four dietary treatments: a standard corn and soybean meal-based diet (control), a 15% Spirulina diet, a 15% extruded Spirulina diet, and a 15% Spirulina diet super-dosed with an enzyme blend (0.20% porcine pancreatin plus 0.01% lysozyme). The haematological analysis revealed no significant deviations (p > 0.05) in blood cell counts across treatments, suggesting that high Spirulina inclusion maintains haematological balance. The systemic metabolic assessment indicated an enhanced antioxidant capacity in birds on Spirulina diets (p < 0.001), pointing toward a potential reduction in oxidative stress. However, the study noted a detrimental impact on growth performance metrics, such as final body weight and feed conversion ratio (both p < 0.001), in the Spirulina-fed treatments, with the super-dosed enzyme blend supplementation failing to alleviate these effects but with extrusion mitigating them. Regarding hepatic composition, birds on extruded Spirulina and enzyme-supplemented diets showed a notable increase in n-3 fatty acids (EPA, DPA, DHA) (p < 0.001), leading to an improved n-6/n-3 PUFA ratio (p < 0.001). Despite this positive shift, a reduction in total hepatic lipids (p = 0.003) was observed without a significant change in cholesterol levels. Our findings underscore the need for further exploration into the optimal inclusion levels, processing methods and potential enzymatic enhancements of Spirulina in broiler diets. Ultimately, this research aims to strike a balance between promoting health benefits and maintaining optimal growth performance in poultry nutrition.

Tissue-Specific Variation in Aquaporins and Cytokines Transcriptional Profiles in Piglets being LPS Challenged.

BACKGROUND: Lipopolysaccharide (LPS), an effective stimulator of the immune system, has been widely applied in an experimental pig model for human sepsis. Aquaporins (AQPs), a family of small integral membrane proteins responsible for facilitating water fluxes through the cell membrane, offer potential promising drug targets for sepsis treatment due to their role in water balance and inflammation. METHODS: In order to investigate the potential effect of a dietary amino acid mixture supplementation on LPS-challenged weaned piglets, a total of 30, 28-day-old, males were randomly allocated to 1 of 3 dietary treatments for a 5-week period, with 10 animals in each: diet 1 was a control (CTL) treatment; diet 2 was LPS treatment, where the piglets were intraperitoneally administered LPS (at 25 µg/kg body weight); diet 3 was LPS + cocktail treatment, where the piglets were intraperitoneally administered LPS and fed a diet supplemented with a mixture of arginine, branched-chain amino acids (BCAA, leucine, valine, and isoleucine), and cystine. Key organs that control sepsis were collected and processed by real time quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR) for the AQPs and cytokines transcriptional profiles. RESULTS: Minor variations were detected for AQPs and inflammatory markers mRNA levels, upon the dependence of LPS or the amino acid cocktail suggesting the piglets' immune recovery. Using a discriminant analysis tool, we report for the first time, a tissue-specific variation in AQPs and cytokines transcriptional profiles that clearly distinguish the small intestine and the kidney from the liver and the spleen. CONCLUSIONS: This study provides a novel insight into the gene expression signature of AQPs and cytokines in the functional physiology of each organ in piglets.

Dietary Ulva lactuca and CAZyme supplementation improve serum biochemical profile and hepatic composition of weaned piglets.

Ulva lactuca is a seaweed with antinutritional cell wall for monogastrics. Carbohydrate-Active enZymes (CAZymes) supplementation can potentially cause its disruption. This study evaluates four diets: Ctrl-control diet; UL-control + 7% U. lactuca (wild caught, powdered form); ULR-UL + 0.005% Rovabio® Excel AP; ULU-UL + 0.01% ulvan lyase on piglets' haematologic and serologic profiles, hepatic lipids and minerals. White blood cells and lymphocytes reached the highest values in piglets fed UL compared to control, and to control and ULR; respectively (P < 0.05). IgG levels were boosted by seaweed incorporation compared to control (P = 0.015). The glycaemic homeostasis was assured by the seaweed inclusion. Dietary seaweed decreased serum lipids (P < 0.001), with the exception of ULU, due to HDL-cholesterol increase (P < 0.001). Cortisol was decreased in ULR and ULU (P < 0.001). No systemic inflammation was observed (P > 0.05). While hepatic n-3 PUFA increased in piglets fed with seaweed diets due to increment of beneficial 22:5n-3 and 22:6n-3 fatty acids (P < 0.05), the opposite occurred for n-6 PUFA, PUFA/SFA and n-6/n-3 ratios (P < 0.05). Hepatic pigments were unchanged (P > 0.05). ULR reduced α-tocopherol levels (P = 0.036) and increased serum potassium levels (P < 0.001) compared to control. Seaweed contributed to overcome piglets' weaning stress, with some benefits of including CAZyme supplementation.

Effect of Laminaria digitata dietary inclusion and CAZyme supplementation on blood cells, serum metabolites and hepatic lipids and minerals of weaned piglets.

Seaweeds, such as Laminaria digitata, are a sustainable alternative to conventional feedstuffs for weaned piglet diets, improving their health and mitigating environmental impacts. L. digitata has a complex cell wall that can be difficult for monogastrics to digest. However, carbohydrate-active enzymes (CAZymes) such as Rovabio® Excel AP and alginate lyase can help break down these polysaccharides and render intracellular nutrients more accessible. This study aimed to evaluate the impact of 10% L. digitata feed inclusion and CAZyme supplementation on piglet blood cells, serum metabolites, liver lipid and mineral profiles. Forty weaned piglets were randomly assigned to one of four diets (n = 10 each): a control diet, 10% L. digitata (LA), 10% L. digitata + 0.005% Rovabio® Excel AP (LAR), and 10% L. digitata + 0.01% alginate lyase (LAL). After two weeks of trial, animals were slaughtered and liver and blood serum samples taken for analysis. The results showed that the LA and LAL diets increased blood lymphocytes, IgG and IgM, and decreased serum lipids, improving both cellular and humoral immune response and cardiovascular health. Dietary CAZymes reversed the anti-inflammatory and hematopoietic effects. Additionally, cortisol levels were reduced with seaweed inclusion compared to the control diet (P < 0.001). In the liver, total n-3 PUFA and n-6/n-3 ratio were increased and decreased, respectively, due to eicosapentaenoic acid and α-linolenic acid accumulation (P < 0.001). However, total liver mineral content was incorporated to a lesser extent with the combined seaweed and enzyme diets (P < 0.001), potentially indicating a negative effect on mineral bioavailability. Overall, results suggest that a 10% L. digitata inclusion can effectively improve piglet health by reducing stress during weaning, without the need for dietary CAZymes.

Plasma Metabolites and Liver Composition of Broilers in Response to Dietary Ulva lactuca with Ulvan Lyase or a Commercial Enzyme Mixture.

The effect of a high incorporation level of Ulva lactuca, individually and supplemented with a Carbohydrate-Active enZyme (CAZyme) on broilers' plasma parameters and liver composition is assessed here. Twenty one-day-old Ross 308 male broilers were randomly assigned to one of four treatments (n = 10): corn/soybean meal based-diet (Control); based-diet with 15% U. lactuca (UL); UL diet with 0.005% of commercial carbohydrase mixture; and UL diet with 0.01% of recombinant ulvan lyase. Supplementing U. lactuca with the recombinant CAZyme slightly compromised broilers' growth by negatively affecting final body weight and average daily gain. The combination of U. lactuca with ulvan lyase also increased systemic lipemia through an increase in total lipids, triacylglycerols and VLDL-cholesterol (p < 0.001). Moreover, U. lactuca, regardless of the CAZyme supplementation, enhanced hepatic n-3 PUFA (mostly 20:5n-3) with positive decrease in n-6/n-3 ratio. However, broilers fed with U. lactuca with ulvan lyase reduced hepatic α- and γ-tocopherol concentrations relative to the control. Conversely, the high amount of pigments in macroalga diets led to an increase in hepatic ß-carotene, chlorophylls and total carotenoids. Furthermore, U. lactuca, alone or combined with CAZymes, enhanced hepatic total microminerals, including iron and manganese. Overall, plasma metabolites and liver composition changed favorably in broilers that were fed 15% of U. lactuca, regardless of enzyme supplementation.

Impact of dietary Chlorella vulgaris and feed enzymes on health status, immune response and liver metabolites in weaned piglets.

In this study, we analysed the impact of dietary inclusion of Chlorella vulgaris and carbohydrases on general health, redox status, immune response, liver lipids and metabolites in weaned piglets. Forty-four male piglets were allocated into four diets: control (n = 11), CH (control diet with 5% CH, n = 10), CH+R (control diet with 5% CH plus 0.005% Rovabio Excel AP, n = 10), and CH+M (control diet with 5% CH plus 0.01% of a pre-selected four-CAZyme mixture, n = 11). After 15 days of trial, animals were slaughtered and samples of blood and liver collected. Spectrophotometry methods and commercial kits were used to determine blood parameters and gas and liquid chromatography for hepatic fatty acid and chlorophylls profiles, respectively. While total, LDL- and VLDL-cholesterol were increased by CH, the opposite was recorded for HDL-cholesterol (p < 0.001). Piglets fed CH-based diets presented an increase of IgG and a decrease of IgM (p < 0.001) which along with lymphocytes exacerbation contributed for piglets' survival after weaning. n-6 PUFA were reduced in piglets fed CH and the opposite occurred for n-3 PUFA (p < 0.001), thus benefiting n-6/n-3 ratio in the liver. Chlorophylls amount was not changed by the use of Rovabio or enzymatic mixture. The discriminant analysis applied to hepatic parameters revealed a clear separation between control and CH-based diets but failed to discriminate feed enzymes. Our findings indicate health promoting effects of CH as feed ingredient in piglets' nutrition at weaning, without negatively impacting on animals' performance.

Impact of Chlorella vulgaris as feed ingredient and carbohydrases on the health status and hepatic lipid metabolism of finishing pigs.

The implication of high dietary level of Chlorella vulgaris, individually and supplemented with two carbohydrase mixtures, on pigs' health and liver metabolism was assessed in this study. Forty crossbred (Large White × Landrace sows crossed with Pietrain boars) entire male pigs were randomly allocated to the following feeding treatments (n = 10): cereal-soybean meal basal diet (control); basal diet with 5% C. vulgaris; basal diet with 5% C. vulgaris supplemented with 0.005% Rovabio® Excel AP; and basal diet with 5% C. vulgaris supplemented with 0.01% of a preselected four-CAZyme mixture. The trial lasted from 59.1 ± 5.69 kg of initial live weight to 101 ± 1.9 kg of slaughter weight. Data indicate that this high dietary level of C. vulgaris has impact on several blood parameters of finishing pigs. However, the most relevant health outcome observed was a strong immunosuppressive effect promoted by the microalga, which increases pigs' susceptibility to infection diseases. In addition, the dietary incorporation of C. vulgaris reduced the systemic antioxidant capacity of pigs. In turn, the dietary supplementation with the four-CAZyme mixture promoted a clear decrease on some blood parameters compared with the control group. Regarding hepatic lipids, pigs fed C. vulgaris diets, had an increased hepatic content of n-3 PUFA, with a consequent decrease on the n-6/n-3 ratio. In conclusion, the use of C. vulgaris as feed ingredient appears to be safe under controlled experimental conditions. However, it is imperative test it in industrial production systems, with more stressful and less hygienic environments.

Effects of Chlorella vulgaris as a Feed Ingredient on the Quality and Nutritional Value of Weaned Piglets' Meat.

Chlorella vulgaris (CH) is usually considered a feed supplement in pig nutrition, and its use as an ingredient is poorly studied. Among many interesting characteristics, this microalga has high protein levels and can be a putative alternative for soybean meal. Our aim was to study the effect of a 5% CH incorporation in the diet, individually or combined with two carbohydrases, on meat quality traits and nutritional value. Forty-four post-weaned male piglets individually housed, with an initial live weight of 11.2 ± 0.46 kg, were randomly distributed into four experimental groups: control (n = 11, without CH) and three groups fed with 5% CH incorporation, plain (n = 10), with 0.005% Rovabio® Excel AP (n = 10), and with 0.01% of a pre-selected four-CAZyme mixture (n = 11). After two weeks of trial, piglets were slaughtered and longissimus lumborum collected. CH had no effect on piglets' growth performance. In turn, incorporation of CH improved the nutritional value of meat by increasing total carotenoids and n-3 PUFA content, thus contributing to a more positive n-6/n-3 fatty acid ratio. The supplementation with Rovabio® benefited tenderness and increased overall acceptability of pork. Our results show beyond doubt the viability of the utilization of this microalga as a feed ingredient for swine production.

Different Dietary N-3 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acid Formulations Distinctively Modify Tissue Fatty Acid and N-Acylethanolamine Profiles.

We investigated the influence of different dietary formulation of n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) on rat tissue fatty acid (FA) incorporation and consequent modulation of their bioactive metabolite N-acylethanolamines (NAE). For 10 weeks, rats were fed diets with 12% of fat from milk + 4% soybean oil and 4% of oils with different n-3 PUFA species: soybean oil as control, linseed oil rich in α-linolenic (ALA), Buglossoides arvensis oil rich in ALA and stearidonic acid (SDA), fish oil rich in eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), Nannochloropsis microalga oil rich in EPA or Schizochytrium microalga oil rich in DHA. FA and NAE profiles were determined in plasma, liver, brain and adipose tissues. Different dietary n-3 PUFA distinctively influenced tissue FA profiles and consequently NAE tissue concentrations. Interestingly, in visceral adipose tissue the levels of N-arachidonoylethanolamide (AEA) and N-docosahexaenoylethanolamide (DHEA), NAE derived from arachidonic acid (AA) and DHA, respectively, significantly correlated with NAE in plasma, and circulating DHEA levels were also correlated with those in liver and brain. Circulating NAE derived from stearic acid, stearoylethanolamide (SEA), palmitic acid and palmitoylethanolamide (PEA) correlated with their liver concentrations. Our data indicate that dietary n-3 PUFA are not all the same in terms of altering tissue FA and NAE concentrations. In addition, correlation analyses suggest that NAE levels in plasma may reflect their concentration in specific tissues. Given the receptor-mediated tissue specific metabolic role of each NAE, a personalized formulation of dietary n-3 PUFA might potentially produce tailored metabolic effects in different pathophysiological conditions.

Glutamine and cystine-enriched diets modulate aquaporins gene expression in the small intestine of piglets.

The regulation of glycerol permeability in the gastrointestinal tract is crucial to control fat deposition, lipolysis and gluconeogenesis. Knowing that the amino acid glutamine is a physiological regulator of gluconeogenesis, whereas cystine promotes adiposity, herein we investigated the effects of dietary supplementation with glutamine and cystine on the serum biochemical parameters of piglets fed on amino acid-enriched diets, as well as on the transcriptional profile of membrane water and glycerol channels aquaporins (AQPs) in the ileum portion of the small intestine and its impact on intestinal permeability. Twenty male piglets with an initial body weight of 8.8 ± 0.89 kg were allocated to four dietary treatments (n = 5) and received, during a four week-period, a basal diet without supplementation (control) or supplemented with 8 kg/ton of glutamine (Gln), cystine (Cys) or the combination of the two amino acids in equal proportions (Gln + Cys). Most biochemical parameters were found improved in piglets fed Gln and Cys diet. mRNA levels of AQP3 were found predominant over the others. Both amino acids, individually or combined, were responsible for a consistent downregulation of AQP1, AQP7 and AQP10, without impacting on water permeability. Conversely, Cys enriched diet upregulated AQP3 enhancing basolateral membranes glycerol permeability and downregulating glycerol kinase (GK) of intestinal cells. Altogether, our data reveal that amino acids dietary supplementation can modulate intestinal AQPs expression and unveil AQP3 as a promising target for adipogenesis regulation.

Modulation of aquaporin gene expression by n-3 long-chain PUFA lipid structures in white and brown adipose tissue from hamsters.

EPA (20 : 5n-3) and DHA (22 : 6n-3) fatty acids have weight-reducing properties with physiological activity depending on their molecular structure - that is, as TAG or ethyl esters (EE). Aquaporins (AQP) are membrane protein channels recognised as important players in fat metabolism, but their differential expression in white adipose tissue (WAT) and brown adipose tissue (BAT), as well as their modulation by dietary n-3 long-chain PUFA (LCPUFA) such as EPA and DHA, has never been investigated. In this study, the transcriptional profiles of AQP3, AQP5, AQP7 and selected lipid markers of WAT (subcutaneous and visceral) and BAT (interscapular) from hamsters fed diets containing n-3 LCPUFA in different lipid structures such as fish oil (FO, rich in EPA and DHA in the TAG form) and FO-EE (rich in EPA and DHA in the EE form) were used and compared with linseed oil (LSO) as the reference group. A clear effect of fat depot was observed for AQP3 and leptin (LEP), with the lowest values of mRNA found in BAT relative to WAT. The opposite occurred for PPARα. AQP7 was affected by diet, with FO-fed hamsters having higher mRNA levels compared with LSO-fed hamsters. The relative gene expression of AQP5, adiponectin (ADIPO), GLUT4 and PPARγ was influenced by both fat tissue and diet. Taken together, our results revealed a differential expression profile of AQP and some markers of lipid metabolism in both WAT and BAT in response to feeding n-3 LCPUFA in two different structural formats: TAG v. EE.

Stearidonic acid combined with alpha-linolenic acid improves lipemic and neurological markers in a rat model subject to a hypercaloric diet.

In this study, we hypothesized that terrestrial plant oils, rich in alpha linolenic acid (ALA) and stearidonic acid (SDA) relative to fish oil, rich in eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), prevent negative effects on cardiovascular and neurological function using a rat model fed a hypercaloric diet. Results showed effects on the FA profile, namely, eicosapentaenoic, EPA, and docosahexaenoic, DHA, levels. There were also effects on neural aspects (cAMP response element-binding protein, CREB, gene expression, at least, doubled) and the pro-inflammatory/anti-inflammatory balance (TNF-α, tumor necrosis factor alpha reduced by 30-50%). The most positive impact of ALA and SDA was the beneficial reduction of total lipids (from 395 ±â€¯3 to 352-361 mg/dL), VLDL-cholesterol (from 21.8 ±â€¯0.2 to 14.1-17.8 mg/dL), and triacylglycerols (from 109 ±â€¯1 to 71-89 mg/dL) in both LIN (diet enriched in linseed oil) and BUG (diet enriched in Buglossoides oil) groups. Overall, data indicate that ALA- and SDA-rich lipid sources may counteract the undesirable cardiovascular effects of a hypercaloric diet based on milk fat.

Betaine and arginine supplementation of low protein diets improves plasma lipids but does not affect hepatic fatty acid composition and related gene expression profiling in pigs.

BACKGROUND: The individual and combined effects of betaine and arginine supplemented to reduced protein diets were investigated on plasma metabolites, hepatic fatty acid composition and mRNA levels of lipid-sensitive factors in commercial pigs. Betaine has previously been shown to reduce carcass fat deposition and arginine improves meat quality of finishing pigs. Forty male crossbred pigs were randomly assigned to one of five diets (n = 8): 160 g kg-1 of crude protein (NPD), 130 g kg-1 of crude protein (RPD), RPD with 3.3 g kg-1 of betaine, RPD with 15 g kg-1 of arginine, and RPD with 3.3 g kg-1 of betaine and 15 g kg-1 of arginine. RESULTS: The restriction of dietary protein increased total lipids (P < 0.001), total cholesterol (P < 0.001), high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (P < 0.001) and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (P < 0.001). Betaine and arginine, individually or combined, reduced the majority of plasma lipids (P < 0.05) without affecting total fatty acids in the liver and the overall gene expression pattern. CONCLUSION: These findings suggest a positive effect of betaine and arginine, singly or combined, by reversing plasma lipids increase promoted by dietary protein restriction. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry.

Docosahexaenoic acid at the sn-2 position of structured triacylglycerols improved n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid assimilation in tissues of hamsters.

In this study, we hypothesized that the incorporation of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) in tissues will be higher when it is ingested as triacylglycerols (TAG) structured at the sn-2 position, which enhances efficacy and health benefits of dietary DHA n-3 supplementation. Ten-week-old Golden Syrian male hamsters were randomly allocated into 4 dietary groups with 10 animals in each: linseed oil (LSO; control group), fish oil (FO), fish oil ethyl esters (FO-EE), and structured DHA at the sn-2 position of TAG (DHA-SL). After 12 weeks, there were no variations in the hamsters' body composition parameters across dietary groups. The DHA-SL diet had the lowest values of total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, total lipids, and aspartate aminotransferase activity, whereas the inverse was observed for the FO diet. Glucose was increased in the LSO diet without affecting insulin and insulin resistance markers. Whereas n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid was increased in the brain of hamsters fed the DHA-SL diet, higher levels of n-6 polyunsaturated fatty acid were observed in the liver and erythrocytes of the LSO. The highest omega-3 index was obtained with the DHA-SL diet. The principal component analyses discriminated DHA from other metabolites and set apart 4 clusters matching the 4 diets. Similarly, liver, erythrocytes, and brain were separated from each other, pointing toward an individual signature on fatty acid deposition. The structured sn-2 position DHA-containing TAG ameliorated blood lipids and fatty acid incorporation, in particular eicosapentaenoic acid and DHA in liver, erythrocytes, and brain, relative to commercially FOs, thus improving the health benefits of DHA due to its higher bioavailability.

Effects of dietary CLA on n-3 HUFA score and N-acylethanolamides biosynthesis in the liver of obese Zucker rats.

We have recently shown that PPAR alpha agonists induce N-oleoylethanolamide (OEA) and N-palmitoylethanolamide (PEA) biosynthesis. Conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), a known dietary PPAR alpha inducer, may therefore increase OEA and PEA levels and favor docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) biosynthesis by enhancing peroxisomal ß-oxidation via induction of liver PPARα. To evaluate whether CLA is able to increase DHA, OEA and PEA levels and thereby influencing liver lipid deposition in a model of visceral obesity-induced fatty liver, Zucker rats were fed a background diet rich in saturated fat with or without 1% of CLA for 4 weeks. Our data showed that CLA intake increased DHA, OEA and PEA levels in the liver by 24%, 31% and 36% respectively, and reduced hepatic lipid accumulation by 16%. We may conclude that dietary CLA is able to influence not only fatty acid metabolism but also the biosynthesis of bioactive mediators such as OEA and PEA which may contribute to ameliorate fatty liver.

Adipocyte membrane glycerol permeability is involved in the anti-adipogenic effect of conjugated linoleic acid.

Conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), a group of minor fatty acids from ruminant origin, has long been recognized as a body fat lowering agent. Given the trans(t)10,cis(c)12-CLA well documented interference on lipolysis, we hypothesized for adipocytes altered permeation to glycerol when supplemented with this isomer. 3T3-L1 murine differentiated adipocytes were medium supplemented with linoleic acid (LA) and individual or combined c9,t11 and t10,c12-CLA isomers. Adipocytes treated with the t10,c12-CLA isomer and CLA mixture showed reduced triacylglycerols content (p < 0.001), re-enforcing the t10,c12-CLA as the anti-adipogenic CLA isomer. This finding was supported by decreased Δ9-desaturase index and adipocyte differentiation markers for the t10,c12-CLA group (p < 0.001), which suggest reduced lipogenesis and differentiation, respectively. The glycerol permeability was higher in all CLA treated cells compared to control and LA groups (p < 0.05). The increase in glycerol permeability agrees with both reduced triacylglycerols and non-osmotic cellular volume in the t10,c12-CLA and CLA mixture groups. Taken together, our data suggest that the increased adipocyte plasma membrane glycerol fluxes may be part of the anti-adipogenic response to CLA treatments.

Influence of feeding graded levels of canned sardines on the inflammatory markers and tissue fatty acid composition of Wistar rats.

Canned sardines are a ready-to-use fish product with excellent nutritional properties owing to its high n-3 long-chain PUFA content, mainly EPA (20 : 5n-3) and DHA (22 : 6n-3). The present study aimed to assess the effect of two dosages of canned sardines, recommended for the primary and secondary prevention of human CVD, on the inflammatory marker concentrations and fatty acid composition of erythrocytes and key metabolic tissues (liver, muscle, adipose tissue and brain) in the rat model. Wistar rats were fed a diet containing 11 % (w/w) of canned sardines (low-sardine (LS) diet) and a diet containing 22 % (w/w) of canned sardines (high-sardine (HS) diet) for 10 weeks. Daily food intake, weight gain, and organ and final body weights were not affected by the dietary treatments. The concentrations of total cholesterol, HDL-cholesterol and LDL-cholesterol decreased in both the LS and HS groups, while those of alanine aminotransferase and adiponectin increased. The concentrations of IL-1ß increased only with the highest dosage of sardine. The dose-dependent influence of the graded levels of EPA+DHA was tissue specific. Compared with that of other tissues and erythrocytes, the fatty acid composition of the brain was less affected by the canned sardine-supplemented diets. In contrast, the retroperitoneal adipose tissue was highly responsive. The deposition ratios of EPA and DHA indicated that the LS diet was optimal for DHA deposition across the tissues, except in the retroperitoneal adipose tissue. Taken together, our findings indicate that a LS diet positively affects plasma lipid profiles and inflammatory mediators, whereas a HS diet has contradictory effects on IL-1ß, which, in turn, is not associated with variations in the concentrations of other pro-inflammatory cytokines. This finding requires further investigation and pathophysiological understanding.

Effect of slaughter season and muscle type on the fatty acid composition, including conjugated linoleic acid isomers, and nutritional value of intramuscular fat in organic beef.

BACKGROUND: Consumer awareness regarding the intake of beef of organic origin is strongly associated with the beneficial outcomes to human health, the environment and animal welfare. In this paper the effects of slaughter season and muscle type on the fatty acid composition, conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) isomeric profile, total cholesterol, α-tocopherol and ß-carotene contents and nutritional quality of intramuscular fat in organic beef (n = 30) are reported for the first time. RESULTS: Organic beef showed a very low total lipid content, with seasonal changes in the levels of some fatty acids, CLA isomers, n-6/n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) ratio, total cholesterol and ß-carotene. In addition, differences between longissimus lumborum (relatively red) and semitendinosus (relatively white) muscles were found for many fatty acids, specific CLA contents, many CLA isomers and both PUFA/saturated fatty acid (SFA) and n-6/n-3 ratios. However, in spite of the seasonal and carcass variations, all organic meats analysed had values of beef similar to pasture-fed cattle. CONCLUSION: From a nutritional perspective, organic meat from both slaughter seasons seems to have high CLA contents, PUFA/SFA and n-6/n-3 indices within the recommended values for the human diet. The data indicate that intramuscular fat in organic meat has a high nutritional value throughout the year.

Dietary CLA combined with palm oil or ovine fat differentially influences fatty acid deposition in tissues of obese Zucker rats.

The effect of dietary conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) supplementation in combination with fat from vegetable versus animal origin on the fatty acid deposition, including that of individual 18:1 and 18:2 (conjugated and non-conjugated) isomers, in the liver and muscle of obese rats was investigated. For this purpose, 32 male Zucker rats were randomly assigned to one of four diets containing palm oil or ovine fat, supplemented or not with 1% of 1:1 cis(c)9,trans(t)11 and t10,c12 CLA isomers mixture. Total fatty acid content decreased in the liver and muscle of CLA-fed rats. In the liver, CLA increased saturated fatty acids (SFA) in 11.9% and decreased monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA) in 6.5%. n-3 Polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) relative proportions were increased in 30.6% by CLA when supplemented to the ovine fat diet. In the muscle, CLA did not affect SFA but decreased MUFA and PUFA percentages. The estimation of Δ9-indices 16 and 18 suggested that CLA inhibited the stearoyl-CoA desaturase activity in the liver (a decrease of 13-38%), in particular when supplemented to the ovine fat diet. Concerning CLA supplementation, the t10,c12 isomer percentage was 60-80% higher in the muscle than in the liver. It is of relevance that rats fed ovine fat, containing bio-formed CLA, had more c9,t11 CLA isomer deposited in both tissues than rats fed palm oil plus synthetic CLA. These results highlight the importance to further clarify the biological effects of consuming foods naturally enriched in CLA, alternatively to CLA dietary supplementation.

Contrasting apoptotic responses of conjugated linoleic acid in the liver of obese Zucker rats fed palm oil or ovine fat.

We hypothesized that reducing weight properties of conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) are due to adipocyte apoptosis and that CLA differentially modulates the apoptotic responses in hepatic lipotoxicity from rats fed saturated fat diets. Obese Zucker rats were fed atherogenic diets (2%w/w of cholesterol) formulated with high (15%w/w) saturated fat, from vegetable or animal origin, supplemented or not with 1% of a mixture (1:1) of cis-9, trans-11 and trans-10, cis-12 CLA isomers for 14 weeks. CLA induced no changes on retroperitoneal fat depot weight, which was in line with similar levels of apoptosis. Interestingly, CLA had a contrasting effect on cell death in the liver according to the dietary fat. CLA increased hepatocyte apoptosis, associated with upregulation of Fas protein in rats fed palm oil, compared to rats receiving palm oil alone. However, rats fed ovine fat alone displayed the highest levels of hepatic cell death, which were decreased in rats fed ovine fat plus CLA. This reducing effect of CLA was related to positively restoring endoplasmic reticulum (ER) ATF-6α, BiP and CHOP protein levels and increasing phosphorylated c-Jun NH(2)-terminal kinase (JNK) and c-Jun, thus suggesting an adaptive response of cell survival. These findings reinforce the role of CLA as regulator of apoptosis in the liver. Moreover, the dietary fat composition is a key factor in activation of apoptosis.