In vitro intestinal digestion of lipids from the marine diatom Porosira glacialis compared to commercial LC n-3 PUFA products.

Marine sources of long chain omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (LC n-3 PUFA) are in high demand for use in health supplements. Mass cultivated marine microalgae is a promising and sustainable source of LC n-3 PUFA, which relieves pressure on natural fish stocks. The lipid class profile from cultivated photosynthetic algae differ from the marine organisms currently used for the production of LC n-3 PUFA. The objective of this study was to compare in vitro intestinal digestion of oil extracted from the cold-adapted marine diatom Porosira glacialis with commercially available LC n-3 PUFA supplements; cod liver oil, krill oil, ethyl ester concentrate, and oil from the copepod Calanus finmarchicus (Calanus® oil). The changes in the free fatty acids and neutral and polar lipids during the enzymatic hydrolysis were characterized by liquid and gas chromatography. In Calanus® oil and the Ethyl ester concentrate, the free fatty acids increased very little (4.0 and 4.6%, respectively) during digestion. In comparison, free fatty acids in Krill oil and P. glacialis oil increased by 14.7 and 17.0%, respectively. Cod liver oil had the highest increase (28.2%) in free fatty acids during the digestion. Monounsaturated and saturated fatty acids were more easily released than polyunsaturated fatty acids in all five oils.

Preparation of PLA/chitosan nanoscaffolds containing cod liver oil and experimental diabetic wound healing in male rats study.

Diabetes mellitus is one of the most common metabolic disorders. One of the important metabolic complications in diabetes is diabetic foot ulcer syndrome, which causes delayed and abnormal healing of the wound. The formulation of nanoscaffolds containing cod liver oil by altering the hemodynamic balance toward the vasodilators state, increasing wound blood supply, and altering plasma membrane properties, namely altering the membrane phospholipids composition, can be effective in wound healing. In this study, electrospinning method was used to produce poly lactic acid/chitosan nanoscaffolds as a suitable bio-substitute. After preparing the nanoscaffolds, the products were characterized with dynamic light scattering (DLS), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Also optical properties of polymer and comparison between adsorption between single polymer and polymer-drug calculated with UV-Vis spectra. The structure and functional groups of the final products were characterized by Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) and energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDAX) as elemental analysis. The results showed that the optimum formulation of cod liver oil was 30%, which formed a very thin fiber that rapidly absorbed to the wound and produced significant healing effects. According to the results, poly lactic acid/chitosan nanoscaffolds containing cod liver oil can be a suitable bio-product to be used in treating the diabetic foot ulcer syndrome.

Vehicle-dependent disposition kinetics of fluoranthene in Fisher-344 rats.

The objective of this study was to evaluate how the vehicles of choice affect the pharmacokinetics of orally administered Fluoranthene [FLA] in rats. Fluoranthene is a member of the family of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon chemicals. Fluoranthene exposure to humans may occur as a result of cigarette smoking, consumption of contaminated food and water, heating woods in stoves and boilers, industrial sources such as coal gasification, carbon and graphite electrode manufacturing. Adult male Fisher-344 rats were given single oral doses of 25 and 50 microg/kg FLA in tricaprylin, peanut oil, cod liver oil, Tween 80/isotonic saline (1:5) and 2% Alkamuls-EL620 through gavage. After administration, the rats were housed individually in metabolic cages and sacrificed at 2, 4, 6, 8, 10 and 12 hours post FLA exposure. Blood, lung, liver, small intestine, adipose tissue samples, urine, and feces were collected at each time point. Samples were subjected to a liquid-liquid extraction using methanol, chloroform, and water. The extracts were analyzed by a reverse-phase HPLC, equipped with a fluorescence detector. The results revealed a dose-dependent increase in FLA concentrations in plasma and tissues for all the vehicles used. Plasma and tissue FLA concentrations were greater for peanut oil; cod liver oil, and tricaprylin vehicles compared to Alkamuls (p < 0.05), and Tween 80/isotonic saline (1:5). Most of the FLA administered through peanut oil, cod liver oil and tricaprylin was cleared from the body by 8 hours (90%) and 12 hours (80%) post administration for the 25 microg/kg and 50 microg/kg dose groups, respectively. With both doses employed, the metabolism of FLA was highest when cod liver oil was used as a vehicle and lowest in vehicles containing detergent/water [cod liver oil > peanut oil > tricaprylin > alkamuls > Tween 80/isotonic saline (1:5)]. These findings suggest that uptake and elimination of FLA is accelerated when administered through oil-based vehicles. The low uptake of FLA from Alkamuls and Tween 80/isotonic saline may have been a result of the poor solubility of the chemical. In summary, our findings reiterate that absorption characteristics of FLA were governed by the dose as well as the dosing vehicle. The vehicle-dependent bioavailability of FLA suggests a need for the judicious selection of vehicles in evaluating oral toxicity studies for risk assessment purposes.

[Clinical evaluation of aiconol side effects]. / Klinicheskaia otsenka pobochnykh éffektov preparata éikonol.

In the study of 164 patients with atherogenic dyslipidemia the authors studied side effects of aiconol, concentrated cod liver oil. Its lipid component contains not less than 18% of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA). All the patients were divided into 4 groups: 51 subjects of group 1 received aiconol in the form of oil, 35 subjects of group 2 had protein dietetic caviar prepared from animal proteins with addition of 3% aiconol, 38 subjects of group 3 were given protein-oil emulsion containing 20% aiconol and 40 patients of group 4 took gelatin aiconol in capsules. Side effects of the above food ingredients enriched with omega-3 PUFA were found to be of metabolic nature. These manifested most evidently in patients on oil aiconol incorporating both maximal doses of omega-3 PUFA and the largest amounts of inert constituents acting as additional fat load on the liver and pancreas. Group 1 patients also suffered from aggravated chronic gastrointestinal, hepatic and pancreatic disorders. Because of reduced quantities of omega-3 PUFA in the diets of group 2, 3 and 4 patients, they displayed much less severe side effects.

[The effects of the intake of cod liver oil on the blood lipid level, the lipoprotein profile and bleeding time]. / Die Auswirkungen der Einnahme von Lebertran auf den Blutfettspiegel, das Lipoproteinprofil und die Blutungszeit.

In a research study performed over eight months with five female and six male subjects (age 35-67 years) the effect of cod liver oil on the lipoprotein composition in the blood was tested. The main goal was to prove that the regular administration of so-called highly unsaturated omega-3-fatty acid components in fish oil (4 g per day over six months) may lead to a reduction of triglyceride and total cholesterol values. Furthermore, any changes in HDL and LDL cholesterol fractions as well as the bleeding time were registered. The average values of all subjects showed an essential reduction of the triglyceride and cholesterol values. The control examination after 8 months even showed a continuous trend. The LDL fractions on an average remained unchanged. It can be taken for granted that the administration of unsaturated fatty acids in cod liver oil shows a successful therapeutic effect by the reduction of triglyceride and cholesterol values. The anti-atherosclerotic and the anti-platelet aggregational effect of fish oil has been described in many publications.

A study to examine any difference in absorption of cod-liver oil when taken fasting compared to during a meal by examining changes in blood lipid levels.

Healthy volunteers (two male and three female in each group) took cod-liver oil supplements in either the fasting (before breakfast) or fed (with lunch) state for 14 days. After a 14-day break the groups treatments were reversed. Blood pressure and pulse were monitored and blood samples analysed for total lipid, total and HDL cholesterol at 2-weekly intervals. One male and one female volunteer acted as controls, having measurements taken but no blood samples. No changes in pulse rate or blood pressure or clotting times were noted, but the ratio of HDL cholesterol to total cholesterol changed in different directions according to time of consumption in those consuming cod-liver oil.