Equal bioavailability of omega-3 PUFA from Calanus oil, fish oil and krill oil: A 12-week randomized parallel study.

The bioavailability of long-chain omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (n3 PUFA) can be affected by the form in which they are bound. An alternative source of n3 PUFA is Calanus finmarchicus oil (CO), which, unlike fish oil (FO) and krill oil (KO), contains fatty acids primarily bound as wax esters. Recent studies have shown that n3 PUFA from CO are bioavailable to humans, but CO has not been compared to other marine oils such as FO or KO. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the influence of 12 weeks supplementation with CO, FO and KO on the long-term n3 PUFA status in healthy volunteers. The Omega-3 Index (O3I), defined as red blood cell EPA + DHA content as a percentage of total identified fatty acids, was used as a measure to assess n3 PUFA status. Sixty-two participants (mean ± standard deviation [SD] age: 29.7 ± 8.43 years) completed the randomized parallel group study (CO group: n = 21, 4 capsules/day, EPA + DHA dose: 242 mg/day; FO group: n = 22, 1 capsule/day, EPA + DHA dose: 248 mg/day; KO group: n = 19, 2 capsules/day, EPA + DHA dose: 286 mg/day). At baseline, the three groups showed comparable (mean ± SD) O3I values (CO: 5.13 ± 1.12%, FO: 4.90 ± 0.57%, KO: 4.87 ± 0.77%). The post-interventional (mean ± SD) O3I increase was comparable between the three groups (CO: 1.09 ± 0.55%; FO: 1.0 ± 0.53%; KO: 1.15 ± 0.65%, all p < 0.001). The study confirms that CO can increase the n3 PUFA status comparable to FO and KO and is therefore an alternative marine source of bioavailable n3 PUFA, especially with regard to sustainability.

Marine Oil from C. finmarchicus Enhances Glucose Homeostasis and Liver Insulin Resistance in Obese Prediabetic Individuals.

The intermediate state between normal glucose tolerance and overt type 2 diabetes mellitus is associated with micro- and macrovascular diseases, requiring safe and cost-effective treatment measures interventions. A novel source of LC n-3 FAs is Calanus finmarchicus Oil, which showed promising effects on glucose homeostasis in preclinical studies due to anti-obesity effects and/or anti-inflammatory properties. In total, 43 obese patients (BMI: 31.7 ± 5.2 kg/m2) were allocated in the following two groups: (1) Calanus oil group (2 g CO/day) and (2) placebo group (2 g paraffin oil/day). Markers of glucose metabolism, body composition and energy intake were measured at the beginning (t0), after 12 weeks (t12) and 16 weeks (t16). Overall, parameters reflecting abnormal glucose homeostasis and insulin resistance in the liver, including fasting insulin (-2.9 mU/L ± 4.10, p < 0.05), HOMA-IR (-0.9 ± 1.28, p < 0.05) and hepatic insulin resistance index (-1.06 ± 1.72 × 106, p < 0.05) significantly enhanced after a 12-week CO-intervention, while no differences were observed in HbA1c, AUC0-2h Glucose, AUC0-2h Insulin, 2 h plasma glucose and muscle insulin sensitivity index. Our results indicate that Calanus oil causes beneficial effects on glucose metabolism and insulin resistance in obese patients, with clinical relevance to be verified in further studies. In addition, the possible active compounds and their mechanisms of action should be elucidated.