Cod Liver Oil

This study was carried out to examine the effect of Artemia urmiana nauplii enriched with HUFA, and vitamins C and E on stress tolerance, hematocrit, and biochemical parameters of great sturgeon, Huso huso juveniles. Cod liver oil (EPA 18% and DHA 12%), ascorbyl-6-palmitate and α-tocopherol acetate were used as lipid, and vitamin C and E sources, respectively. Beluga juveniles at the stage of first feeding (69.7 ± 5.9 mg body weight) were randomly divided into five treatments and three tanks were assigned to each diet. All fish groups were fed non-enriched Artemia for the initial 5 days and then fed enriched Artemia for 7 days. Juveniles were fed with Artemia enriched with HUFA + 20% vitamin C (C group); HUFA + 20% vitamin E-enriched Artemia nauplii (E group); HUFA + 20% vitamin C + 20% vitamin E (C and E group); HUFA without vitamins (HUFA) and non-enriched Artemia (control). After the period of enrichment, Juveniles were fed with Daphnia sp. from the 13th to the 40th day. At day 40, the fish were transferred directly from fresh water (0.5 ppt) to brackish water (6 ppt for 4 days and 12 ppt for 2 days) and warm water (from 27 to 33°C) to evaluate juvenile resistance to salinity and thermal shocks. Moreover, all treatments were separately exposed to freshwater in tanks with the same capacity as used for osmotic and thermal tests (as fresh water control). The addition of vitamins C, E, and C + E to HUFA significantly increased fish resistance to 12 ppt salinity and temperature stress tests, whereas survival was not significantly different among challenges at 6 ppt. There was no significant difference in the hematocrit index under stress conditions. Enrichment had significant influence on plasma Na+ level in the C group on the 4th day at 6 ppt. Na+ and Ca2+ concentrations in C, E, and C and E groups on the 1st day at 12 ppt, and Ca2+ level in E group on the 2nd day at 12 ppt were lower than the other groups. The glucose level in the C and C and E groups was lower than the other treatments on the 1st day at 12 ppt and the 2nd day at 33°C. Regardless of Artemia enrichment, plasma ions (Na+, K+, Ca2+, and Mg2+) and glucose concentrations in fish exposed to salinity stress tests were higher than fish in fresh water. Glucose concentration in plasma also increased after 2 days at 33°C. Although most of our results were not significantly different, the use of vitamins C, E, and HUFA in Artemia enrichment can improve Juveniles tolerance under stress conditions, and regardless of enrichment, these data show that beluga juveniles are partly sensitive to high salinity and temperature.

The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between the lipid-lowering effects of fish oils and concomitant consequences on glucose tolerance and insulin sensitivity in an experimental animal model of hypertriglyceridemia induced by high sucrose intake. To achieve this goal, male Wistar rats were fed a semi-synthetic sucrose rich diet (SRD) (w/w: 62.3% sucrose, 8% corn oil, 17% protein) for 90 days. At the time, a well established and permanent hypertriglyceridemia accompanied by glucose intolerance was present. After that, one half of the animals continued on the SRD up to 120 days. The other half received an SRD in which the source of fat was substituted by cod liver oil (w/w 7% CLO plus 1% corn oil) from day 90 to 120 (SRD + CLO). Control rats were fed a semi-synthetic diet (CD) (w/w: 62.5% corn starch, 8% corn oil, 17% protein) throughout the 120 days experimental period. Results obtained after the experimental period show that the hypertriglyceridemia and glucose intolerance ensuing long term feeding normal rats with a sucrose-rich diet could be completely reversed mediating no change in circulating insulin levels by shifting the source of fat in the diet from corn oil to cod liver oil. These findings suggest that manipulation of dietary fats may play a role in the management of the lipid disorders associated with glucose intolerance and insulin resistance.

Cod liver oil is a traditional source of vitamin D in Iceland, and regular intake is recommended partly for the sake of bone health. However, the association between lifelong consumption of cod liver oil and bone mineral density (BMD) in old age is unclear. The present study attempted to assess the associations between intake of cod liver oil in adolescence, midlife, and old age, and hip BMD in old age, as well as associations between cod liver oil intake in old age and serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) concentration. Participants of the Age, Gene/Environment Susceptibility-Reykjavik Study (age 66-96 years; n 4798), reported retrospectively cod liver oil intake during adolescence and midlife, as well as the one now in old age, using a validated FFQ. BMD of femoral neck and trochanteric region was measured by volumetric quantitative computed tomography, and serum 25(OH)D concentration was measured by means of a direct, competitive chemiluminescence immunoassay. Associations were as...

Trout-skin (Oncorhynchus mykiss) gelatin-based films containing antioxidants (epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), 50 and 250 ppm w/w) and green tea powder (1% and 20% w/w of gelatin) were tested for tensile strength, elastic modulus, and elongation, and oxygen and water vapor transmission rates, in vitro antioxidant activity using the DPPH (2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl) assay and effect on stabilizing cod-liver oil held under mild thermal abuse conditions. Cod-liver oil overlaid with films was stored at 40 °C for 20 d and analyzed for peroxide value (PV) and thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS). Antioxidant activity was retained in films containing green tea powder, but was reduced (P < 0.05) in EGCG films (20 d, 23 °C). Water vapor transmission rate of the films incorporated with antioxidants did not change significantly (P > 0.05), but the oxygen transmission rate for films with 50 ppm EGCG and 20% green tea powder was significant (P < 0.05). Other physical properties varied with antioxidant incorporation. The TBARS and PV of control oil increased from 0.05 ± 0.01 to 4.71 ± 0.30 g MDA/kg oil and from 3.6 ± 0.2 to 178.3 ± 24.5 millieq peroxides/kg oil, respectively, after 20 d. For cod-liver oil covered with control or antioxidant-containing films, TBARS remained below 0.37 g MDA/kg oil and PV below 7 millieq peroxides/kg oil. Incorporation of antioxidants to the films did not reduce oil oxidation (P > 0.05) at the levels tested and this was confirmed by activation energy calculations. The rate of oil oxidation was more dependent upon the inherent oxygen barrier property of the films than the presence of antioxidants. This research has the potential to enhance the utilization of fish skins, a valuable food processing by-product, as edible films with natural antioxidants to extend the shelf life of foods. The film physical properties and barrier to oxygen and water are investigated.

Background: Current evidence suggests that sun exposure and vitamin D intake, during childhood and adolescence, are associated with a reduced risk of multiple sclerosis (MS). However, the role of these environmental agents in the timing of disease symptom onset remains to be investigated. Methods: Using a cross-sectional study design, we recruited participants from the Veterans Health Administration – Multiple Sclerosis

The first part of the present study focused on the development of an alternative automated sample preparation method for the measurement of selected polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) in fish and shellfish. A previously developed automated method has been further optimized and simplified to decrease blank levels and cost. Sorbent and solvent quantities have been significantly reduced without altering extract quality. The second part of the study consisted of comparing tandem-in-time quadrupole ion storage mass spectrometry (QISTMS/MS) to high resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS) for the isotope dilution (ID) measurement step after gas chromatography (GC) separation. Both mass spectrometric methods performed similarly in terms of accuracy but better precision was observed for HRMS. Although better sensitivity can be attained with the high resolution sector instrument, method limits of quantification (mLOQs) were very similar for both approaches as they were dependent on the procedural blanks levels. The mLOQ values ranged between 0.04 and 3.56 ng/g fat, depending on the congener. They allowed the unambiguous identification and quantification of all target analytes, except for BDE-183, in most considered fish extracts. An analytical procedure based on rapid automated sample preparation and QISTMS/MS appeared to be suitable for the measurement of PBDEs in fish and shellfish speciment under quality assurance/quality control (QA/QC) criteria.

This work was undertaken to study the impact of the source of n−3 FA on their incorporation in serum, on blood lipid composition, and on cellular activation. A clinical trial comprising 71 volunteers, divided into five groups, was performed. Three groups were given 400 g smoked salmon (n=14), cooked salmon (n=15), or cooked cod (n=13) per week for 8 wk. A fourth group was given 15 mL/d of cod liver oil (CLO) (n=15), and a fifth group served as control (n=14) without supplementation. The serum content of EPA and DHA before and after intervention revealed a higher rise in EPA and DHA in the cooked salmon group (129% rise in EPA and 45% rise in DHA) as compared with CLO (106 and 25%, respectively) despite an intake of EPA and DHA in the CLO group of 3.0 g/d compared with 1.2 g/d in the cooked salmon group. No significant changes were observed in blood lipids, fibrinogen, fibrinolysis, or lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced tissue factor (TF) activity, tumor necrosis factor-α (TNFα), interleukin-8 (IL-8), leukotriene B4 (LTB4), and thromboxane B2 (TxB2) in whole blood. EPA and DHA were negatively correlated with LPS-induced TNFα, IL-8, LTB4, TxB2, and TF in whole blood. In conclusion, fish consumption is more effective in increasing serum EPA and DHA than supplementing the diet with fish oil. Since the n−3 FA are predominantly in TAG in fish as well as CLO, it is suggested that the larger uptake from fish than CLO is due to differences in physiochemical structure of the lipids.

The effect of supplementation with cod-liver oil containing eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), 20∶5ω3, on bleeding times, thrombin-induced platelet aggregation, platelet protein, platelet cholesterol, and the level and fatty acid composition of individual phospholipids in the platelets of human subjects was determined. Measurement of these parameters was conducted before the subjects received the supplement (day 0), after they received the supplement for 14 days (day 14), and 14 days after the supplement was terminated (day 28) so as to monitor recovery. The mean bleeding times exhibited a marked increase (by 81%) with supplementation and returned to near basal (day 0) values within 14 days after the supplement was terminated. Cod-liver oil supplementation significantly reduced thrombin-induced platelet aggregation with a partial recovery being exhibited by day 28. The content of phospholipid, cholesterol and protein (μg/109 platelets) was not significantly different (P>0.05) when isolated from the subjects at day 0, 14 and 28, as neither were the composition of individual phospholipids [phosphatidylcholine (PC), phosphatidylethanolamine (PE), phosphatidylserine (PS), phosphatidylinositol (PI) and sphingomyelin (SPH)] given as % of total phospholipid. However, the fatty acid compositions of all platelet phospholipids were altered significantly by the fish oil supplement. In PC, EPA rose from 0.3 to 2.9% of total fatty acids and docosahexaenoate from 0.7 to 1.8% concomitant with a drop in arachidonate (from 14.1 to 9.6%) and linoleate (from 10.2 to 7.9%); these levels approached basal levels 14 days after supplementation was terminated. The highest percentage of EPA with supplementation was found in PE (4.3%), while the arachidonate fell from 38.8 to 30.5%, with low percentages of EPA occurring in PS (0.7%) and PI (0.5%). The level of 24∶1 in SPH increased significantly (from 17.8 to 24.8) with supplementation and reverted to basal values by day 28. These results suggest a close relationship of the observed fatty acid changes in individual platelet phospholipids to the altered hematological parameters and platelet-vessel wall interactions produced by cod-liver oil supplementation.

Fifty-seven healthy volunteers matched for sex and age were subdivided in 3 groups and their usual Western diets were supplemented according to three different protocols: group 1, fish oil supplement (20 ml/day); group 2, soybean phosphatidylcholine (PC) (25 g/day) and group 3, no supplementation (control group). After 2 weeks several important modifications of neutrophil fatty acid composition were observed: fish oil induced a significant decrease of linoleic (LA) and arachidonic acid (AA) and a significant increase of eicosapentaenoic (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), while soy PC induced significant increases of LA, total polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) and PUFA/SFA ratio. Neutrophil superoxide generation and adhesion were not modified by fish oil diet, on the contrary a slight but significant increase of O2.- production in response to fMLP was measured after soy PC diet. Our study confirms the possibility of changing neutrophil fatty acid composition in vivo by dietary mea...

Though liquid chromatography electrospray tandem mass spectrometry (LC–ESI-MS2) has been widely used in the structural elucidation of triacylglycerols (TAG) in vegetable oils, its potentiality for the identification of TAG molecules in omega-3 rich oils remains unexplored till date. Hence, this article investigates the applicability of LC–ESI-MS2 for the structural characterization of naturally occurring TAG in cod liver oil without the TAG fractionation during the sample preparation. A computational algorithm was developed to automatically interpret the mass spectra and elucidate the TAG structures respectively. The results were compared against the lipase benchmark method. A principal component analysis study revealed that it is possible to discriminate genuine from adulterated cod liver oil.