Academic literature on the topic 'Docosahexaenoic acid – Testing'

Variation in exposure to polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) might influence the development of atopy, asthma, and wheeze. This study aimed to determine whether differences in PUFA concentrations in maternal plasma phosphatidylcholine are associated with the risk of childhood wheeze or atopy. For 865 term-born children, we measured phosphatidylcholine fatty acid composition in maternal plasma collected at 34 weeks’ gestation. Wheezing was classified using questionnaires at 6, 12, 24, and 36 months and 6 years. At age of 6 years, the children underwent skin prick testing, fractional exhaled nitric oxide (FENO) measurement, and spirometry. Maternaln-6 fatty acids and the ratio ofn-3 ton-6 fatty acids were not associated with childhood wheeze. However, higher maternal eicosapentaenoic acid, docosahexaenoic acid, and totaln-3 fatty acids were associated with reduced risk of non-atopic persistent/late wheeze (RR 0.57, 0.67 and 0.69, resp.P=0.01, 0.015, and 0.021, resp.). Maternal arachidonic acid was positively associated with FENO (P=0.024). A higher ratio of linoleic acid to its unsaturated metabolic products was associated with reduced risk of skin sensitisation (RR 0.82,P=0.013). These associations provide some support for the hypothesis that variation in exposure ton-6 andn-3 fatty acids during pregnancy influences the risk of childhood wheeze and atopy.

BackgroundTrials evaluating efficacy of omega-3 highly unsaturated fatty acids (HUFAs) in major depressive disorder report discrepant findings.AimsTo establish the reasons underlying inconsistent findings among randomised controlled trials (RCTs) of omega-3 HUFAs for depression and to assess implications for further trials.MethodA systematic bibliographic search of double-blind RCTs was conducted between January 1980 and July 2014 and an exploratory hypothesis-testing meta-analysis performed in 35 RCTs including 6665 participants receiving omega-3 HUFAs and 4373 participants receiving placebo.ResultsAmong participants with diagnosed depression, eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA)-predominant formulations (>50% EPA) demonstrated clinical benefits compared with placebo (Hedge's G = 0.61, P<0.001) whereas docosahexaenoic acid (DHA)-predominant formulations (>50% DHA) did not. EPA failed to prevent depressive symptoms among populations not diagnosed for depression.ConclusionsFurther RCTs should be conducted on study populations with diagnosed or clinically significant depression of adequate duration using EPA-predominant omega-3 HUFA formulations.

Lown-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) status may be associated with neuro-degenerative disorders, in particular Alzheimer's disease, which has been associated with poor dietary fish orn-3 PUFA intake, and low docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) status. The present case–control study used an established biomarker ofn-3 PUFA intake (serum cholesteryl ester-fatty acid composition) to determinen-3 PUFA status in patients with Alzheimer's disease, who were free-living in the community. All cases fulfilled the National Institute of Neurological and Communicative Disorders and Stroke and Alzheimer's Disease and Related Disorders Association criteria for Alzheimer's disease. Detailed neuropsychological testing and neuroimaging established the diagnosis in all cases. The subjects (119 females and twenty-nine males) aged 76·5 (SD 6·6) YEARS HAD A CLINICAL DEMENTIA RATING (CDR) OF 1 (sd 0·62) and a mini mental state examination (MMSE) score of 19·5 (sd 4·8). The control subjects (thirty-six females and nine males) aged 70 (sd 6·0) years were not cognitively impaired (defined as MMSE score <24): they had a mean MMSE score of 28·9 (sd 1·1). Serum cholesteryl ester-eicosapentaenoic acid and DHA levels were significantly lower (P<0·05 andP<0·001 respectively) in all MMSE score quartiles of patients with Alzheimer's disease compared with control values. Serum cholesteryl ester-DHA levels were progressively reduced with severity of clinical dementia. DHA levels did not differ in patients with Alzheimer's disease across age quartiles: all were consistently lower than in control subjects. Step-wise multiple regression analysis showed that cholesteryl ester-DHA and total saturated fatty acid levels were the important determinants of MMSE score and CDR. It remains to be determined whether low DHA status in Alzheimer's disease is a casual factor in the pathogenesis and progression of Alzheimer's disease.

Fish oil is a source of omega-3s, specifically EPA (Eicosapentaenoic acid) and DHA (Docosahexaenoic acid). These fatty acids play an important role for human health. Commercial fish oil production is increasing, but most of the products do not meet IFOS standards. This is a challenge for producers to produce standardized fish oil. The aim of this research was to identify and determining quality of softgel commercial fish oil in Central Java areas based on International Fish Oil Standards (IFOS). The method used was the treatment of differences in the area of origin of commercial fish oil purchases followed by testing the peroxide value, anisidine value, and total oxidation, fatty acid profile, and analysis of free fatty acids. The results showed that the percentage of free fatty acids, peroxide values, anisidine values, and total oxidation values that met IFOS standards were 37 % (3 of 8 samples), 17 % (1 of 8 samples), 83 % (7 of 8 samples) and 50 % (4 out of 8 samples). The best fish oil that fulfil all IFOS parameters has been the sample fish oil E from Tegal. Fish oil D from Tegal has the highest content of omega-3, EPA, and DHA, with values<br />of 83.65%, 56.57%, and 26.74% respectively.

Introduction: The rate of sport-related concussion (SRC) has increased steadily over the past two decades in the pediatric population. Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), an Omega-3 fatty acid important for brain development in children, may aid in recovery following SRC. The purpose of this study was to determine the feasibility, outcomes, and safety of DHA as early treatment for SRC in pediatrics. Methods: A double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled feasibility trial was conducted. Inclusion criteria were ages 14-18 and SRC within 4 days of enrollment. Exclusion criteria included taking DHA, radiographic evidence of TBI, participation in motorized sports, or previous concussion within past 6 months. Following diagnosis of concussion and initiation of standard treatment, subjects were randomized in a 1:1 fashion to DHA or a placebo and were instructed to take 2 capsules twice daily for 12 weeks. DHA capsules contained a total of 2000 mg of DHA/day and PLACEBO capsules contained corn and soy oil. Both were flavored with masking agents. Subjects were followed prospectively. Standard clinical assessments, SCAT-3 symptoms, ImPACT scores, BESS scores, adverse effects, and drug compliance was collected at enrollment, 1-week, 2-weeks, 4-weeks and 12-weeks. Demographics, day of injury symptoms, injury characteristics, and sport played were also collected. Subjects who demonstrated normal neurocognitive testing, complete symptom resolution and were cleared to begin a return to play (RTP) progression prior to the 4-week follow-up visit were permitted to forgo additional study visits, but requested to return for the 12-week visit. Groups were compared using Mann-Whitney tests for continuous variables and chi-square tests for categorical variables. Results: 40 subjects were enrolled; 20 in the DHA group (mean age: 16.02 years; 65% male) and 20 in the PLACEBO group (mean age: 15.97 years; 70% male). No significant differences in demographics, sport, symptoms, ImPACT scores, or BESS scores at enrollment were noted between groups. 25 (62.5%) subjects completed the 12-week visit. Overall drug compliance was 61.57% in the DHA group compared to 66.34% in the PLACEBO group (p=0.727). Subjects in the DHA group were symptom-free 4 days earlier than the PLACEBO group (16.1 vs. 20.9 days, p=0.082), demonstrated normal ImPACT neurocognitive testing (12.2 vs. 16.8 days, p=0.382), and were cleared to begin a RTP progression (21.4 vs. 23.4 days, p=0.115) sooner than those in the PLACEBO group. Two adverse effects were noted in the DHA group. One event was determined to be unrelated to the study. The second event was drug-related eructation and considered minor. No adverse effects were reported in the PLACEBO group. Conclusion: This study demonstrated that use of high-dose DHA for treatment of SRC in pediatrics is feasible and safe. DHA may allow for a faster symptom-free state and for an earlier return to play, but a large-scale trial is needed.

Long chain polyunsaturated omega-3 fatty acids (PUFAs), namely eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), are important functional ingredients due to their well-documented health benefits, but highly susceptible to oxidation. One of the most promising approaches to preserve bioactives is their encapsulation within protective matrices. In this paper, an innovative high throughput encapsulation technique termed as emulsion electrospraying assisted by pressurized gas (EAPG) was used to encapsulate at room temperature nanodroplets of algae oil into two food hydrocolloids, whey protein concentrate and maltodextrin. Spherical encapsulating particles with sizes around 5 µm were obtained, where the oil was homogeneously distributed in nanometric cavities with sizes below 300 nm. Peroxide values under 5 meq/kg, demonstrated that the oil did not suffer from oxidation during the encapsulation process carried out at room temperature. An accelerated stability assay against oxidation under strong UV light was performed to check the protective capacity of the different encapsulating materials. While particles made from whey protein concentrate showed good oxidative stability, particles made from maltodextrin were more susceptible to secondary oxidation, as determined by a methodology put forward in this study based on ATR-FTIR spectroscopy. Further organoleptic testing performed with the encapsulates in a model food product, i.e., milk powder, suggested that the lowest organoleptic impact was seen for the encapsulates made from whey protein concentrate. The obtained results demonstrate the potential of the EAPG technology using whey protein concentrate as the encapsulating matrix, for the stabilization of sensitive bioactive compounds.

Fish oil supplementation during pregnancy not only improves maternal and neonatal DHA status, but often reduces γ-linolenic acid (GLA), dihomo-GLA (DGLA), and arachidonic acid (ARA) levels also, which may compromise foetal and infant development. The present study investigated the effects of a fish oil/evening primrose oil (FSO/EPO) blend (456 mg DHA/d and 353 mg GLA/d) compared to a placebo (mixture of habitual dietary fatty acids) on the plasma fatty acid (FA) composition in two groups of twenty non-pregnant women using a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled parallel design. FA were quantified in plasma total lipids, phospholipids, cholesterol esters, and TAG at weeks 0, 4, 6 and 8. After 8 weeks of intervention, percentage changes from baseline values of plasma total lipid FA were significantly different between FSO/EPO and placebo for GLA (+49·9 % v. +2·1 %, means), DGLA (+13·8 % v. +0·7 %) and DHA (+59·6 % v. +5·5 %), while there was no significant difference for ARA ( − 2·2 % v. − 5·9 %). FA changes were largely comparable between plasma lipid fractions. In both groups three subjects reported mild adverse effects. As compared with placebo, FSO/EPO supplementation did not result in any physiologically relevant changes of safety parameters (blood cell count, liver enzymes). In women of childbearing age the tested FSO/EPO blend was well tolerated and appears safe. It increases plasma GLA, DGLA, and DHA levels without impairing ARA status. These data provide a basis for testing this FSO/EPO blend in pregnant women for its effects on maternal and neonatal FA status and infant development.

Clinical recommendations relating to dietary omega-3 essential fatty acids (EFAs) should consider an individual’s baseline intake. The time, cost, and practicality constraints of current techniques for quantifying omega-3 levels limit the feasibility of applying these methods in some settings, such as eye care practice. This preliminary validation study, involving 40 adults, sought to assess the validity of a novel questionnaire, the Clinical Omega-3 Dietary Survey (CODS), for rapidly assessing long-chain omega-3 intake. Estimated dietary intakes of long-chain omega-3s from CODS correlated with the validated Dietary Questionnaire for Epidemiology Studies (DQES), Version 3.2, (Cancer Council Victoria, Melbourne, Australia) and quantitative assays from dried blood spot (DBS) testing. The ‘method of triads’ model was used to estimate a validity coefficient (ρ) for the relationship between the CODS and an estimated “true” intake of long-chain omega-3 EFAs. The CODS had high validity for estimating the ρ (95% Confidence Interval [CI]) for total long-chain omega-3 EFAs 0.77 (0.31–0.98), docosahexaenoic acid 0.86 (0.54–0.99) and docosapentaenoic acid 0.72 (0.14–0.97), and it had moderate validity for estimating eicosapentaenoic acid 0.57 (0.21–0.93). The total long-chain omega-3 EFAs estimated using the CODS correlated with the Omega-3 index (r = 0.37, p = 0.018) quantified using the DBS biomarker. The CODS is a novel tool that can be administered rapidly and easily, to estimate long-chain omega-3 sufficiency in clinical settings.

Context The essential omega-3 fatty acids (ω-3 FAs) eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) exhibit vital biological roles and are critical for cardiovascular and neurologic health. Compared with the general population, football athletes may be at an increased risk of cardiovascular disease. Further, those same athletes are also exposed to repetitive head impacts, which may lead to long-term neurologic deficits. Both diets high in ω-3 FAs and supplementation with ω-3 FAs have been reported to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease, and early evidence suggests a potential neuroprotective effect of supplementation. Objective To determine the (1) erythrocyte content of DHA and EPA, as measured by the Omega-3 Index, expressed as a percentage of total fatty acids, in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I football athletes and (2) distribution across the Omega-3 Index risk zones established for cardiovascular disease: high risk, &lt;4%; intermediate risk, 4% to 8%; and low risk, &gt;8%. Design Cross-sectional descriptive study. Setting Multicenter trial. Patients or Other Participants Deidentified data including complete erythrocyte fatty acid profile from the 2017–2018 season, age at time of testing, height, weight, and ethnicity were collected from 404 athletes. Main Outcome Measure(s) Omega-3 Index. Results About 34% of athletes (n = 138) had an Omega-3 Index considered high risk (&lt;4%), and 66% (n = 266) had a risk considered intermediate (4%–8%). None had a low-risk Omega-3 Index. Conclusions The Omega-3 Index is a simple, minimally invasive test of ω-3 FA status. Our data indicate that football athletes may be deficient in the ω-3 FAs DHA and EPA. The fact that no athlete had an Omega-3 Index associated with low risk suggests football athletes may be at increased risk for cardiovascular disease in later life.

AbstractThe attraction of novel foods proceeds alongside epidemic cardiovascular disease, diabetes, obesity, and related risk factors. Dieticians have identified chia (Salvia hispanica) as a product with a catalog of potential health benefits relating to these detriments. Chia is currently consumed not only as seeds, but also as oil, which brings about similar effects. Chia seeds and chia seed oil are used mainly as a food commodity and the oil is also used popularly as a dietary ingredient used in various dietary supplements available in the U. S. market. Chia seed is rich in α-linolenic acid, the biological precursor to eicosapentaenoic acid, a polyunsaturated fatty acid, and docosahexaenoic acid. Because the body cannot synthesize α-linolenic acid, chia has a newfound and instrumental role in diet. However, the inconclusive nature of the scientific communityʼs understanding of its safety warrants further research and appropriate testing. The focus of this work is to summarize dietary health benefits of S. hispanica seed and oil to acknowledge concerns of adverse events from its ingestion, to assess current research in the field, and to highlight the importance of quality compendial standards to support safe use. To achieve this end, a large-scale literature search was partaken on the two well-known databases, PubMed and SciFinder. Hundreds of articles detailing such benefits as decreased blood glucose, decreased waist circumference and weight in overweight adults, and improvements in pruritic skin and endurance in distance runners have been recorded. These benefits must be considered within the appropriate circumstances.

[Formulae and special characters can only be approximated here. Please see the pdf version of the Abtract for an accurate reproduction.] Type 2 diabetes at least doubles the risk of cardiovascular disease. This can partly be explained by the increased prevalence of risk factors such as hypertension, dyslipidaemia and obesity. However, the underlying abnormality of insulin resistance and the presence of more recently identified risk factors including endothelial dysfunction, increased inflammation, and increased oxidative stress might also contribute towards the heightened cardiovascular risk. Fish oil, which contains eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA, 20:5 n-3), has wide-ranging beneficial effects on these and other abnormalities, and has reduced cardiovascular mortality in secondary prevention studies. Animal and human studies have recently established that in addition to EPA, docosahexaenoic acid (DHA, 22:6 n-3) also has beneficial effects, and furthermore, may have less detrimental effects than EPA on glycaemic control which has worsened in some fish and fish oil studies involving Type 2 diabetic subjects. Study 1 : This intervention study aimed to determine the independent effects of EPA and DHA on cardiovascular risk factors and glycaemic control in individuals with Type 2 diabetes receiving treatment for hypertension. In a double-blind placebo-controlled trial of parallel design, 59 subjects in good to moderate glycaemic control (HbA1c < 9%) were recruited from media advertising and randomised to 4 g/day of EPA, DHA or olive oil (placebo) for 6 weeks. Thirty-nine men and 12 post-menopausal women aged 61.2±1.2 yrs completed the study. Relative to placebo, and with Bonferroni adjustments for multiple comparisons, serum triglycerides fell by 19% (p=0.022) and 15% (p=0.022) in the EPA and DHA groups respectively. There were no changes in serum total cholesterol, or LDL- and HDL-cholesterol, although HDL2-cholesterol increased 16% with EPA (p=0.026) and 12% with DHA (p=0.05). HDL3-cholesterol fell by 11% (p=0.026) with EPA supplementation and LDL particle size increased by 0.26±0.10 nm (p=0.02) with DHA. Urinary F2-isoprostanes, an in-vivo marker of oxidative stress was reduced by 19% following EPA (p=0.034) and by 20% following DHA. DHA but not EPA supplementation reduced collagen-stimulated platelet aggregation (16.9%, p=0.05) and thromboxane release (18.8%, p=0.03), but there were no significant changes in PAF-stimulated platelet aggregation. Fasting glucose rose by 1.40±0.29 mmol/l (p=0.002) following EPA and 0.98±0.29 mmol/l (p=0.002) following DHA. Neither EPA nor DHA had any significant effect on HbA1c, fasting serum insulin or C-peptide, insulin sensitivity, stimulated insulin secretion, 24-hr ambulatory blood pressure and heart rate, markers of inflammation, and fibrinolytic or vascular function. Study 2 : This study aimed to examine the influence and causes of increased inflammation on vascular function in subjects recruited for Study 1. Compared with healthy controls (n=17), the diabetic subjects (n=29) had impaired flow-mediated dilatation (FMD) (3.9±3.0% vs 5.5±2.4%, p=0.07) and glyceryl-trinitrate mediated dilatation (GTNMD) (11.4±4.8% vs 15.4±7.1%, p=0.04) of the brachial artery. They also had higher levels of the inflammatory markers C-reactive protein (2.7±2.6 mg/l vs 1.4±1.1 mg/l, p=0.03), fibrinogen (3.4±0.7 g/l vs 2.7±0.3 g/l, p<0.001) and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (20.9±13.4 pg/l vs 2.5±1.7 pg/l, p<0.001). In diabetic subjects, after adjustment for age and gender, leukocyte count was an independent predictor of FMD (p=0.02), accounting for 17% of total variance. Similarly, leukocyte count accounted for 23% (p<0.001) and IL-6 for 12% (p=0.03) of variance in GTNMD. Von Willebrand factor, a marker of endothelial cell activation was correlated with leukocyte count (r=0.38, p=0.04), FMD (r=-0.35, p=0.06) and GTNMD (r=-0.47, p=0.009), whilst P-selectin, a marker of platelet activation was correlated with fibrinogen (r=0.58, p=0.001). Conclusion : EPA and DHA have similar beneficial effects on triglycerides, HDL2 cholesterol and oxidative stress in individuals with Type 2 diabetes and hypertension. However, DHA also increases LDL particle size and reduces collagen-stimulated platelet aggregation and thromboxane release, thus offering more potential than EPA as an anti-thrombotic agent. The beneficial effects of both oils were potentially offset by deterioration in glycaemic control. Neither oil affected blood pressure or vascular function. Longer-term studies with major morbidity and mortality as the primary outcome measures are required to assess the overall benefits and risks of EPA and DHA. The cross-sectional observations from Study 2 are consistent with the hypothesis that impaired vascular function in individuals with Type 2 diabetes and hypertension is at least in part secondary to increased inflammation, with associated endothelial and platelet activation.