scholarly journals Models of plasma membrane organization can be applied to mitochondrial membranes to target human health and disease with polyunsaturated fatty acids

2013 ◽  
Vol 88 (1) ◽  
pp. 21-25 ◽  
Author(s):  
Saame Raza Shaikh ◽  
David A. Brown
Marine Drugs ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 19 (2) ◽  
pp. 113
Author(s):  
Marine Remize ◽  
Yves Brunel ◽  
Joana L. Silva ◽  
Jean-Yves Berthon ◽  
Edith Filaire

N-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (n-3 PUFAs), and especially eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), are essential compounds for human health. They have been proven to act positively on a panel of diseases and have interesting anti-oxidative, anti-inflammatory or anti-cancer properties. For these reasons, they are receiving more and more attention in recent years, especially future food or feed development. EPA and DHA come mainly from marine sources like fish or seaweed. Unfortunately, due to global warming, these compounds are becoming scarce for humans because of overfishing and stock reduction. Although increasing in recent years, aquaculture appears insufficient to meet the increasing requirements of these healthy molecules for humans. One alternative resides in the cultivation of microalgae, the initial producers of EPA and DHA. They are also rich in biochemicals with interesting properties. After defining macro and microalgae, this review synthesizes the current knowledge on n-3 PUFAs regarding health benefits and the challenges surrounding their supply within the environmental context. Microalgae n-3 PUFA production is examined and its synthesis pathways are discussed. Finally, the use of EPA and DHA in food and feed is investigated. This work aims to define better the issues surrounding n-3 PUFA production and supply and the potential of microalgae as a sustainable source of compounds to enhance the food and feed of the future.


Membranes ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (7) ◽  
pp. 479
Author(s):  
Souvik Mukerjee ◽  
Abdulaziz S. Saeedan ◽  
Mohd. Nazam Ansari ◽  
Manjari Singh

Particular dramatic macromolecule proteins are responsible for various cellular events in our body system. Lipids have recently recognized a lot more attention of scientists for understanding the relationship between lipid and cellular function and human health However, a biological membrane is formed with a lipid bilayer, which is called a P–L–P design. Our body system is balanced through various communicative signaling pathways derived from biological membrane proteins and lipids. In the case of any fatal disease such as cancer, the biological membrane compositions are altered. To repair the biological membrane composition and prevent cancer, dietary fatty acids, such as omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids, are essential in human health but are not directly synthesized in our body system. In this review, we will discuss the alteration of the biological membrane composition in breast cancer. We will highlight the role of dietary fatty acids in altering cellular composition in the P–L–P bilayer. We will also address the importance of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids to regulate the membrane fluidity of cancer cells.


2021 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
pp. 12
Author(s):  
Samina Akbar ◽  
Muhammad Zeeshan Bhatti ◽  
Rida Fatima Saeed ◽  
Asma Saleem Qazi

Over the last decades, the polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) have been largely explored not only for their nutritional value but also for the numerous biological functions and therapeutic effects. The serum and erythrocyte levels of PUFAs depend on the genetic control of metabolism as well as the dietary intake and are considered to reflect the health and disease status of an individual. Two families of PUFAs, omega-3 (n-3) and omega-6 (n-6), have gained much attention because of their involvement in the production of bioactive lipid mediators and therefore, a balanced omega-6/omega-3 ratio is crucial in maintaining the overall health of an individual. Omega-3 PUFAs, notably eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA, 20:5n-3) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA, 22:6n-3) have been shown to exert beneficial effects, possibly due to their lipid-lowering, anti-inflammatory, anti-hypertensive and cardioprotective effects, whereas omega-6 fatty acids such as arachidonic acid (ARA, 20:4n-6) exhibit the opposite properties. Even though, numerous epidemiological studies and clinical interventions have clearly established the effectiveness of omega-3 PUFAs in various pathological conditions including dyslipidemia, obesity, diabetes, cancer, cardiovascular and neurodegenerative diseases, some controversies do exist about the beneficial effects of omega-3 PUFAs and need to be clarified. Larger clinical trials with extended follow-up periods are required along with a careful dose selection, in order to confirm the clinical significance and efficacy of omega-3 PUFAs as therapeutic agents.


1988 ◽  
Vol 253 (2) ◽  
pp. 417-424 ◽  
Author(s):  
C J Field ◽  
E A Ryan ◽  
A B Thomson ◽  
M T Clandinin

Control and diabetic rats were fed on semi-purified high-fat diets providing a polyunsaturated/saturated fatty acid ratio (P/S) of 1.0 or 0.25, to examine the effect of diet on the fatty acid composition of major phospholipids of the adipocyte plasma membrane. Feeding the high-P/S diet (P/S = 1.0) compared with the low-P/S diet (P/S = 0.25) increased the content of polyunsaturated fatty acids in membrane phospholipids in both control and diabetic animals. The diabetic state decreased the content of polyunsaturated fatty acids, particularly arachidonic acid, in adipocyte membrane phospholipids. The decrease in arachidonic acid in membrane phospholipids of diabetic animals tended to be normalized to within the control values when high-P/S diets were given. For control animals, altered plasma-membrane composition was associated with change in insulin binding, suggesting that change in plasma-membrane composition may have physiological consequences for insulin-stimulated functions in the adipocyte.


Author(s):  
Rafael Zárate ◽  
Nabil Jaber‐Vazdekis ◽  
Noemi Tejera ◽  
José A. Pérez ◽  
Covadonga Rodríguez

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