"Essential fatty acids" in aquatic ecosystems: a crucial link between diet and human health and evolution

2001 ◽  
Vol 58 (1) ◽  
pp. 122-137 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael T Arts ◽  
Robert G Ackman ◽  
Bruce J Holub
Keyword(s):  
Fatty Acids ◽  
Essential Fatty Acids ◽  
Primary Source ◽  
Aquatic Organisms ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Great Promise ◽  
Biochemical Processes ◽  
Aquatic Food ◽  
Acting In Concert ◽  
Health And Well Being

Fatty acids (FA) are inextricably linked with key physiological and biochemical processes and are thus integral to proper ecosystem functioning. FA not biosynthesized effectively by animals are termed essential fatty acids (EFA). These EFA are important "drivers" of ecosystem health/stability and are therefore highly conserved in aquatic food chains. Aquatic organisms have been and continue to be our primary source of readily available EFA. However, overfishing and our burgeoning population may be acting in concert to threaten our access to this source of EFA. Here, we review the marine FA synthesis/transport cycle and traditional and nontraditional sources of EFA. Our review suggests that, while some traditional sources of marine oils (e.g., tuna) are in steady decline, other sources (e.g., krill) and technologies (e.g., heterotrophic fermentation) hold great promise for maintaining our access to EFA. We provide a minireview which illustrates that EFA contribute to our health and well-being. Finally, there is growing evidence that EFA have been an important force in our past evolution, leading us and others to speculate that an unbroken link exists between EFA, our present health, and, in all likelihood, our continuing evolution.

scholarly journals Elevated temperature and browning increase dietary methylmercury, but decrease essential fatty acids at the base of lake food webs

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Pianpian Wu ◽  
Martin J. Kainz ◽  
Fernando Valdés ◽  
Siwen Zheng ◽  
Katharina Winter ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Fatty Acids ◽  
Organic Matter ◽  
Food Webs ◽  
Essential Fatty Acids ◽  
Trophic Levels ◽  
Climate Change Scenarios ◽  
Essential Nutrients ◽  
Aquatic Food Webs ◽  
Aquatic Food

AbstractClimate change scenarios predict increases in temperature and organic matter supply from land to water, which affect trophic transfer of nutrients and contaminants in aquatic food webs. How essential nutrients, such as polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), and potentially toxic contaminants, such as methylmercury (MeHg), at the base of aquatic food webs will be affected under climate change scenarios, remains unclear. The objective of this outdoor mesocosm study was to examine how increased water temperature and terrestrially-derived dissolved organic matter supply (tDOM; i.e., lake browning), and the interaction of both, will influence MeHg and PUFA in organisms at the base of food webs (i.e. seston; the most edible plankton size for zooplankton) in subalpine lake ecosystems. The interaction of higher temperature and tDOM increased the burden of MeHg in seston (< 40 μm) and larger sized plankton (microplankton; 40–200 μm), while the MeHg content per unit biomass remained stable. However, PUFA decreased in seston, but increased in microplankton, consisting mainly of filamentous algae, which are less readily bioavailable to zooplankton. We revealed elevated dietary exposure to MeHg, yet decreased supply of dietary PUFA to aquatic consumers with increasing temperature and tDOM supply. This experimental study provides evidence that the overall food quality at the base of aquatic food webs deteriorates during ongoing climate change scenarios by increasing the supply of toxic MeHg and lowering the dietary access to essential nutrients of consumers at higher trophic levels.

scholarly journals Variation in ω-3 and ω-6 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids Produced by Different Phytoplankton Taxa at Early and Late Growth Phase

Biomolecules ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. 559 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sami Taipale ◽  
Elina Peltomaa ◽  
Pauliina Salmi
Keyword(s):  
Fatty Acids ◽  
Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids ◽  
Growth Phase ◽  
Essential Fatty Acids ◽  
Late Summer ◽  
Dry Weight ◽  
Stationary Growth Phase ◽  
Epa And Dha ◽  
Average Proportion ◽  
Aquatic Food

Phytoplankton synthesizes essential ω-3 and ω-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) for consumers in the aquatic food webs. Only certain phytoplankton taxa can synthesize eicosapentaenoic (EPA; 20:5ω3) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA; 22:6ω3), whereas all phytoplankton taxa can synthesize shorter-chain ω-3 and ω-6 PUFA. Here, we experimentally studied how the proportion, concentration (per DW and cell-specific), and production (µg FA L−1 day−1) of ω-3 and ω-6 PUFA varied among six different phytoplankton main groups (16 freshwater strains) and between exponential and stationary growth phase. EPA and DHA concentrations, as dry weight, were similar among cryptophytes and diatoms. However, Cryptomonas erosa had two–27 times higher EPA and DHA content per cell than the other tested cryptophytes, diatoms, or golden algae. The growth was fastest with diatoms, green algae, and cyanobacteria, resulting in high production of medium chain ω-3 and ω-6 PUFA. Even though the dinoflagellate Peridinium cinctum grew slowly, the content of EPA and DHA per cell was high, resulting in a three- and 40-times higher production rate of EPA and DHA than in cryptophytes or diatoms. However, the production of EPA and DHA was 40 and three times higher in cryptophytes and diatoms than in golden algae (chrysophytes and synyrophytes), respectively. Our results show that phytoplankton taxon explains 56–84% and growth phase explains ~1% of variation in the cell-specific concentration and production of ω-3 and ω-6 PUFA, supporting understanding that certain phytoplankton taxa play major roles in the synthesis of essential fatty acids. Based on the average proportion of PUFA of dry weight during growth, we extrapolated the seasonal availability of PUFA during phytoplankton succession in a clear water lake. This extrapolation demonstrated notable seasonal and interannual variation, the availability of EPA and DHA being prominent in early and late summer, when dinoflagellates or diatoms increased.

scholarly journals Social Relations and Technology: Continuity, Context, and Change

2017 ◽  
Vol 1 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Toni C Antonucci ◽  
Kristine J Ajrouch ◽  
Jasmine A Manalel
Keyword(s):  
Social Relations ◽  
Information Acquisition ◽  
New Technologies ◽  
Social Contact ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Great Promise ◽  
Continuity And Change ◽  
Basic Characteristics ◽  
Health And Well Being ◽  
Over Time

Abstract Social relations, although basic to human nature, health and well-being, have become increasingly complicated as a result of changing population demography and technology. In this essay, we provide a historical overview of social relations, especially as they affect older people. We briefly review the evolution of theory and measurement surrounding social relations as well as early empirical evidence. We consider how social relations have changed over time as well as continuity and change regarding basic characteristics of social relations. Of special interest is the emerging influence of technology on how people maintain contact, especially the changing ways people can use technology to increase, decrease, maintain, or avoid social relations. We consider both negative and positive aspects of these new technologies and their influence on health and well-being. Finally, we conclude that new and emerging technologies hold great promise for the future by overcoming traditional barriers to maintaining social contact, support exchange, and information acquisition. Nevertheless, we caution that these new technologies can have the dehumanizing effect of distance thus creating the potential for insensitivity and increased negativity. In sum, we are cautiously optimistic about the promise of technology to expand, but not replace, traditional forms of social contact.

Lipids and Fatty Acids of Two Species of North Atlantic Krill (Meganyctiphanes norvegica and Thysanoëssa inermis) and Their Role in the Aquatic Food Web

1970 ◽  
Vol 27 (3) ◽  
pp. 513-533 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. G. Ackman ◽  
C. A. Eaton ◽  
J. C. Sipos ◽  
S. N. Hooper ◽  
John D. Castell
Keyword(s):  
Fatty Acids ◽  
North Atlantic ◽  
Feeding Habits ◽  
Quantitative Relationship ◽  
Biological Data ◽  
Artificial Rearing ◽  
Biochemical Processes ◽  
Meganyctiphanes Norvegica ◽  
Aquatic Food ◽  
Fatty Acid Compositions

The fatty acid compositions of phospholipids and triglycerides from two lots of Meganyctiphanes norvegica (M. Sars), and of total lipids of two additional lots of different origin, showed characteristics commonly found in lipids of carnivorous higher animals such as herring. The fatty acids in both phospholipids and triglycerides of one sample of Thysanoëssa inermis (Krøyer), although qualitatively similar to those of the M. norvegica lipids, showed a closer quantitative relationship to phytoplankter fatty acids and suggested that this species is herbivorous. These observations are discussed in terms of biological data on the feeding habits of the animals, and their basic biochemical processes as related to overwintering or other times of food scarcity. The crustacean samples, obtained from the stomachs of fin whales captured off Nova Scotia, had 1.2–2.4% total lipid, with nonsaponifiable materials accounting for 3–5% of the lipids in M. norvegica and 10% in T. inermis. The potential utilization of these species in artificial rearing of trout or salmon is discussed.

The use of riparian environments in the rural Peruvian Amazon

2003 ◽  
Vol 30 (3) ◽  
pp. 242-248 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael E. McClain ◽  
Rosa E. Cossío
Keyword(s):  
Ecosystem Services ◽  
Rural Communities ◽  
Aquatic Organisms ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Peruvian Amazon ◽  
Riparian Areas ◽  
Aquatic Resources ◽  
Ecological Values ◽  
Negative Feedbacks ◽  
Health And Well Being

River margins are valued for agriculture in the western Amazon because of their fertile soils and level surfaces. Riparian forests along river margins also provide valuable ecosystem services by protecting water quality and providing resources to aquatic organisms. Because inhabitants of the region rely on these aquatic resources, riparian deforestation may have unintended negative feedbacks on the health and well-being of rural communities. A survey of 79 households of mixed cultural background investigated how riparian environments were used, what mechanisms were in place for their conservation, and how local people valued them. Corn, beans and peanuts were cultivated preferentially in riparian areas, complementing the manioc and plantains grown on upland soils. People valued riparian areas for their ecosystem services and generally left a protective buffer of forest along rivers. Both the agricultural and ecological values of riparian areas may be preserved through proper management.

scholarly journals EXPLORING OLDER ADULTS’ PERCEPTIONS OF PRESENCE AND IMMERSION IN DIVERSE VIRTUAL ENVIRONMENTS

2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S239-S240
Author(s):  
Walter R Boot ◽  
Andrew Dilanchian ◽  
Ronald Andringa
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Virtual Environments ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Video Gaming ◽  
Great Promise ◽  
Younger Adults ◽  
Promising Tool ◽  
Age Related ◽  
Health And Well Being ◽  
Indoor And Outdoor

Abstract Virtual Reality (VR) holds great promise for enhancing the health, well-being, and skills of older adults. However, VR solutions must consider the age-related “digital divide;”many older adults have less experience and proficiency with a number of newer technologies, which may serve as a barrier. Older adults especially have less experience with virtual environments, an experience many younger adults have acquired through video gaming. This study compared younger and older adults’ perceptions of immersion and presence in a series of diverse virtual environments using the HTC Vive. Participants experienced a VR meditation task, “indoor" and “outdoor” navigation tasks, and a fast-paced action game. Importantly, younger and older adults reported similarly high experiences of immersion and presence within virtual environments, and contrary to expectations, older adults reported fewer symptoms of cybersickness. Results suggest VR as a promising tool to promote the health and well-being of older adults.

scholarly journals Marriage, Cohabitation, and Divorce in Later Life

2017 ◽  
Vol 1 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Susan L Brown ◽  
Matthew R Wright
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Primary Source ◽  
Divorce Rate ◽  
Later Life ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Family Change ◽  
Recent Scholarship ◽  
Source Of Care ◽  
Health And Well Being

Abstract Older adults are at the forefront of family change as a declining share experiences lifelong marriage and rates of cohabitation and divorce in later life continue to rise. The goal of this article is to review recent scholarship on marriage, cohabitation, and divorce among older adults and identify directions for future research. The varied family experiences characterizing the later life course demonstrate the importance of moving beyond marital status to capture additional dimensions of the marital biography, including transitions, timing, duration, and sequencing. Cohabitation operates as an alternative to marriage for older adults and is increasingly replacing remarriage following divorce or widowhood. The gray divorce rate has doubled in recent decades as older adults abandon marriage in favor of unmarried partnerships or singlehood. The retreat from marriage among older adults raises important questions about the ramifications of family change for health and well-being as well as access to caregivers given that spouses historically have been the primary source of care.

Social Relations Across the Life Span: Scientific Advances, Emerging Issues, and Future Challenges

2019 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 313-336 ◽  
Author(s):  
Toni C. Antonucci ◽  
Kristine J. Ajrouch ◽  
Noah J. Webster ◽  
Laura B. Zahodne
Keyword(s):  
Social Relations ◽  
New Technologies ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Great Promise ◽  
Future Challenges ◽  
Domains Of Life ◽  
Emerging Issues ◽  
The Life Course ◽  
Health And Well Being

Accumulating evidence demonstrates the importance of social relations at all stages of life (infancy, childhood, adolescence, adulthood, and old age) and in diverse domains of life (including health and well-being). To illustrate the newest advancements in the scientific study of social relations over the life course, we address five emerging areas of importance: societal and demographic changes in family structure; effects of new technologies on social relations; the fundamental influence of context on social relations, illustrated with the sample case of health; the role of social relations in the unfortunate but pressing crisis of trauma among the increasing number of refugees worldwide; and, finally, effects of social relations on cognitive functioning in late life. Each of these areas highlights critical key concepts and methodological approaches, illustrating that the study of social relations is demanding but holds great promise for meeting the urgent needs of developmental science specifically and society generally.

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