New series of fatty acids in northern pike (Esox lucius)

Furan Fatty Acids in Some 20 Fungi Species: Unique Profiles and Quantities

Furan fatty acids (FuFAs) are a group of excellent antioxidants in food. Since data in fungi were scarce, 37 commercial or collected edible and meadow fungi were analyzed on FuFA patterns and contents. FuFA amounts in fresh fungi ranged from not detectable (n = 2) to 40 mg/100 g fungi dry weight. Fresh samples of the popular edible fungi genera Agaricus and Pleurotus showed comparable FuFA contents of 9.0-33 mg/100 g fungi dry weight. The unique FuFA profile of the fungi was dominated by 9-(3,4-dimethyl-5-pentylfuran-2-yl)-nonanoic acid (9D5). In addition, the uncommon 9-(3,4-dimethyl-5-butylfuran-2-yl)-nonanoic acid (9D4) was present in 30% of the samples with contents of up to 0.2 mg/100 g fungi dry weight. Countercurrent separation techniques were used to isolate the main FuFA 9D5, to verify the presence of 9D4, and to determine ultra-traces of 11-(3,4-dimethyl-5-pentylfuran-2-yl)-undecanoic acid (11D5), which may have been assimilated by the fungi from the substrate.

Pure omega 3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (EPA, DPA or DHA) are associated with increased plasma levels of 3-carboxy-4-methyl-5-propyl-2-furanpropanoic acid (CMPF) in a short-term study in women

3-Carboxy-4-methyl-5-propyl-2-furanpropanoic acid (CMPF) is a metabolite of furan fatty acids found in plasma and urine. Our data show that purified EPA, DPA and DHA may also be precursors of CMPF; however the metabolic pathway(s) remain unclear.

Furanoic Lipid F-6, A Novel Anti-Cancer Compound that Kills Cancer Cells by Suppressing Proliferation and Inducing Apoptosis

Identifying novel anti-cancer drugs is important for devising better cancer treatment options. In a series of studies designed to identify novel therapeutic compounds, we recently showed that a C-20 fatty acid (12,15-epoxy-13,14-dimethyleicosa-12,14-dienoic acid, a furanoic acid or F-6) present in the lipid fraction of the secretions of the Arabian Gulf catfish skin (Arius bilineatus Val.; AGCS) robustly induces neutrophil extracellular trap formation. Here, we demonstrate that a lipid mix (Ft-3) extracted from AGCS and F-6, a component of Ft-3, dose dependently kill two cancer cell lines (leukemic K-562 and breast MDA MB-231). Pure F-6 is approximately 3.5 to 16 times more effective than Ft-3 in killing these cancer cells, respectively. Multiplex assays and network analyses show that F-6 promotes the activation of MAPKs such as Erk, JNK, and p38, and specifically suppresses JNK-mediated c-Jun activation necessary for AP-1-mediated cell survival pathways. In both cell lines, F-6 suppresses PI3K-Akt-mTOR pathway specific proteins, indicating that cell proliferation and Akt-mediated protection of mitochondrial stability are compromised by this treatment. Western blot analyses of cleaved caspase 3 (cCasp3) and poly ADP ribose polymerase (PARP) confirmed that F-6 dose-dependently induced apoptosis in both of these cell lines. In 14-day cell recovery experiments, cells treated with increasing doses of F-6 and Ft-3 fail to recover after subsequent drug washout. In summary, this study demonstrates that C-20 furanoic acid F-6, suppresses cancer cell proliferation and promotes apoptotic cell death in leukemic and breast cancer cells, and prevents cell recovery. Therefore, F-6 is a potential anti-cancer drug candidate.

Furan fatty acids - Beneficial or harmful to health?

Furan fatty acids are found in plants, algae, and fish, and reported to have some positive health benefits, including anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory activities, and inhibition of non-enzymatic lipid peroxidation. A major metabolite of furan fatty acids, 3-carboxy-4-methyl-5-propyl-2-furanpropanoic acid (CMPF), has been reported to be increased in patients who progress from prediabetes to type 2 diabetes, although CMPF is not necessarily associated with impaired glucose metabolism. Other studies report that CMPF levels are lower in subjects with diabetes than control subjects. Plasma CMPF levels increase in subjects who consume fish or fish oil, and in patients with renal failure. It is not known where furan fatty acids are converted to CMPF and it is speculated that this might be a result of microbiome activity. The plasma levels reported for CMPF in healthy, diabetic and patients with renal disease vary by factors of more than 100-fold within each of these three groups, so measurement error appears to be limiting the ability to interpret studies. This review explores these controversies and raises questions about whether CMPF is a marker for healthy diets or indeed associated with diabetes and renal health. The review concludes that, on balance, furan fatty acids are beneficial for health.

Effect of Furan Fatty Acids and 3-Methyl-2,4-nonanedione on Light-Induced Off-Odor in Soybean Oil

Soybean oil is one of the most widely consumed vegetable oils. However, under photooxidative conditions, this oil develops a beany and green off-odor through a mechanism that has not yet been elucidated. Upon photooxidation, 3-methyl-2,4-nonanedione (3-MND) produces a strong aroma. In this study, the effect of furan fatty acids and 3-MND on odor reversion in soybean oil was investigated. Our findings suggest that the observed light-induced off-odor was likely attributable to the furan fatty acids present in the oil through the generation of 3-MND. While 3-MND may not be directly responsible for the development of light-induced off-odor, this compound appears to be involved because off-odor was detected in canola oil samples containing added 3-MND. In addition, in the present work, 3-hydroxy-3-methyl-2,4-nonanedione, which is derived from 3-MND, was identified for the first time in light-exposed soybean oil and shown to be one of the compounds responsible for odor reversion.

High concentrations of furan fatty acids in organic butter samples from the German market

Furan fatty acids (F-acids) are valuable antioxidants containing a furan moiety in the central part of the molecule. They occur in the lipids of different foodstuffs and plants, with grass being the main source for their presence in milk fat and butter. Because cows from organic farming receive higher portions of grass-based feed, it was tested whether organic butter samples (n = 26) contain more F-acids than conventional ones (n = 25) in Germany. For this purpose, samples were melted, and the lipid phase was separated and transesterified into methyl esters, which were enriched using silver ion chromatography and analyzed by GC-EI/MS in the selected ion monitoring (SIM) mode. Levels of F-acids in butter were higher in summer than in winter, and in both seasons, organic samples contained significantly higher levels of F-acids than conventional ones (one-way ANOVA: p < 0.001). Furthermore, the daily intake of F-acids via milk fat and other foodstuffs was calculated.

Furan fatty acid as an anti-inflammatory component from the green-lipped mussel Perna canaliculus

A lipid extract of Perna canaliculus (New Zealand green-lipped mussel) has reportedly displayed anti-inflammatory effects in animal models and in human controlled studies. However, the anti-inflammatory lipid components have not been investigated in detail due to the instability of the lipid extract, which has made the identification of the distinct active components a formidable task. Considering the instability of the active component, we carefully fractionated a lipid extract of Perna canaliculus (Lyprinol) and detected furan fatty acids (F-acids). These naturally but rarely detected fatty acids show potent radical-scavenging ability and are essential constituents of plants and algae. Based on these data, it has been proposed that F-acids could be potential antioxidants, which may contribute to the protective properties of fish and fish oil diets against chronic inflammatory diseases. However, to date, in vivo data to support the hypothesis have not been obtained, presumably due to the limited availability of F-acids. To confirm the in vivo anti-inflammatory effect of F-acids in comparison with that of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), we developed a semisynthetic preparation and examined its anti-inflammatory activity in a rat model of adjuvant-induced arthritis. Indeed, the F-acid ethyl ester exhibited more potent anti-inflammatory activity than that of the EPA ethyl ester. We report on the in vivo activity of F-acids, confirming that the lipid extract of the green-lipped mussel includes an unstable fatty acid that is more effective than EPA.

One-step production of a biologically active novel furan fatty acid from 7,10-dihydroxy-8(E)-octadecenoic acid

Furan fatty acids (F-acids) gain special attention because they are known to play important roles in biological systems including humans. Specifically, F-acids are known to have strong antioxidant activitis such as radical scavenging activity. Although widely distributed in most biological systems, F-acids are trace components and their biosynthesis is complicated and quite different by sources. On the basis of biochemical study, they are considered to be an essential nutritional factor for mammals and should be provided through the diet. Hence, several studies reported the chemical synthesis of F-acids using chemical catalysts. However, chemical synthesis required complicated multiple steps. In this study was developed a simple one-step synthesis of a novel F-acid, 7,10-epoxyoctadeca-7,9-dienoic acid (EODA), from a dihydroxyl fatty acid, 7,10-dihydroxy-8(E)-octadecenoic acid (DOD), by heat treatment. The structure of EODA was confirmed by GC-MS, NMR, and FTIR analyses, and maximum production yield under the reaction conditions of 90 °C and 24 h reached 80%.

Furan fatty acids: occurrence, synthesis, and reactions. Are furan fatty acids responsible for the cardioprotective effects of a fish diet?

Furan FA (F-acids) are tri- or tetrasubstituted furan derivatives characterized by either a propyl or pentyl side chain in one of the alpha-positions; the other is substituted by a straight long-chain saturated acid with a carboxylic group at its end. F-acids are generated in large amounts in algae, but they are also produced by plants and microorganisms. Fish and other marine organisms as well as mammals consume F-acids in their food and incorporate them into phospholipids and cholesterol esters. F-acids are catabolized to dibasic urofuran acids, which are excreted in the urine. The biogenetic precursor of the most abundant F-acid, F6, is linoleic acid. Methyl groups in the beta-position are derived from adenosylmethionine. Owing to the different alkyl substituents, synthesis of F-acids requires multistep reactions. F-acids react readily with peroxyl radicals to generate dioxoenes. The radical-scavenging ability of F-acids may contribute to the protective properties of fish and fish oil diets against mortality from heart disease.

Synthesis of novel tri- and tetrasubstituted C18 furan fatty esters

A methylene-interrupted C18 keto-acetylenic fatty ester (methyl 12-oxo-9-octadecynoate) was obtained from methyl ricinoleate by bromination-dehydrobromination followed by oxidation. Reaction of methyl 12-oxo-9-octadecynoate with bis(benzonitrile) palladium(II) chloride, allyl bromide, or methyl-allyl bromide furnished methyl 8-[5-hexyl-3-allyl-furan-2-yl]-octanoate (1, 56%) or methyl 8-15-hexyl-3-(2-methyl-allyl)-furan-2-yl]-octanoate (2, 55%). Reaction of methyl 12-oxo-11-chloro- or 11-fluoro-9-octadecynoate (prepared from methyl santalbate--methyl 11-E-9-octadecynoate, found in sandalwood, Santalum album, seed oil) with bis(benzonitrile) palladium(II) chloride gave methyl 8-(4-chloro-5-hexyl-furan-2-yl)-octanoate (3, 59%) or methyl 8-(4-fluoro-5-hexyl-furan-2-yl)-octanoate (4, 50%), respectively. And when methyl 12-oxo-11-chloro- or 11-fluoro-9-octadecynoate was treated with a mixture of bis(benzonitrile) palladium(II) chloride, allyl bromide, or methyl-allyl bromide, the reaction yielded tetrasubstituted C18 furan derivatives, viz., methyl 8-(3-allyl-4-chloro-5-hexyl-furan-2-yl)-octanoate (5, 54%), methyl 8-[4-chloro-5-hexyl-3-(2-methyl-allyl)-furan-2-yl]-octanoate (6, 54%), methyl 8-(3-allyl-4-fluoro-5-hexyl-furan-2-yl)-octanoate (7, 10%), and methyl 8-14-fluoro-5-hexyl-3-(2-methyl-allyl)-furan-2-yl]-octanoate (8, 10%). The presence of a fluorine atom in the furan derivatives 4, 7, and 8 was readily characterized by the appearance of doublets for carbon nuclei, which were coupled to the fluorine atom in the 13C NMR spectra. All furan fatty derivatives from this work were characterized by NMR spectroscopic and mass spectrometric analyses. The yields of compounds 7 and 8 were very low (10%) despite attempts to improve the procedure by increasing the amounts of the reactants and catalyst.

Are lipid peroxidation processes induced by changes in the cell wall structure and how are these processes connected with diseases?

Apparently nature uses the unique sensitivity of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) versus oxygen to generate chemical signals if the surface of a cell is influenced by an outside or inside event; for instance the attack of microorganisms, proliferation, aging or by treatment of isolated cells with surfactants. It seems that mammalian and plant cells respond equally to such changes in their structures by transformation of polyunsaturated fatty acids localized in the phospholipid layer of the cell wall to lipidhydroperoxides (LOOHs). These lipid peroxidation (LPO) processes involve all PUFAs, not only arachidonic acid.Slight physiological changes of the cell wall for instance by proliferation seem to activate enzymes, e.g., phospholipases and lipoxygenases (LOX). When an outside impact (for instance by attack of microorganisms) exceeds a certain level LOX commit suicide and liberate iron ions. These start a nonenzymatic LPO. Enzymatic and nonenzymatic LPO distinguish fundamentally which has not been recognized in the past. In the enzymatic LPO processes peroxyl radicals generated as intermediates cannot leave the enzyme complex. In contrast in a nonenzymatic LPO process peroxyl radicals are not trapped. They attack nearly any kind of biological molecules, for instance proteins. Thus only the amount of an outside impact decides if proliferation, apoptosis, or necrosis is started. Some evidence indicates that cancer might be the consequence of a low response of cells to induce apoptotic LPO processes. In contrast to high level of LPO processes induces diseases combined with inflammation, for instance rheumatic arthritis. After consumption of food rich in linoleic acid its LPO products become increased in low density lipoprotein (LDL). This LDL is able to enter endothelial cells and damage cells from inside, long before an inflammatory response is detectable.

Linoleic acid peroxidation--the dominant lipid peroxidation process in low density lipoprotein--and its relationship to chronic diseases

Modern separation and identification methods enable detailed insight in lipid peroxidation (LPO) processes. The following deductions can be made: (1) Cell injury activates enzymes: lipoxygenases generate lipid hydroperoxides (LOOHs), proteases liberate Fe ions--these two processes are prerequisites to produce radicals. (2) Radicals attack any activated CH2-group of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) with about a similar probability. Since linoleic acid (LA) is the most abundant PUFA in mammals, its LPO products dominate. (3) LOOHs are easily reduced in biological surroundings to corresponding hydroxy acids (LOHs). LOHs derived from LA, hydroxyoctadecadienoic acids (HODEs), surmount other markers of LPO. HODEs are of high physiological relevance. (4) In some diseases characterized by inflammation or cell injury HODEs are present in low density lipoproteins (LDL) at 10-100 higher concentration, compared to LDL from healthy individuals.

Production of antiserum for sensitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay of 3-carboxy-4-methyl-5-propyl-2-furanpropanoic acid by chemiluminescence

To obtain a specific antiserum for use in enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) of 3-carboxy-4-methyl-5-propyl-2-furanpropanoic acid (CMPF), we prepared a hapten-carrier conjugate in which the CMPF hapten was linked to a carrier protein through the 5-(1-hydrazopropyl) group. The antisera raised against this antigen in guinea pigs had excellent specificity for CMPF, showing little cross-reactivity with closely related compounds and no significant cross-reactivities with other furan compounds. The results indicated that a specific antiserum to CMPF could be produced by an antigen whose CMPF moiety is linked to a carrier protein through a position remote from the inherent functional groups. A standard curve of CMPF by ELISA using a chemiluminescence system showed a high sensitivity and a linearity in the range of 5-100 ng/mL.

Biosynthesis of furan fatty acids (F-acids) by a marine bacterium, Shewanella putrefaciens

A mutant derived from Shewanella putrefaciens 8CS7-4 treated with N-methyl-N'-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine was found to produce 15-20 mg of a furan fatty acid (F-acid), 10,13-epoxy-11-methyloctadeca-10,12-dienoic acid (F18), per liter of growth medium (10-15% of total fatty acids). Capillary gas chromatography-mass spectrometry and proton nuclear magnetic resonance analysis of the fatty acid methyl esters of the mutant revealed the presence of other F-acids, 8,11-epoxy-9-methylhexadeca-8,10-dienoic acid (F16), 6,9-epoxy-7-methyltetradeca-6,8-dienoic acid (F14), and methyl branched unsaturated fatty acids, 11-methyl-12E-octadecenoic acid (11-me-18:1) and 11-methyl-10E,12E-octadecadienoic acid (1-me-18:2). About 90% of F-acids were present in phospholipids, in which the F-acids were found to be exclusively linked at the sn-1 position. 11-me-18:1 and 11-me-18:2 were also detected in the sn-1 position. Firstly, 11-me-18:1 increased and reached a maximum at 12 h, and then decreased rapidly. Secondly, the 11-me-18:2 content reached a maximum at 24 h, when 11-me-18:1 was little detected, and then decreased. Finally, the amount of F18 began to increase after 20 h and reached a plateau at 36 h. These results suggest that 11-me-18:1 and 11-me-18:2 are precursors of F18.

Occurrence of a furan fatty acid in marine bacteria

A fatty acid containing a furan ring was detected in the cellular lipids of marine bacteria, Shewanella putrefaciens, Marinomonas comunis, Enterobacter agglomerans, Pseudomonas fluorescens, etc., which were isolated from the intestinal liquor of fishes. Analytical data indicated that the fatty acid was 10,13-epoxy-11-methyloctadeca-10, 12-dienoic acid. Therefore, we propose that furan fatty acids detected in marine fish are derived not only from marine plants but also from intestinal bacteria of fishes.

The desaturation and elongation of (14)C-labelled polyunsaturated fatty acids by pike (Esox lucius L.) in vivo

To examine the ability of pike (Esox lucius L.) to modify exogenous PUFA by desaturation and elongation, (14)C-labelled 18:2(n-6), 18:3(n-3), 20:4(n-6) and 20:5(n-3) were injected intraperitoneally and the distribution of radioactivity in tissue lipid classes and liver PUFA measured. In all tissues examined, radioactivity from all (14)C-PUFA was recovered in many classes of acyl lipids and the level of recovery generally reflected the relative abundance of the lipid classes. Triacylglycerols, CGP and EGP usually contained high levels of all incorporated (14)C-PUFA. PI contained higher levels of radioactivity from (14)C-20:4(n-6) than from other injected substrates. In liver lipid, the Δ6 desaturation products of (14)C-18:2(n-6) and (14)C-18:3(n-3) contained no measurable radioactivity although the elongation products of the Δ6 desaturation products were labelled, as were the direct elongation products of these injected substrates. No radioactivity from (14)C-18:2(n-6) or (14)C-18:3(n-3) was detected in C20 or C22 products of Δ5 and Δ4 desaturation. Almost all radioactivity from injected (14)C-20:4(n-6) was recovered in this PUFA. Of the total radioactivity from (14)C-20:5(n-3) incorporated into liver lipid, 7% was present as 24:5 and 16.4% was recovered in hexaenoic fatty acids. In liver, 24:5(n-3) and 24:6(n-3) each accounted for 1% of the mass of total fatty acids and were located almost exclusively in triacylglycerols. The presence of radioactivity in these C24 PUFA suggests that in pike the synthesis of 22:6(n-3) from 20:5(n-3) may proceed without Δ4 desaturase via the pathway which involves chain shortening of 24:6(n-3). It is concluded that under the circumstances employed in this study pike, do not exhibit Δ5 desaturase activity and are unable to synthesize 20:4(n-6) and 20:5(n-3) from 18:2(n-6) and 18:3(n-3), respectively. This suggests that pike may require 20:4(n-6) and 20:5(n-3) preformed in the diet.

Chemical and enzymatic preparation of acylglycerols containing C18 furanoid fatty acids

C18 furanoid triacylglycerol [glycerol tri-(9,12-epoxy-9,11-octadecadienoate)] was prepared by chemical transformation of triricinolein isolated from castor oil. The procedure involved oxidation, epoxidation and cyclization of the epoxy-keto intermediate with sodium azide and ammonium chloride in aqueous ethanol. The furanoid triacylglycerol was also obtained by esterification of C18 furanoid fatty acid with glycerol using Novozyme 435 (Novo Nordisk A.S., Bagsvaerd, Denmark) as biocatalyst. When Lipozyme (Novo Nordisk A.S.) was used, a mixture of the furanoid 1(3)-rac-monoacylglycerol and 1,3-diacylglycerol was obtained. In order to obtain the C18 furanoid 1,2(2,3)-diacylglycerol, selective hydrolysis of the furanoid triacylglycerol was achieved using porcine pancreatic lipase in tris(hydroxymethyl) methylamine buffer. Interesterification of triolein with methyl C18 furanoid ester in the presence of Lipozyme showed maximum incorporation of 34% of furanoid fatty acid. Extension of the interesterification to vegetable oils (olive, peanut, sunflower, corn and palm oil) allowed a maximum of 24% furanoid acid incorporation to be achieved.

Effects of soybean lipoxygenase-1 on phosphatidylcholines containing furan fatty acids

Naturally occurring tetraalkylsubstituted furan fatty acids (F-acids) were tested as potential substrates for soybean lipoxygenase-1. For this purpose, F-acid methyl ester and phosphatidylcholines containing F-acids at the sn-2 position of the glycerol residue were incubated with the enzyme. Oxidation of F-acids only occurs in the presence of linoleic acid as co-substrate. Linoleic acid is converted by lipoxygenase to the corresponding hydroperoxide that oxidizes the F-acid, probably in a radical reaction, to form an unstable dioxoene compound. This intermediate then forms, dependent on pH, unsaturated furanoid acids or isomers with cyclopentenolone structure that can be detected by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS). F-acids located at the sn-2 position of a synthetic phosphatidylcholine (PC), containing linoleic acid in the sn-1 position, are co-oxidized to a greater extent by incubation with soybean lipoxygenase-1 than are F-acids bound to PC with myristic acid in the sn-1 position when subjected to the enzyme in the presence of a great excess of linoleic acid. The results suggest that F-acids may play a strategic role in antioxidative processes in plant cells.

Oxidation of furan fatty acids by soybean lipoxygenase-1 in the presence of linoleic acid

The interaction of furan fatty acids (F-acids) with lipoxygenase was investigated by incubation experiments of a synthetic dialkyl-substituted F-acid with soybean lipoxygenase-1. Originally the oxidation of furan fatty acids was assumed to be directly effected by lipoxygenase. It is now demonstrated that this reaction is a two-step process that requires the presence of lipoxygenase substrates, e.g. linoleic acid. In the first step linoleic acid is converted by the enzyme to the corresponding hydroperoxide. This attacks, probably in a radical reaction, the furan fatty acid to produce a dioxoene compound that can be detected unequivocally by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry.

The occurrence of furan fatty acids in Isochrysis sp. and Phaeodactylum tricornutum

Two algae species with a fundamentally different fatty acid composition were investigated for their furan fatty acid (F-acid) content. Isochrysis sp. contains different F-acids with a pentyl side chain in alpha'-position of the furan ring. In consideration of its fatty acid composition which is predominated by compounds with a C-18 chain, this result supports the assumption that pentyl-F-acids derive from linoleic acid. In contrast, only F-acids with propyl side chain were found in Phaeodactylum tricornutum. The low content of C-18 fatty acids in this diatomae contradicts the previous hypothesis that linolenic acid is the precursor of propyl-F-acids. But the presence of (n - 4) unsaturated fatty acids with 16 carbon atoms in Phaeodactylum tricornutum suggests that propyl-F-acids are synthesized from 9,12-hexadecadienoic acid in a very similar biogenetic pathway than pentyl-F-acids.