Docosahexaenoic acid decreased inflammatory gene expression, but not 18-kDa translocator protein binding, in rat pup brain after controlled cortical impact

Omega-3 Fatty Acids and Traumatic Injury in the Adult and Immature Brain

Background/Objectives: Traumatic brain injury (TBI) can lead to substantial disability and health loss. Despite its importance and impact worldwide, no treatment options are currently available to help protect or preserve brain structure and function following injury. In this review, we discuss the potential benefits of using omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (O3 PUFAs) as therapeutic agents in the context of TBI in the paediatric and adult populations. Methods: Preclinical and clinical research reports investigating the effects of O3 PUFA-based interventions on the consequences of TBI were retrieved and reviewed, and the evidence presented and discussed. Results: A range of animal models of TBI, types of injury, and O3 PUFA dosing regimens and administration protocols have been used in different strategies to investigate the effects of O3 PUFAs in TBI. Most evidence comes from preclinical studies, with limited clinical data available thus far. Overall, research indicates that high O3 PUFA levels help lessen the harmful effects of TBI by reducing tissue damage and cell loss, decreasing associated neuroinflammation and the immune response, which in turn moderates the severity of the associated neurological dysfunction. Conclusions: Data from the studies reviewed here indicate that O3 PUFAs could substantially alleviate the impact of traumatic injuries in the central nervous system, protect structure and help restore function in both the immature and adult brains.

Effect of different cooking methods on nutritional intake and different storage treatments on nutritional losses of abalone

As the most important marine edible shellfish, the nutritional quality of abalone has been paid attention. In this study, the chemical and nutritional compositions of abalones were obtained, and three cooking methods, steaming, boiling and frying, were evaluated by in vitro gastric digestion simulation to understand their nutritional changes by ¹H NMR spectroscopy combined with multivariate statistical analyses. The nutritional losses were also monitored under different cold storage conditions. The results indicated that boiling can keep more amino acids and fatty acids than steaming and frying, thus being recommended as the best cooking method of abalone. The abalone could maintain fresh within one day under 4 °C, and the deterioration process occurred subsequently. These results help to understand the digestion of cooked abalone and the changes of nutrients through storage and cooking process, leading to a scientific recommendation of cooking method and storage condition for healthy eating.