The cardiovascular benefits of indiscriminate supplementation of omega-3 fatty acids; meta-analysis and decision-making approach

Interaction among dietary n-3 and n-6 polyunsaturated fatty acid intake, fatty acid desaturase 2 genetic variants, and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels in type 2 diabetes patients

AIMS/INTRODUCTION

Fatty acid desaturase (FADS) genetic polymorphisms are strongly correlated with the risk of dyslipidemia and cardiovascular disease. In this study, we examined the impact of FADS1 and FADS2 genetic variants on plasma lipid status, and assessed interactions between FADS genetic polymorphisms and plasma n-3/n-6 fatty acids regarding lipid status within a population of 816 Taiwanese patients with type 2 diabetes.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Selected tag single-nucleotide polymorphisms (FADS1 rs174546 [T/C]; FADS2 rs174602 [A/G] and rs2072114 [A/G]) were genotyped (n = 816).

RESULTS

The distribution of genotypes were compared with reports publicly available in the Genome Aggregation Database for East Asian populations (https://gnomad.broadinstitute.org). In the subgroup of patients not taking lipid-lowering medications (n = 192), we observed that the G allele of FADS2 rs174602 was statistically significantly correlated with lower low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) concentrations (P = 0.001), whereas the G allele of rs2072114 was marginally associated with LDL-C concentrations (P = 0.091). Using a general linear model adjusted for confounding factors, statistically significant interactions (P = 0.016) between single-nucleotide polymorphisms in rs2072114 and a low alpha-linolenic acid (18:3n-3)/linoleic acid (18:2n-6) ratio; the G allele correlated with lower LDL-C levels among individuals with a low alpha-linolenic acid/linoleic acid ratio. Interaction between rs174602 single-nucleotide polymorphisms and low alpha-linolenic acid/linoleic acid values on LDL-C was only marginally significant (P = 0.063).

CONCLUSIONS

Our results show the role of n-3/n-6 dietary polyunsaturated fatty acids in modifying the effects of genetic susceptibility on lipoprotein concentrations in patients with type 2 diabetes. Our findings highlight the potential of interventions with dietary polyunsaturated fatty acids regarding developing individualized prevention strategies for type 2 diabetes presenting with co-occurring dyslipidemia and cardiovascular diseases.

Salmo salar fish waste oil: Fatty acids composition and antibacterial activity

Background and aims

Fish by-products are generally used to produce fishmeal or fertilizers, with fish oil as a by-product. Despite their importance, fish wastes are still poorly explored and characterized and more studies are needed to reveal their potentiality. The goal of the present study was to qualitatively characterize and investigate the antimicrobial effects of the fish oil extracted from Salmo salar waste samples and to evaluate the potential use of these compounds for treating pathogen infections.

Methods

Salmo salar waste samples were divided in two groups: heads and soft tissues. Fatty acids composition, and in particular the content in saturated (SAFAs), mono-unsaturated (MUFAs) and Polyunsaturated (PUFAs) fatty acids, was characterized through GC/MS Thermo Focus GC-DSQ II equipped with a ZB-5 fused silica capillary tubes column. The antimicrobial activity of the salmon waste oils was evaluated through the Minimum Inhibitory Concentration assay and the antibiotics contamination was determined by Liquid Chromatography with tandem Mass Spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) analysis. All experiments were done at least in triplicate.

Results

GC/MS analysis has shown the specific fatty acid composition of the salmon waste oils and their enrichment in MUFAs and PUFAs, with special reference to omega-3, -6, -7, -9 fatty acids. Furthermore, our study has highlighted the antimicrobial activity of the fish waste oil samples against two Gram+ and Gram- bacterial strains.

Conclusions

These data confirm that the fish waste is still quantitatively and qualitatively an important source of available biological properties that could be extracted and utilized representing an important strategy to counteract infective diseases in the context of the circular economy.