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La zona costera de Costa del Este representa un eslabón en la ruta de muchas aves migratorias, por lo que nuestro objetivo fue determinar la distribución espacial de las aves migratorias en cuatro zonas ecológicas durante seis meses. Se realizaron conteos mensuales para determinar similitudes y diferencias en el número de avistamientos y riqueza de especies, anotando la utilidad que las aves obtienen de cada zona ecológica. Se registraron 211,792 avistamientos que corresponden a 20 especies, seis familias y tres órdenes, siendo Calidris mauri, Scolopacidae y Charadriiformes los taxa mejor representados. La diversidad fue baja (Dmg: 1.55) y a pesar de la marcada dominancia poblacional de C. mauri (Ibp: 0.88), sus poblaciones han declinado un 25%. Hubo poca similitud entre las zonas, pero las zonas adyacentes compartieron mayor número de especies. La zona de mareas con el 98.91% de avistamientos, 19 especies, cinco familias y tres órdenes fue la más utilizada, siendo el litoral fangoso, el principal hábitat que ofreció alimento y espacio.

A finales de la estación lluviosa de 1995 y la mayor parte de la seca de 1996, dieciocho especies de aves, de 10 familias y tres órdenes, construyeron 38 nidos que variaron entre copas, globosos, pendulares, cavidades artificiales y huecos en árboles. El tipo copa, Myiozetetes similis, Tyrannidae y Passeriformes fueron los mejores representados. En la estructura de los nidos se incorporó material vegetal, animal, artificial y tierra, predominando el vegetal. Los nidos se ubicaron en 17 especies de plantas, Spathodea campanulata, seguida de Terminalia catappa, fueron las que más nidos y especies de aves tuvieron. Todirostrum cinereum y Turdus grayi emplearon la mayor cantidad de especies de plantas. La mayor cantidad de nidos y especies anidantes ocurrió en marzo. Hubo diez huevos en seis nidos y cinco especies, diez nidos con pollos de ocho especies y cuatro pollos de dos especies (Columbina talpacoti y Sicalis flaveola) fueron exitosos. Treinta nidos correspondientes a 16 especies fracasaron, la mayor cantidad se dio en la etapa de construcción. Hubo depredadores, poda, abandono, desapariciones, vientos y sequía que aunados a la población humana , especie de planta donde se construyeron los nidos, su ubicación en la Universidad, disponibilidad de alimento y la contaminación citadina, tuvieron algo que ver en el éxito o fracaso de los eventos reproductivos. Todos los nidos se ubicaron de 1.70 a 8.00 metros de altura, la mayoría (60.60%) estuvo entre 2.00 y 4.80 metros. Myiozetetes similis, el mayor constructor, tendió a establecerlos en elevaciones medias y altas. Las dimensiones de los nidos presentaron variaciones amplias. Al finalizar las observaciones quedaron seis nidos activos, con polluelos y correspondientes a cuatro especies.

Se realizaron observaciones en un árbol de corotú (Enterolobium cyclocarpum) desde abril hasta septiembre del 2000 en la Universidad de Panamá, para determinar las aves migratorias relacionadas con el árbol y cómo estuvieron distribuidas en sus diferentes secciones o estratos: suelo, raíces, tronco, ramas, hojas, flores y frutos. En toda la planta detectamos dieciséis especies, siete familias y dos órdenes. Ninguna especie utilizó todos los estratos y ningún estrato tuvo todas las especies. Los más explotados fueron las ramas y las hojas, mientras que las raíces, tronco y frutos fueron los menos utilizados. La alimentación fue la actividad más frecuente, y los insectos el principal alimento. Las aves migratorias que subsisten apoyadas por E. cyclocarpum pueden contribuir al control de sus poblaciones de insectos y a la polinización. La mayor cantidad de especies y visitas fue observada durante la floración.

Del 6 de enero al 18 de mayo del 2000 estudiamos los huevos de la tierrerita Columbina talpacoti (Temminck, 1811), para determinar su aspecto externo, el tamaño de la camada, la duración de la incubación y la eclosión. Las observaciones se realizaron en el Campus Central de la Universidad de Panamá, ubicada a 8°59'02" N. y 79°31'59" O., ciudad de Panamá. Mediante búsqueda generalizada localizamos los nidos y una vez que los huevos fueron puestos procedimos a marcarlos, medirlos y describirlos. Los marcamos en el orden en que fueron puestos para poder determinar el tiempo de incubación y eclosión de cada uno. Los huevos son blancos, ovalados, poco granulosos y poco brillantes. En 38 nidos observados, predominó la camada de 2 con promedio de 1.34 huevos por nido encontrado y 1.89 huevos por nido activo. Los promedios registrados para peso, largo y ancho fueron de 3.05g, 20.40 mm y 16.04 mm, respectivamente. El promedio de incubación fue de 12 días, observándose al macho incubar en el día. Eclosionó el 52.94% de los huevos. La mayor cantidad de huevos se encontró de 2.3 a 3.9 metros de altura. La ovoposición se registró durante todo el período de observación, destacándose enero como el mes más exitoso en este aspecto, pero en febrero y marzo se dio la mayor cantidad de eclosiones. Sólo en 13 especies de plantas encontramos nidos con huevos, Ficus benjamina y Veitchia merrillii presentaron la mayor cantidad de nidos con huevos eclosionados. Hubo huevos que fracasaron por depredación, condiciones atmosféricas, perturbación por personas y probablemente por la presencia de huevos no fecundados.

En recorridos efectuados en 1984 en la Reserva de Fortuna y parte de sus alrededores, a lo largo de la carretera Chiriquí-Bocas que la atraviesa, también a lo largo del Lago Fortuna y del sendero que lleva hasta el Refugio Pata de Macho, encontramos un número plural de aves cuya diversidad incluyó una amplia gama de taxa y habitaban en distintos ambientes del área. Se les observó en el agua, en las riberas, en el piso del bosque, en el sotobosque y árboles. También estuvieron en el suelo desnudo o con llano y algunas exclusivamente en el aire. La principal actividad observada fue la alimentación, ya en el suelo, en la vegetación, en el agua o en el aire. Consumieron insectos, frutos y probablemente vertebrados. El número de individuos para cada taxón fue variable. Se registraron un total de 606 ejemplares, 102 especies, 29 familias y 12 órdenes. La especie más abundante fue Streptoprocne zonaris con 196 individuos, le siguió Pyrrhura hoffmanni con 100, ambas especies solamente se vieron en el aire. Las restantes estuvieron muy por debajo de estas cifras. La familia con mayor número de especies fue Emberizidae con 16, en tanto que la de mayor cantidad de individuos fue Apodidae con 196, seguida de Psittacidae con 100. El orden Passeriformes fue el que presentó mayor cantidad de individuos (244 = 40.26%), de especies (70 68.62%) y de familia (14 = 48.27%). Le siguieron en individuos Apodiformes con 220 (36.30%) y Psittaciforrnes con 100 (16.50%). Los demás estuvieron muy por debajo de estas cantidades. Se encontraron 11 especies migratorias, representadas por 42 individuos, siete familias y cuatro órdenes. Siempre estuvieron en cantidades inferiores a las locales. Buioridcs virescens, Actitis macularía y Seiurus motacilla se les observó únicamente asociadas al agua, en tanto que Elanoidesforficazus e Hirundo rustico únicamente se les vió en el aire. Las demás especies migratorias se observaron en la vegetación. Se registran las cuatro primeras especies para el Lago Fortuna y nueve especies nuevas para el área. Todas las familias y órdenes que se observaron han sido previamente comunicados por Adames (1977).

Los sitácidos constituyen un grupo de aves que habitan alrededor del mundo en las regiones tropicales y subtropicales. La mayoría son de colores vistosos, su alimentación es variada, pero consumen principalmente frutos blandos o duros, anidan en huecos y forman parejas permanentes. Son capturados para mascotas y son perseguidos porque se alimentan en los campos agrícolas. El hombre ha venido destruyendo su hábitat lo cual ha afectado negativamente a sus poblaciones y los está empujando hacia los cultivos. En Panamá, tenemos aproximadamente un quinto de las especies del continente Americano, en tanto que para el área del Canal se han reportado 12 especies. En el inventario que hiciéramos al comienzo de la década del noventa en el Canal y sus proximidades sólo registramos siete especies. En la Universidad de Panamá, hemos encontrado cuatro y varias de ellas se han reproducido aquí.

Bacteria with the ability to grow on nitrogen-free media and with nitrogenase activity under aerobic or microaerobic conditions were isolated from sugarcane roots collected from four different agricultural locations in Granada (Spain). Isolates were Gram negative rods and were identified asAzotobacter chroococcumandAzospirillum brasilense. Our results suggest thatAzotobacterisolates do not have a particular affinity for sugarcane rhizospheres and that, on the contrary,Azospirillumisolates show specific association and perhaps endophytic colonization of sugarcane. However, obligate endophytes (Gluconacetobacter diazotrophicus) were not found in the apoplastic fluid of the stems and macerates extracts of sugarcane tissues with the procedure applied. Population of this microorganism might be in low number in the Spanish sugarcane varieties studied which is also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Plant-based (PB) food products have surged in popularity over the past decade. Available PB products in the UK market were extracted from NielsenIQ Brandbank and compared with animal-based (AB) counterparts in their nutrient contents and calculated Nutri-Scores. The amino acid contents of four beef products and their PB alternatives were analysed by LC-MS/MS. PB products consistently exhibited significantly higher fibre content across all food groups. Protein was significantly higher in AB products from all food groups except beef and ready meals. PB products were more likely to have higher Nutri-Scores compared to AB counterparts, albeit with greater score variability within each food group. Nutrient fortifications were primarily focused on dairy and ready meals; the most supplemented nutrient was vitamin B12 (found in 15% of all products). A higher proportion of EAAs in relation to total protein content was observed in all beef products., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023. Published by Elsevier Ltd.)

Support Vector Machines (SVMs) are a type of supervised machine learning algorithm widely used for classification tasks. In contrast to traditional methods that split the data into separate training and testing sets, here we propose an innovative approach where subsets of the original data are randomly selected to train the model multiple times. This iterative training process aims to identify a representative data subset, leading to improved inferences about the population. Additionally, we introduce a novel distance-based kernel specifically designed for binary-type features based on a similarity matrix that efficiently handles both binary and multi-class classification problems. Computational experiments on publicly available datasets of varying sizes demonstrate that our proposed method significantly outperforms existing approaches in terms of classification accuracy. Furthermore, the distance-based kernel achieves superior performance compared to other well-known kernels from the literature and those used in previous studies on the same datasets. These findings validate the effectiveness of our proposed classification method and distance-based kernel for SVMs. By leveraging random subset selection and a unique kernel design, we achieve notable improvements in classification accuracy. These results have significant implications for diverse classification problems in Machine Learning and data analysis., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Amaya-Tejera, Gamarra, Vélez and Zurek.)

MetaboLights is a global database for metabolomics studies including the raw experimental data and the associated metadata. The database is cross-species and cross-technique and covers metabolite structures and their reference spectra as well as their biological roles and locations where available. MetaboLights is the recommended metabolomics repository for a number of leading journals and ELIXIR, the European infrastructure for life science information. In this article, we describe the continued growth and diversity of submissions and the significant developments in recent years. In particular, we highlight MetaboLights Labs, our new Galaxy Project instance with repository-scale standardized workflows, and how data public on MetaboLights are being reused by the community. Metabolomics resources and data are available under the EMBL-EBI's Terms of Use at https://www.ebi.ac.uk/metabolights and under Apache 2.0 at https://github.com/EBI-Metabolights., (© The Author(s) 2023. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Nucleic Acids Research.)

The gut microbiota contributes to the pathophysiology of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Histidine is a key energy source for the microbiota, scavenging it from the host. Its role in NAFLD is poorly known. Plasma metabolomics, liver transcriptomics, and fecal metagenomics were performed in three human cohorts coupled with hepatocyte, rodent, and Drosophila models. Machine learning analyses identified plasma histidine as being strongly inversely associated with steatosis and linked to a hepatic transcriptomic signature involved in insulin signaling, inflammation, and trace amine-associated receptor 1. Circulating histidine was inversely associated with Proteobacteria and positively with bacteria lacking the histidine utilization (Hut) system. Histidine supplementation improved NAFLD in different animal models (diet-induced NAFLD in mouse and flies, ob/ob mouse, and ovariectomized rats) and reduced de novo lipogenesis. Fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) from low-histidine donors and mono-colonization of germ-free flies with Enterobacter cloacae increased triglyceride accumulation and reduced histidine content. The interplay among microbiota, histidine catabolism, and NAFLD opens therapeutic opportunities., Competing Interests: Declaration of interests The authors declare no competing interests., (Copyright © 2023 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

The apolipoprotein E4 ( APOE4 ) genotype is predictive of Alzheimer's disease (AD). The brain is highly enriched with the omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid (n3-PUFA), docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). DHA's metabolism is defective in APOE4 carriers. Flavanol intake can play a role in modulating DHA levels. However, the impact of flavanol co-supplementation with fish oil on brain DHA uptake, status and partitioning, and according to APOE genotype is currently unknown. Here, using a humanised APOE3 and APOE4 targeted replacement transgenic mouse model, the interactive influence of cocoa flavanols (FLAV) and APOE genotype on the blood and subcortical brain PUFA status following the supplementation of a high fat (HF) enriched with DHA from fish oil (FO) was investigated. DHA levels increased in the blood ( p < 0.001) and brain ( p = 0.001) following supplementation. Compared to APOE3, a higher red blood cell (RBC) DHA ( p < 0.001) was evident in APOE4 mice following FO and FLAV supplementation. Although FO did not increase the percentage of brain DHA in APOE4, a 17.1% ( p < 0.05) and 20.0% ( p < 0.001) higher DHA level in the phosphatidylcholine (PC) fraction in the HF FO and HF FO FLAV groups, and a 14.5% ( p < 0.05) higher DHA level in the phosphatidylethanolamine (PE) fraction in the HF FO FLAV group was evident in these animals relative to the HF controls. The addition of FLAV (+/- FO) did not significantly increase the percentage of brain DHA in the group as a whole. However, a higher brain: RBC DHA ratio was evident in APOE3 only ( p < 0.05) for HF FLAV versus HF. In conclusion, our data shows only modest effects of FLAV on the brain DHA status, which is limited to APOE3.

Campylobacter jejuni , the major cause of bacterial foodborne illness, is also a fastidious organism that requires strict growth requirements in the laboratory. Our aim was to study substrate utilisation and energy metabolism in non-growing C. jejuni to investigate the ability of these bacteria to survive so effectively in the food chain. We integrated phenotypic microarrays and genome-scale metabolic modelling (GSM) to investigate the survival of C. jejuni on 95 substrates. We further investigated the underlying metabolic re-adjustment associated with varying energy demands on each substrate. We identified amino acids, organic acids and H2, as single substrates supporting survival without growth. We identified several different mechanisms, which were used alone or in combination, for ATP production: substrate-level phosphorylation via acetate kinase, the TCA cycle, and oxidative phosphorylation via the electron transport chain that utilised alternative electron donors and acceptors. The benefit of ATP production through each of these mechanisms was associated with the cost of enzyme investment, nutrient availability and/or O2 utilisation. C. jejuni can utilise a wide range of substrates as energy sources, including organic acids commonly used for marination or preservation of ingredients, which might contribute to the success of their survival in changing environments.

Staphylococcus epidermidis is a common commensal of collagen-rich regions of the body, such as the skin, but also represents a threat to patients with medical implants (joints and heart), and to preterm babies. Far less studied than Staphylococcus aureus , the mechanisms behind this increasingly recognised pathogenicity are yet to be fully understood. Improving our knowledge of the metabolic processes that allow S. epidermidis to colonise different body sites is key to defining its pathogenic potential. Thus, we have constructed a fully curated, genome-scale metabolic model for S. epidermidis RP62A, and investigated its metabolic properties with a focus on substrate auxotrophies and its utilisation for energy and biomass production. Our results show that, although glucose is available in the medium, only a small portion of it enters the glycolytic pathways, whils most is utilised for the production of biofilm, storage and the structural components of biomass. Amino acids, proline, valine, alanine, glutamate and arginine, are preferred sources of energy and biomass production. In contrast to previous studies, we have shown that this strain has no real substrate auxotrophies, although removal of proline from the media has the highest impact on the model and the experimental growth characteristics. Further study is needed to determine the significance of proline, an abundant amino acid in collagen, in S. epidermidis colonisation.

The impact of sex and menopausal status in Alzheimer's disease remains understudied despite increasing evidence of greater female risk, particularly in APOE4 carriers. Utilizing female APOE-TR mice maintained on a high-fat diet background we induced ovarian failure through repeated VCD injections, to mimic human menopause. At 12 months of age, recognition memory and spatial memory were assessed using object recognition, Y-maze spontaneous alternation, and Barnes maze. A VCD*genotype interaction reduced the recognition memory (P < .05), with APOE4 VCD-treated animals unable to distinguish between novel and familiar objects. APOE4 mice displayed an additional 37% and 12% reduction in Barnes (P < .01) and Y-maze (P < .01) performance, indicative of genotype-specific spatial memory impairment. Molecular analysis indicated both VCD and genotype-related deficits in synaptic plasticity with BDNF, Akt, mTOR, and ERK signaling compromised. Subsequent reductions in the transcription factors Creb1 and Atf4 were also evident. Furthermore, the VCD*genotype interaction specifically diminished Ephb2 expression, while Fos, and Cnr1 expression reduced as a consequence of APOE4 genotype. Brain DHA levels were 13% lower in VCD-treated animals independent of genotype. Consistent with this, we detected alterations in the expression of the DHA transporters Acsl6 and Fatp4. Our results indicate that the combination of ovarian failure and APOE4 leads to an exacerbation of cognitive and neurological deficits., (© 2021 The Authors. The FASEB Journal published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology.)

Campylobacter jejuni , the most frequent cause of food-borne bacterial gastroenteritis, is a fastidious organism when grown in the laboratory. Oxygen is required for growth, despite the presence of the metabolic mechanism for anaerobic respiration. Amino acid auxotrophies are variably reported and energy metabolism can occur through several electron donor/acceptor combinations. Overall, the picture is one of a flexible, but vulnerable metabolism. To understand Campylobacter metabolism, we have constructed a fully curated, metabolic model for the reference organism M1 (our variant is M1cam) and validated it through laboratory experiments. Our results show that M1cam is auxotrophic for methionine, niacinamide, and pantothenate. There are complete biosynthesis pathways for all amino acids except methionine and it can produce energy, but not biomass, in the absence of oxygen. M1cam will grow in DMEM/F-12 defined media but not in the previously published Campylobacter specific defined media tested. Using the model, we identified potential auxotrophies and substrates that may improve growth. With this information, we designed simple defined media containing inorganic salts, the auxotrophic substrates, L-methionine, niacinamide, and pantothenate, pyruvate and additional amino acids L-cysteine, L-serine, and L-glutamine for growth enhancement. Our defined media supports a 1.75-fold higher growth rate than Brucella broth after 48 h at 37°C and sustains the growth of other Campylobacter jejuni strains. This media can be used to design reproducible assays that can help in better understanding the adaptation, stress resistance, and the virulence mechanisms of this pathogen. We have shown that with a well-curated metabolic model it is possible to design a media to grow this fastidious organism. This has implications for the investigation of new Campylobacter species defined through metagenomics, such as C. infans ., (Copyright © 2020 Tejera, Crossman, Pearson, Stoakes, Nasher, Djeghout, Poolman, Wain and Singh.)

Purpose: The quality of the study design and data reporting in human trials dealing with the inter-individual variability in response to the consumption of plant bioactives is, in general, low. There is a lack of recommendations supporting the scientific community on this topic. This study aimed at developing a quality index to assist the assessment of the reporting quality of intervention trials addressing the inter-individual variability in response to plant bioactive consumption. Recommendations for better designing and reporting studies were discussed., Methods: The selection of the parameters used for the development of the quality index was carried out in agreement with the scientific community through a survey. Parameters were defined, grouped into categories, and scored for different quality levels. The applicability of the scoring system was tested in terms of consistency and effort, and its validity was assessed by comparison with a simultaneous evaluation by experts' criteria., Results: The "POSITIVe quality index" included 11 reporting criteria grouped into four categories (Statistics, Reporting, Data presentation, and Individual data availability). It was supported by detailed definitions and guidance for their scoring. The quality index score was tested, and the index demonstrated to be valid, reliable, and responsive., Conclusions: The evaluation of the reporting quality of studies addressing inter-individual variability in response to plant bioactives highlighted the aspects requiring major improvements. Specific tools and recommendations favoring a complete and transparent reporting on inter-individual variability have been provided to support the scientific community on this field.

An apolipoprotein E ( APOE ) 4 genotype is the most important, common genetic determinant for Alzheimer disease (AD), and female APOE4 carriers present with an increased risk compared with males. The study quantified cortical and hippocampal fatty acid and phospholipid profiles along with select eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA)- and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA)-derived specialized proresolving mediators (SPMs) in 2-, 9-, and 18-mo-old APOE3 and APOE4 male and female mice. A 10% lower cortical DHA was evident in APOE4 females at 18 mo compared with 2 mo, with no significant decrease in APOE3 or APOE4 males. This decrease was associated with a reduction in DHA-phosphatidylethanolamine. Older APOE4 females had a 15% higher oleic acid content compared with young mice. Although no sex* APOE genotype interactions were observed for SPMs expressed as a ratio of their parent compound, higher cortical 18 R / S -hydroxy-5 Z ,8 Z ,11 Z ,14 Z ,16 E -EPA, resolvin D3, protectin D1, 10 S ,17 S -dihydroxy-4 Z ,7 Z ,11 E ,13 E ,15 Z ,19 Z -DHA (10 S ,17 S -diHDHA), maresin 1, 17 S -hydroxy-4 Z ,7 Z ,10 Z ,13 Z ,15 E ,19 Z -DHA, and 14 S -hydroxy-4 Z ,7 Z ,10 Z ,12 E ,16 Z ,19 Z -DHA were evident in females, and lower cortical 17 R -resolvin D1, 10 S ,17 S -diHDHA, and 18-HEPE in APOE4 . Our findings show a strong association between age, female sex, and an APOE4 genotype, with decreased cortical DHA and a number of SPMs, which together may contribute to the development of cognitive decline and AD pathology.-Martinsen, A., Tejera, N., Vauzour, D., Harden, G., Dick, J., Shinde, S., Barden, A., Mori, T. A., Minihane, A. M. Altered SPMs and age-associated decrease in brain DHA in APOE4 female mice.

Apolipoprotein E ( APOE ) genotype is the strongest prevalent genetic risk factor for Alzheimer's disease (AD). Numerous studies have provided insights into the pathologic mechanisms. However, a comprehensive understanding of the impact of APOE genotype on microflora speciation and metabolism is completely lacking. In this study, we investigated the association between APOE genotype and the gut microbiome composition in human and APOE -targeted replacement (TR) transgenic mice. Fecal microbiota amplicon sequencing from matched individuals with different APOE genotypes revealed no significant differences in overall microbiota diversity in group-aggregated human APOE genotypes. However, several bacterial taxa showed significantly different relative abundance between APOE genotypes. Notably, we detected an association of Prevotellaceae and Ruminococcaceae and several butyrate-producing genera abundances with APOE genotypes. These findings were confirmed by comparing the gut microbiota of APOE -TR mice. Furthermore, metabolomic analysis of murine fecal water detected significant differences in microbe-associated amino acids and short-chain fatty acids between APOE genotypes. Together, these findings indicate that APOE genotype is associated with specific gut microbiome profiles in both humans and APOE -TR mice. This suggests that the gut microbiome is worth further investigation as a potential target to mitigate the deleterious impact of the APOE4 allele on cognitive decline and the prevention of AD.-Tran, T. T. T., Corsini, S., Kellingray, L., Hegarty, C., Le Gall, G., Narbad, A., Müller, M., Tejera, N., O'Toole, P. W., Minihane, A.-M., Vauzour, D. APOE genotype influences the gut microbiome structure and function in humans and mice: relevance for Alzheimer's disease pathophysiology.

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) affects 25% of adults and at present no licensed medication has been approved. Despite its complex patho-physiology, dietary strategies aiming at delaying or preventing NAFLD have taken a reductionist approach, examining the impact of single components. Accumulating evidence suggests that n-3 LC-PUFAs are efficacious in regulating lipogenesis and fatty acid oxidation. In addition, plant derived flavonoids are also emerging as a dietary strategy for NAFLD prevention, with efficacy attributed to their insulin sensitising and indirect antioxidant effects. Based on knowledge of their complementary molecular targets, we aimed to demonstrate that the combination of n-3 LC-PUFA (n-3) and flavan-3-ols (FLAV) prevents NAFLD. In a high-fat high-fructose (HF/HFr) fed C57Bl/6J mouse model, the independent and interactive impact of n-3 and FLAV on histologically defined NAFLD, insulin sensitivity, weight gain, intestinal and hepatic gene expression, intestinal bile acids were examined. Only the combination of FLAV and n-3 (FLAVn-3) prevented steatosis as evidenced by a strong reduction in hepatocyte ballooning. While FLAV reduced body (-28-30%), adipose tissue (-45-50%) weights and serum insulin (-22-25%) as observed following an intra-peritoneal glucose tolerance test, n-3 downregulated the expression of Srebf1 and the lipogenic genes (Acaca, Fasn). Significant impacts of interventions on intestinal bile acid metabolism, farnesoid X receptor (Fxr) signalling in the intestine and liver, and hepatic expression of fatty acid transporters (Fabp4, Vldlr, Cd36) were also evident. FLAVn-3 may be a novel intervention for NAFLD. Future research should aim to demonstrate its efficacy in the prevention and treatment of human NAFLD., (Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

In the last decades, the development of new technologies applied to lipidomics has revitalized the analysis of lipid profile alterations and the understanding of the underlying molecular mechanisms of lipid metabolism, together with their involvement in the occurrence of human disease. Of particular interest is the study of omega-3 and omega-6 long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LC-PUFAs), notably EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid, 20:5n-3), DHA (docosahexaenoic acid, 22:6n-3), and ARA (arachidonic acid, 20:4n-6), and their transformation into bioactive lipid mediators. In this sense, new families of PUFA-derived lipid mediators, including resolvins derived from EPA and DHA, and protectins and maresins derived from DHA, are being increasingly investigated because of their active role in the "return to homeostasis" process and resolution of inflammation. Recent findings reviewed in the present study highlight that the omega-6 fatty acid ARA appears increased, and omega-3 EPA and DHA decreased in most cancer tissues compared to normal ones, and that increments in omega-3 LC-PUFAs consumption and an omega-6/omega-3 ratio of 2-4:1, are associated with a reduced risk of breast, prostate, colon and renal cancers. Along with their lipid-lowering properties, omega-3 LC-PUFAs also exert cardioprotective functions, such as reducing platelet aggregation and inflammation, and controlling the presence of DHA in our body, especially in our liver and brain, which is crucial for optimal brain functionality. Considering that DHA is the principal omega-3 FA in cortical gray matter, the importance of DHA intake and its derived lipid mediators have been recently reported in patients with major depressive and bipolar disorders, Alzheimer disease, Parkinson's disease, and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. The present study reviews the relationships between major diseases occurring today in the Western world and LC-PUFAs. More specifically this review focuses on the dietary omega-3 LC-PUFAs and the omega-6/omega-3 balance, in a wide range of inflammation disorders, including autoimmune diseases. This review suggests that the current recommendations of consumption and/or supplementation of omega-3 FAs are specific to particular groups of age and physiological status, and still need more fine tuning for overall human health and well being.

We investigated the independent and interactive impact of the common APOE genotype and marine n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) on the development of obesity and associated cardiometabolic dysfunction in a murine model. Human APOE3 and APOE4 targeted replacement mice were fed either a control high-fat diet (HFD) or an HFD supplemented with 3% n-3 PUFAs from fish oil (HFD + FO) for 8 wk. We established the impact of intervention on food intake, body weight, and visceral adipose tissue (VAT) mass; plasma, lipids (cholesterol and triglycerides), liver enzymes, and adipokines; glucose and insulin during an intraperitoneal glucose tolerance test; and Glut4 and ApoE expression in VAT. HFD feeding induced more weight gain and higher plasma lipids in APOE3 compared to APOE4 mice ( P < 0.05), along with a 2-fold higher insulin and impaired glucose tolerance. Supplementing APOE3 , but not APOE4, animals with dietary n-3 PUFAs decreased body-weight gain, plasma lipids, and insulin ( P < 0.05) and improved glucose tolerance, which was associated with increased VAT Glut4 mRNA levels ( P < 0.05). Our findings demonstrate that an APOE3 genotype predisposes mice to develop obesity and its metabolic complications, which was attenuated by n-3 PUFA supplementation.-Slim, K. E., Vauzour, D., Tejera, N., Voshol, P. J., Cassidy, A., Minihane, A. M. The effect of dietary fish oil on weight gain and insulin sensitivity is dependent on APOE genotype in humanized targeted replacement mice., (© The Author(s).)

Our objective was to investigate the impact of EPA versus DHA on arterial stiffness and reactivity and underlying mechanisms (with a focus on plasma oxylipins) in the postprandial state. In a three-arm crossover acute test meal trial, men (n = 26, 35-55 years) at increased CVD risk received a high-fat (42.4 g) test meal providing 4.16 g of EPA or DHA or control oil in random order. At 0 h and 4 h, blood samples were collected to quantify plasma fatty acids, long chain n-3 PUFA-derived oxylipins, nitrite and hydrogen sulfide, and serum lipids and glucose. Vascular function was assessed using blood pressure, reactive hyperemia index, pulse wave velocity, and augmentation index (AIx). The DHA-rich oil significantly reduced AIx by 13% (P = 0.047) with the decrease following EPA-rich oil intervention not reaching statistical significance. Both interventions increased EPA- and DHA-derived oxylipins in the acute postprandial state, with an (1.3-fold) increase in 19,20-dihydroxydocosapentaenoic acid evident after DHA intervention (P < 0.001). In conclusion, a single dose of DHA significantly improved postprandial arterial stiffness as assessed by AIx, which if sustained would be associated with a significant decrease in CVD risk. The observed increases in oxylipins provide a mechanistic insight into the AIx effect., (Copyright © 2016 by the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc.)

Background: Fish currently supplies only 40% of the eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) required to allow all individuals globally to meet the minimum intake recommendation of 500 mg/d. Therefore, alternative sustainable sources are needed., Objective: The main objective was to investigate the ability of genetically engineered Camelina sativa (20% EPA) oil (CO) to enrich tissue EPA and DHA relative to an EPA-rich fish oil (FO) in mammals., Methods: Six-week-old male C57BL/6J mice were fed for 10 wk either a palm oil-containing control (C) diet or diets supplemented with EPA-CO or FO, with the C, low-EPA CO (COL), high-EPA CO (COH), low-EPA FO (FOL), and high-EPA FO (FOH) diets providing 0, 0.4, 3.4, 0.3, and 2.9 g EPA/kg diet, respectively. Liver, muscle, and brain were collected for fatty acid analysis, and blood glucose and serum lipids were quantified. The expression of selected hepatic genes involved in EPA and DHA biosynthesis and in modulating their cellular impact was determined., Results: The oils were well tolerated, with significantly greater weight gain in the COH and FOH groups relative to the C group (P < 0.001). Significantly lower (36-38%) blood glucose concentrations were evident in the FOH and COH mice relative to C mice (P < 0.01). Hepatic EPA concentrations were higher in all EPA groups relative to the C group (P < 0.001), with concentrations of 0.0, 0.4, 2.9, 0.2, and 3.6 g/100 g liver total lipids in the C, COL, COH, FOL, and FOH groups, respectively. Comparable dose-independent enrichments of liver DHA were observed in mice fed CO and FO diets (P < 0.001). Relative to the C group, lower fatty acid desaturase 1 (Fads1) expression (P < 0.005) was observed in the COH and FOH groups. Higher fatty acid desaturase 2 (Fads2), peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor α (Ppara), and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ (Pparg) (P < 0.005) expressions were induced by CO. No impact of treatment on liver X receptor α (Lxra) or sterol regulatory element-binding protein 1c (Srebp1c) was evident., Conclusions: Oil from transgenic Camelina is a bioavailable source of EPA in mice. These data provide support for the future assessment of this oil in a human feeding trial.

Increased tissue status of the long-chain n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (LC n-3 PUFA), eicosapentaenoic (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) is associated with cardiovascular and cognitive benefits. Limited epidemiological and animal data suggest that flavonoids, and specifically anthocyanins, may increase EPA and DHA levels, potentially by increasing their synthesis from the shorter-chain n-3 PUFA, α-linolenic acid. Using complimentary cell, rodent and human studies we investigated the impact of anthocyanins and anthocyanin-rich foods/extracts on plasma and tissue EPA and DHA levels and on the expression of fatty acid desaturase 2 (FADS2), which represents the rate limiting enzymes in EPA and DHA synthesis. In experiment 1, rats were fed a standard diet containing either palm oil or rapeseed oil supplemented with pure anthocyanins for 8 weeks. Retrospective fatty acid analysis was conducted on plasma samples collected from a human randomized controlled trial where participants consumed an elderberry extract for 12 weeks (experiment 2). HepG2 cells were cultured with α-linolenic acid with or without select anthocyanins and their in vivo metabolites for 24 h and 48 h (experiment 3). The fatty acid composition of the cell membranes, plasma and liver tissues were analyzed by gas chromatography. Anthocyanins and anthocyanin-rich food intake had no significant impact on EPA or DHA status or FADS2 gene expression in any model system. These data indicate little impact of dietary anthocyanins on n-3 PUFA distribution and suggest that the increasingly recognized benefits of anthocyanins are unlikely to be the result of a beneficial impact on tissue fatty acid status., (Copyright © 2015 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Legumes are classified as salt-sensitive crops with their productivity particularly affected by salinity. Abcisic acid (ABA) plays an important role in the response to environmental stresses as signal molecule which led us to study its role in the response of nitrogen fixation and antioxidant metabolism in root nodules of Medicago sativa under salt stress conditions. Adult plants inoculated with Sinorhizobium meliloti were treated with 1 μM and 10 μM ABA two days before 200 mM salt addition. Exogenous ABA together with the salt treatment provoked a strong induction of the ABA content in the nodular tissue which alleviated the inhibition induced by salinity in the plant growth and nitrogen fixation. Antioxidant enzymes superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT) and glutathione reductase (GR) were induced by ABA pre-treatments under salt stress conditions which together with the reduction of the lipid peroxidation, suggest a role for ABA as signal molecule in the activation of the nodular antioxidant metabolism. Interaction between ABA and polyamines (PAs), described as anti-stress molecules, was studied being detected an induction of the common polyamines spermidine (Spd) and spermine (Spm) levels by ABA under salt stress conditions. In conclusion, ABA pre-treatment improved the nitrogen fixation capacity under salt stress conditions by the induction of the nodular antioxidant defenses which may be mediated by the common PAs Spd and Spm that seems to be involved in the anti-stress response induced by ABA., (Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.)