Bone benefits of fish oil supplementation depend on its EPA and DHA content

The preventive effect of high-dose (9%) regular-fish oil (FO) against bone loss during aging has been demonstrated, but the effects of a low-dose (1%–4%) of a highly purified concentrated FO (CFO) has not been elucidated. The aim of this study was to determine the dose-dependent effect of a CFO against bone loss in C57BL/6 female mice during aging. Twelve-month old mice were fed with 1% and 4% CFO and 4% safflower oil (SFO) diets, including a group with a 4% regular-FO diet and a group with a lab chow diet for 12 months. Bone mineral density (BMD) was analyzed by dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA) before and after the dietary intervention. At the end of dietary intervention, bone resorption markers in serum and inflammatory markers in bone marrow and splenocytes and inflammatory signaling pathways in the bone marrow were analyzed. As compared to the 4% SFO control, 4% CFO maintained higher BMD during aging, while 1% CFO offered only a mild benefit. However, the 1% CFO fed group exhibited slightly better BMD than the 4% regular-FO fed group. BMD loss protection by CFO was accompanied by reduced levels of the bone resorption marker, TRAP, and the osteoclast-stimulating-factor, RANKL, without affecting the decoy-receptor of RANKL, osteoprotegerin (OPG). Further, CFO supplementation was associated with an increase in the production of IL-10, IL-12, and IFN-γ and a decrease in the production of TNF-α and IL-6, and the activation of NF-κB, p38 MAPK, and JNK signaling pathways. In conclusion, the supplementation of 4% CFO is very efficient in maintaining BMD during aging, whereas 1% CFO is only mildly beneficial. CFO supplementation starting at middle age may maintain better bone health during agingFunding: This study was supported by National Institute of Health (NIH) contract grant number, AG034233 (M.M.R.) and AT006704 (G.V.H.) and Qatar University Grant QUUG-CAS-DBES-15/16-23 (M.M.R.)and Qatar National Research Fund (QNRF) grant UREP22-143-3-024 (M.M.R.).Scopu

Production of conjugated linoleic acids by Lactobacillus plantarum strains isolated from naturally fermented Chinese pickles*

Naturally fermented pickles harbour many lactic acid bacteria (LAB). Forty-three LAB strains with conjugated linoleic acid (CLA)-producing ability were isolated from three naturally fermented pickle brines. Of these isolates, lp15 identified as Lactobacillus plantarum by API 50 CHL system and full-length 16S rDNA sequence analysis exhibited the highest CLA-producing ability (26.1% conversion) at 48 h in de Man Rogosa Sharpe (MRS) broth in the presence of 100 µg/ml of linoleic acid (LA). Compared to other strains, L. plantarum strain lp15 showed the highest tolerance upon increased levels of LA in the medium, i.e., up to 600 µg/ml. This strain converted about 25% of LA into CLA isomers [predominantly cis-9, trans-11 CLA (9-CLA) and trans-10, cis-12 CLA (10-CLA)], of which 75% was 9-CLA. Interestingly, though the conversion rate of LA into CLA by lp15 remained stable between 100 to 600 µg/ml LA levels in the medium, it dropped sharply at 1000 µg/ml. Taken together, the lp15 strain displayed relatively high LA tolerance with higher conversion rate, which implies that this strain is a valuable candidate for enhancing the CLA content in food-sources like pickles