Comparison of Diatoms and Dinoflagellates from Different Habitats as Sources of PUFAs

Recent studies have clearly shown the importance of omega-3 (ω-3) and omega-6 (ω-6) polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) for human and animal health. The long-chain eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA; 20:5ω-3) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA; 22:6ω-3) are especially recognized for their nutritional value, and ability to alleviate many diseases in humans. So far, fish oil has been the main human source of EPA and DHA, but alternative sources are needed to satisfy the growing need for them. Therefore, we compared a fatty acid profile and content of 10 diatoms and seven dinoflagellates originating from marine, brackish and freshwater habitats. These two phytoplankton groups were chosen since they are excellent producers of EPA and DHA in aquatic food webs. Multivariate analysis revealed that, whereas the phytoplankton group (46%) explained most of the differences in the fatty acid profiles, habitat (31%) together with phytoplankton group (24%) explained differences in the fatty acid contents. In both diatoms and dinoflagellates, the total fatty acid concentrations and the ω-3 and ω-6 PUFAs were markedly higher in freshwater than in brackish or marine strains. Our results show that, even though the fatty acid profiles are genetically ordered, the fatty acid contents may vary greatly by habitat and affect the ω-3 and ω-6 availability in food webs

Marine Cryptophytes Are Great Sources of EPA and DHA

Microalgae have the ability to synthetize many compounds, some of which have been recognized as a source of functional ingredients for nutraceuticals with positive health effects. One well-known example is the long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), which are essential for human nutrition. Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) are the two most important long-chain omega-3 (-3) PUFAs involved in human physiology, and both industries are almost exclusively based on microalgae. In addition, algae produce phytosterols that reduce serum cholesterol. Here we determined the growth rates, biomass yields, PUFA and sterol content, and daily gain of eight strains of marine cryptophytes. The maximal growth rates of the cryptophytes varied between 0.34-0.70 divisions day(-1), which is relatively good in relation to previously screened algal taxa. The studied cryptophytes were extremely rich in -3 PUFAs, especially in EPA and DHA (range 5.8-12.5 and 0.8-6.1 mu g mg dry weight(-1), respectively), but their sterol concentrations were low. Among the studied strains, Storeatula major was superior in PUFA production, and it also produces all PUFAs, i.e., -linolenic acid (ALA), stearidonic acid (SDA), EPA, and DHA, which is rare in phytoplankton in general. We conclude that marine cryptophytes are a good alternative for the ecologically sustainable and profitable production of health-promoting lipids.Peer reviewe

Mobile game for motor and cognitive assessment

Abstract. In the present day almost everyone has a powerful computer in their pocket, a smartphone. These new affordable devices can replace some traditional ways of assessing health. In this project we focused on assessing motoric and cognitive properties using a mobile application that we developed along the way. We looked into research related to the subjects of our project, such as reaction time, memory measuring methods, input accuracy, and serious games. Then, we looked at some potential use cases for this type of application. Before we started developing the application, each researcher made a small demo application to gain some experience with Android development. The mobile application that we designed was developed for the Android platform. It has two games, one for measuring memory, and the other for measuring input accuracy and reaction time. After the application was done, we tested it with our friends and family members to gather data. The tests were conducted between two age groups, one consisted of testees from age 20 to 25, while the other had testees from age 50 to 65. The results were then analyzed by using Mann-Whitney U test to assess the differences between the age groups. We also took notes of our observations during the tests and asked the testees for feedback on the test procedure and the games after the test. The younger age group got significantly better results as expected. However, the results of the older age group do not properly reflect their abilities, as the older age group is not as used to playing games or using a smartphone as the younger group, and because the games ended up being quite complex. Some of the testees from the older age group kept playing the games after the testing was done and got up to ten times higher scores than in the testing phase. We hope that at some stage the application could potentially be used to assess motor dysfunctionalities and cognitive impairment in elderlies and disabled people.Mobiilipeli motoristen ja kognitiivisten ominaisuuksien arviointiin. Tiivistelmä. Tänä päivänä melkein jokaiselta löytyy taskustaan tehokas tietokone, eli älypuhelin. Näiden uusien kohtuuhintaisten laitteiden avulla voidaan mahdollisesti korvata vanhoja tapoja arvioida terveyttä. Tässä projektissa me keskityimme mittaamaan motorisia ja kognitiivisia ominaisuuksia mobiilisovelluksen avulla, jonka kehitimme projektin aikana. Tarkastelimme aiemmin suorettuja tutkimuksia, jotka koskevat meidän projektimme eri osa-alueita, kuten reaktioaikaa, muistin mittausta, syötetarkkuutta ja hyötypelejä. Lisäksi tarkastelimme joitain mahdollisia käyttökohteita tämän tyylisille sovelluksille. Ennen sovelluskehityksen aloittamista jokainen tutkijoista teki pienen demo sovelluksen saadakseen hieman kokemusta Android kehityksestä. Mobiilisovellus, jonka suunnittelimme kehitettiin Android alustalle. Se sisältää kaksi peliä, joista toinen on muistin mittaamiseen, ja toinen syötetarkkuuden sekä reaktioajan mittaamiseen. Sovelluksen valmistuttua testasimme sitä ystävillämme ja perheen jäsenillämme kerätäksemme dataa. Testit suoritettiin kahden ikäryhmän välillä, ensimmäisen ryhmän testaajat olivat 20–25 vuotiaita ja toisen ryhmän testaajat olivat 50–65 vuotiaita. Analysoimme tämän jälkeen tuloksia Mann-Whitney U testillä arvioidaksemme eroja ikäryhmien välillä. Otimme myös ylös havaintoja testauksen aikana ja kysyimme testaajilta palautetta testiproseduurista sekä peleistä testin jälkeen. Nuorempi ikäryhmä sai huomattavasti parempia tuloksia. Kuitenkin, vanhemman ikäryhmän tulokset eivät täysin vastaa heidän kykyjään sillä vanhempi ikäryhmä ei ole yhtä tottunut pelaamaan pelejä tai käyttämään älypuhelinta kuin nuorempi ikäryhmä ja koska pelit olivat lopulta melko monimutkaisia. Osa vanhemman ikäryhmän testaajista jatkoivat pelien pelaamista testauksen jälkeen ja saivat jopa kymmennen kertaa suurempia pistemääriä kuin testauksen aikana. Toivomme, että tätä sovellusta voidaan joskus käyttää motoristen toimintahäiriöiden ja kognitiivisten rajoitteiden arviointiin vanhuksilla ja motorisesti tai kognitiivisesti vajaakuntoisilla henkilöillä

Suitability of Phytosterols Alongside Fatty Acids as Chemotaxonomic Biomarkers for Phytoplankton

The composition and abundance of phytoplankton is an important factor defining ecological status of marine and freshwater ecosystems. Chemotaxonomic markers (e.g., pigments and fatty acids) are needed for monitoring changes in a phytoplankton community and to know the nutritional quality of seston for herbivorous zooplankton. Here we investigated the suitability of sterols along with fatty acids as chemotaxonomic markers using multivariate statistics, by analyzing the sterol and fatty acid composition of 10 different phytoplankton classes including altogether 37 strains isolated from freshwater lakes. We were able to detect a total of 47 fatty acids and 29 sterols in our phytoplankton samples, which both differed statistically significantly between phytoplankton classes. Due to the high variation of fatty acid composition among Cyanophyceae, taxonomical differentiation increased when Cyanophyceae were excluded from statistical analysis. Sterol composition was more heterogeneous within class than fatty acids and did not improve separation of phytoplankton classes when used alongside fatty acids. However, we conclude that sterols can provide additional information on the abundance of specific genera within a class which can be generated by using fatty acids. For example, whereas high C-16 omega-3 PUFA (polyunsaturated fatty acid) indicates the presence of Chlorophyceae, a simultaneous high amount of ergosterol could specify the presence of Chlamydomonas spp. (Chlorophyceae). Additionally, we found specific 4 alpha-methyl sterols for distinct Dinophyceae genera, suggesting that 4a-methyl sterols can potentially separate freshwater dinoflagellates from each other.Peer reviewe

Selective Fatty Acid Retention and Turnover in the Freshwater Amphipod Pallaseopsis quadrispinosa

Gammarid amphipods are a crucial link connecting primary producers with secondary consumers, but little is known about their nutritional ecology. Here we asked how starvation and subsequent feeding on different nutritional quality algae influences fatty acid retention, compound-specific isotopic carbon fractionation, and biosynthesis of ω-3 and ω-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) in the relict gammarid amphipod Pallaseopsis quadrispinosa. The fatty acid profiles of P. quadrispinosa closely matched with those of the dietary green algae after only seven days of refeeding, whereas fatty acid patterns of P. quadrispinosa were less consistent with those of the diatom diet. This was mainly due to P. quadrispinosa suffering energy limitation in the diatom treatment which initiated the metabolization of 16:1ω7 and partly 18:1ω9 for energy, but retained high levels of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) similar to those found in wild-caught organisms. Moreover, α-linolenic acid (ALA) from green algae was mainly stored and not allocated to membranes at high levels nor biosynthesized to EPA. The arachidonic acid (ARA) content in membrane was much lower than EPA and P. quadrispinosa was able to biosynthesize long-chain ω-6 PUFA from linoleic acid (LA). Our experiment revealed that diet quality has a great impact on fatty acid biosynthesis, retention and turnover in this consumer

Selective Fatty Acid Retention and Turnover in the Freshwater Amphipod Pallaseopsis quadrispinosa

Gammarid amphipods are a crucial link connecting primary producers with secondary consumers, but little is known about their nutritional ecology. Here we asked how starvation and subsequent feeding on different nutritional quality algae influences fatty acid retention, compound-specific isotopic carbon fractionation, and biosynthesis of ω-3 and ω-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) in the relict gammarid amphipod Pallaseopsis quadrispinosa. The fatty acid profiles of P. quadrispinosa closely matched with those of the dietary green algae after only seven days of refeeding, whereas fatty acid patterns of P. quadrispinosa were less consistent with those of the diatom diet. This was mainly due to P. quadrispinosa suffering energy limitation in the diatom treatment which initiated the metabolization of 16:1ω7 and partly 18:1ω9 for energy, but retained high levels of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) similar to those found in wild-caught organisms. Moreover, α-linolenic acid (ALA) from green algae was mainly stored and not allocated to membranes at high levels nor biosynthesized to EPA. The arachidonic acid (ARA) content in membrane was much lower than EPA and P. quadrispinosa was able to biosynthesize long-chain ω-6 PUFA from linoleic acid (LA). Our experiment revealed that diet quality has a great impact on fatty acid biosynthesis, retention and turnover in this consumer

Metabolic plasticity of mixotrophic algae is key for their persistence in browning environments

Light availability is the main regulator of primary production, shaping photosynthetic communities and their production of ecologically important biomolecules. In freshwater ecosystems, increasing dissolved organic carbon (DOC) concentrations, commonly known as browning, leads to lower light availability and the proliferation of mixotrophic phytoplankton. Here, a mixotrophic algal species (Cryptomonas sp.) was grown under five increasing DOC concentrations to uncover the plastic responses behind the success of mixotrophs in browning environments and their effect in the availability of nutritionally important biomolecules. In addition to the browning treatments, phototrophic, heterotrophic and mixotrophic growth conditions were used as controls. Despite reduced light availability, browning did not impair algal growth compared to phototrophic conditions. Comparative transcriptomics showed that genes related to photosynthesis were down-regulated, whereas phagotrophy gene categories (phagosome, lysosome and endocytosis) were up-regulated along the browning gradient. Stable isotope analysis of phospholipid fractions validated these results, highlighting that the studied mixotroph increases its reliance on heterotrophic processes with browning. Metabolic pathway reconstruction using transcriptomic data suggests that organic carbon is acquired through phagotrophy and used to provide energy in conjunction with photosynthesis. Although metabolic responses to browning were observed, essential fatty acid content was similar between treatments while sterol content was slightly higher upon browning. Together, our results provide a mechanistic model of how a mixotrophic alga responds to browning and how such responses affect the availability of nutritionally essential biomolecules for higher trophic levels.Peer reviewe

Eutrophication reduces the nutritional value of phytoplankton in boreal lakes

Eutrophication (as an increase in total phosphorus [TP]) increases harmful algal blooms and reduces the proportion of high-quality phytoplankton in seston and the content of ω-3 long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (eicosapentaenoic acid [EPA] and docosahexaenoic acid [DHA]) in fish. However, it is not well-known how eutrophication affects the overall nutritional value of phytoplankton. Therefore, we studied the impact of eutrophication on the production (as concentration; μg L−1) and content (μg mg C−1) of amino acids, EPA, DHA, and sterols, i.e., the nutritional value of phytoplankton in 107 boreal lakes. The lakes were categorized in seven TP concentration categories ranging from ultra-oligotrophic (50 μg L−1). Phytoplankton total biomass increased with TP as expected, but in contrast to previous studies, the contribution of high-quality phytoplankton did not decrease with TP. However, the high variation reflected instability in the phytoplankton community structure in eutrophic lakes. We found that the concentration of amino acids increased in the epilimnion whereas the concentration of sterols decreased with increasing TP. In terms of phytoplankton nutritional value, amino acids, EPA, DHA, and sterols showed a significant quadratic relationship with the lake trophic status. More specifically, the amino acid contents were the same in the oligo- and mesotrophic lakes, but substantially lower in the eutrophic lakes (TP > 35 μg L−1/1.13 μmol L−1). The highest EPA and DHA content in phytoplankton was found in the mesotrophic lakes, whereas the sterol content was highest in the oligotrophic lakes. Based on these results, the nutritional value of phytoplankton reduces with eutrophication, although the contribution of high-quality algae does not decrease. Therefore, the results emphasize that eutrophication, as excess TP, reduces the nutritional value of phytoplankton, which may have a significant impact on the nutritional value of zooplankton, fish, and other aquatic animals at higher food web levels.peerReviewe

Tracing the fate of microplastic carbon in the aquatic food web by compound-specific isotope analysis

Increasing abundance of microplastics (MP) in marine and freshwaters is currently one of the greatest environmental concerns. Since plastics are fairly resistant to chemical decomposition, breakdown and reutilization of MP carbon complexes requires microbial activity. Currently, only a few microbial isolates have been shown to degrade MPs, and direct measurements of the fate of the MP carbon are still lacking. We used compound-specific isotope analysis to track the fate of fully labelled 13C-polyethylene (PE) MP carbon across the aquatic microbial-animal interface. Isotopic values of respired CO2 and membrane lipids showed that MP carbon was partly mineralized and partly used for cell growth. Microbial mineralization and assimilation of PE-MP carbon was most active when inoculated microbes were obtained from highly humic waters, which contain recalcitrant substrate sources. Mixotrophic algae (Cryptomonas sp.) and herbivorous zooplankton (Daphnia magna) used microbial mediated PE-MP carbon in their cell membrane fatty acids. Moreover, heteronanoflagellates and mixotrophic algae sequestered MP carbon for synthesizing essential ω-6 and ω-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids. Thus, this study demonstrates that aquatic micro-organisms can produce, biochemically upgrade, and trophically transfer nutritionally important biomolecules from PE-MP.Increasing abundance of microplastics (MP) in marine and freshwaters is currently one of the greatest environmental concerns. Since plastics are fairly resistant to chemical decomposition, breakdown and reutilization of MP carbon complexes requires microbial activity. Currently, only a few microbial isolates have been shown to degrade MPs, and direct measurements of the fate of the MP carbon are still lacking. We used compound-specific isotope analysis to track the fate of fully labelled C-13-polyethylene (PE) MP carbon across the aquatic microbial-animal interface. Isotopic values of respired CO2 and membrane lipids showed that MP carbon was partly mineralized and partly used for cell growth. Microbial mineralization and assimilation of PE-MP carbon was most active when inoculated microbes were obtained from highly humic waters, which contain recalcitrant substrate sources. Mixotrophic algae (Cryptomonas sp.) and herbivorous zooplankton (Daphnia magna) used microbial mediated PE-MP carbon in their cell membrane fatty acids. Moreover, heteronanoflagellates and mixotrophic algae sequestered MP carbon for synthesizing essential omega-6 and omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids. Thus, this study demonstrates that aquatic micro-organisms can produce, biochemically upgrade, and trophically transfer nutritionally important biomolecules from PE-MP.Peer reviewe