Essential phospholipids in fatty liver: a scientific update

Karl-Josef Gundermann,1 Simon Gundermann,2 Marek Drozdzik,1 VG Mohan Prasad3 1Department of Pharmacology, Pomeranian Medical University, Szczecin, Poland; 2Department of Radiology, Hospital Hohenlind, Cologne, Germany; 3VGM Hospital Institute of Gastroenterology, Coimbatore, India Aim: Although essential phospholipids (EPL) from soybean are often used in membrane-associated disorders and diseases, their high quality of purification and effects on prevalent liver diseases, especially on fatty liver diseases (FLDs) of different origin, are still widely unknown and a matter of continuous active research. The aim of this article is to review, discuss, and summarize the available results of EPL in the treatment of FLD. Methods: Database research was carried out on Medline, Embase, Cochrane Library, country-specific journals, and follow-up literature citations for relevant hepatogastroenterological articles published between 1988 and 2014. We searched for and reviewed only those papers that indicated minimum extraction amount of 72% (3-sn-phosphatidyl)choline from soybean as being necessary to treat patients with a considerable amount of 1,2-dilinoleoylphosphatidylcholine as a key component in EPL. Results: EPL has a well-established mode of action, therapeutic effectiveness, and lack of toxicity, which ensures clinically relevant efficacy-to-safety ratio. It influences membrane-dependent cellular functions and shows anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antifibrogenic, antiapoptotic, membrane-protective, and lipid-regulating effects. Due to its positive effects on membrane composition and functions, it accelerates the improvement or normalization of subjective symptoms; pathological, clinical, and biochemical findings; hepatic imaging; and liver histology. It is justified to administer EPL together with other therapeutic measurements in the liver. Conclusion: Pharmacological and clinical results confirm the efficacy of EPL in the treatment of FLD. Keywords: fatty liver disease, essential phospholipids, dilinoleoylphosphatidylcholine, membran

Dietary Omega-3 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids Alter the Fatty Acid Composition of Hepatic and Plasma Bioactive Lipids in C57BL/6 Mice : A Lipidomic Approach

Background Omega (n)-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) are converted to bioactive lipid components that are important mediators in metabolic and physiological pathways; however, which bioactive compounds are metabolically active, and their mechanisms of action are still not clear. We investigated using lipidomic techniques, the effects of diets high in n-3 PUFA on the fatty acid composition of various bioactive lipids in plasma and liver. Methodology and Principal Findings Female C57BL/6 mice were fed semi-purified diets (20% w/w fat) containing varying amounts of n-3 PUFA before mating, during gestation and lactation, and until weaning. Male offspring were continued on their mothers’ diets for 16 weeks. Hepatic and plasma lipids were extracted in the presence of non-naturally occurring internal standards, and tandem electrospray ionization mass spectrometry methods were used to measure the fatty acyl compositions. There was no significant difference in total concentrations of phospholipids in both groups. However, there was a significantly higher concentration of eicosapentaenoic acid containing phosphatidylcholine (PC), lysophosphatidylcholine (LPC), and cholesteryl esters (CE) (p < 0.01) in the high n-3 PUFA group compared to the low n-3 PUFA group in both liver and plasma. Plasma and liver from the high n-3 PUFA group also had a higher concentration of free n-3 PUFA (p < 0.05). There were no significant differences in plasma concentrations of different fatty acyl species of phosphatidylethanolamine, triglycerides, sphingomyelin and ceramides. Conclusions/Significance Our findings reveal for the first time that a diet high in n-3 PUFA caused enrichment of n-3 PUFA in PC, LPC, CE and free fatty acids in the plasma and liver of C57BL/6 mice. PC, LPC, and unesterified free n-3 PUFA are important bioactive lipids, thus altering their fatty acyl composition will have important metabolic and physiological roles