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Related Concept Videos

Structure of Lipids03:38

Structure of Lipids

Lipids include a diverse group of compounds that are largely nonpolar in nature. This is because they are hydrocarbons that include mostly nonpolar carbon-carbon or carbon-hydrogen bonds. Non-polar molecules are hydrophobic (“water fearing”), or insoluble in water. Lipids perform many different functions in a cell. Cells store energy for long-term use in the form of fats. Lipids also provide insulation from the environment for plants and animals. For example, they help keep aquatic birds and...
Radical Autoxidation01:20

Radical Autoxidation

The oxidation of an organic compound in the presence of air or oxygen is called autoxidation. For example, cumene reacts with oxygen to form hydroperoxide. Autoxidation involves initiation, propagation, and termination steps. Many organic compounds are susceptible to autoxidation—especially ethers in the presence of oxygen, which form hydroperoxides. Even though this reaction is slow, old ether bottles contain small amounts of peroxide, which leads to laboratory explosions during ether...
Lipids: Dietary Sources and Requirements01:18

Lipids: Dietary Sources and Requirements

Lipids are an essential component of a balanced human diet. Triglycerides, which make up the majority of dietary lipids, are found in both saturated fats—commonly present in meat, dairy products, and certain tropical plants like coconut, and hydrogenated oils such as margarine and baking shortenings (trans fats)—and unsaturated fats, which are abundant in seeds, nuts, olive oil, and most vegetable oils. The main sources of cholesterol include egg yolks, various meats and organ meats, shellfish,...
Lipid-derived Compounds in the Human Body01:31

Lipid-derived Compounds in the Human Body

Fats and lipids are crucial components in the human body. Some lipid-derived compounds, such as fat-soluble vitamins, eicosanoids, lipoproteins, and glycolipids, also play unique roles to support various  biological processes .
Fat-soluble Vitamins
Fat-soluble vitamins, including vitamins A, D, E, and K, are required in minimal quantities, but their deficiencies can lead to severely abnormal physiological conditions. For example, vitamin A deficiency can cause night blindness, dry skin, delayed...
Oxidation of Phenols to Quinones01:17

Oxidation of Phenols to Quinones

In the presence of oxidizing agents, phenols are oxidized to quinones. Quinones can be easily reduced back to phenols using mild reducing agents. The electron-donating hydroxyl group enhances the reactivity of the aromatic ring, enabling oxidation of the ring even in the absence of an α hydrogen.
o-hydroxy phenols are oxidized to o-quinones and p-hydroxy phenols to p-quinones. Such redox reactions involve the transfer of two electrons and two protons. The reversible redox property is crucial in...
Fats as Energy Storage Molecules01:06

Fats as Energy Storage Molecules

Triglycerides are a form of long-term energy storage molecules. They are made of glycerol and three fatty acids. To obtain energy from fat, triglycerides must first be broken down by hydrolysis into their two principal components, fatty acids and glycerol. This process, called lipolysis, takes place in the cytoplasm. The resulting fatty acids are oxidized by β-oxidation into acetyl-CoA, which is used by the Krebs cycle. The glycerol that is released from triglycerides after lipolysis directly...

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Dietary Supplementation of Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids in Caenorhabditis elegans
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Dietary Supplementation of Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids in Caenorhabditis elegans

Published on: November 29, 2013

Polyunsaturated fatty acids as antioxidants.

Doriane Richard1, Kaouthar Kefi, Ullah Barbe

  • 1Laboratory of Micronutrients and Cardiovascular Disease, UMR7079, UPMC Univ 06, Paris, France. doriane.richard@snv.jussieu.fr

Pharmacological Research
|June 28, 2008
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Omega-3 fatty acids, particularly eicosapentaenoic acid, show potent free radical scavenging. Supplementation with omega-3s reduced reactive oxygen species in human aortic endothelial cells, suggesting an indirect anti-oxidant role.

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Area of Science:

  • Biochemistry
  • Cell Biology
  • Cardiovascular Science

Background:

  • Fatty acid oxidation susceptibility is typically linked to unsaturation.
  • Emerging evidence suggests a more complex relationship between fatty acid structure and oxidation.
  • Long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LC-PUFAs) may exhibit reduced oxidizability under certain conditions.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the free radical-scavenging capacity of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs).
  • To assess the production of reactive oxygen/nitrogen species (ROS/RNS) by human aortic endothelial cells (HAECs) supplemented with various fatty acids.
  • To determine the role of omega-3 fatty acids in cellular oxidative stress and inflammation.

Main Methods:

  • Micelle-based assay to evaluate superoxide scavenging by different fatty acids.
  • Cell culture experiments using HAECs supplemented with saturated, monounsaturated, and polyunsaturated fatty acids (omega-3 and omega-6 series).
  • Measurement of ROS and RNS production in supplemented HAECs.

Main Results:

  • Fatty acid micelles scavenged superoxide in an unsaturation-dependent manner, with eicosapentaenoic acid being the most effective.
  • HAEC supplementation with omega-3 fatty acids significantly reduced ROS formation compared to other fatty acid types.
  • The anti-oxidant effect of omega-3s was concentration-dependent (maximal at 10μM) and more pronounced for ROS than RNS.

Conclusions:

  • LC-PUFAs, especially omega-3 series, demonstrate direct superoxide scavenging and indirect anti-oxidant properties in vascular endothelial cells.
  • Omega-3 fatty acid supplementation can decrease ROS production, potentially mitigating inflammation.
  • These findings suggest a reduced risk of atherosclerosis and cardiovascular disease associated with omega-3 fatty acids.