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Lipids are essential for healthy infant growth and development. The structural complexity of lipids in human milk is not present in infant milk formula (IF). A concept IF was developed mimicking more closely the structure and composition of human milk fat globules. The current study evaluates whether a concept IF with large, milk phospholipid-coated lipid droplets (mode diameter 3 to 5 μm) is equivalent to standard IF with regard to growth adequacy and safety in healthy, term Asian infants. In this randomized, double-blind, controlled trial, infants were randomized after parents decided to introduce formula. Infants received a standard IF with (Control) or without the specific prebiotic mixture scGOS/lcFOS (9:1 ratio; Control w/o prebiotics), or a Concept IF with large, milk phospholipid-coated lipid droplets and the prebiotic mixture. A group of 67 breastfed infants served as a reference. As a priori defined, only those infants who were fully intervention formula-fed ≤28 days of age were included in the equivalence analysis (Control n = 29; Control w/o prebiotics n = 28; Concept n = 35, per-protocol population). Primary outcome was daily weight gain during the first four months of life, with the difference between the Concept and Control as the key comparison of interest. Additionally, adverse events, growth and tolerance parameters were evaluated. Equivalence of daily weight gain was demonstrated between the Concept and Control group after additional correction for ethnicity and birthweight (difference in estimated means of 0.1 g/d, 90%CI [−2.30, 2.47]; equivalence margin +/− 3 g/d). No clinically relevant group differences were observed in secondary growth outcomes, tolerance outcomes or number, severity or relatedness of adverse events. This study corroborates that an infant formula with large, milk phospholipid-coated lipid droplets supports adequate growth and is well tolerated and safe for use in healthy infants.

We recently demonstrated that daily whole egg consumption during moderate carbohydrate restriction leads to greater increases in plasma HDL-cholesterol (HDL-C) and improvements in HDL profiles in metabolic syndrome (MetS) when compared to intake of a yolk-free egg substitute. We further investigated the effects of this intervention on HDL composition and function, hypothesizing that the phospholipid species present in egg yolk modulate HDL lipid composition to increase the cholesterol-accepting capacity of subject serum. Men and women classified with MetS were randomly assigned to consume either three whole eggs (EGG, n  = 20) per day or the equivalent amount of egg substitute (SUB, n  = 17) throughout a 12-week moderate carbohydrate-restricted (25–30 % of energy) diet. Relative to other HDL lipids, HDL-cholesteryl ester content increased in all subjects, with greater increases in the SUB group. Further, HDL-triacylglycerol content was reduced in EGG group subjects with normal baseline plasma HDL-C, resulting in increases in HDL-CE/TAG ratios in both groups. Phospholipid analysis by mass spectrometry revealed that HDL became enriched in phosphatidylethanolamine in the EGG group, and that EGG group HDL better reflected sphingomyelin species present in the whole egg product at week 12 compared to baseline. Further, macrophage cholesterol efflux to EGG subject serum increased from baseline to week 12, whereas no changes were observed in the SUB group. Together, these findings suggest that daily egg consumption promotes favorable shifts in HDL lipid composition and function beyond increasing plasma HDL-C in MetS.

α-Linolenic acid (ALA) is the precursor of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) in humans, which is fundamental for brain and visual function. Western diet provides low ALA and DHA, which is reflected in low DHA in maternal milk. Chia oil extracted from chia (Salvia hispanica L.), a plant native to some Latin American countries, is high in ALA (up to 60%) and thereby is an alternative to provide ALA with the aim to reduce DHA deficits. We evaluated the modification of the fatty acid profile of milk obtained from Chilean mothers who received chia oil during gestation and nursing. Forty healthy pregnant women (22–35 years old) tabulated for food consumption, were randomly separated into two groups: a control group with normal feeding (n = 21) and a chia group (n = 19), which received 16 mL chia oil daily from the third trimester of pregnancy until the first six months of nursing. The fatty acid profile of erythrocyte phospholipids, measured at six months of pregnancy, at time of delivery and at six months of nursing, and the fatty acid profile of the milk collected during the first six months of nursing were assessed by gas-chromatography. The chia group, compared to the control group, showed (i) a significant increase in ALA ingestion and a significant reduction of linoleic acid (LA) ingestion, no showing modification of arachidonic acid (AA), eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and DHA; (ii) a significant increase of erythrocyte ALA and EPA and a reduction of LA. AA and DHA were not modified; (iii) a increased milk content of ALA during the six months of nursing, whereas LA showed a decrease. AA and EPA were not modified, however DHA increased only during the first three months of nursing. Consumption of chia oil during the last trimester of pregnancy and the first three months of nursing transiently increases the milk content of DHA.

Increased dietary consumption of the n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) eicosapentaenoic acid (20:5n-3; EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (22:6n-6; DHA) is associated with their incorporation into circulating phospholipid and increased production of lipid peroxide metabolites. The relationship between peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMC) function, n-3 PUFA intake and antioxidant co-supplementation is poorly defined. We therefore investigated tumour necrosis factor (TNF)-α and interleukin (IL) 6 production by PBMC and phospholipid fatty acid composition in plasma and erythrocytes of healthy male subjects (n 16) receiving supplemental intakes of 0·3, 1·0 and 2·0 g EPA+DHA/d, as consecutive 4-week courses. All subjects were randomised in a double-blind manner to receive a concurrent antioxidant supplement (200 μg Se, 3 mg Mn, 30 mg D-α-tocopheryl succinate, 90 mg ascorbic acid, 450 μg vitamin A (β-carotene and retinol)) or placebo. There was a positive dose-dependent relationship between dietary n-3 PUFA intake and EPA and DHA incorporation into plasma phosphatidylcholine and erythrocyte phosphatidylethanolamine, with a tendency towards a plateau at higher levels of intake. Production of TNF-α and IL-6 by PBMC decreased with increasing n-3 PUFA intake but tended towards a ‘U-shaped’ dose response. Both responses appeared to be augmented by antioxidant co-supplementation at intermediate supplementary n-3 PUFA intakes. Thus, increased dietary n-3 PUFA consumption resulted in defined but contrasting patterns of modulation of phospholipid fatty acid composition and PBMC function, which were further influenced by antioxidant intake.

The aim of this study was to gain understanding of the carbon flow from the roots of a genetically modified (GM) amylopectin-accumulating potato (Solanum tuberosum) cultivar and its parental isoline to the soil fungal community using stable isotope probing (SIP). The microbes receiving 13C from the plant were assessed through RNA/phospholipid fatty acid analysis with stable isotope probing (PLFA-SIP) at three time-points (1, 5 and 12 d after the start of labeling). The communities of Ascomycota, Basidiomycota and Glomeromycota were analysed separately with RT-qPCR and terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism (T-RFLP). Ascomycetes and glomeromycetes received carbon from the plant as early as 1 and 5 d after labeling, while basidiomycetes were slower in accumulating the labeled carbon. The rate of carbon allocation in the GM variety differed from that in its parental variety, thereby affecting soil fungal communities. We conclude that both saprotrophic and mycorrhizal fungi rapidly metabolize organic substrates flowing from the root into the rhizosphere, that there are large differences in utilization of root-derived compounds at a lower phylogenetic level within investigated fungal phyla, and that active communities in the rhizosphere differ between the GM plant and its parental cultivar through effects of differential carbon flow from the plant.

The phospholipidomic signatures of human blood microparticles and platelets, evaluated by hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography coupled to electrospray ionization—mass spectrometry, were compared. The phospholipidome of platelet-derived microparticles, obtained by platelets stimulation with a mixture of Ca(II), thrombin and collagen, was also considered for the comparison. Platelets, blood microparticles and platelet-derived microparticles displayed qualitatively similar phospholipidomes, all based on eight major phospholipid classes, namely: phosphatidylcholines, diacyl- and plasme(a)nyl-phosphatidylethanolamines, phosphatidylserines, phosphatidylinositols, sphingomyelins and lyso forms of phosphatidylcholines and phosphatidylethanolamines. However, while the phospholipidomes of platelets and platelet-derived microparticles were found to be generally similar also from a quantitative point of view, a higher relative incidence of species bearing polyunsaturated side chains, especially in phospholipid classes sharing the choline head (i.e. phosphatidylcholines and lyso-phosphatidylcholines), was observed in the case of blood microparticles. As a further peculiar feature, never reported before, the relative abundance of lyso-phosphatidylcholines among the eight identified phospholipid classes was found to be significantly higher in the lipid extracts of blood microparticles.

Nano-electrospray tandem mass spectrometry allows qualitative and quantitative analysis of complex membrane lipid mixtures at the subpicomole level. We have exploited this technique to selectively detect individual classes of phospholipids from unprocessed total cellular lipid extracts by either precursor ion or neutral loss scanning. This way phosphatidylcholine, sphingomyelin, phosphatidylinositol and -phosphates, phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylserine, phosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidic acid, and their plasmalogen analogues can be detected. The optimized ionization and fragmentation conditions described together with the principle of internal standardization by nonnatural analogues allow the rapid and quantitative determination of membrane lipid compositions down to sample amounts of 1000 cells.

Background: Extensive biochemical and biophysical changes of the pulmonary surfactant system occur in the acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). Methods: The effect of intrabronchial administration of a recombinant surfactant protein C-based surfactant preparation (Venticute) on gas exchange, surfactant composition and function was investigated in 31 patients with ARDS in a randomised controlled phase I/II clinical pilot trial. Bronchoalveolar lavage fluids for surfactant analysis were obtained 3 h before and 48 and 120 h after the first surfactant application. Potentially deleterious effects of surfactant neutral lipids in patients with ARDS were also identified. Results: Before treatment all patients had marked abnormalities in the surfactant phospholipid and protein composition. In response to surfactant treatment, gas exchange improved and surfactant phospholipid and protein content were almost normalised. Alveolar surface activity was dramatically impaired before treatment and only partially improved after surfactant administration. Further analysis of the bronchoalveolar lavage fluids revealed a twofold increase in neutral lipid content and altered neutral lipid profile in patients with ARDS compared with healthy controls. These differences persisted even after administration of large amounts of Venticute. Supplementation of Venticute or natural surfactant with a synthetic neutral lipid preparation, mimicking the profile in ARDS, caused a dose-dependent deterioration of surface activity in vitro. Conclusion: Intrabronchial surfactant treatment improves gas exchange in ARDS, but the efficacy may be limited by increased concentration and altered neutral lipid profile in surfactant under these conditions.

Understanding the abundance change of certain bacterial taxa is quite important for the study of soil microbiology. However, the observed differences of relative abundances by high-throughput techniques may not accurately reflect those of the actual taxon abundances. This study investigated whether soil microbial abundances coupling with microbial quantities can be more informative in describing the microbial population distribution under different locations. We analyzed relative abundances of the major species in soil microbial communities from Beijing and Tibet grasslands by using 16 S rRNA high-throughput sequencing technique, and quantified the absolute bacterial cell numbers directly or indirectly by multiple culture-independent measurements, including adenosine tri-phosphate (ATP), flow cytometry (FCM), quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR), phospholipid fatty acids (PLFA) and microbial biomass Carbon (MBC). By comparison of the relative abundance and the estimated absolute abundances (EAA) of the major components in soil microbial communities, several dominant phyla, including Actinobacteria, Bacteroidetes, Verrucomicrobia, Chloroflexi, Gemmatimonates and Planctomycetes, showed significantly different trends. These results indicated that the change in EAA might be more informative in describing the dynamics of a population in a community. Further studies of soil microbes should combine the quantification and relative abundances of the microbial communities for the comparisons among various locations.

Background: The clinical safety and the uptake of ω-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) into the serum phospholipids and erythrocyte membranes after administration of fish-oil-supplemented parenteral nutrition (PN) was investigated in colorectal surgical patients. Methods: Forty patients undergoing colorectal surgery (n = 40) and with an indication for PN were enrolled in a prospective, double-blind, randomized study to receive an ω-3 PUFA-supplemented 20% lipid emulsion (Lipoplus; B. Braun Melsungen, Melsungen, Germany; test group, n = 19) for 5 days postoperatively. The control group received a standard 20% fat emulsion (Lipofundin MCT/LCT, B. Braun Melsungen, Melsungen, Germany, control group, n = 21). Clinical outcome parameters and safety were assessed by means of adverse events recording clinical parameters and hematologic analyses. The contents of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), as well as arachidonic acid (AA), in phospholipid fractions in plasma and in erythrocytes were analyzed preoperatively, on postoperative days 1, 6, and 10 using liquid gas chromatography. Results: Both fat emulsions were well tolerated, and none of the adverse events was considered to be related to treatment. Postoperative infectious complications occurred in 4 patients of the ω-3 PUFA group vs 7 patients in the control group. As compared with the control group, the ω-3 PUFA group had significantly increased levels of EPA in the membranes of the erythrocytes in postoperative day 6 (2.0% ± 0.9% vs 0.8% ± 0.5% fatty acid methyl esters, [FAME]) and postoperative day 10 (2.1% ± 0.8% vs 0.9%± 0.7% FAME, p < .05). Also, the EPA levels in the serum phospholipids were significantly higher than in the control group on the same postoperative days (7.0% ± 2.6% vs 1.3% ± 0.8% and 3.6%± 1.0% vs 1.0% ± 0.4% FAME, p < .05). The DHA levels in the serum phospholipids were significantly higher in theω -3 PUFA group compared with the control on postoperative days 6 and 10 (11.8% ± 1.9% vs 8.4% ± 1.5% and 11.2% ± 1.6% vs 8.5% ± 1.4% FAME, p < .05). AA levels were not significantly different in the both groups. Conclusions:Ω -3-fatty-acids-supplemented fat emulsions for parenteral administration are safe and very well tolerated. This study demonstrates that parenteral administration of ω-3-PUFA-enriched fat emulsions leads to increased incorporation of EPA and DHA into phospholipids in serum and erythrocytes, whereas AA levels remain unchanged. Thus, postoperative parenteral administration of ω-3-PUFA-enriched lipid emulsions could have an impact on the postoperative inflammatory response after abdominal surgery and could be used in standard postoperative care when PN is indicated. Ω-3-fatty-acids-supplemented fat emulsions in parenteral nutrition for 5 days after surgery are clinically safe and lead to alteration of the fatty acid profile in serum phospholipids and phospholipids of the erythrocyte membranes.