Possible Health Effects of a Wax Ester Rich Marine Oil

Abstract

The consumption of seafood and the use of fish oil for the production of nutraceuticals and fish feed have increased over the past decades due the high content of long-chain polyunsaturated omega-3 fatty acids. This increase has put pressure on the sustainability of fisheries. One way to overcome the limited supply of fish oil is to harvest lower in the marine food web. Calanus finmarchicus, feeding on phytoplankton, is a small copepod constituting a considerable biomass in the North Atlantic and is a novel source of omega-3 fatty acids. The oil is, however, different from other commercial marine oils in terms of chemistry and, possibly, bioactivity since it contains wax esters. Wax esters are fatty acids that are esterified with alcohols. In addition to the long-chain polyunsaturated omega-3 fatty acids, eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), the oil is also rich in stearidonic acid (SDA), long-chain monounsaturated fatty acids, and the long-chain fatty alcohols eicosenol and docosenol. Recent animal studies have indicated antiinflammatory and anti-obesogenic actions of this copepod oil beyond that provided by EPA and DHA. This review will discuss potential mechanisms behind these beneficial effects of the oil, focusing on the impact of the various components of the oil. The health effects of EPA and DHA are well recognized, whereas long-chain monounsaturated fatty acids and long-chain fatty alcohols have to a large degree been overlooked in relation to human health. Recently, however the fatty alcohols have received interest as potential targets for improved health via conversion to their corresponding fatty acids. Together, the different lipid components of the oil from C. finmarchicus may have potential as nutraceuticals for reducing obesity and obesity-related metabolic disorders.

Exercise Training Combined with Calanus Oil Supplementation Improves the Central Cardiodynamic Function in Older Women

“…One of the important contributors to the improvement in CO max in the ET-Calanus group might be the use of Calanus oil itself with its unique mixture of fatty acids bound to fatty alcohols in the chemical form of wax esters [ 20 , 22 ]. The molecular effects of Calanus compounds are not well-explored; however, its beneficial effects on inflammation and the cardiovascular system have been shown previously in mice [ 18 , 19 , 36 ].…”

“…The content of EPA (20:5 n-3) and DHA (22:6 n-3) is relatively low compared with other marine oils but it has a high content of stearidonic acid (SDA, 18:4 n-3) as well as other long-chain monounsaturated fatty acids such as gondoic acid (20:1 n-9) and cetoleic acid (22:1 n-11) [ 21 ]. Furthermore, the fatty acids in Calanus oil are mostly bound as monoesters (wax esters) where the fatty acids are linked to the monounsaturated long-chain fatty alcohols eicosenol (20:1 n-9) and docosenol (22:1 n-11) [ 22 ]. In krill and fish oil, the larger part of the fatty acids is bound in phospholipids and triglycerides, respectively.…”

In vitro intestinal digestion of lipids from the marine diatom Porosira glacialis compared to commercial LC n-3 PUFA products

“…In contrast, the digestion of Calanus® oil began between thirty and sixty minutes, suggesting that longer time is necessary for a more complete digestion of this oil. It has previously been proposed that Calanus oil is digested more slowly and that the absorption of lipids occur further down the intestinal tract [ 44 ]. However, when evaluating the results from in vitro digestion of lipids product inhibition will probably occur resulting in reduced release of FFA.…”

Essential Fatty Acids as Biomedicines in Cardiac Health

“…The oleic acid (18:1 n-9) fraction from different mushroom species can range from 1.0 to 60.3% [67]. The LC-MUFA from marine oils decreased the formation of atherosclerotic lesions and cholesterol efflux, and the altered gene expression of parameters in relationship with lipid metabolism, energy, and inflammation in several tissues [109]. In Table 4 we summarize some of the types and sources of MUFAs.…”