Anti-inflammatory effects of lipids extract from the cod liver

It is known that marine organisms contain a large spectrum of bioactive lipids including arachidonic acid and phospholipids, phosphatidic acid, polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), epoxyeicosatrienoic acids, and others. Cells involved in the inflammatory response are typically rich in ω-6 arachidonic acid, but the contents of arachidonic acid and of ω-3 eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) can be altered through administration of EPA and DHA. Metabolites of arachidonic acid are mediators of inflammation. EPA also gives rise to eicosanoids and these may have different properties from those of arachidonic acid-derived eicosanoids. EPA and DHA give rise to resolvins which are anti-inflammatory and inflammation resolving. Thus, fatty acid exposure and fatty acid composition of human inflammatory cells influences their function [1].

In this study, the anti-inflammatory properties of fixed lipids extract (LE) from cod liver were studied in vitro with respect to fatty acid metabolism by COX and LOX enzymes and histamine influx. LE is an extract that contains natural lipids with 24% of ω– 3 (mainly EPA and DHA), 12% ω– 7 and 31% ω– 9 PUFAs.

It was shown that LE is a potent inhibitor of COX-2 (IC₅₀ = 9,8 µg/ml) and 5-LOX (IC₅₀= 16,2 µg/ml). The histamine release from the rat basophils cell line RBL1 induced by compound 48/80 was inhibited 2 fold by LE at the concentrations of 1 – 16 µg/ml.

Reference:

[1] Calder P. Eur J Pharm 2011; 668: S50-S58