Detection of tropomyosin and determination of proteins in crustacean oils.

Tropomyosin is known to be the main allergen in crustaceans and the objective of this study was to investigate if this protein could be detected in commercial crustacean oils from Antarctic krill (Euphausia superba) and the zooplankton Calanus finmarchicus. We also examined the possibility of determining the protein content in the oils by direct amino acid analysis. Western blotting showed that a commercial antibody against shrimp tropomyosin cross-reacted with a protein of similar size in Antarctic krill and C. finmarchicus. The protein tentatively identified as tropomyosin, was also detected in krill oil products, but not in oils from C. finmarchicus. The acetone-heptane method used for extracting proteins in the oils is however not optimal. Other extraction methods should therefore be considered when investigating the presence of allergenic proteins in oils. Direct amino acid analysis on oils should be further explored as a method for determining the total amount of proteins present.

A wax ester and astaxanthin-rich extract from the marine copepod Calanus finmarchicus attenuates atherogenesis in female apolipoprotein E-deficient mice.

The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of dietary supplementation with an oil extracted from the zooplankton copepod Calanus finmarchicus [calanus oil (CO)] on atherosclerosis in apoE-deficient (apoE(-/-)) mice. Thirty 6-wk-old female apoE(-/-) mice (n = 10/group) were fed: 1) a Western-type, high-fat diet (HFD); 2) HFD supplemented with 1% (wt:wt) CO; or 3) HFD supplemented with 0.88% (wt:wt) corn oil + 0.12% (wt:wt) EPA+DHA ethyl esters (EPA+DHA) for 13 wk. Dietary CO supplementation lowered total aorta atherogenesis by 36.5% compared to the HFD (P < 0.01), whereas the reduction in the lesion prone aortic arch was 34.8% (P < 0.01). The degree of aortic atherogenesis was intermediate in mice fed EPA+DHA compared to those fed HFD and CO. The effect on atherogenesis was paralleled by reduced expression of hepatic genes for the proinflammatory cytokines, Ccl2, Icam1, Il1b, and Nfkb1, in mice fed CO compared to those fed HFD. For mice fed EPA+DHA, gene expression did not differ compared to those fed CO or HFD. Plasma concentrations of total cholesterol, TG, and cytokines did not differ between the groups at the end of the study. However, mice fed CO gained more weight compared to those fed HFD but not compared to those fed EPA+DHA. In conclusion, dietary CO supplementation attenuated atherosclerotic lesion formation in female apoE(-/-) mice and may be an effective and safe dietary intervention to reduce the development of atherosclerosis. However, further studies are warranted to elucidate the underlying physiological and molecular mechanisms.