Inspection System suits solid dose pharmaceuticals
Vantyx(TM) performs 100%, in-line inspection of tablets, capsules, and softgels at full production speeds using Spatial Color Analysis technology. Able to verify product color, count, shape, position, and presence of print via 2-6 color cameras, it removes foreigners, color errors, shape defects, and missing doses to ensure dose conformity. It can be embedded within other packaging machinery and inspects up to 10,000 individual tablets/min or up to 360 complete blisterpacks/min.
October 4, 2005 - SYMETIX, the Pharmaceutical Business Unit of Key Technology, introduces Vantyx(TM), a high-performance inspection system for tablets, capsules, and softgels. Vantyx achieves 100 percent, in-line inspection at full production speeds using Key’s patented SCA(TM) (Spatial Color Analysis) technology, which provides the industry’s highest color and spatial resolution. With unmatched precision, Vantyx verifies product color, count, shape, position, and presence of print and removes foreigners, color errors, shape defects, and missing doses to assure every dose conforms to product requirements. Vantyx enables pharmaceutical manufacturers to achieve the highest level of diligence while maximizing throughput.
Vantyx is FDA 21 CFR part 11 compliant, designed to meet GAMP 4 requirements, and benefits from Key Technology’s 10-year history of supplying FDA-validated inspection solutions to the pharmaceutical industry and 50-year history of supplying innovative technology to the food industry.
The compact and flexible Vantyx inspection system can be embedded within other packaging machinery such as blisterpack thermoformers, flat bed printers, and slat fillers. SYMETIX can also supply Vantyx as a stand-alone, bulk-to-bulk high volume inspection system. The technology is capable of inspecting up to 10,000 individual tablets, capsules, or softgels per minute, or as many as 360 complete blisterpacks per minute.
Vantyx ensures accurate product identification and product integrity to maximize pharmaceutical manufacturers’ diligence in assuring product quality while running at full production speeds. Vantyx also serves to monitor upstream production processes, which allows manufacturers to address the FDA ’s Process Analytic Technology (PAT) guidelines for physical characteristics of the product.
SYMETIX can equip Vantyx with two to six high-resolution color cameras, depending on the needs of the application. With up to six cameras, Vantyx can simultaneously inspect up to six different packages or six separate arrays of product. Each camera uses a dedicated image processor for maximum speed and image resolution.
About SYMETIX
SYMETIX, launched in September 2005, is the Pharmaceutical Business Unit of Key Technology, the leading manufacturer of best-in-class process automation systems with over 50 years of experience in the food, tobacco, and pharmaceutical industries.
MGI Pharma Inc. to Buy Guilford Pharmaceuticals for 3.71 Times Revenue
The Deal: MGI Pharma Inc. has agreed to acquire Guilford Pharmaceuticals in a cash and stock transaction valued at $177.5 million. Under the terms of the agreement, each share of Guilford stock will be exchanged for S1.13 in cash and $2.62 worth of MGI Pharma stock, for a combined value of $3.75 per share. MGI will also assume about $70 million in debt as part of the transaction. The deal is expected to close in October, subject to shareholder approvals.
Discussion: Guilford Pharmaceuticals develops medicines for the treatment of neurological diseases. The company also makes drug-delivery systems used for treating cancer. Guildford produces a special wafer designed to be placed in the space created after a brain tumor is removed. The wafer releases chemotherapy agents to help prevent the cancer from returning.
MGI Pharma buys and develops drugs, focusing primarily on medications for small medical niches. The company generally seeks to acquire drug candidates past the initial discovery stage, to reduce the risk of product failure. MGI’s current drug products help alleviate side-effects from various cancer treatments such as post-chemotherapy nausea and vomiting.
The acquisition will provide MGI with new products and its third production facility. MGI stated that it intends to maintain Guilford’s operations and retain many of its employees.
Nutrition countdown: these top supplements will amp up your preworkout meals for maximum power and performance in the gym
It’s 30 minutes until your next workout. Quick, what should you take to ensure high-performance energy levels, monstrous strength and ample supplies of nutrients to kick-start muscle growth processes?
We stumped some of you, didn’t we? Plenty of bodybuilders start bashing the weights after hitting a fast-food drive-through, after wolfing down a protein bar or even while running on empty. Most guys simply don’t give a lot of consideration to their nutritional attack–even guys who will spend hours meticulously planning out exercises, sets and reps are often guilty of putting zero thought into the food and supplements that will actually fuel their training session.
That’s a mistake, and one you can put an end to right here. We’ve mapped out the nine top supplements for bodybuilders in preworkout mode, along with the best carb foods for stoking your body’s growth and energy furnace. Use this as your guide, and you’ll have improved power, energy levels, endurance and focus next time you train.
#1 WHEY PROTEIN
First on your list is supplying your body with critical amino acids needed not only as building blocks for muscle growth, but for energy during training. If your body uses the amino acids from whey protein, it won’t have to break down existing muscle protein to get aminos for fuel, which obviously could compromise your muscle size.
THE RESEARCH SAYS Drinking a whey protein shake immediately before you lift is even better for stimulating muscle growth than waiting until after the workout is over. Taking in a small amount of whey protein (without carbs) before you do cardio may also help you burn more fat when you exercise.
TIMING AND DOSAGE Having a whey protein before exercise is your best bet, as it is a quick-digesting protein, which means your body will get the aminos it needs, fast. Go with 20 grams (g) of whey protein isolate, hydrolysate or concentrate along with 30-50 g of carbs within 30 minutes of your workout.
#2 ARGININE
This amino acid is the main ingredient in almost every nitric oxide (NO) boosting product available. Arginine is readily converted in the body to NO.
THE RESEARCH SAYS Nitric oxide dilates blood vessels, which helps get more blood flow to working muscles. Enhancing blood flow to muscles right before a workout helps to deliver more nutrients, such as amino acids from whey protein, glucose and fats, and the anabolic hormones that rise during training, such as testosterone, growth hormone and insulinlike growth factor-I (IGF-I). Greater blood flow also means more water delivery to exercising muscles; since a muscle pump is essentially a result of muscle cells filling up with water from blood, more water supplied to the muscles results in a greater muscle pump.
TIMING AND DOSAGE No matter whether the product you take supplies L-arginine, arginine alpha-ketoglutarate, arginine ketoisocaproate, arginine malate or arginine ethyl ester, go with 3-5 g about 30-60 minutes before workouts. For maximal effect, on nontraining days take a dose in the morning and before bedtime.
#3 CARNOSINE
Carnosine is an amino acid supplement that is actually a dipeptide–two amino acids (beta-alanine and histidine) bound together. You can supplement with either carnosine or with beta-alanine and histidine for the same effects–greater muscle strength and endurance. That’s because, in muscle fibers, beta-alanine and histidine are combined to form carnosine.
THE RESEARCH SAYS Muscle fibers that have the highest levels of carnosine can produce the greatest amount of force and can produce the greatest amount of force and can contract for longer periods. Studies of athletes show that it is possible to increase muscle levels of carnosine by more than 80% with supplementation, but it can forestall fatigue. In the gym, this means you can get more reps with a given weight before reaching failure, or lift more weight for a certain amount of reps. Carnosine appears to work by buffering the byproducts that build up in muscles during exercise–those byproducts eventually cause muscles to fatigue. Carnosine also has been found to provide antioxidant properties, meaning it scavenges free radicals that could damage muscle cells; this protection helps muscle recovery.
TIMING AND DOSAGE Take 1-1 1/2 g of carnosine 30-60 minutes before workouts.
#4 CARNITINE
The supplement carnitine is considered an amino acid, but it’s not typical. It’s actually made from the amino acids lysine and methionine; vitamins C, B3 and B6; and iron. Carnitine is important for fat metabolism, as it is involved in carrying fat into the machinery in muscle, heart and brain cells, known as mitochondria, that burn it for fuel. Taking carnitine before workouts prompts your body to use more fat during the session.
THE RESEARCH SAYS University of Connecticut researchers have been integral in discovering carnitine’s importance to bodybuilders. One of their studies suggests that carnitine, like arginine, enhances blood flow to exercising muscles. However, the mechanism is likely different from arginine, which indicates that taking both supplements can offer additive benefits (i.e., it would be more valuable to take both of them rather than just one or the other). A more recent study from UConn suggests that carnitine enhances the number of androgen receptors in muscle cells responsible for binding testosterone in the muscle and initiating its effects on muscle growth and strength.
Sequential Unfolding of Individual Helices of Bacterioopsin Observed in Molecular Dynamics Simulations of Extraction from the Purple Membrane
Multiple molecular dynamics simulations of bacterioopsin pulling from its C-terminus show that its ?-helices unfold individually. In the first metastable state observed in the simulations, helix G is unfolded at its C-terminal segment while the rest of helix G (residues 200-216) is folded and opposes resistance because of a salt-bridge network consisting of Asp-212 and Lys-216 on helix G and Arg-82 and Asp-85 on helix C. Helix G unfolds inside the bundle because the external force is applied to its C-terminal end in a direction perpendicular to the surface of the membrane. Inversely, helix F has to flip by 180° to exit from the membrane because the applied force and the helical N-C axis point in opposite directions. At the highest peak of the force, which cannot be interpreted in single-molecule force spectroscopy experiments, helix F has a pronounced kink at Pro-186. Mutation of Pro-186 and/or the charged side chains mentioned above, which are involved in very favorable electrostatic interactions in the low-dielectric region of the membrane, are expected to reduce the highest peak of the force. Helices E and D unfold in a similar way to helices G and F, respectively. Hence, the force-distance profile and sequence of events during forced unfolding of bacterioopsin are influenced by the up-and-down topology of the seven-helix bundle. The sequential extraction of individual helices from the membrane suggests that the spontaneous (un)folding of bacterioopsin proceeds through metastable bundles of fewer than seven helices. The metastable states observed in the simulations provide atomic level evidence that corroborates the interpretation of very recent force spectroscopy experiments of bacteriorhodopsin refolding.
INTRODUCTION
Integral membrane proteins are involved in a wide variety of functions like photosynthesis, transport of ions and small molecules, and signal transduction. They either consist of a varying number of ?-helices (e.g., G-protein coupled receptors (1), aquaporin (2), and the ammonia channel (3)) or they adopt a ?-barrel fold containing between 8 and 22 ?-strands (4). The former are much more common than the latter, which are exclusively found in the outer membrane of Gram-negative bacteria. However, despite the relative abundance of membrane proteins among all proteins and despite the fact that they represent the majority of the targets for existing drugs (5,6), only a few structures have been solved so far. Moreover, the mechanism of folding and assembly within the membrane is not clear (7).
Bacteriorhodopsin (BR) is one of the most extensively studied integral membrane proteins (8-10). BR is a light-driven proton pump and its photoactive retinal, which is bound covalently through the Schiff base to Lys-216, is embedded in seven closely packed transmembrane ?-helices (termed A-G) arranged in an up-and-down topology (Fig. 1, (top). In the purple membrane BR adopts a trimeric state stabilized by the presence of lipids in the central compartment, which has a nearly cylindrical shape (11). High-resolution atomic force microscopy (AFM) topography of the cytoplasmic surface of a wild-type purple membrane shows that trimeric BR molecules arrange in a hexagonal lattice (12).
The forced unfolding and extraction from the purple membrane of BR and of its retinal-free form, bacterioopsin (BO), have been investigated in depth by combining AFM imaging with single-molecule force spectroseopy (12-15). AFM is a powerful method to shed light on mechanical protein unfolding or unbinding of a protein-ligand complex at the single molecule level, removing the averaging over large ensembles of molecules implied in other biophysical/ biochemical approaches. Two different AFM techniques are available to probe the mechanical resistance of biomolecules. In the force-ramp method, a time-dependent force is applied (16), while in the so-called force-clamp method, the force is held constant (17). Based on the force-ramp method, dynamic force spectroseopy (18) has provided a deep insight into the unbinding mechanism of a variety of biological complexes, such as the (strept)avidin-biotin complex (19) and the complex between L-selectin and various binding partners (20).
However, it is desirable to relate the information on unfolding or unbinding provided by the AFM techniques to the changes in tertiary and secondary structure. For this purpose, AFM observations can be complemented with molecular dynamics (MD) simulations, which describe the behavior of individual molecules at an atomic level of detail. Constant-velocity MD (termed also steered-MD and abbreviated as SMD) and constant force MD (CFMD) simulations mimic the force-ramp and the force-clamp method of AFM, respectively, and have been widely used to study protein-ligand unbinding (21-25) and protein unfolding (26-29). Very different timescales are involved in AFM experiments and SMD/CFMD simulations because force spectroscopy experiments are typically carried out on the millisecond timescale or slower while simulations are currently limited to nanoseconds. Nevertheless, simulations have helped to interpret consistently experimental observations and have been even used to formulate predictions subsequently verified by in vitro experiments (18,27,30-36).
BlueTec equals green for Mercedes-Benz: BlueTec system being used on buses in Europe; emissions technology coming to passenger cars and SUVs in U.S
The European Union’s stringent Euro 5 emission standards take effect in 2009 and compared to Euro 4, Euro 5 standards represent a further 43% reduction in nitrogen oxide (N[O.sub.x]) emissions. Earlier this year, the Mercedes-Benz Bus and Coach Unit delivered nearly 100 Citaro urban transit buses already meeting these stricter standards. These Euro 5 compliant buses feature DaimlerChrysler’s BlueTec diesel technology. Since early 2005, DaimlerChrysler has delivered over 20,000 Mercedes-Benz Actros, Axor and Atego heavy trucks with BlueTec diesel technology for Euro 4 and Euro 5 level emissions control.
Seven second-generation Citaro buses fitted with Euro 5 compliant Mercedes-Benz OM 906 LA/hLA engines were delivered to Verkehrsgesellschaft Breitenbach in Hamm, Germany. Another 90 similar Citaro buses are being delivered to Rotterdamse Elektrische Tram for service in Rotterdam, Netherlands.
There are two components to the BlueTec technology–enhanced engines and an integral exhaust gas aftertreatment system. For the Citaro application, the horizontally mounted, six-cylinder turbocharged diesel engine and its combustion processes have been optimized as far as possible to reduce emissions. This 6.4 L engine features electronic engine control, intercooled turbocharging and three valves per cylinder. The OM 906 LA/hLA engine in this application is rated at 279 hp with a peak torque of 830 lb.ft. at 1300 rpm.
In terms of aftertreatment, BlueTec is an umbrella term covering different technologies chosen for the operating characteristics of the particular application. It is modular so it can be used on trucks, buses, cars, SUVs and even hybrids, Mercedes-Benz said. Carbon monoxide and hydrocarbons emissions are reduced using diesel oxidation catalysts. Particulate matter is addressed though the use of a particulate filter, either as a separate element or integrated with one of the other BlueTec components. The installation of a larger sintered metal particulate filter in the buses is intended to ensure compliance with the more stringent Euro 5 emissions standard.
To meet Euro 5 requirements, N[O.sub.x] is reduced by a selective catalytic reduction (SCR) system with a urea-based injection system using an aqueous urea solution called AdBlue (thus the source of the name, BlueTec). When AdBlue, which is odorless, nontoxic and stored in an onboard tank, is injected into the pre-scrubbed exhaust, ammonia (N[H.sub.3]) is released. This causes the N[O.sub.x] to be reduced to nitrogen and water in the downstream SCR catalytic converter. Injection is controlled by the engine management system. To make the Citaro urban buses Euro 5 compatible, the size of the SCR catalytic converter was increased and the AdBlue injection quantity was adjusted accordingly. Incidentally, there are now around 1500 public-access AdBlue refueling sites in Europe, ranging from the Arctic Circle to southern Spain and from Ireland to Moscow. Several producers supply AdBlue.
The new Citaro buses can be distinguished by a front end that creates a visual link with the latest Mercedes-Benz touring coaches and rural service buses. The front-end flap and corner panels, including the headlamp housings, can now be opened, so the entire front end is accessible for routine maintenance and is easy to replace in the event of an accident. The rear end has also been modified.
The buses are fitted with disc brakes on all wheels, ABS and acceleration skid control (ASR), with a four-speed automatic transmission. The independent front suspension features lower wishbones and a standard-fit stabilizer. Finally, the turning circle is approximately 20 in. smaller than the first-generation Citaro bus.
The electronic self-leveling suspension system allows one side to kneel. Folding ramps and externally mounted, convenient request buttons make it easier for people with restricted mobility, older passengers and those with strollers. The 15 in. destination screens display the name of the next stop along with additional information, such as timetable changes and advertising. The Dutch buses also feature electrically extending wheelchair ramps, camera systems for monitoring the interior and digital bus-stop information and announcement systems.
On the lighter vehicle side, recognizing America’s demand for vehicles with good fuel economy without compromising utility, cargo capacity and performance, Mercedes-Benz has re-introduced several diesel-powered vehicles. It is now offering the E320 BlueTec luxury sedan, ML320 CDI SUV and R320 CDI Sports Touter.
These BlueTec diesels use a DeNOx catalytic converter rather than the more effective AdBlue injection process for N[O.sub.x] emissions. Therefore, these 2007 diesel models do not meet the emissions requirements of California, Maine, Massachusetts, New York, or Vermont and thus will not be available in these states.
According to DaimlerChrysler, the new-generation V6 diesel engine with CDI fuel injection technology yields up to 20 to 40% better fuel economy than comparable gasoline engines. The E320 BlueTec is the only diesel-powered luxury sedan available in the U.S. that can deliver an estimated 780 miles on a tank of fuel, the company said.
Kemin Industries Inc. entered into a strategic alliance with Camlin Limited from India, whereby Camlin will supply Kemin key synthetic antioxidant molecules
Kemin Industries Inc. entered into a strategic alliance with Camlin Limited from India, whereby Camlin will supply Kemin key synthetic antioxidant molecules. Kemin also announced the formation of its newest company, Kemin Food Ingredients Inc. (KFI), a global company providing shelf-life solutions to preserve the freshness and enhance the quality of human food.
Robertet Flavors Inc
Robertet Flavors Inc. added Jared Hamill as associate food technologist, and promoted Leslie Evans to senior key accounts executive, Diana Furey to manager of flavor applications, and Edna Alston Scott to food technologist.
Domino Specialty Ingredients
For information on any cane-sugar based functional ingredient, Domino Specialty Ingredients is a food formulator’s best friend. From making brown sugar flowable and easier to handle, to taking the stickiness out of honey, to adding sheen to donut glazes, Domino Specialty Ingredients provides the products, technology and support–all with the click of a mouse.
Measurement of Organochlorines in Commercial Over-the-Counter Fish Oil Preparations: Implications for Dietary and Therapeutic Recommendations for Omega-3 Fatty Acids and a Review of the Literature
Context.-The consumption of fish high in omega-3 fatty acids is advocated by the American Heart Association to decrease the risk of coronary artery disease. However, fish contain environmental toxins such as mercury, polychlorinated biphenyls, and organochlorine pesticides, which may negate the beneficial cardiovascular effects of fish meals. Toxin levels vary depending on both the fish source and the specific toxin, and neither farm-raised nor wild fish are toxin free. Fish oil supplements also prevent the progression of coronary artery disease and reduce cardiovascular mortality. However, only sparse data exist on the level of toxins in fish oil. In a previous study we showed that the amount of mercury in 5 over-the-counter brands offish oil was negligible.
Objective.-To determine the concentrations of polychlorinated biphenyls and other organochlorines in 5 overthe-counter preparations of fish oil.
Design.-The contents of 5 commercial fish oil brands were sent for organochlorine analysis.
Results.-The levels of polychlorinated biphenyls and organochlorines were all below the detectable limit.
Conclusions.-Fish oil supplements are more healthful than the consumption of fish high in organochlorines. Fish oils provide the benefits of omega-3 fatty acids without the risk of toxicity. In addition, fish oil supplements have been helpful in a variety of diseases, including bipolar disorder and depression.
Fish possess antiatherogenic properties, presumably because of their high content of essential omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (ie, eicosapentaenoic acid or docosahexaenoic acid). Several studies demonstrate the benefits of fish consumption in patients with cardiac disease, including a decreased mortality following myocardial infarction.1-16 In addition, regular fish intake is recommended to decrease the risk of coronary artery disease.6 On the other hand, many studies have illustrated that certain fish contain high levels of environmental toxins, such as mercury, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), organochlorine (OC) pesticides, and related compounds.6,7 Some of these toxins may negate the cardiovascular health advantages of fish meals.6
Concentrated omega-3 fatty acids are found in fish oil supplements and may provide benefits similar to fish without the exposure to harmful environmental toxins.1 Daily fish oil ingestion slows the progression of coronary artery disease.5 Furthermore, fish oil supplements have been shown to stabilize mood in bipolar disorder, relieve depression in pregnancy, and decrease inflammation in some autoimmune diseases.8-15 In a previous study, we showed that several over-the-counter brands of fish oil supplements contained negligible amounts of mercury compared with fish and suggested that the consumption of fish oils may be preferable to eating fish.16 However, mercury is not the only toxin potentially in fish oil supplements.
Organochlorines have at least 1 aromatic ring and include PCBs, which have 2 aromatic rings. Organochlorines can be divided into pesticide OCs (ie, dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane [DDT]) and nonpesticide OCs (ie, PCBs). PCBs are unwanted byproducts of a variety of industrial processes and are still found in transformers and capacitors that were manufactured before PCBs were banned in 1977. PCBs persist in the environment because of their resistance to degradation, and they bioconcentrate in fish along the food chain. PCBs and related compounds have adverse dermatologic, reproductive, developmental, endocrine, hepatic, and immunologie effects.17-19 DDT is the best-known OC pesticide. Similar to PCBs, OC pesticides such as DDT are resistant to degradation and accumulate in fish and in the environment. Exposure to OC pesticides may cause neurotoxicity and cardiac and pulmonary dysfunction.17,18,20
The levels of PCBs, OC pesticides, and related compounds in fish have received considerable attention in the press recently.21,22 Articles warn the public about the hazards of toxins in certain fish and discuss the use of fish oil as an alternative. Commercially available fish are either farm raised or wild. Researchers have addressed concerns about the source of fish and its associated contaminants. A recent Wall Street journal article stated that farm-raised salmon had higher levels of certain toxins than wild salmon. Consequently, people who regularly consume farmraised salmon may have an increased risk of cancer later in life. On the other hand, toxins such as mercury are detected at equal or higher concentrations in wild fish, so neither farm-raised nor wild fish appear superior.17,23-27 In this study, we examined the levels of a common group of environmental toxins, organochlorines, in 5 over-the-counter fish oil preparations to further evaluate whether advocating fish oil over fish is potentially warranted.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
Five commercial over-the-counter brands of fish oil supplements were purchased from retail or Internet sources. The brands included Omega Brite (Waltham, Mass), Natrol (Chatsworth, Calif), Sundown (Boca Raton, Fla), Kirkland (Houston, Tex), and CVS (Woonsocket, RI). The capsules were punctured, and approximately 5 mL of the liquid contents were sent in a citrate tube to National Medical Services (Willow Grove, Pa) for OC analysis (a-chlordane, 1,1 -dichloro-2,2-bis(;i-chlorphenyl)ethane [DDD], dichlorodiphenyldichloroethene [DDE], DDT, dieldrin, ychlordane, heptachlor, heptachlorepoxide, hexachlorobenzene, lindane, methoxychlor, oxychlordane, polybrominated biphenyls (PBBs), PCBs, trans-nonachlor). The OC levels were measured by gas chromatography with electron capture detection. This methodology has been described previously.28-30 The lower limits for detection of PCBs and other OCs in this assay are 400 parts per billion (ppb) and 200 ppb, respectively.
Omega-3 Fatty Acids and CHD Prevention - coronary heart disease
Mounting evidence shows that omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) prevent cardiac death and nonfatal myocardial infarction. The types of PUFAs that have been most often studied include eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), and a-linolenic acid (ALA). Dietary sources of PUFAs include meat, poultry, fish, vegetable oils, salad dressings, and grain products. Fatty cold-water fish such as halibut, mackerel, herring, and salmon are good sources of EPA and DHA. Soy and pinto beans, walnuts, and flaxseed are good sources of PUFAs, as are vegetables such as leeks and purslane. Oils high in ALA include canola, soybean, and flaxseed. Harper and Jacobson review evidence supporting the value of PUFAs in preventing coronary heart disease (CHD).
Epidemiologic studies that confirmed the relationship between PUFAs and decreased CHD include comparisons of the rates of heart disease among Eskimos and Greenlanders who ate higher amounts of PUFAs versus Danes whose diet contained a much lower PUFA intake. In the U.S. Physicians Health Study, U.S. male physicians aged 40 to 84 years who ate more fish had a decreased risk of sudden cardiac death. A higher intake of ALA among participants in the Nurses Health Study correlated with a lower relative risk of fatal CHD.
The omega-3 PUFAs are probably cardioprotective through several mechanisms. They have antiarrhythmic and antithrombotic effects, and improve endothelial function. Atherosclerotic plaque formation has been shown to be inhibited by ingestion of EPA and DHA. Total cholesterol and triglyceride concentrations are lowered with consumption of fish oil without a drop in high-density lipoprotein levels. Working mostly through anti-atherogenic effects, it is mainly the marine-derived PUFAs, EPA, and DHA that have the clearest value. The benefit of ALA needs further clarification.
Prospective trials have confirmed the benefit of PUFAs on CHD. In a large prospective study, men who had recovered from a myocardial infarction and were assigned to eat fish or take fish oil capsules had a significant decrease in all-cause mortality. A prospective study of a Cretan Mediterranean diet, high in fruits and vegetables, rich in monounsaturated fatty acids (olive oil), and high in ALA, among a population who had survived a first myocardial infarction, demonstrated a significant reduction of risk for cardiovascular death and nonfatal myocardial infarction. Other prospective diet-based studies have demonstrated similar beneficial results.
The authors conclude that PUFAs are useful in secondary prevention of CHD. In the U.S. diet, the principal sources of PUFAs are vegetable oils and fish. Guidelines recommend increased consumption of ALA, EPA, and DHA. For persons who cannot tolerate an increase in fish to one to two fish meals per week, supplements are available, including a vegetarian source derived from algae. One or two fish-oil capsules containing 750 to 1,000 mg EPA can be used as an alternative. Cod liver oil is a good source of PUFAs but also contains high amounts of vitamins A and D. Although more evidence is needed to confirm the value of PUFAs in the primary prevention of CHD, it would be prudent to increase ingestion of PUFA-containing foods (see accompanying table).
Foods High in Omega-3
Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids
Fish (mostly EPA and DHA) Plants (mostly ALA)
Mackerel Flaxseed
Atlantic herring Butternuts (dried)
Albacore tuna English walnuts
Chinook salmon Soybeans (raw)
Anchovy Leeks
Coho salmon Wheat germ
Greenland halibut Purslane
Rainbow trout Almonds
Atlantic cod Pinto beans
EPA = eicosapentaenoic acid; DHA = docosahexaenoic acid;
ALA = a-linolenic acid.
Information from Harper CR, Jacobson TA. The fats of life.
The role of omega-3 fatty acids in the prevention of coronary
heart disease. Arch Intern Med 2001;161:2190.
Harper CR, Jacobson TA. The fats of life. The role of omega-3 fatty acids in the prevention of coronary heart disease. Arch Intern Med October 8, 2001;161:2185-92.
EDITOR’S NOTE: The cardioprotective value of omega-3 fatty acids is becoming more widely accepted. Data tell us that the type of fat is more important than the total amount of fat in the diet. Replacing saturated fat with unsaturated fat is more effective in lowering CHD risk than simply reducing total fat intake. Clear evidence of reduced cardiac mortality has been demonstrated in studies using omega-3 fatty acids for secondary prevention of cardiac morbidity and mortality. Other potential benefits of consumption of fatty fish may include decreased risk of prostate cancer (Terry P, et al. Fatty fish consumption and risk of prostate cancer. Lancet 2001;357:1764-6) and decreased rates of depression (Mischoulon D, Fava M. Docosahexanoic acid and v-3 fatty acids in depression. Psych Clin North Am 2000;23:785-94). When recommending fatty acid supplements, physicians must monitor patients closely, keeping in mind the lack of data about long-term safety.