ISSN 1120-1770 Volume XXVII Number 2 2015 ITALIAN JOURNAL OF FOOD SCIENCE (RIVISTA ITALIANA DI SCIENZA DEGLI ALIMENTI) 2nd series Founded By Paolo Fantozzi under the aeges of the University of Perugia Official Journal of the Italian Society of Food Science and Technology Società Italiana di Scienze e Tecnologie Alimentari (S.I.S.T.Al) Initially supported in part by the Italian Research Council (CNR) - Rome - Italy Recognised as a “Journal of High Cultural Level” by the Ministry of Cultural Heritage - Rome - Italy Editor-in-Chief: Paolo Fantozzi - Dipartimento di Scienze Economico-Estimative e degli Alimenti, Università di Perugia, S. Costanzo, I-06126 Perugia, Italy - Tel. +39 075 5857910 - Telefax +39 075 5857939-5857943 - e-mail: [email protected] Co-Editors: Gallina Toschi Tullia - Alma Mater Studiorum - Università di Bologna, e-mail: [email protected] Mannino Saverio - Università degli Studi di Milano, e-mail: [email protected] Pittia Paola - Università degli Studi di Teramo, e-mail: [email protected] Pompei Carlo - Università degli Studi di Milano, e-mail: [email protected] Rolle Luca - Università degli Studi di Torino, e-mail: [email protected] Sinigaglia Milena - SIMTREA - Università degli Studi di Foggia, e-mail: [email protected] Publisher: Alberto Chiriotti - Chiriotti Editori srl, Viale Rimembranza 60, I-10064 Pinerolo, Italy - Tel. +39 0121 393127 - Fax +39 0121 794480 e-mail: [email protected] - URL: www.chiriottieditori.it Aim: The Italian Journal of Food Science is an international journal publishing original, basic and applied papers, reviews, short communications, surveys and opinions on food science and technology with specific reference to the Mediterranean Region. Its expanded scope includes food production, food engineering, food management, food quality, shelf-life, consumer acceptance of foodstuffs. food safety and nutrition, and environmental aspects of food processing. Reviews and surveys on specific topics relevant to the advance of the Mediterranean food industry are particularly welcome. Upon request and free of charge, announcements of congresses, presentations of research institutes, books and proceedings may also be published in a special “News” section. Review Policy: The Co-Editors with the Editor-in-Chief will select submitted manuscripts in relationship to their innovative and original content. Referees will be selected from the Advisory Board and/or qualified Italian or foreign scientists. Acceptance of a paper rests with the referees. Frequency: Quarterly - One volume in four issues. Guide for Authors is published in each number and annual indices are published in number 4 of each volume. Impact Factor: 5-Year Impact Factor: 0.489 published in 2013 Journal of Citation Reports, Institute for Scientific Information; Index Copernicus Journal Master List 2009 (ICV): 13.19 IJFS is abstracted/indexed in: Chemical Abstracts Service (USA); Foods Adlibra Publ. (USA); Gialine - Ensia (F); Institut Information Sci. Acad. Sciences (Russia); Institute for Scientific Information; CurrentContents®/AB&ES; SciSearch® (USA-GB); Int. Food Information Service - IFIS (D); Int. Food Information Service - IFIS (UK); EBSCO Publishing; Index Copernicus Journal Master List (PL). IJFS has a publication charge of € 350.00 each article. Subscription Rate: IJFS is now an Open Access Journal and can be read and downloaded free of charge at http://www.chiriottieditori.it/ojs/index.php/ijfs/index Journal sponsorship is € 1,2010.00 Ital. J. Food Sci., vol. 27 - 2015 127 ITALIAN JOURNAL OF FOOD SCIENCE ADVISORY BOARD SCIENTISTS J. Piggott Departamento de Alimentos e Nutrição R. Amarowicz Universidade Estadual Paulista Editor-in-Chief Araraquara, Brasil Polish J. Food and Nutrition Sci. Olsztyn, Poland J. Samelis Dairy Research Institute A. Bertrand National Agricultural Research Foundation Institut d’Oenologie Ioannina, Greece Université de Bordeaux Talence Cedex, France M. Suman L.B. Bullerman Food Research Dept. of Food Science and Technology Lab Barilla C.R. F.lli spa Parma, Italy University of Nebraska-Lincoln Lincoln, NE, USA M. Tsimidou F. Devlieghere School of Chemistry, Dept. Food Technology Artisotle University and Nutrition Faculty of Agricultural Thessaloniki, Greece and Applied Biological Sciences Gent University Gent, Belgium Prof. Emeritus J.R. Whitaker Dept. of Food Science and Technology S. Garattini University of California Ist. di Ricerche Davis, CA, USA Farmacologiche “Mario Negri” Milano, Italy J.W. King REPRESENTATIVES of CONTRIBUTORS Dept. Chemical Engineering University of Arkansas Fayetteville, R. Coppola AR, USA Dipartimento di Scienze e Tecnologie Agroalimentari e Microbiologiche T.P. Labuza (DI.S.T.A.A.M.), Università del Molise, Dept. of Food and Nutritional Sciences Campobasso, Italy University of Minnesota St. Paul, MN, USA M. Fontana Soremartec Italia, Ferrero Group A. Leclerc Alba, Italy Institut Pasteur Paris, France V. Gerbi Dipartimento di Valorizzazione C. Lee e Protezione delle Risorse Agroforestali (DI.VA.P.R.A.) Dept. of Food Science Sezione Microbiologia ed Industrie Agrarie, and Technology Cornell University, Università di Torino, Torino, Italy Geneva, NY, USA G. Mazza S. Porretta Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada Associazione Italiana Pacific Agri-Food Research Centre di Tecnologie Alimentari (AITA) Summerland, BC, Canada Milano, Italy J. O’Brien M. Rossi Head, Quality and Safety Dept. DeFENS, Department of Food, Environmental and Nestle Research Centre Nutritional Sciences Lausanne, Switzerland Università di Milano, Milano, Italy 128 Ital. J. Food Sci., vol. 27 - 2015 REVIEW ImportaNT BIOACTIVE properties OF OMEGA-3 fattY ACIDS RUI XU College of Food Science and Technology, Hebei Normal University of Science and Technology, Qinhuangdao, 066004, China Corresponding author: Tel. +86-03352039075, Fax +86-03352039075, email: [email protected] ABSTRACT Good health has been linked with healthy diet. N-3 fatty acids are required for proper function- ing of many physiological systems. There is a large body of evidence documenting the effects of polyunsaturated fatty acids with the first double bond at the third position from methyl-terminal on health benefits. Scientific evidence is accumulating to substantiate the role omega-3 fatty acids play in conditions such as cardiovascular disease, certain cancers and other diseases. The avail- ability of n-3 fatty acids to various tissues is of major importance to health and depends on die- tary intake for both normal development and in the prevention and management of chronic dis- eases. In this review we will summarize the biological properties of omega-3 fatty acids. - Keywords: omega-3 fatty acids, polyunsaturated fatty acid, biological properties, health - Ital. J. Food Sci., vol. 27 - 2015 129 INTRODUCTION improving serum cholesterol profiles, stabilizing arrhythmias, reducing inflammation, improving Long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) insulin sensitivity in patients with Type 2 dia- with the first double bond at the third position betes, and enhancing the immune response. from the methyl-terminal (so called omega-3 In this paper, we will discuss diverse effects of fatty acids or n-3 fatty acids) can be found in an essential component of a healthy diet, long plants and fish. N-3 fatty acids refer to a group chain n-3 PUFA. Because modern diets are rel- of three fats called alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), atively deficient in this special type of fat, there eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexae- is a great potential for improving many aspects noic acid (DHA). Because these essential fat- of health by adding it to the diet. ty acids cannot be synthesized in the human body, they must be derived from dietary sourc- Cardiovascular disease es. They are required for the structure of cell membranes and, because they are unsaturated, Cardiovascular disease (CVD) includes all they help keep membranes flexible. The peculiar diseases of the blood vessels and circulatory properties of the DHA molecule make it a criti- system such as coronary heart disease (CHD), cal component of nerve and retinal cells. Flax- ischemic heart disease (IHD), myocardial infarc- seed, hemp, canola and walnuts are generally tion (MI) and stroke. CVD is the leading cause rich sources of the ALA. Fish provide varying of death in Canada and the United States. Since amounts of n-3 fatty acids in the form of DHA the original epidemiological observations of low and EPA. The n-3 PUFA are obtained predomi- CVD mortality in populations with high con- nately from fish, seafood, meat and eggs M( EYER sumption of fish there has been continuous in- et al., 2003) and in recent years from enriched terest of scientific communities in the possibili- food products such as bread, milk and marga- ty of lowering CVD risk by n-3 fatty acids. Both rine. The role played by essential fatty acids in EPA and DHA play a role in modification of li- the human body has been the subject of vol- pid and lipoprotein metabolism. N-3 fatty acids umes of international research in recent years. have synergistic and additive effects on plasma The results indicate that n-3 fatty acids may lipids when co-administered with statins (DA- be of value in the treatment of various medical VIDSON et al., 2007). Increased triglyceride lev- conditions (UAUY and VALENZUELA, 2000). Re- els are seen among individuals with HIV who search has been carried out in animal models, receive antiretroviral therapy. A study reported tissue cultures and human beings. A present the results of a research that examined the ef- study was to produce pork with enhanced nu- fects of a controlled dietary study supplement- tritive value for humans, in terms of fatty acid ed with 4 g of fish oil daily to reduce triglycer- profile. When fish oil was included in the diet, ide levels in HIV (CAPILI and ANASTASI, 2013). higher levels of EPA, DPA and DHA were meas- Another practical implication of such studies ured in the subcutaneous fat (MOREL et al., is the proven safety of n-3 fatty acids add on 2013). The positive effects of essential fatty ac- therapy to statins. Both DHA and EPA have ids are attributed to their ability to reduce in- profound effect on platelet function.