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Dietary factors, particularly proteins, have been extensively explored to combat cognitive impairment. We have previously reported that dietary fish (Alaska Pollock) protein (APP) is more effective than casein (CAS) or fish oil in maintaining short-term memory in senescence-accelerated mice prone 10 (SAMP10). To examine the specificity of the protective effect of APP intakes against short-term memory decline, we assessed the impact of various dietary animal proteins, including APP, CAS, chicken breast protein (CP), and whey protein (WP), against age-related cognitive function in SAMP10 mice. After feeding the experimental diets for 5 months, memory was assessed using the Y-maze. The APP group exhibited a significant increase in spontaneous alternation behavior as an indicator of working memory when group compared with groups fed with other protein source. Additionally, the APP group displayed significantly higher neurofilament heavy chain positivity than the CAS and CP groups, as evidenced immunohistochemical analysis. Gut microbiota analysis indicated that dietary APP significantly enhanced the relative abundance of Lactobacillus, which positively correlated with spontaneous alternation behavior. Collectively, these findings suggest that dietary APP is more effective than CAS, CP, or WP in preventing age-related short-term memory decline and morphological abnormalities in the hippocampal axons of SAMP10 mice. Moreover, APP-mediated improvements in cognitive deficits may be associated with changes in microbiota diversity. PRACTICAL APPLICATION: This research suggests that dietary fish protein from Alaska Pollock may be more efficient in prevention short-term memory decline in mice, compared to other animal proteins. This finding has practical implications for nutritional optimization, developing the new health food products, and elucidating the relationship between the impact of specific proteins on gut microbiota and prevention of age-related cognitive decline., (© 2024 Institute of Food Technologists.)

Fish protein is not only nutritional but also promotes health by improving insulin sensitivity and hypercholesterolemia. Few studies have examined the relationship between gut microbiota and the enhanced insulin sensitivity due to the intake of Alaska pollock protein (APP). Hence, we assessed the glycolytic enzyme inhibitory activity of APP in in vitro study and the alteration of blood glucose level in insulin tolerance test (ITT) and glucose tolerance test (GTT) and gut microbiota following APP intake in the in vivo study. In initial experiments, the glycolytic enzyme (α-amylase, α-glucosidase, and sucrase) inhibitory activities of APP and its digest were not drastically altered compared with that of casein and its digests. In further experiments, rats fed an AIN-93G diet containing 20% (w/w) casein or APP for 8 weeks, and the composition of fecal microbiota analyzed by 16S rRNA amplicon sequence analysis. In addition, at 6 and 7 weeks of administration of experimental diet, insulin and glucose tolerance tests were evaluated, respectively. Compared with dietary casein, dietary APP has blood glucose-lowering activity as evident in the ITT and GTT. Moreover, APP group altered the structure of fecal microbiota, and area under the curves of the ITT and GTT and the relative abundance of Blautia, which is associated with glucose metabolism, tended to be positively correlated (P = 0.08 and 0.10, respectively). This study illustrates a novel finding that APP intake could alter the composition of gut microbiota and improve insulin sensitivity. PRACTICAL APPLICATION: Studies in animals and humans have shown that Alaska pollock protein (APP) intake improves insulin sensitivity, allowing the body to utilize blood glucose more effectively, thereby keeping blood sugar levels under control. Microorganisms residing in the human gut are associated with glucose metabolism. This study shows that the relative APP intake alters the composition of these gut microorganisms, more than casein intake and therefore might prevent hyperglycemia and type 2 diabetes., (© 2020 Institute of Food Technologists®.)

Lysophospholipids have been recognized as potent biologically active lipid mediators. However, attention has not been paid to the health benefits of dietary partial hydrolysate of phospholipids (PH-PL), which is rich in docosahexaenoic acid (DHA)-bound lysophospholipids. In this study, the effects of PH-PL on serum and liver lipid profiles of rats upon administration of PH-PL are demonstrated in comparison to those of fish oil (FO), which comprises eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and DHA-bound triglyceride (TG). PH-PL containing EPA and DHA was prepared via enzymatic modification of squid (Todarodes pacificus) meal that is rich in phospholipids. Male Wistar rats were fed a basal diet containing soybean oil alone (7%), FO, and PH-PL. The FO and PH-PL diets had similar EPA and DHA contents. After the rats had been fed their respective diets for 28 d, their serum and liver lipid contents, fecal lipid excretion, and hepatic gene expression level were measured. The results demonstrated that compared with the soybean oil diet alone, the PH-PL diet decreased serum and liver TG contents partially because of the enhancement of liver acyl-CoA oxidase activity and suppression of liver fatty acid synthase activity. In addition, compared with the soybean oil diet, the PH-PL group exhibited lower serum cholesterol content at least in part because of the reduction of hepatic 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-CoA reductase mRNA expression level. We found that dietary administration of EPA and DHA containing PH-PL has a hypolipidemic effect that may help prevent the development lifestyle-related diseases., (© 2019 Institute of Food Technologists®.)

Tuna muscle consists of light and dark muscle in approximately equal proportions. However, besides for the light muscle of tuna, cod, sardine, and salmon, few researches have assessed the health-promoting functions of fish protein. Therefore, we evaluated the mechanisms underlying the alteration of lipid storage and cholesterol metabolism following the intake of tuna dark muscle protein (TDMP) by obese type-2 diabetic/obese mice. Four-week-old male KK-A y mice were separated into 2 dietary groups, with one group receiving a casein-based diet and the other receiving a diet with the substitution of part of the protein (50%, w/w) by TDMP (TDMP diet) for 4 wk. The TDMP diet significantly increased the content of serum high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, partly due to the reduction of the expression of scavenger receptor class B member 1 in epididymal white adipose tissue. In addition, dietary TDMP decreased the content of hepatic triacylglycerol, which could be due to the enhancement of carnitine palmitoyltransferase-2 activity through the activation of the expression of the peroxisome proliferative activated receptor-α in the liver. These results suggest that TDMP could have the potential to prevent the development of obesity-related diseases by suppressing the storage of hepatic triacylglycerol and cholesterol., (© 2017 Institute of Food Technologists®.)

Protamine has been used as an antiheparin drug and a natural preservative in various food products. However, limited studies have evaluated the physicochemical and functional properties of protamine. Hence, we assessed the mechanisms underlying the inhibition of lipid absorption following salmon protamine intake in in vitro and in vivo studies. In initial experiments, a salmon protamine hydrolyzate (PH) was prepared using in vitro simulated gastrointestinal digestion suppressed pancreatic lipase activity and micellar cholesterol solubility. This PH had higher bile acid-binding capacity and emulsion breakdown activity than casein hydrolyzate and l-arginine. However, the hypolipidemic functions of protamine were dramatically reduced by pancreatin digestion. In further experiments, groups of male Wistar rats were fed an AIN-93G diet containing 5% (wt/wt) salmon protamine or a protamine amino acid mixture. After 4 wk of feeding with experimental diets, reductions in serum and liver triacylglycerol (TAG) and cholesterol contents were observed in the presence of protamine, reflecting inhibition of TAG, cholesterol, and bile acid absorption. These data suggest that the formation of insoluble PH-bile acid complexes is critical before the bile acid-binding capacity is reduced. Therefore, dietary salmon protamine may ameliorate lifestyle-related diseases such as hyperlipidemia and obesity., (© 2015 Institute of Food Technologists®)

Fish protein has been shown to decrease serum cholesterol content by inhibiting absorption of cholesterol and bile acid in laboratory animals, though the mechanism underlying this effect is not yet fully understood. The purpose of this study was to elucidate the mechanism underlying the inhibition of cholesterol and bile acid absorption following fish protein intake. Male Wistar rats were divided into 2 dietary groups of 7 rats each, 1 group receiving a diet consisting of 20% casein and the other receiving a diet consisting of 10% casein and 10% fish protein. Both experimental diets also contained 0.5% cholesterol and 0.1% sodium cholate. After the rats had been on their respective diets for 4 wk, their serum and liver cholesterol contents and fecal cholesterol, bile acid, and nitrogen excretion contents were measured. Fish protein consumption decreased serum and liver cholesterol content and increased fecal cholesterol and bile acid excretion and simultaneously increased fecal nitrogen excretion. In addition, fish protein hydrolyzate prepared by in vitro digestion had lower micellar solubility of cholesterol and higher binding capacity for bile acids compared with casein hydrolyzate. These results suggest that the hypocholesterolemic effect of fish protein is mediated by increased fecal cholesterol and bile acid excretion, which is due to the digestion products of fish protein having reduced micellar solubility of cholesterol and increased bile acid binding capacity., (© 2011 Institute of Food Technologists®)