The British Pharmacopoeia (BP) and other pharmacopoeias require various quality and standardization tests for good quality oil.
Acid Value: Number of mg of KOH required to neutralize the free acids in 1 g of the fat.
A high acid value indicates an inferior sample.
Saponification Value: Number of mg of KOH required to neutralize the free acids and the liberated acids after hydrolysis of the fat.
Ester Value: Number of mg of KOH required to neutralize the acids, which are liberated after hydrolysis.
EsterValue=SaponificationValue−AcidValue
Iodine Value: Number of parts of iodine monochloride that is absorbed by 100 parts by weight of the fat.
This gives a measure of unsaturation (alkenes) in the fat.
Other tests include the amount of unsaponifiable matter, melting point, refractive index, and specific gravity.
Cod-Liver Oil BP
Cod-liver oil is obtained from the fresh liver of various species of cod (genus Gadus).
Besides essential fatty acids, cod-liver oil contains vitamins A & D.
The unsaturation in the molecules of vitamins A & D makes them prone to oxidation; hence, antioxidants are added to the oil.
Uses:
Prevention & cure of rickets.
Relief of pain & muscle stiffness in rheumatoid arthritis patients.
Fish oils are more beneficial in rheumatoid arthritis than osteoarthritis.
Vitamin A is needed for the normal functioning of the retina.
Vitamin D is involved in the regulation of calcium & phosphorus.
Both are fat-soluble vitamins, and excessive intake is not recommended.
A new role for vitamin D in immunity & respiratory health has been revealed, including viral and bacterial respiratory infection, asthma, & chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
Evening Primrose Oil BP
Evening primrose oil, obtained from the seeds of the plant Oenothera biennis, is used as a dietary supplement.
It contains approximately 8% gamma-linolenic acid (GLA) and 70% linoleic acid (LA) - both omega-6 fatty acids (ω6FA's). Both are 'essential fatty acids'.
GLA is not widely occurring in large amounts except in borage (starflower) (about 25% GLA), blackcurrant & human milk (8%).
GLA and LA are important precursors to the formation of potent compounds such as prostaglandins, thromboxanes & leukotrienes, which regulate specific body functions.
Delta-6-desaturase is known to be blocked in conditions such as diabetes & with excessive alcohol intake.
The activity of delta-6-desaturase is decreased in individuals suffering from atopic eczema (itchy, dry & cracked skin).
After oral intake of the oil, increased levels of PGE1 have been claimed to reduce the symptoms of eczema, but there have been conflicting results.
Other conditions that have been reported to benefit from the intake of evening primrose oil are premenstrual syndrome & rheumatoid arthritis.
Using Fatty Acids in Oral Formulations to Improve Drug Delivery
Researchers have used triglyceride fatty acids to develop an oral formulation for drugs that are usually injected or taken intravenously.
A new system delivers drugs straight into tumors with fewer side effects: A new drug delivery system disguises chemotherapeutics as fat in order to destroy tumors.
To develop the targeting system, Nathan Gianneschi from Northwestern University and his team engineered a long-chain fatty acid with two binding sites – able to attach to drugs – on each end. The fatty acid and its drugs are then hidden inside human serum albumin (HSA).
Omega-3 supplements can improve ADHD symptoms in some young people (more evidence Nov 2019, The Pharmaceutical Journal).
Analysis of the umbilical cords of newborns suggests that maternal vitamin D supplementation may help to reduce the risk of allergic conditions in early life.
Researchers find a strong link between vitamin D deficiency and diabetes-related deaths.
Harmful Bacteria Combated by Breast Milk Compound
Biodiesel is a lipid-based alternative fuel mostly composed of methyl esters of fatty acids.
Vitamin Derivative Makes for a More Plastic Brain, which vitamin A derivatives affect synaptic plasticity, which may aide the development of new therapeutic strategies for brain diseases, The serial mediation effect of inattention and bedtime procrastination. Personality and Individual Differences. 2021; 171.
Adjuvant Derived From Marine Sponges Boosts Effect of COVID-19 Vaccine, Li YQ, Yan C, Wang XF, et al. A new iNKT-cell agonist-adjuvanted SARS-CoV-2 subunit vaccine elicits robust neutralizing antibody responses. ACS Infect Dis. 2022
Bjornevik K, Cortese M, Furtado JD, et al. Association of polyunsaturated fatty acids and clinical progression in patients with ALS: Post-hoc analysis of the EMPOWER trial. Neurol. 2023. (particularly alpha-linolenic acid)