In an attempt to concentrate the content of DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) in a glyceride mixture containing triglyceride, diglyceride and monoglyceride, fish oil was hydrolyzed with six kinds of microbial lipase. After the hydrolysis, free fatty acid was removed and fatty acid components of the glyceride mixtures were analyzed. When the hydrolysis withCandida cylindracea lipase was 70% complete, the DHA content in the glyceride mixture was three times more than that in the original fish oil. The EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) content became almost 70% of the original fish oil. Hydrolysis with other lipases did not result in an increase in the DHA content in the glyceride mixtures. Hydrolysis of DHA‐rich tuna oil (DHA content is about 25%) withCandida cylindracea lipase resulted in 53% DHA in the glyceride mixture. The EPA content, however, remained close to that of the original tuna oil. In this report, the acyl chain specificity of lipases is evaluated in terms of hydrolysis resistant value (HRV). HRV is the ratio between the DHA contents in the glyceride mixture of hydrolyzed oil and original oil. HRV clearly indicates differences in hydrolysis between DHA and other fatty acids (e.g., saturated and monoenoic acids).

Antioxidant effect of phospholipids on the oxidation of refined perilla oil (PO;α‐18:3, 54.5%; 16:0, 7.2%; 18:0, 2.6%; 18:1, 18.6%; 18:2, 15.5%), tocopherol‐free (POF) and tocopherol‐enriched (POR) perilla oil were investigated by measuring weight‐gains and by the oven test at 37°C. The oxidative stability of PO was especially increased by additions of phosphatidylethanolamine (PE) and phosphatidylserine (PS), but phosphatidylcholine (PC) scarcely showed an antioxidant effect. The oxidative stability of POF was markedly low, and none of the phospholipids (PC, PE, PS) showed an antioxidant effect on the oxidation of POF. The stability of POR was lower than that of PO regardless of its higher tocopherol contents. However, the oxidation of POR was significantly suppressed by additions of PE and PS, as was observed with PO. PC showed a small antioxidant effect on the oxidation of POR. Therefore, it seems that the antioxidant effects of phospholipids, especially of PE and PS, was due to the presence of tocopherols in the perilla oil.

Inflammatory cytokines may have important roles in periodontitis.We assessed the effects of initial periodontal therapy on clinical periodontal parameters and interleukin-1β (IL-1β) level in gingival crevicular fluid (GCF) from chronic periodontitis (CP) patients. After initial screening, baseline periodontal parameters such as probing pocket depth (PPD) and bleeding on probing (BOP) were measured. GCF samples were collected from 13 shallow (≤3 mm) and deep (≥5 mm) PPD sites from 13 CP patients, and GCF volume and IL-1β concentration were determined at baseline (before scaling and root planning) and at 2 and 4 months after initial therapy. Baseline BOP rate, GCF volume, and IL-1β level were significantly higher at deep PPD sites than at shallow PPD sites. Significant improvements in PPD and BOP were observed at 2 and 4 months after periodontal initial therapy in deep PPD sites only. In contrast, GCF volume and IL-1β concentration were lower at 2 and 4 months after initial therapy at all sites. These results suggest that GCF volume and IL-1β level in samples reflect disease severity and that these variables are better than PPD and BOP as markers of gingival inflammation. (J Oral Sci 57, 67-71, 2015)

Microfocus computed tomography (micro-CT; R_mCT) is a dynamic noninvasive method for measuring bone regeneration. This study evaluated whether R_mCT was equivalent to histomorphometry in assessing bone augmentation. Two plastic caps of graft material with (experiment) or without hydroxyapatite (HA; control) were placed in the exposed calvaria of rats. Images of bone augmentation within the plastic caps were then taken using R_mCT. Histological sections were cut along the same plane as that used for the micro-CT images. Bone regeneration beyond the skeletal envelope occurred at both the experimental and control sites. Bone volume also increased at both sites. In addition, consistent patterns of bone formation were observed in both R_mCT and histological images. R_mCT analysis enables highly quantitative and qualitative measurement of bone augmentation in living animals. (J Oral Sci 52, 203-211, 2010)

Tuna oil was hydrolyzed withCandida cylindracea lipase. After 70% hydrolysis of the oil, the docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) content in the glyceride mixture [a mixture of TG (triglyceride), DG (diglyceride) and MG (monoglyceride)] was twice that of the original oil. DHA‐rich TG and DG were observed, but DHA‐rich MG was absent.C. cylin‐dracea lipase seemed to have a “triglyceride specificity,” and it favors TG without DHA over TG containing DHA. In accordance with this hypothesis, TG containing a mixture of oleic acid (OA) and DHA was synthesized and then hydrolyzed withC. cylindracea lipase. TGs in the hydrolysis product were fractionated and analyzed quantitatively by high‐performance liquid chromatography. Four kinds of TGs were obtained. TG with three molecules of OA was hydrolyzed most easily. Increasing the DHA content of TG resulted in less hydrolysis of TG. The results suggested thatC. cylindracea lipase had a TG specificity for the whole structure of TG in preference to the individual ester bonds; OA coexisting with DHA in TG was resistant toC. cylindracea lipase due to the TG structure.