Identification of shellfish fatty acids and their effects on lipogenic enzymes.

The fatty acids which are common to and characteristic of shellfish, were identified by mass spectrometry and NMR spectral analyses as being: octadecatetraenoioc acid, eicosapentaenoic acid, docosapentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic acid. When the fatty acids isolated by high performance liquid chromatography were separately intubated into rats, hepatic glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (EC 1.1.1.49), malic enzyme (EC 1.1.1.40) and acetyl-CoA carboxylase (EC 6.4.1.2) were reduced more effectively as compared with linoleic acid intubation. These enzymes were reduced most markedly by eicosapentaenoic acid-intubation. The fatty acids seem to be effective components in reduction of triacylglycerol and lipogenic enzyme levels in rats fed on shellfish.