Seafood Proteins in the Prevention of the Metabolic Syndrome, 2013

The primary objective of this project was to develop new understanding of the role of diet, in particular lean seafood proteins in the protection against pathological characteristics of the metabolic syndrome. The project studied the nutritional composition in seafood sources, to quantify the ability of different seafood protein sources to protect from risk factors of the metabolic syndrome. Also, how dietary seafood proteins can protect against dyslipidemia, abdominal obesity, insulin-resistance and development of atherosclerotic lesions in mice was being studied. The hypothesis was that seafood protein sources rich in taurine and pantothenic acid can stimulate glutathione(GSH) synthesis and modulate bile-acid(BA) metabolism, and that this may induce intestinal release of glucagon like peptide-1 (GLP-1) and fibroblast growth factor 15/19(FGF15/19) to blood. The project also hypothesized that the blood BA concentration can be modestly elevated in seafood protein consuming animals and subjects. Collectively, the metabolic pathways activated through the increased GSH, BA, GLP-1, FGF15/19 levels will reduce many of the pathological characteristics of the metabolic syndrome, such as insulin resistance and hyperglycemia, dyslipidemia, atherosclerosis and abdominal obesity. Different seafood protein sources was screened for their content of different nutrients, and based on their content of taurine and pantothenic acid, a selection of seafood protein sources to be tested in experimental high-fat diets to mice was made.