- The researchers studied the effects of krill oil on age-related neurodegeneration and Parkinson’s disease.
- They found that krill oil can protect against many neurodegenerative processes in worms and human cell lines.
- The researchers say their findings warrant further preclinical and clinical investigation before it is widely recommended.
Marine oils, such as fish oil, have been extensively researched for their health-promoting properties. However, until now, krill oil has remained relatively understudied.
Krill oil is high in long-chain omega-3 fatty acids, antioxidantsand choline, an essential nutrient that supports healthy brain development and function.
A to study found that dietary krill oil supplements inhibited memory loss in mouse models of Alzheimer’s.
A revision also suggested that the lipid nature of krill oil improves bioavailability and absorption efficiency, making it more beneficial than other marine oils for inflammation and cognitive function.
Further study of krill oil could help develop dietary supplements and therapies that protect against neurodegeneration.
Researchers recently studied the effects of krill oil in a roundworm model of Parkinson’s disease (PD).
They found that krill oil protected dopaminergic neurons from age-related degeneration and improved cognition. Degeneration of dopaminergic (DA) neurons is believed to play a key role in Parkinson’s.
“The study shows the potential of omega-3 fatty acids, choline and antioxidants to slow age-related damage to neurons. However, it is important to repeat the studies in animal models, using appropriate controls. Also, the [pretreated] Krill oil may be more effective in animal models than natural krill oil.”
— Dr Papasani Subbaiahprofessor in the Department of Medicine at the University of Illinois at Chicago, speaking with today’s medical news
The study was published in Aging.
The researchers chose to study roundworms because their aging processes are similar to those of humans. Previous research suggested that krill oil could increase the lifespan of these worms by four days. Its half-life is between 18-20 days.
In the current study, the researchers first measured the effects of krill oil in worm models of PD, characterized by the degradation of DA neurons over time.
Worms not treated with krill oil experienced more than 30% deterioration of dopaminergic neurons after six days. However, the krill-treated worms did not experience reduction in DA neurons.
Alpha-synuclein protein accumulations are also a key hallmark of PD. The researchers found that while the controls had around 50 protein clumps by day six, those treated with krill oil only had 17.
PD is also known to affect movement. The researchers found that the krill oil-fed worms had significantly faster movement and higher activity levels than the untreated worms.
They noted that the PD worms did not respond to krill oil, meaning the oil likely works on key mechanisms underlying aging and PD.
Other experiments showed that krill oil also reduced senescence, the loss of cells’ ability to grow and divide. The researchers reported similar results from tests with human connective tissue cells.
Further tests showed that krill oil led to a 6-fold decrease in oxidative stress in the worms and improved their cognition. The researchers also found that krill oil promoted gene activity known to promote healthy aging.
When asked how krill oil may differ from other marine oils in terms of neuroprotection, Dr. Subbaiah, who was not involved in the study, said: MNT that krill oil has specific benefits, including the presence of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) in the presence of phospholipids and not triglycerides, as in fish oil.
EPA and DHA have multiple Benefits, including for immune function, cardiovascular function and neuroprotection. Phospholipids enhance tissue absorption and can cross the blood-brain barrier, while triglycerides cannot cross the blood-brain barrier.
A to study found that pre-treated krill oil can increase brain levels of EPA and DHA between 5 and 70 times more than untreated krill oil. Meanwhile, fish oil, treated or not, has no effect on brain levels of EPA or DHA.
Dr James Giordanoalso said the professor of neurology and biochemistry at the Pellegrino Center at Georgetown University Medical Center, who was not involved in the study. MNT that phosphatidylcholine (a phospholipid in krill oil) “imparts enhanced neuronal uptake and direct membrane stabilizing effects within neuronal infrastructures.”
“This combination of enhanced bioavailability and membrane stabilization is important in promoting the anti-inflammatory and antidegenerative properties of many of the active (omega-3) ingredients found in krill oil.”
— Dr. James Giordano
“Taken together, these properties are useful for maintaining neuronal structural and functional integrity and reducing age-related inflammatory changes (known as inflammation),” he added.
Krill Oil Benefits
Dr. Subbaiah noted that the choline in krill oil is another benefit. Choline is a precursor of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine and is therefore crucial for multiple neurological functions, such as memory regulation, mood, and muscle control.
Lastly, Dr. Subbaiah said that the presence of antioxidants like astaxanthin also makes krill oil beneficial. the potential benefits of astaxanthin include the following:
- anticancer activity
- antidiabetic effects
- neuroprotective effects
- promote cardiovascular health
- promoting eye health
- promote skin health
Dr Ali Mohebiassistant researcher in neurology at the University of California, San Francisco, who was not involved in the study, said MNT:
“This evidence suggests that while other marine oil compounds elevate various markers of health such as blood pressure, cardiovascular function, etc., krill oil may specifically be beneficial in slowing down a variety of neurodegenerative processes in the brain.”
The researchers concluded that krill oil could promote healthy aging in multiple ways, making it a good candidate for future preclinical and clinical exploration.
Dr. Mohebi pointed out that neurodegenerative diseases, such as Parkinson’s or Alzheimer’s disease, progress gradually and symptoms are only expressed in the later stages of the diseases. He observed, for example, that motor symptoms do not appear in PD until more than 80% of the DA neurons are dead.
“Any solution that slows down the neurodegeneration process will significantly improve the quality of life for people most prone to developing such neurodegenerative disorders. The results of [this study] are promising as they suggest a change in diet that will potentially protect DA neurons against age-related degeneration,” he noted.
He added, however, that these findings don’t mean the public should start taking krill oil to treat neurodegeneration.
Should I take krill oil?
“Until the results are replicated by multiple groups across multiple species and ultimately tested in the human population, these or similar compounds should not be treated as medical knowledge. These basic scientific results inform future medical applications, and changing personal diets should only be done after consulting with physicians.”
—Dr Ali Mohebi
When asked about the limitations of the study, Dr. Jordan Taylorsaid the chief of the neurology section at the University of Michigan Health-West, who was not involved in the study. MNT:
“While the findings are interesting, the study was completed with transgenic strains of C. elegans specifically bred to produce elevated alpha-synuclein as a model for Parkinson’s disease. While this is generally a good model to study the degenerative effects of alpha-synuclein, the results may not practically translate to humans.”
Dr Siddharth Kharkara board-certified neurologist at Nanavati Hospital, Mumbai, India, who was also not involved in the study, reiterated that animal models did not accurately reflect human disease.
“For example, the worms in this study had genetic defects that caused their dopamine neurons to self-destruct. The krill oil protected them from this genetic self-destruction. Very few cases of Parkinson’s disease in humans have a strong genetic basis. For example, most Parkinson’s disease patients do not have other relatives with Parkinson’s disease,” he explained.
“We do not yet know the cause of Parkinson’s disease in humans in all cases. Parkinson’s disease in humans can be secondary to many factors, including genetic, environmental, and lifestyle factors. Therefore, the results of this study may be applicable, in the future, to only a subset of Parkinson’s disease patients,” he continued.
Crossing the blood brain barrier
Dr. Subbaiah added that the main reason that marine oils, including fish oil and algal oil, do not significantly improve brain function is that they cannot cross the blood-brain barrier.
“The main reason that currently available fish oil, algal oil, ethyl esters, and other supplements do not significantly improve brain function is due to the blood-brain barrier, which requires omega-3 in the form of phospholipids to be transported into the brain. brain .”
— Dr. Papasani Subbaiah
“It is important to note that even krill oil does not work well in whole animals because the omega-3 fatty acids in krill oil are present in diacyl phospholipids, while the transporter in the blood-brain barrier requires monoacyl (smooth) ones. phospholipids. said Dr. Subbaiah.
He added, however, that lysophospholipids can be generated by treating krill oil with a lipase. an enzyme that ‘digests’ fats.
“It is important not only to repeat these studies with animal models, but also to use other forms of omega-3 fatty acids as controls to show that the effects are specific to krill oil,” he concluded.
