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Digestion of Ceramide 2-Aminoethylphosphonate, a Sphingolipid from the Jumbo Flying Squid Dosidicus gigas, in Mice

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Lipids

Abstract

Ceramide 2-aminoethylphosphonate (CAEP), a sphingophosphonolipid containing a carbon–phosphorus bond, is frequently found in marine organisms and has a unique triene type of sphingoid base in its structure. CAEP has not been evaluated as a food ingredient, although it is generally contained in Mollusca organisms such as squids and shellfish, which are consumed worldwide. In this study, we aimed to elucidate the effects of CAEP as a food component by evaluating the digestion of CAEP extracted from the skin of the jumbo flying squid Dosidicus gigas. Our results revealed that dietary CAEP was digested to free sphingoid bases via ceramides by the mouse small intestinal mucosa. At pH 7.2, CAEP was hydrolyzed more rapidly than the major mammalian sphingolipid sphingomyelin; however, the hydrolysis of CAEP was similar to that of sphingomyelin at pH 9.0. Thus, the digestion of CAEP may be catalyzed by alkaline spingomyelinase and other enzymes. Our findings provide important insights into the digestion of the dietary sphingophosphonolipid CAEP in marine foods.

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Abbreviations

AEP:

2-Aminoethylphosphonate

CAEP:

Ceramide 2-aminoethylphosphonate

HPLC–ELSD:

High-performance liquid chromatography equipped with an evaporative light-scattering detector

LC–MS:

Liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry

OPA:

Ο-Phthalaldehyde

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Acknowledgements

We would like to thank Dr. Itonori and Dr. Saito for providing valuable materials. This work was supported by the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS) KAKENHI (Grant No. 15J01143; a Grant-in-Aid for JSPS Research Fellow).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratory of Technology of Marine Bioproducts, Division of Applied Biosciences, Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto University, Kitashirakawaoiwakecho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto, 606-8502, Japan

    Nami Tomonaga, Yuki Manabe & Tatsuya Sugawara

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  1. Nami Tomonaga
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  2. Yuki Manabe
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  3. Tatsuya Sugawara
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Correspondence to Tatsuya Sugawara.

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Tomonaga, N., Manabe, Y. & Sugawara, T. Digestion of Ceramide 2-Aminoethylphosphonate, a Sphingolipid from the Jumbo Flying Squid Dosidicus gigas, in Mice. Lipids 52, 353–362 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11745-017-4239-0

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