Urinary Metabolite Profiling to Non-Invasively Monitor the Omega-3 Index: An Exploratory Secondary Analysis of a Randomized Clinical Trial in Young Adults
Abstract
The Omega-3 Index (O3I) reflects eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) content in erythrocytes. While the O3I is associated with numerous health outcomes, its widespread use is limited. We investigated whether urinary metabolites could be used to non-invasively monitor the O3I in an exploratory analysis of a previous placebo-controlled, parallel arm randomized clinical trial in males and females (n = 88) who consumed either ~3 g/d olive oil (OO; control), EPA, or DHA for 12 weeks. Fasted blood and first-void urine samples were collected at baseline and following supplementation, and they were analyzed via gas chromatography and multisegment injection–capillary electrophoresis–mass spectrometry (MSI-CE-MS), respectively. We tentatively identified S-carboxypropylcysteamine (CPCA) as a novel urinary biomarker reflecting O3I status, which increased following both EPA and DHA (p 80.0%), whereas the unknown dianion performed best in discriminating OO from DHA alone (AUC = 93.6%). Candidate urinary biomarkers of the O3I were identified that lay the foundation for a non-invasive assessment of omega-3 status.
How strong is the evidence?
Evidence Hub reads this as a secondary / pooled analysis, done in people. Its evidence level is 3 of 5 (Moderate · trial / cohort / secondary analysis). Trials without a large randomized design, cohorts and secondary analyses give moderate evidence. Reported size: 88 participants or records.
Read the paper
Related studies
- eggNOG 5.0: a hierarchical, functionally and phylogenetically annotated orthology resource based on 5090 organisms and 2502 viruses
- Online Survival Analysis Software to Assess the Prognostic Value of Biomarkers Using Transcriptomic Data in Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer
- OptiType: precision HLA typing from next-generation sequencing data
- Nicotinic Cholinergic System and COVID-19: In Silico Identification of an Interaction between SARS-CoV-2 and Nicotinic Receptors with Potential Therapeutic Targeting Implications
- Saccharomyces cerevisiae cells have three Omega class glutathione S-transferases acting as 1-Cys thiol transferases
- Hemolysis at low blood flow rates: in-vitro and in-silico evaluation of a centrifugal blood pump
Go deeper in Evidence Hub
Evidence Hub adds a study data sheet (design, sample size, evidence level, key numbers), an AI summary and a chat grounded in the paper's text.