I've watched several interviews with biochemist Dayan Goodenowe PhD (drgoodenowe.com/) where he discussed increasing plasmalogen levels to prevent Alzheimer's and other dementias. He mentioned that higher plasmalogen levels also help in Parkinson's by improving function in dopaminergic neurons, so I wondered if anyone here has tried this yet. drgoodenowe.com/2021/05/12/...
The supplements Goodenowe has created are bioengineered plasmalogen precursors, and are expensive ($150/month after coupon, see prodrome.com/). The omega-3 modifed-DHA version is called ProdromeNeuro, the omega-9 version is called ProdromeGlia. He thinks they'll be able to reduce prices once they start manufacturing more.
Another company called GraySpace also has a plasmalogen precursor, and a webpage on PD : grayspacetherapeutics.com/p.... They have studies showing neuroprotection and a reduction in L-dopa-induced dyskinesias.
Has anyone here tested their plasmalogen levels, or tried boosting them with precursors? If so, did it help?
Unlike other macromolecules such as protein and DNA, lipid composition can be altered through dietary changes, which presents a unique opportunity for intervention. Studies in mice and other models demonstrated a therapeutic benefit in providing plasmalogens to the diet to mitigating memory loss.7 Due to the ease and safety of the use of dietary supplements, a clinical study recently added plasmalogens to the diets of patients with early AD and showed cognitive improvement in mild cases.8
That clinical study tested 328 patients aged 60 to 85 with mild AD and mild cognitive impairment; these patients scored 20 to 27 points on the MiniMental State Examination in Japan, where the study was conducted. They received either 1 mg/day of plasmalogens purified from scallops or a placebo. In mild AD patients, measures of memory (WMS-R test) improved significantly in the treatment group among females and those younger than 77 years old. There was no statistically significant improvement in more advanced patients, suggesting that early intervention is critical.
Because beneficial effects of plasmalogen supplementation have been seen in AD, there have been efforts to identify sources of plasmalogens in food. In the 2016 study, the highest level of plasmalogens was found in ascidians (also called sea squirts), mussels, and scallops.9 There are also significant levels of plasmalogens in pork and beef. Plasmalogens are a group of lipids that can vary in the fatty acids and the headgroups that are components of lipids. Studies have not yet determined whether particular types of plasmalogens would have a greater benefit than others."
Quantitative and Comparative Investigation of Plasmalogen Species in Daily Foodstuffs 2021 ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/labs/pmc/a...
"Plasmalogens are an animal-derived functional phospholipid increasingly known as a safe and effective nutritional ingredient, however, the quantitation and comparison of plasmalogen species in foods is limited. In the present work, determination methods for dietary plasmalogens using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectroscopy under positive and negative ionization modes were compared. The negative-mode method, which showed better selectivity, sensitivity, and accuracy, was then applied in 14 kinds of livestock, poultry, and seafood samples. Livestock and poultry showed abundant total plasmalogen (530.83–944.94 nmol/g), higher than fish (46.08–399.75 nmol/g) and mollusk (10.00–384.76 nmol/g). While fish and mollusk samples expressed healthier fatty acyl composition, with higher eicosapentaenoyl and more beneficial n-6/n-3 ratio than the land animal meats, especially for squid and octopus, with eicosapentaenoyl of 98.4% and 94.5%, respectively. The correlations among plasmalogen species varied in different foodstuffs with distinguishing patterns, suggesting the customizable strategies for achieving targeted plasmalogen species. These findings not only provided fundamental comparison of plasmalogen among daily foodstuffs, but also contributed to extend the dietary plasmalogen sources for health food development."
"The total plasmalogen amount were higher in livestock and poultry than seafoods, while seafoods contained more beneficial n-6/n-3 fatty acyl composition, especially for mollusks."
In his interviews, Dr. Goodenowe mentioned that plasmalogens in food are generally unavailable for assimilation due to digestion. Therefore the Prodrome oils he created are biological precursors, which can be absorbed, instead of fully-formed plasmalogens.
Two main requirements for effective plasmalogens, they should be ethanolamine plasmalogens and have a high DHA . That rules out a lot of plasmalogens. Further don't believe the myth that plasmalogen supplements are destroyed in the stomach, they do survive and there are a numbers of paper that supports this fact.MoJoe2
If you have recommended reading on this, please link it. I’ve listened to Dr. Goodenowe and am very curious about it. Maybe it’s just not ready for prime time yet?
Plasmalogens are already being sold in Japan and Singapore as a health supplement especially aimed at AD.
Levels of plasmalogen consumed in a normal diet are well above the supplement levels and appear to survive short exposure to stomach acid.
Mussel is a rich source of plasmalogen with high levels of EPLAS (and SPLAS).
Mussel powder is already produced and processed in NZ. The residual powder from that processing contains the phospholipids and therefore the plasmalogens.
Further work needs to be done to better mimic stomach conditions.
Enzyme modification can be used to enrich or prepare desirable compounds.
Plasmalogens! I’m so happy you posted about this! This forum is really getting more forward and innovative! 😃. Do you know about Dr. Dayan Goodenowe?
I listened to several of his interviews yesterday, before posting. Have you heard much about plasmalogens before? It's new to me. I found the information on the Alzheimer's forums.
I have listened do his interviews as well. It was a revelation to me. I especially like his interview with Dr. Dale Bredesen. I shelved the subject though because it seems a bit early. Another one you might find if interest which is more accessible and researched is AKG, specifically Rejuvant.
Thanks for all the studies, they are very helpful.
Consider that shark liver oil contains very small amounts of usable plasmalogens, maybe 0.5 to 2.0mg/dose. The plasmalogen precursors sold by Prodrome have 900mg per dose; and they are vegan, so don't have the shark-liver/scallop problems of cruelty and off-target molecules. If any of the 900mg of precursors are converted into plasmalogens in the body, the achieved dose will be much higher than shark liver oil. It's an intriguing idea.
The reason to take Shark Liver Oil is for the alkylglycerol it contains. Alkylglycerol is a precursor to plasmalogens. In one study, when given to young rats, plasmalogen levels were restored.
🤔 green lipped mussels as a source of plasmalogens?
Green lipped mussels are a sustainable source of Omega-3 FA. I was already wanting to make a change from fish oil and combine green lipped mussel oil with ahi flower oil. Plasmalogens is new to me. I have a special interest in the following:
Plasmalogens are not only 'components of plasma membrane and of lung surfactant, they serve as a reservoir for second messengers and may be also involved in membrane fusion, ion transport, and cholesterol efflux.' Plasmalogens may also act as antioxidants, thus protecting cells from oxidative stress. Receptor-mediated degradation of plasmalogens by plasmalogen-selective phospholipases A2, C, and D results in the generation of arachidonic acid, eicosanoids, and platelet activating factor. Low levels of these metabolites have trophic effects, but at high concentration they are cytotoxic and may be involved in allergic response, inflammation, and trauma. Levels of plasmalogens are decreased in several neurological disorders including Alzheimer’s disease, ischemia, and spinal cord trauma (Hartmann, Kuchenbecker, & Grimm, 2007).
The precursor oils appear to provide higher levels than any of the shark-liver or scallop animal-sourced products. Prodrome uses algae as its omega-3 source.
"Plasmalogen precursor analog treatment reduces levodopa-induced dyskinesias in parkinsonian monkeys
Abstract:
L-DOPA-induced dyskinesias (LID) remain a serious obstacle in the treatment of Parkinson's disease (PD). The objective of this study was to test a new target for treatment of dyskinesias, ethanolamine plasmalogens (PlsEtn). PlsEtn play critical roles in membrane structure mediated functions and as a storage depot of polyunsaturated fatty acids such as docosahexaenoic acid (DHA, omega-3) known to reduce dyskinesias. The motor effect of a daily treatment for 12 days of 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP) Macaca fascicularis monkeys with DHA (100mg/kg) was compared to the DHA-PlsEtn precursor PPI-1011 (50mg/kg). PPI-1011 and DHA reduced LID while maintaining the antiparkinsonian activity of l-DOPA, however the PPI-1011 effect was observed at the first behavioral time point analyzed following drug administration (day 2) whereas the effect of DHA was not observed until after 10 days of administration. DHA treatment increased plasma DHA levels 2-3× whereas PPI-1011 had no effect. DHA and PPI-1011 increased DHA-PlsEtn levels by 1.5-2× while DHA-phosphatidylethanolamine (PtdEtn) levels remained unaffected. DHA treatment also elevated very long chain fatty acid containing PtdEtn and reduced non-DHA containing PtdEtn and PlsEtn levels. PPI-1011 had no effect on these systems. LID scores were inversely correlated with serum DHA-PlsEtn/total PlsEtn ratios levels in DHA and PPI-1011 treated monkeys. Hence, the antidyskinetic activity of DHA and PPI-1011 in MPTP monkeys appears to be associated with the increase of serum DHA-PlsEtn concentrations. This is the first study reporting an antidyskinetic response to augmentation of DHA-PlsEtn using a plasmalogen precursor thus providing a novel drug target for dyskinesias."
"Plasmalogen precursor mitigates striatal dopamine loss in MPTP mice
Abstract
Ethanolamine plasmalogens (PlsEtn) are a class of glycerophospholipids characterized by a vinyl-ether bond at the sn-1 position that play an important role in the structure and function of membranes. Previous reports have suggested a link between reduced blood and brain PlsEtn levels and Parkinson's disease (PD). We recently reported that the DHA containing plasmalogen precursor PPI-1011 protected striatal dopamine (DA) against MPTP toxicity in mice. In this paper, we further investigate the specificity requirements of the lipid side chains by testing the oleic acid-containing plasmalogen precursor PPI-1025. Male mice were treated for 10days with daily oral administration of PPI-1025 (10, 50 or 200mg/kg). On day 5 mice received MPTP and were sacrificed on Day 11. Treatment with PPI-1025 prevented MPTP-induced decrease of DA and serotonin, as well as their metabolites. In addition, PPI-1025 treatment prevented the MPTP-induced decrease of the striatal dopamine transporter (DAT) and vesicular monoamine transporter 2 (VMAT2) specific binding. Significant positive correlations were measured between striatal DA concentrations and DAT or VMAT2 specific binding, as well as with serum plasmalogen concentrations. The neuroprotective effect of PPI-1025 displayed a bell-curve dose-dependency losing effect at the highest dose tested. The similar protective response of oleic and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA)-containing plasmalogen precursors suggests that the neuroprotection observed is not only due to DHA but to the oleic substituent and the plasmalogen backbone.
"Neuroprotection and immunomodulation in the gut of parkinsonian mice with a plasmalogen precursor
Abstract
Parkinson's disease (PD) is the second most common neurodegenerative disease worldwide. It is typically associated with motor symptoms originating from the degeneration of nigrostriatal dopamine (DA) neurons. Early stages of PD have been associated with an alteration in DA production in intestinal DAergic neurons along with inflammation. Interestingly, decreased serum concentrations of ethanolamine plasmalogens (PlsEtn) have been reported in PD patients. Ethanolamine plasmalogens play a role in vesicular fusion and release during neurotransmission, and store neuroprotective polyunsaturated fatty acids, such as docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and are strong anti-oxidants, highlighting areas of potential therapeutic interest. Docosahexaenoic acid is known to play important roles in both the central nervous and peripheral systems, in addition to acting as a precursor of several molecules that regulate the resolution of inflammation. The present study investigated the neuroprotective and anti-inflammatory properties of the DHA-containing PlsEtn precursor, PPI-1011, in the intestine of 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP)-treated mice. Treatment with PPI-1011 prevented the MPTP-induced decrease in PlsEtn levels. In addition it prevented the loss of tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) expression and reduced the infiltration of macrophages in the myenteric plexus of MPTP-treated mice. The protective effects of PPI-1011 were observed regardless of whether it was administered pre- or post- MPTP treatment. These results suggest that PPI-1011 has neuroprotective and anti-inflammatory properties in the gut and indicate its potential utility as a treatment for both early and more advanced stages of PD."
No judging 🧐 I buy select animal supplements for human consumption, can be higher quality and less expensive with fewer additives.
Product description: Green Lipped Mussels feed on phytoplankton, which means they aren’t as easily contaminated with mercury, PCBs, and dioxins like salmon, herring, and other fish.
Our Green Lipped Mussels are always freeze-dried and without going through a heating process to stabilize delicate oils. Every batch of Safe-Sea is quality tested for heavy metals, PCBs, and toxins.
Every batch of our Ahiflower is tested to be free of chemicals, pesticides, and metals. Grown in the UK and PEI you can feel confident that they are grown and harvested under strict government regulations.
I know right??? I learn a lot from pet nutrition sites. My beloved Teddy (cocker spaniel) got bloody diarrhea from organic commercial dog food. If I cook for him then my husband and I can benefit too. I'm not ready to go raw yet for my dog!
Maybe a little off topic but nutrition and supplements aren't equal. Awhile back I wrote about why you can't supplement yourself to good health. We can't expect to overcome poor food choices with supplements. We might need to start with supplements along with diet changes because we're so far down the road, but as health improves we should transition to a whole food diet like Keto, Paleo, Mediterranean, Wahls Protocol, Vegan....whichever lifestyle you can stick with.
BS. Most freeze dried mussels MUST go through a heating step of 60 + celsius, it is an anti listeria step and law in New Zealand. Failure to incorporate such a heating step will result in prosecution. The only alternative treatment is Ultra High Pressure treatment and only one company does this. There are downsides to this treatment. Also mussel oil is not as good as some as the EPA /DHA ratio is all wrong. High DHA is a must in any plasmalogen, and mussels oil is low in DHA.MoJoe2
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