LAUSR

In fishery industries, large amounts of byproducts are discarded during processing; therefore, their use as a source of n‐3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) is beneficial. In this study, we evaluated the potential anti‐allergic effect of lysophosphatidylcholine (Lyso‐PtdCho) derived from squid skin phosphatidylcholine (PtdCho) by measuring the production of leukotriene (LT) B4 and C4, which are chemical mediators produced by mast cells in immediate allergic reactions. Squid Lyso‐PtdCho, with docosahexaenoic acid exclusively esterified at the sn‐2 position, significantly inhibited LT production, whereas the original PtdCho obtained from squid skin showed no inhibitory activity. Lyso‐PtdCho prepared from starfish viscera PtdCho, which exclusively binds eicosapentaenoic acid at the sn‐2 position, also inhibited LT production, although the effect was moderate compared with that of the squid Lyso‐PtdCho. It has been suggested that Lyso‐PtdCho containing n‐3 PUFA may alleviate allergic symptoms and contribute to the effective utilization of fishery wastes and processing byproducts.